Denver Convention--THANKS!

[Tim Samaras]

I wanted to thank everyone that attended the convention that braved the rather chilly weather. This was our best attended conference that broke the 200 attendance mark.

I apologize for the power outage yesterday, we did our best to work around it. For those who haven't heard, Denver decided to have a rolling blackout--right in the middle of Jon Davies' talk!

The conference was alot of fun, and it was GREAT to see everyone out there. I thought all the speakers did an outstanding job!

I hope everyone makes it home safely, and hope to see you all out there this spring.

Jeff Wear's parents attended, and we played the first section of Jeff's DVD he created at the beginning of video night. Everybody really enjoyed that. Jeff attended our convention the last couple of years--he's greatly missed.

Regards,
Tim Samaras

 

[Verne Carlson]

Thanks Tim and Roger and everyone who helped put on yet another great National Storm Chasers Conference! It was great to see everyone, make some new friends and reunite on this cold weekend with the warmth of chase season only months away now.

I have posted some pics from the conference for those who did not get to make it. Once again a class act and well done job by all speakers and participants!

http://stormchaserco.blogspot.com

 

[Doug_Kiesling]

This year's conference was great, having it in Denver area was also great since several of us were able to go out and play in the thin air.

What was not great was the hotel this year. I know the black out was an issue but for a place that size you would think they would have a back up power supply.

Then getting stuck in the elevator, the heating units that had some serious heating issues such as the poor seals around them which made it kind of chilly in the rooms I was in and visited.

And then there was the Internet issues. Emergency power issues that several people pointed out that there where no lighted exit signs when the power was out. Not a lot of big things but a lot of little things that just made me want to stay at another hotel next time.

The conference was great, the hotel, they get 2 stars out of 6 in my book.

 

[Amos Magliocco]

While I was sitting in the Denver airport Sunday evening waiting for the next delay announcement, I regretted the convention was over. I really did. Thanks for Roger Hill and Tim Samaras for helping make winter pass a little faster.

 

[Bill Hark]

I am back in Richmond, Virginia after a quicker than usual flight (2 and 1/2 hours) to Dulles Airport thanks to a 150 tailwind. Thanks to the organizers Roger, Tim, David and all the speakers and others who made it an awesome convention. A lot of hard work must have gone into putting it all together.

I am very tired and I have to go to work in a few hours, but I will post some images in the next few days.

Bill Hark
http://www.harkphoto.com

 

[Dan Robinson]

I'll have to second Amos. A top-notch weekend with great speakers, great friends and an overall great time.

 

[Tony Laubach]

Many many thanks to Roger and Tim for hosting what easily would be the best of the several chasing conferences I have attended. The times I enjoyed both in-and-out of the conference setting were some of the best I've had in quite some time. It was great to see old friends and hang with them as well as meeting the many new folks and faces, some known only by internet. This weekend was an excellent weekend and I'm sorry it has passed so soon.

From my blog...

I had a wonderful time this weekend, easily one of the best party-filled weekends in forever. It is so nice to see these people outside of the chasing realm cause it really gives you a sincere chance to just chill out with them. I forget sometimes how tight I feel with these people cause I don't see them often, but after weekends like this, you are quickly reminded how much you enjoy being around these guys. I left the conference already wishing to do it again. But with its end, we are now one step closer to where we all want to be, the Plains!

A page I've put on my site which has some pics and stories (the "chase log" from the conference).

To note the hotel, my only real gripe was its pain-in-the-butt location off I-225. Other than that, I thought the place was great! Good service everywhere, and of course, having the bar and resturant (a good one at that) at the hotel was an excellent addition and one I would like to see at future conferences. Hopefully they'll have the Wifi/internet working next time! :wink:

 

[Tyler Allison]

That's Adam Ball of CoD in the background to the right.

Im in the picture on your blog with Katie, Verne and Micheal. Im the guy that hasn't shaved in 3 days because I forgot my shaver!

Thanks everyone for a good conference!

 

[Tim Vasquez]

Thanks to Roger, Tim Samaras, and all the speakers for a great conference this year.

While we're on the subject of hotel gripes, I have to say that the level of service at this Radisson was a couple of notches higher than I'm used to. Also the rooms and facilities were great. In all 3 rooms I saw, the heaters seemed to be working good (a bit hot if anything). The toilets, though, let's just say high vorticity and nominal vertical motion. Where did they get those things?

Overall though, I think the venue is better than the DIA hotel and west side location of previous years.

Tim
(sitting in a Firestone in Aurora, may make it out today yet)

 

[David Wolfson]

Radisson toilets: a scientific study revealed that it was necessary to wait to flush until all sound ceased from the pressurizing system in order to get sufficient vertically tilted vorticity.

Radisson internet: It worked ok (though not with blinding speed) for me until the power blackout. Thereafter it zoned out the way my home setup does before I cold-boot the mf router.

Monica and I really enjoyed ourselves, too, and hope to make it again!

 

[cdcollura]

Great Job

Good day all,

Just want to mention the fantastic job Tim Samaras and Roger Hill did at making this convention happen and making it better each year and able to keep costs the same as well! Great job!

I did do some pictures, and they are HERE below...

http://www.sky-chaser.com/picnic06.htm

Thanks to all who attended, as well as those who made chasing a much more touching experience, namely Jeff Wear's video (thanks to his parents for providing that and God bless) as well as some hurricane Katrina footage.

As for the Hotel, luckily I was not staying there. I spent time with some family who lives in Denver and just drove to the convention each day. I cannot imagine it being -15 outside and not having adequate heat / insulation - I am sure I would have woke up with a raging sore throat had I slept there.

Aaaah, record low temperatures in Denver area ... What a break from 80 degrees in Florida ... That's nearly a 100 degree temperature swing between FL and the convention after a 3 hour flight!

Dan Robinson brings his Van De Graaf electrostatic generator for some SDS lightning relief!

Over 200 people - Best attendance ever!

Rolling blackout hits ... The lights go out! The convention does go on...

Great job done by all the speakers, such as Charles Doswell here.

Anyway, thanks all, and hope to see you guys in either the plains this May / June or at next years convention as well!

Chris C - KG4PJN

 

[Dave Lewison]

Thanks Tim & Roger for putting together such a great convention!!! The speakers, presentations and vendors were all top notch and were very informative. I have posted a bunch of pictures (including the power failure) here:

http://www.facethewind.com/chase2006/convention

On the subject of the hotel...For the price, I think it was perfectly fine. I've paid more than that on the Plains and have gotten less (try any hotel in Amarillo around graduation time!) I got my in-room DSL to work by unplugging the phone from the splitter, so I had no problem getting online.

My only suggestion would be next year to NOT have it on the President's Day weekend. I realize that a lot of folks have the Monday off so it's more appealing, but for those of us who had to fly out, the crowds and airfares were horrendous (EVERYone goes to Denver to ski over that holiday!)

But overall, a FANTASTIC convention!

 

[Sara Johnson]

Great convention! Much thanks to Roger Hill and Tim Samaras for their hard work along with the terrific speakers! It was also great meeting all of you whom I'd only known by name rather than by face. It was a great kick-off to the 2006 season!

 

[Benjamin Sipprell]

Yes ... a great deal of thanks to Tim and Roger for the whole convention setup, the orientation of the speakers, videos, food, and StickyPod for the wifi internet!

I seriously had a great time and got to meet a great many of you for the first time ... though I didn't really introduce myself to most ... I'm sort of shy and uneasy about making new acquaintences ... better to make them out on the field! But I did read name tags!

First chase conference and hopefully not the last ... what I thought was great was gaining new perspectives and opinions on storm chase forecasting (both prior and during chasing) ... I seriously have evaluated certain points towards my own methods of forecasting. Love swaping ideas.

No pictures from me ... I was camera shy too!

Hopefully I'll catch some of you again during this season.

 

[Matt Schuch]

Tim and Roger, i just want to thank you guys for setting up the conference! It was awesome this year. Makes me regret missing last years conference. I am already counting down the days until next years convention. I do have to say tho, it was definitely an experience getting stuck in the elevator....one that will never forget