New Venue Committee: Minutes 7.19.11

[Kevin Van Meter]

New Venu MTG: Minutes 7.19.11

Attending: Kevin Van Meter, Jo Ann Coker, John Lozano, Brian, Bradly Schlenker

AGENDA:

Discuss how to use 2nd Fridays at Om Culture.

Discuss Field Trips to Lindy Venues

CONCLUSIONS:

1) Decided not to use the 2nd Friday option at Om Culture. For reasons see below.
2) Agreed that organized field trips to lindy venues such as Halo and Eastside Stomp would be effective, fun, and accomplish many of our goals.
Is looking for someone(s) to coordinate these field trips. This could be frequent or infrequent.
3) Since the committee reached a decision of non-action with regards to the option of opening a new venue, Kevin is resigning as chair of the committee and there will be no future meetings.
4) If any member of the community feels strongly that this decision is not ideal, you are encouraged to take over chairmanship of the committee to draft a proposal to the Burn Blue officers. Contact me (Kevin Van Meter) if you are interested in this.

DISCUSSION:

Regarding 2ND FRIDAYS:

Decided against creating a lindy blues venue for a couple reasons: 1) the potential of field trips and 2) the low success of the Lindy/Blues event held in June.

The majority of meeting attendees were not interested in utilizing the 2nd Fridays at Om option for several reasons: 1) the question "is there a need for another venue in the blues community?" , 2) overlapping audience, venue, and weekend as OM Fusion, 3) not interested in the venue space.

If BB decides to use the venue, the committees one recommendation is that the dance event be organized around music styles not regularly heard at other dance venues in the city.

Regarding FIELD TRIPS:

Agreed that field trips to certain lindy venues would accomplish many of the original goals we had when visioning for a lindy/blues venue. 1) Introduce blues dancers to lindy hop, 2) introduce lindy hoppers to blues dancers, 3) engage dancers who don't come out much anymore, and 4) dance to slower, groovier lindy music.

Brainstormed two sorts of field trips: 1) Teachers invite their students to come out to a specific night of lindy hop and 2) invite regular blues dancers to a joint field trip via fb, announcements, etc.

Halo and Eastside Stomp suggested as likely venues to venture to.

No one at the meeting was immediately interested in organizing these field trips. Anyone interested in putting these field trips into action should feel free and may contact Kevin Van Meter for assistance and coordination with Burn Blue.

Kevin Van Meter

Committee Chair