What is happening with the 2006 TapeOpCon

TapeOpCraig · Post by **TapeOpCraig** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 11:36 am

Greetings All,
Hurricane Katrina has won the battle for 2006. It is with great sadness that we now know that we will not be in New Orleans for 2006. First we found out the Fairmont Hotel will not be open until November of 2006. The hotel basement was flooded and their electrical system is completely destroyed. The mangement of the Fairmont has decided to do a complete renovation of the electrical system which is a huge task as the hotel is very old. We researched some alternate hotels under the assumption that the Orpheum would be open by June. Last week, we found out that the Orpheum is also in worse shape than initially reported. The theater also suffered extensive basement flooding with water going up to two feet above the stage. Now it is the hands of the insurance companies and things are moving very slowly and there is no time frame yet from anyone on the funds needed to begin the repairs. We have also heard that the building housing the Rock 'n' Bowl is damaged beyond repair. New Orleans without the Rock 'n' Bowl is hard to fathom.
The good news is Piety Street Studio suffered little damage physically and their is great hope for the studio's return.
So, we have begun the task of selecting a new site for TapeOpCon 2006. Please don't ask us to bring it to your home town unless you can give us the specific names and contact information of a good host hotel and theater within walking distance of each other. You must also know if there are affordable flights to your proposed city. Our budget is limited and we cannot go to the markets that already serve other audio trade shows and conferences. That means NYC, LA, SF, and Austin are not on our list.
Currently, the location that holds the most promise is the Boston area as we have a hold on the Berklee Performance Center for the weekend of June 16 to 18, 2006.
We are now looking into the hotels that are nearby to see what deals we can get on room rates and meeting space. The outlook is good and we feel that this could be the best home for us in 2006 and we will know very soon if this idea will be a reality.
As much as we want to support the rebirth of New Orleans, we feel we can better serve the city by having a strong conference in 2006 so we can be in a good position to go back when they are ready for us. So look to this forum for info. We promise to keep everyone active here informed. We look forward to working with everyone to help create a great conference in 2006.

Thanks,
Craig Schumacher (with Larry and John's approval)

rhythm ranch · Post by **rhythm ranch** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 6:34 am

I think Boston would be cool too.

joel hamilton · Post by **joel hamilton** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 6:35 am

Right on, Craig.
Hope to see eeryone at the next one, regardless of where it is.

Mark Alan Miller · Post by **Mark Alan Miller** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 6:58 am

Thanks for the info Craig (et. al.)
Boston's okay with me, as I'm in Western MA anyway...

Regardless, you could say Brussels and I'd be there.

Girl Toes · Post by **Girl Toes** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 7:06 am

Boston sounds like a very good call.

Thanks for taking us to NO, though. I never would have gotten to go otherwise.

ProJules · Post by **ProJules** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 4:45 pm

Good place for a tea party too!

Terlet Maw · Post by **Terlet Maw** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 7:16 pm

Boston gets my vote!

TapeOpAndy · Post by **TapeOpAndy** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 10:25 pm

ProJules wrote:Good place for a tea party too!

Will you be attending 2006 if it's in Boston? Perfect timing for the first longhaul flight for the expanding fam. It'd be great to have ya here!

ProJules · Post by **ProJules** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 2:51 am

Whatever location .. Funds permiting, I would want to go.

Fletcher · Post by **Fletcher** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 3:52 am

I still think Memphis is a better city than Boston [gee Craig, have you heard me say that a thousand times or what]... even Philly is a better city than Boston... Memphis= Elvis; Jerry Lee; Sun Records... Philly= TSOP!!; Joe Trasia/Sigma Sound; Studio 4 and the Nicolo Brothers... there is so much more history and depth of "recording" in those cities than the village that spewed the Cars and Boston... I realize my commute would be significantly reduced by such a move but seriously... the Berklee Pool of Mucus?

There is so much more soul in a lot of other cities than there is in this town that I would think that it might be a damn good idea to explore a whole boatload of options before inking a deal here...

BTW, heard you were going to be playing at Avalon soon... we'll be more than happy to show you around [Avalon is on Lansdowne St.... which is where all the "clubs" are... which faces the big green (monster) wall that is the signature of Fenway Park... if the conference dates even come close to a Red Sox home game, if the Sox are in town when the conference is in town... the word "fucked" comes to mind pretty quickly... the entire "Fens" area (which extends East all the way to Berklee during home games) is a nightmare to try to navigate... even foot traffic is a drag]

Good to see the message board back up!!

cgarges · Post by **cgarges** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 6:28 am

I'd be totally into Boston, even if Memphis was closer for me. Either way, I'm glad you guys haven't bailed on having it and I know at this late in the game it means a whole lot more work for you all. Thanks so much for all the time and effort. The conferences get better every year and I know 2006 is going to be terrific. Thanks, Craig!

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

Girl Toes · Post by **Girl Toes** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 7:02 am

Yeah, Boston is not the most Soulful city, but it has exactly what we need for the conference. Berklee should be totally supportive, and there are two hotels directly behind it. Even if they are in a mall. Good quick fix. Lots of Berklee nerds, who have money, will hopefully sign up....

That's a town you can't get around without a bicycle.

So, Fletcher, are we going to do a technical tour of Fenway? The sound system their blows my mind.....

DoubleDownSound · Post by **DoubleDownSound** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 10:46 am

Austin, not far from NO great scene!

JGriffin · Post by **JGriffin** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 11:45 am

Being mostly home-recorded, that first Boston album is pretty TapeOp.

Heck, if it's in Boston, ask Tom Scholz to be a panelist!

orbb · Post by **orbb** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 12:04 pm

Given the amount of time left to pull TapeOp Con 2006 together, Boston seems like a good choice. Any later might find you without a place to land.

If it is going to start migrating around the country, then I would throw Charleston, West Virginia into the mix. You could do it in conjunction with a performance of Mountain Stage, and my guess is that you might get more local assistance than some of the larger cities.

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