AH Get Together In Nashville During Safari Club International (SCI) Convention 2023

[ActionBob]

@BnC 04 Thanks so much for arranging this!!! You did a great job picking a venue. We thought they did a great job taking care of the whole group. Wish we could have visited more

 

[Scott CWO]

Wendy and I were a little late but enjoyed seeing y’all that were still around when we got there!

 

[Just Gina]

Wendy and I were a little late but enjoyed seeing y’all that were still around when we got there!

@Scott CWO, I told Bob I do not know how we managed to hang out with you and Wendy so much this week and not get any pics!
It was fantastic meeting you both! You and Wendy are terrific people and we enjoyed your company! Definitely looking forward to some future visits!!

 

[spike.t]

Yeah @BnC 04 Nathan great party you organized ....and great to meet you finally after chatting for pushing 3 years , look forward to you coming to see us in Zambia next year....and good to see and meet all the members on here ...Nathan apologies for being late but was at a memorial drinks event in memory of paddy "blood nut" Curtis.....mixture of emotional speeches.....and humorous reminisces from some of his closest friends....bit of a roller-coaster of emotions for most there

 

[Scott CWO]

@Scott CWO, I told Bob I do not know how we managed to hang out with you and Wendy so much this week and not get any pics!
It was fantastic meeting you both! You and Wendy are terrific people and we enjoyed your company! Definitely looking forward to some future visits!!

Thanks and we feel the same about you and Bob. We really enjoyed your company at the banquets and concerts. I guess we were just having too much fun to slow down for pictures!

 

[spike.t]

@spike.t
Great seeing you! I truly hope some of my passion for coffee has rubbed off on you!
View attachment 519668

Gina good to meet you ...not sure what you see in ole Bob ...but suppose fascination of the unexplainable could account for it........and no coffee.....only time it's acceptable is as dessert with dark rum mixed in and a layer of full Jersey cow cream layered on top....

 

[AfricaHunting.com]

A big thank you to @BnC 04 for organizing this event! Sounds like it was a good time and I'm sorry I missed it! Glad to see the community meeting up in Nashville.

 

[Ridge Runner]

Thank you for organizing this get together BnC 04. I had a great time meeting and chatting with various members and sponsors on this forum.

 

[John@TROPHY SHIPPERS]

It was really great to meet everyone last night at the event!

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Well done @BnC 04, great choice of venue!

 

[Spartan5]

I did not make the get together unfortunately, but would love to meet anyone who is walking the floor or working a booth today. Please send me a PM and I will try to connect. Thanks!

 

[Just Gina]

To fill everyone in on the back story, Gina and I arrived way early. We ordered a couple appetizers and then for her meal later Gina ordered a salad that was mostly Kale. Charlie was sitting across from us. I think it caused him pain or at least some level of discomfort to watch her eat that.... So he offered up his favorite way of preparing Kale

I'll let @CAustin tell you all his secret method

My appetizer was Brussels sprouts. Charlie missed that! I wonder if he has a recipe for those too?

 

[LivingTheDream]

@BnC 04 thank you for organizing and it was a pleasure actually putting faces to a name (or screen name)!

 

[Hank2211]

Sorry I had to miss this year's edition of SCI and thus the get-together.

Could those who did attend perhaps give this of us who could not (or did not!) attend their impressions of the show, especially compared to Vegas and Reno?

Would love to hear your thoughts.

 

[rinehart0050]

Sorry I had to miss this year's edition of SCI and thus the get-together.

Could those who did attend perhaps give this of us who could not (or did not!) attend their impressions of the show, especially compared to Vegas and Reno?

Would love to hear your thoughts.

@Hank2211 was a great show. Haven't been to SCI in years, but really glad we went. Busy, Nashville was a great location with a great convention hall.

Here is a thread I posted with more thoughts and photos:

https://www.africahunting.com/threads/sci-2023-photos-and-thoughts.73809/

 

[ActionBob]

It's a pretty good show. I heard a comment from an outfitter that yea It's nice and busy, good attendance. But the show floor is smaller than the outfitters breakfast area in Dallas. Another comment was the Dallas gun area is about as big and the entire SCI trade show. Probably a bit exaggerated but makes a point.

Personal experience was It's a nice show. Not as many deer stands, pig hunts, fire puts, etc that you get in Texas... Some logic to all that in Texas but gets to be a lot to wade through if are really shopping for an overseas "safari". So a small positive for SCI being smaller.

However it is still SCI. Ridiculousness, I booked two days, Thursday and Friday, the Wednesday and Thursday evening events and the AH Friday night dinner. We had planned to get into town Wednesday afternoon.

However we had the opportunity to leave home Early, actually got in Monday afternoon. Had a Tuesday checking out the old downtown bars like Tootsies! And took in the Grand Ole Opry that night!

So thought we'd go to the SCI show Wednesday. Got there, got our pre booked tickets picked up, and asked to add a day pass for @Just Gina and I for Wednesday. Nope! Can't do it. Can't sell you a one day pass and if they do it would cancel our two day paid passes! But we can upgrade to a 4 day pass. Well we are leaving Saturday morning so we only need a 3 day. No we don't have a 3 day available. I know, so I have two, just sell me an extra day.... can't do it.

Turns out nobody was really watching so we probably could have just walked in with what we had. But after going through 4 people trying to spend the ridiculous extra $280. We were pissed and left. Went to one of Gina's favorite restaurants and had a nice lunch and enjoyed the rest of the afternoon SCI free

Love the idea of SCI, but damn what a screwed up organization....

 

[sierraone]

It's a pretty good show. I heard a comment from an outfitter that yea It's nice and busy, good attendance. But the show floor is smaller than the outfitters breakfast area in Dallas. Another comment was the Dallas gun area is about as big and the entire SCI trade show. Probably a bit exaggerated but makes a point.

Personal experience was It's a nice show. Not as many deer stands, pig hunts, fire puts, etc that you get in Texas... Some logic to all that in Texas but gets to be a lot to wade through if are really shopping for an overseas "safari". So a small positive for SCI being smaller.

However it is still SCI. Ridiculousness, I booked two days, Thursday and Friday, the Wednesday and Thursday evening events and the AH Friday night dinner. We had planned to get into town Wednesday afternoon.

However we had the opportunity to leave home Early, actually got in Monday afternoon. Had a Tuesday checking out the old downtown bars like Tootsies! And took in the Grand Ole Opry that night!

So thought we'd go to the SCI show Wednesday. Got there, got our pre booked tickets picked up, and asked to add a day pass for @Just Gina and I for Wednesday. Nope! Can't do it. Can't sell you a one day pass and if they do it would cancel our two day paid passes! But we can upgrade to a 4 day pass. Well we are leaving Saturday morning so we only need a 3 day. No we don't have a 3 day available. I know, so I have two, just sell me an extra day.... can't do it.

Turns out nobody was really watching so we probably could have just walked in with what we had. But after going through 4 people trying to spend the ridiculous extra $280. We were pissed and left. Went to one of Gina's favorite restaurants and had a nice lunch and enjoyed the rest of the afternoon SCI free

Love the idea of SCI, but damn what a screwed up organization....

Hi Bob and Gina and Hank. I have never been to a SCI show at any location but as you know I have been to DSC many times going back to the 90s. I have been a member of SCI though for about 12 years or so. When I was considering going to Nashville, back in the fall I was trying to figure how much it was going to cost me to attend the show, not my air and hotel. Well, I tried to figure out how much it would cost to attend the show for two days. no dinners and such. I quickly became frustrated with how complicated it was. Keep in mind I was familiar with DSC for many years. After trying for two different days, I decided this was far too much BS. Not likely I will try again, although time will tell. Pretty sure I will be at DSC again next year, though.

 

[ActionBob]

Hi Bob and Gina and Hank. I have never been to a SCI show at any location but as you know I have been to DSC many times going back to the 90s. I have been a member of SCI though for about 12 years or so. When I was considering going to Nashville, back in the fall I was trying to figure how much it was going to cost me to attend the show, not my air and hotel. Well, I tried to figure out how much it would cost to attend the show for two days. no dinners and such. I quickly became frustrated with how complicated it was. Keep in mind I was familiar with DSC for many years. After trying for two different days, I decided this was far too much BS. Not likely I will try again, although time will tell. Pretty sure I will be at DSC again next year, though.

Yea I called to do the bookings. The young lady on the phone seemed pretty confused also. So did my my credit card statement.... it was billed the correct totals but broken up into multiple billings. Then Gina had some double tickets they handed us.... Again the billing was correct. I think it is about $100/day more to attend than DSC.

Nice show, nice venue, great performances by the musicians at evening programs! Really great city to have it in! We plan to be back for the combined SCI and Nashville expires In spite of SCI making it complicated

The absolute best part is the great people we get to meet!

 

[Hank2211]

It's a pretty good show. I heard a comment from an outfitter that yea It's nice and busy, good attendance. But the show floor is smaller than the outfitters breakfast area in Dallas. Another comment was the Dallas gun area is about as big and the entire SCI trade show. Probably a bit exaggerated but makes a point.

Personal experience was It's a nice show. Not as many deer stands, pig hunts, fire puts, etc that you get in Texas... Some logic to all that in Texas but gets to be a lot to wade through if are really shopping for an overseas "safari". So a small positive for SCI being smaller.

However it is still SCI. Ridiculousness, I booked two days, Thursday and Friday, the Wednesday and Thursday evening events and the AH Friday night dinner. We had planned to get into town Wednesday afternoon.

However we had the opportunity to leave home Early, actually got in Monday afternoon. Had a Tuesday checking out the old downtown bars like Tootsies! And took in the Grand Ole Opry that night!

So thought we'd go to the SCI show Wednesday. Got there, got our pre booked tickets picked up, and asked to add a day pass for @Just Gina and I for Wednesday. Nope! Can't do it. Can't sell you a one day pass and if they do it would cancel our two day paid passes! But we can upgrade to a 4 day pass. Well we are leaving Saturday morning so we only need a 3 day. No we don't have a 3 day available. I know, so I have two, just sell me an extra day.... can't do it.

Turns out nobody was really watching so we probably could have just walked in with what we had. But after going through 4 people trying to spend the ridiculous extra $280. We were pissed and left. Went to one of Gina's favorite restaurants and had a nice lunch and enjoyed the rest of the afternoon SCI free

Love the idea of SCI, but damn what a screwed up organization....

Interesting. There was a time when SCI was multiples the size of DSC. I assume that what is happened is a combination of DSC getting bigger and SCI getting somewhat smaller . . .

The issues you had around the rules is one of the things which is of-putting about SCI. Many say that they see fewer examples of bureaucracy run amok at DSC . . . And most handle it the way you did - just leave, so both sides lose out.

 

[ActionBob]

Interesting. There was a time when SCI was multiples the size of DSC. I assume that what is happened is a combination of DSC getting bigger and SCI getting somewhat smaller . . .

The issues you had around the rules is one of the things which is of-putting about SCI. Many say that they see fewer examples of bureaucracy run amok at DSC . . . And most handle it the way you did - just leave, so both sides lose out.

I believe you are correct in all your assumptions.

We actually ended up having a great day Wednesday without SCI. The thing that really ticked me off was the whole "can't do attitude". And that we had paid $20 to park AND wasted at least an hour..... And over such nonsense.