quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:

quote:

Originally posted by D. Nelson:

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:
My guess is the Bakersfield SCI chapter sprung for the ads.

The Bakersfield chapter closed down 4 years ago.

Best regards, D. Nelson

Funny story. About 15-16 years ago when I lived in Fresno, I went to the SCI Bakersfield chapter banquet in my motor home. The banquet was somewhere way out in the sticks about 120 miles from home and I figured I would stay on site to avoid drinking and driving. I told the organizers when I arrived what my plan wasand was told- no problem. Parked right near the door. The next morning when I got ready to leave, I discovered the gate was padlocked. I had no number to call and had to be home in 3 hours. Solution- I drove into the chain link gate and snapped the chain lock. Typical SCI- a management clusterf—-!

Typical isn't it?

I think we can say without a doubt that the managements of SCI can correctly be described as incapable of arranging a piss up in a brewery!

However, they have endless means of making hunting into all sorts of stupid competitions

10th Generation wrote: "I heard a rumor (just a rumor) that someone working for SCI moved the show to Reno and then took a job with the Reno Tourist Board. Only reason I can understand for moving it from vegas. Vegas had cheap flights, many more good restaurants and more things to do if you want to bring family or guests along (and they don't want to spend all day on the show floor)."

It's a true 'rumor'-that one of the very high ups in SCI left to go to work for the Reno-Tahoe Convention and Vistor Center Authority. You can form your own opinions from that, but I believe that it had a major impact in moving the Convention back Reno. I've been a life member of SCI for years and I do hope that it works out for SCI's sake, but it's sounding like SCI is pretty desperate with its discount tickets and all, in light of the tremendous demand for convention tickets-yeah, right.

quote:

Originally posted by Use Enough Gun:
10th Generation wrote: "I heard a rumor (just a rumor) that someone working for SCI moved the show to Reno and then took a job with the Reno Tourist Board. Only reason I can understand for moving it from vegas. Vegas had cheap flights, many more good restaurants and more things to do if you want to bring family or guests along (and they don't want to spend all day on the show floor)."

It's a true 'rumor'-that one of the very high ups in SCI left to go to work for the Reno-Tahoe Convention and Vistor Center Authority. You can form your own opinions from that, but I believe that it had a major impact in moving the Convention back Reno. I've been a life member of SCI for years and I do hope that it works out for SCI's sake, but it's sounding like SCI is pretty desperate with its discount tickets and all, in light of the tremendous demand for convention tickets-yeah, right.

Corruption right at the top!

A banana republic in disguise!

I need to correct some information so that it is completely truthful (although it still does not change my opinion as to why SCI moved back to Reno). Here is the Post from the internet.
It was dated November 11, 2016:
"NEWS
RSCVA Board Appoints a New President/CEO
The Reno-Sparks Convention & Visitors Authority (RSCVA) Board of Directors today appointed Phil DeLone as the organization’s President & CEO.

Friday, November 11th 2016, 5:19 PM PST
Updated: Friday, November 11th 2016, 5:59 PM PST
Image
From RSCVA

RENO, Nev. (November 11, 2016) —The Reno-Sparks Convention & Visitors Authority (RSCVA) Board of Directors today appointed Phil DeLone as the organization’s President & CEO. The President/CEO reports directly to the RSCVA Board of Directors. Through direction of the Board, the President/CEO plans, coordinates, directs, and is responsible for all activities associated with the operation of the RSCVA and its facilities.

Mr. DeLone is currently the CEO of Safari Club International (SCI), a position he’s held since 2012. In his current capacity as CEO, Mr. DeLone has been responsible for the implementation of SCI’s strategic long-range plan. Overseeing a staff of more than 80 employees, DeLone’s areas of responsibility include government affairs, marketing, communication, human resources, conventions and meetings, as well as land and facilities management.

With more than 35 years of experience in tourism, sales, marketing and management, DeLone is familiar with the amenities and attractions throughout Reno Tahoe USA. DeLone has 20 years of executive sales and management experience working at Reno hotels, and is being welcomed back to the destination after acquiring more than four years of experience as an established CEO, a prerequisite many RSCVA Board Members set for candidates when their search for a new leader began.

Mr. DeLone’s start date has yet to be determined."

So, actually, it was the Reno-Sparks Convention & Visitor's Authority, NOT the Reno-Tahoe Convention & Vistor Center Authority. My bad! This was taken from the Channel 2 News in Reno, Nevada.

No doubt Phil DeLone is enriching himself.
No doubt why he got the job.
SCI is a complete POS organization.
DSC all the way.
Cal

Where in las vegas last year and will attend Reno this year.We travel all the way from Norway so long travel road so we desided to do a 2 day hunt before the convensjon starts. Seeing forward to meet some good friends this year again

I like the convention back in Reno. I will drive down from Montana thru 4 mtn passes with snow and enjoy the drive.Also will enjoy not having a bunch of you not there taking up space @ outfitters booths. What a bunch of winers,about some bad weather.

I have not been attending the SCI convention but was tempted by the Las Vegas venue but not interested at all in the Reno location.
The DSC location is excellent for me and everybody I want to see is there.
However, I wish all the conventions were in February because my deer rut and some great duck hunting are in January.

quote:

Originally posted by hvrhunter:
I like the convention back in Reno. I will drive down from Montana thru 4 mtn passes with snow and enjoy the drive.Also will enjoy not having a bunch of you not there taking up space @ outfitters booths. What a bunch of winers,about some bad weather.

Not everyone drives and not everyone is from Montana.

When weather closes the airport, not much one can do.

This will be SCI nr 15 for me...Reno makes no sense at all...For A exhibiter it is just a nightmare... what will happen if bad weather moves in? How will we get to DALLAS in time for DSC TO SET UP and do everything by Wednesday?

quote:

Not everyone drives and not everyone is from Montana.

I have to go to both to work, but if I were going as a consumer, no contest, DSC all the way.

Reno, as stated, can be a nightmare for travel in winter. Also for many, we have to take up to 3 flights and it is expensive. For those that have to do both, the 2-3 days between in terrible. Not much we can do about it...

I was at the NFR Cowboy Christmas and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Christmas in Las Vegas today at the Las Vegas Convention Center. For the few African Outfitters choosing to display there, to the very man, they all said that moving SCI to Reno was a huge mistake.

SCI (and I am referring to the nat'l organization) will only start to make customer centric decisions when it becomes to "painful" no to.

Reno is one crappy town.

We are going to SCI because of the timing and location...haven't been for five years. They will never make everyone happy!

quote:

Originally posted by Mike_Dettorre:
SCI (and I am referring to the nat'l organization) will only start to make customer centric decisions when it becomes to "painful" no to.

And when has SCI EVER made decisions that are to the benefits of the general hunting public and their members?

It seems all their decisions are made to support their own made competition - BIGGER IS BETTER.

Anything else does not matter!

Time will tell if this was good or bad. It won’t be long .

From the people I have spoken with personally, it appears that attendance will be suffering . I recently spoke to a booking agent who indicated that NOT a single client he had spoken with was going to SCI.

SCI's whole business model is a disaster.

Never listen to their members.

Blackmail and compete with their best customers!

Move their convention so an ex employee can make a killing!

What could possibly go wrong?

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
SCI's whole business model is a disaster.

Never listen to their members.

Blackmail and compete with their best customers!

Move their convention so an ex employee can make a killing!

What could possibly go wrong?

I 100% agree Saeed.

Personally, I think the timing is having more of a negative result than the location. Back to back is just ridiculous. Most are simply unwilling or unable to take two consecutive weeks off to go to hunting shows.

Again, on a personal level, I think the timing sucks. I am missing two of the last weekends of deer season. They are causing me a work issue as well. If I did not have clients in NV that need my help, I could not do both.

What is wrong with flights to Reno?

Seems some members are complaining about flights in and out??

It is a fairly small place. Fewer flights . Further, weather conditions can cause severe delays and/or cancellations.

. . . and most flights to Reno require connections whereas nonstop flights from most large cities are available to Vegas. For example, United has seven daily nonstop flights to Vegas from Houston, one to Reno. As a result airfares are much more too. The one United flight to Reno will run around $800-1000, whereas the Vegas flights run around $250-400.

quote:

Originally posted by MJines:
. . . and most flights to Reno require connections whereas nonstop flights from most large cities are available to Vegas. For example, United has seven daily nonstop flights to Vegas from Houston, one to Reno. As a result airfares are much more too. The one United flight to Reno will run around $800-1000, whereas the Vegas flights run around $250-400.

I love it!

All so an ex employee of SCI can bring business to his new employers!

Did anyone mention the word CORRUPTION!

Fits SCI management right down to the tee!

Has anyone else noticed that the usual SCI cheerleaders are being VERY quiet??

quote:

Has anyone else noticed that the usual SCI cheerleaders are being VERY quiet??

Not me! SCI has shizzed all over itself with this decision.

quote:

The one United flight to Reno will run around $800-1000, whereas the Vegas flights run around $250-400.

Yet some people still bitch about the cost of air charters.

Damn it I can fly Swissair from Dar to Zurich for $800.

quote:

Originally posted by fulvio:

quote:

The one United flight to Reno will run around $800-1000, whereas the Vegas flights run around $250-400.

Yet some people still bitch about the cost of air charters.

Damn it I can fly Swissair from Dar to Zurich for $800.

In the US, it is not uncommon for domestic tickets to cost MORE than international flights. I can vividly remember a flight to our state capital (200 miles away) cost almost double what a flight to London cost that were booked on the same day.

Why? No idea. If one understands airline ticket pricing, they are smarter than me.

quote:

Originally posted by fulvio:

quote:

The one United flight to Reno will run around $800-1000, whereas the Vegas flights run around $250-400.

Yet some people still bitch about the cost of air charters.

Damn it I can fly Swissair from Dar to Zurich for $800.

Yeh but from Dar to the Selous will cost $2000+

Larry,

Let us know your opinion on the attendance. Yesterday I was speaking to JJ Perodeau. I asked JJ if he and George (Caswell) were going to be at SCI in Reno. He said no, that George had decided not to attend. If I recall correctly I think he said it would be the first SCI convention George skipped in almost four decades. George does intend to be at DSC. I thought that was pretty interesting.

Champlins is not going to be there???

Saw on another thread Darcy Echols is not going.

Figured attendance would be down, interesting if the exhibitor participation is off as well. SCI gave itself a one-two punch with location change and timing.

quote:

Originally posted by 10generation:

Champlins is not going to be there???

. . . that is what JJ told me yesterday. I was surprised.

To think I would have been in Vegas at the SCI show, enjoying the weather and the walking about.Even my brother who is not a hunter cannot make any sense of it.He knows how much I liked going to Vegas for the show.I have not renewed my SCI membership this year because of this.Last years show suffered from the move out of Mandalay,IMO.

From what I have read online, SCI, in 2018 in Las Vegas, had 2200 booths and 1100 exhibitors. I have read that this year(2019), the Reno Convention will have 877 exhibitors. SCI will not return to Las Vegas until 2022 for its 50th anniversary.

quote:

Originally posted by MJines:
Larry,

Let us know your opinion on the attendance. Yesterday I was speaking to JJ Perodeau. I asked JJ if he and George (Caswell) were going to be at SCI in Reno. He said no, that George had decided not to attend. If I recall correctly I think he said it would be the first SCI convention George skipped in almost four decades. George does intend to be at DSC. I thought that was pretty interesting.

Will do.

Everything I am hearing indicates this will be a disaster. I hope I am wrong.

I normally don't step into these conversations and I may regret doing it this time...

This will be my 18th SCI convention - my wife and I have always preferred Reno (and we used to live in Vegas in early 90s). For us it is a get away trip and we like the mountains. Airfare higher? Our 2 First class tickets, Cle - Den - RNO were $1250.00 each which is not bad in my view. Coach were around $400.00 each when I booked. We go to visit with friends and enjoy the Exhibit Hall. We spend the entire time on the show floor each day and some years attend evening events as well. As a sitting member of the BOD I also attend the annual meeting as well.

Will attendance be lower this year? Probably.. Will net profit be down this year? Have to wait and see - in reality, it's all about who attends, not how many. If the attendees that do attend open their wallets, book hunts and spend on live & silent auctions, the event will be a success. If the don't.. well I guess we will wait and see..

When the convention moved to Vegas the exhibitors complained about the cost of union labor, attendees complained about the cost of a beer on the show floor. In Reno it's the weather, airfare, timing... Never going to please everyone I guess..

Maybe my view of Vegas is skewed since we used to live there, but the cabbies stick it to you, food is terrible and expensive except for the finest places which are even more expensive, even drinks are expensive nowadays. It's all about clubbing and shows now which I promise you I have no interest in LOL! Give me the old gambling days...

I am hoping (hoping mind you) that Reno has remained a little more "old world style".. Everyone in Reno was always happy to see us come to town, Vegas not so much..

We all fly to far away places to hunt - long, expensive sometimes screwed up flights without hesitation but yet complain about a little weather to get to Reno. I have had more flights delayed or cancelled out of Houston,Dallas,Atlanta and Newark due to T-storms that I ever have had delayed out of a Northern airport due to snow or winter weather...

We attended DSC once a few years back and we really did not care for it. No offense to my Texas friends but I have never really cared much for the Dallas / Fort Worth area either - to each his own I guess which is precisely why we go to SCI and not DSC.

The shows appeal to different individuals for different reasons. I don't sit around bashing DSC and my father raised me to believe that if I didn't have something good to say, then don't say anything at all.. Nothing wrong with analytical comments on the business strategy or EC decisions (I certainly don't always agree with the decisions either) but calling the organization a POS or accusing individuals of corruption is not very seemly in my opinion.

Go if you want to go, don't go if you don't want to go. I doubt anyone would truly miss me if I did not go and I am sure I won't miss anyone else that decides not to go.

Saeed - you have an automatic exclusion since you are the #1 hater of all things SCI....


To everyone - whether you go to Dallas or Reno, I wish you all safe travels and a wonderful time!

Scott

I've kind of figured out that this place is a bit hostile to SCI.

I also prefer SCI to DSC.

Probably because of the open day, but also the fact that when I tried there was no close hotels (they all sell out the day it opens...), and I hate driving in metro areas.

In any case, the operators had been complaining about the huge time between both conventions- and now that isn't there and you hear complaining about that.

I get that DSC is operated by volunteers, and of course, folks that want to be there are more helpful that those who are just merely getting paid to do it.

SCI has some serious warts, and do tend to not have someone who actually has decision making power (rather its all by committee) making addressing things a bit difficult. I also have a real issue with having a CEO who played games with the convention and got himself a better job by internal dealing.

I first went to SCI when it was in Reno. I liked it better there than the Las Vegas experience. I've heard a lot of operators complaining about the fact that at SCI you lost a big chunk of your attendees to other attractions... yet they also admitted that they liked being able to do things after the show.

Fundamentally, it seems like everyone wants to gripe about SCI and acts like Dallas is the cat's azz.

Yes, Vegas and Dallas have a much better flight availability. There are more things to to other than the show in both of them, although Dallas is no where near as entertaining as Vegas.

My predictions are that SCI's attendance will be substantially lower than at Vegas. I think that this may well be the convention that makes some changes at the top with SCI given the potential financial issues - except that Reno may be enough cheaper that its a non issue financially, but the membership will probably make a stink.

Honestly, from what I read here, the outfitters complain regardless of what they do, so that may be why they are so tone deaf there.

As to Saeed's refrain about "extorting" the outfitters- until the last year or so, that was actually a way for outfitters to get their booth placement for a fraction of the cash cost- you told SCI the hunt was your normal MSRP and they took that as the value of the contribution- despite what it sold as- and all the outfitter had in was their cost, plus whatever opportunity cost involved. Yes, having a million and one plains game hunts from game farms tended to devalue the market for them at the convention, and overall, it probably wasn't the best thing for the outfitters overall, but it probably allowed a lot of prime placement for a fraction of the cost for big outfits- and it does provide a means for established folks to stay in the game longer- at the expense of new guys.

As a guy who is traveling for hunting regularly, but not traveling for business, I have to say that I find complaints about multi stop flights a bit humorous, as while the flight to Reno takes up say half a day, its hardly the ball buster that flying to any of my non north American hunts are. The prices are a fraction of international travel to places off the beaten path as well. I suppose if I was a guy traveling for business and was used to the 1-2 hour commuter flights, I'd find it annoying. Yes, the price is considerably more than to Vegas, but the room rates were less, and it seems to me to come out in the wash.

I expect this will be less polished an affair than it was at Mandalay Bay, but it probably will be better than last year... except I might miss a couple of football games while I'm flying (the horror!)

quote:

Originally posted by Use Enough Gun:
From what I have read online, SCI, in 2018 in Las Vegas, had 2200 booths and 1100 exhibitors. I have read that this year(2019), the Reno Convention will have 877 exhibitors. It also appears that they will have Alaskan weather and temperatures. SCI will not return to Las Vegas until 2022 for its 50th anniversary.

I started this thread . It was not an attempt to bash SCI. I was raising a legitimate concern. The more I talk to people, the more I am convinced attendance will down.

The numbers above give me cause for concern as well. A lesser number of exhibitors does not sound good.

Love SCI or hate SCI, a poorly attended convention not good news for the sport or the industry.

SCI did a poll of members two or three years ago as I recall. Again, if I recall correctly, the poll touched on a variety of matters including the convention location. I do not recall SCI ever publishing or releasing the poll results. I wonder why they would not have published the results of the poll.

quote:

Originally posted by MJines:
SCI did a poll of members two or three years ago as I recall. Again, if I recall correctly, the poll touched on a variety of matters including the convention location. I do not recall SCI ever publishing or releasing the poll results. I wonder why they would not have published the results of the poll.

Very valid question. I 100% agree.

Personally, I believe if the survey validated the actions of SCI, we would have heard about it.