After 20 plus years of going to the convention, in my own mind I have my plan in place of what I expect to happen and how I want it to happen.  Now the hard part is communicating that plan to the students who we are taking as delegates to the convention.  Along with going to the convention so many times, much of it becomes second nature as to what I expect from the students.  I often times forget once we are in the throws of the convention, that for many of them, this will be the first experience at an event such as this.  The key is remembering this and also not forgetting about your first experiences at the convention.  The size, the people, the energy, the information overload.....oh how I could go on and on with the great firsts that many of us have had.  Keeping that in mind, what is your plan?  What is the plan for the students?

 A key component of the convention is the showcases and marketplace.  When meeting with your students, talk about these two significant parts of the convention and what the expectations are.  Let's start with the showcases.  Whether you realize it or not, the artists performing on that stage for 15 minutes have spent a sizable amount of money getting to that point.  They know that this opportunity is putting them in front of a lot of people who are the decision makers on their respective campuses.  Sometimes for some artists, this is a make or break sort of thing and whether or not you or your students like them, they still deserve the respect afforded any act that appears on that stage.  As a programmer, I am guessing that you are bothered when people at events that you program on your campus are disrespectful, this should be no different.  So here are some very basic things to remember when thinking about the showcases for you and your students to remember.  These are the expectations that I lay out for my students and for the most part, they follow them pretty closely.

1.  Show up on time for the showcases.  Yeah I know, sometimes things happen and you can't make it or get delayed.  That will happen from time to time.  Just don't make it a habit.
2.  Don't skip showcases or spend the day site seeing in Nashville.  Along with the artists, I am assuming that you all have spent a lot of money getting to the convention.  This isn't a vacation.  For advisors, while there is the obvious bit of downtime and socializing with friends, it is still work.  You are always the advisor to your students while they are there.
3.  Keep texting to a minimum during the showcases.
4.  Don't take or make a call during the showcase.  Seriously, how annoying is that.....if you have to make or take a call, leave the room so that those who are there are not disrupted.  Also, put your phones to vibrate.  Yeah you may have the coolest ringtone ever, you still don't need to share it with everyone at the showcase.
5.  The energy is super high at the convention.  Remind your students of that when choosing who to bring to campus from the showcases.  Not sure how many of you bring in concert lights, sound and video for your coffee house series.  I am betting not many.  Help them be realistic and to try and visualize how this program might happen at your campus.  It is not all about their individual tastes as much as it is about the tastes of your campus as a whole.
6.  Let down a little.  I know, you are saying huh.....Here is what I mean....Have a little fun.  Let your students have a little fun.  If they want to dance to a band they think is great, let em dance.  For that matter, if you want to dance......dance.  Work can be fun don't you know.
7.  After the showcase, meet with your delegation and talk about every act on the bill.  This will make your time in the marketplace more productive and even leave time for a little fun.

Now to the marketplace.  As with the showcases, the people who have booths in the marketplace have invested a sizable amount to be there.  Remember that.  Make sure your students know that.  The marketplace is large and at some point may look like a crazy crowded place.   I am not gonna lie, sometimes it is.  Be ok with that.  If that is not what you are into, that's ok.  Just make sure you at least get in there and know what is in there.  As with the showcases, here are my tips and expectations for the marketplace.  I also talk about these with my students so they know we are all on the same page prior to going through.

1.   Visit EVERY booth in the market place.  Just because an act doesn't showcase doesn't mean they are not very good.  It just means they didn't showcase.  There are some amazing artists who never make it to the NACA stage and you and your students should check them out.
2.  Yeah, a lot of people will be giving out free stuff.  This should not be interpreted as I expect to get free stuff.  Don't just go into the maketplace with the intention of grabbing as much free stuff as possible.  Some associates may only give packets of info and freebees to the head delegate.  Don't be put off by this.
3.  Let your students take pictures and play on the games and look at all of the stuff that is in there.  Like I said earlier, have a little fun and let your students have a little fun.  I will say this over and over again, help your students understand that you can have fun while working.
4.  Go to the marketplace everytime it is open.  There is a lot in there that you may have missed the first, second or third time through.
5.  Don't go through as fast as you possibly can just so that you can say I was in there, now I am done.
6.  Be patient.  You may have to stand in line a little while just to get info on an artist.
7.  Do business.  I know, some of you can't make decisions while at the convention.  That's ok, at least you can make the contacts you may need to do business once you get back home.

I know, there is a lot to digest here.  Take your time to absorb it and as always, if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.  The next time I write, I will be talking about blocking booking and all of that good stuff.

Here is my contact info so you don't have to look for it.

rich.ramos@simpson.edu

515-961-1536