Dallas Safari Club Convention Summary

[Dhutson]

I agree. The letter from the new CEO is a good start, but obtaining feedback and subsequently buy-in from the membership and other stakeholders will go a long way towards fixing this situation.

The letter is a good start and at least he is recognizing that there is a problem. Maybe the line from Appolo13 is appropriate, "Houston, we have a problem." And yes that can be taken in a couple ways.

It isn't so much about knowing there is a problem and we need to fix it. The people who are trying to fix it are the ones that created it. The person who came up with the Atlanta solution and the person who said yest to it probably shouldn't be asked to come up with another solution. But boy i would have loved to be a fly on the wall listening to that conversation. My only thought would have been "Do what?"

In any sort of planning (strategic or operational) one should always ask the question, what could possibly go wrong and what is the contingency plan for addressing it? As my friend the General says, " no plan survives first contact with the enemy. Not sure that conversation happened. The enemy won.

 

[Dhutson]

I will make three cases:

First option, move to San Antonio. SCI took your dates in Dallas, move to their home turf. Convention space is large enough, plenty of hotel rooms from La Quinta to the Grand Hyatt in short walking distance. Lots of tourist restaurants on the Riverwalk. Downside is the the Airport sucks, International travelers will have to fly into Austin or change planes and would required a large buyout payment

Second option, Move to Houston. They have two convention centers that can hold the convention. A major airport (under a remodel, awful traffic and most flights are on United - which sucks) and hotels rooms not as convenient as San Antonio, but you can run Buses like in Dallas. Downside you are cutting into HSC home turf and would required a large buyout payment. Also might have to cut a deal or merger with HSC.

Third option, stay in Atlanta and hope of good weather and heavy foot traffic. Downside, die in 5 years.

I agree with the HSC and DSC getting together. I am not sure why they should be competitors anyway.

 

[mdwest]

I will make three cases:

First option, move to San Antonio. SCI took your dates in Dallas, move to their home turf. Convention space is large enough, plenty of hotel rooms from La Quinta to the Grand Hyatt in short walking distance. Lots of tourist restaurants on the Riverwalk. Downside is the the Airport sucks, International travelers will have to fly into Austin or change planes and would required a large buyout payment

Second option, Move to Houston. They have two convention centers that can hold the convention. A major airport (under a remodel, awful traffic and most flights are on United - which sucks) and hotels rooms not as convenient as San Antonio, but you can run Buses like in Dallas. Downside you are cutting into HSC home turf and would required a large buyout payment. Also might have to cut a deal or merger with HSC.

Third option, stay in Atlanta and hope of good weather and heavy foot traffic. Downside, die in 5 years.

of those three, I like the San Antonio idea best.. but agree that the airport and the contract buy outs are pretty big obstacles..

that said, Austin really isn't that far of a drive from San Antonio.. the traffic on the corridor between the two sucks.. but the distance isn't that great.. I think that's pretty easy to overcome if everything is communicated properly and timely.. the out of country exhibitors simply want to have a successful show and have a crowd available to sell hunts and sell stuff to.. if they have to spend 90 minutes on the road getting from Austin to San Antonio, I think they'd be willing to do that if they had assurances that the foot traffic at the show would be substantially improved over ATL.. and for the international travelers that are coming to see/buy, I don't think its that big of a deal at all.. if you're willing to spend 10-15 hours on a plane and are planning on a week+ in the US to attend the show.. an additional 90 minutes isn't that big of a deal in the total scope of things..

Im definitely not an expert in contract law.. and haven't seen the contract between ATL and DSC.. but I do know a good bit about business.. I'd guess if DSC approached ATL reasonably, they could negotiate terms outside of the contract agreement for repayment.. ie if the contract calls for $5M to be paid to sever the agreement and the terms are "immediate".. and those are terms DSC simply cant meet... most organizations are going to be willing to work something out if its in the best interest of all parties involved..

We're I DSC for example, I might start my negotiations by offering to pay the full value of the $5M, but over a time period of 7 years.. which would be painful.. but.. not nearly as painful as the financial net loss they are going to take if the show stays in ATL for the next 5 years..

We're I ATL, I probably wouldn't accept that initial offering.. but knowing that Im likely never going to get any of that $5M if DSC fails as an organization as a result of staying in ATL for the next 5 years.. so I'd be willing to make some sort of counter offer (ie we'll give you 5 years to pay the $5M in monthly installments, starting RIGHT NOW... if you default by even 10 minutes at any time in the next 5 years, we'll call the debt immediately and haul you into court if necessary, etc..etc..)...

again, the above is a hypothetical.. I haven't seen the contract, don't know the current terms, haven't ever negotiated with the city of ATL, etc..

but it would be foolish for ATL to take a screw you, Ive got you locked, you're staying here, and you're paying.. or I want all the money owed RIGHT NOW approach.. if they know DSC cannot meet those terms... I'm pretty sure they would want to figure out a path that both parties could consider a "win"..

 

[pilar]

I didn’t realize there was a hotel problem in Tulsa .

I think the DSC should be in…Dallas. It just sounds goofy to be somewhere else. Figure it out. Sounds like incompetent planning to me. I don’t see Jerry moving the Cowboys to Atlanta when they are doing stadium work?!

The cowboys really should move to Mexico City, having bullfight @ 1/2 times would make the DCB 1000% better

 

[mdwest]

I agree with the HSC and DSC getting together. I am not sure why they should be competitors anyway.

DSC has a chapter system... if HSC wanted to be part of DSC, that door has been open for a few years at this point...

In talking with the few members of HSC that I know, that's not what they want.. both are "clubs" and conservation organizations and have annual shows, etc.. but I think HSC very much enjoys their autonomy and ability form and execute its own initiatives, control its own destiny, etc..

 

[pilar]

DSC played their cards, let them stay in Atlanta, TTHA has KBH for five years throw 100% behind them , San Antonio is building up international terminal space right now
That will be done in 3-4 years, TTHA can shift to home base in San Antonio after that
And we will have a grand show here in SA , support the Texas based show
Not Oklahoma, Florida, ect,
Or is that such a bad idea it’s not noteworthy

 

[Green Chile]

I think the 2 big options realistically are what happens if we stay in ATL...and what happens if we somehow bring it back inside of TX. They should run those simulations and get feedback on both. Some big exhibitors have talked about going to Houston and making some kind of payment or revenue sharing to HSC to be their headliner for that show. It would actually bring a lot of revenue to HSC if they would consider it. That's basically the direction that TTHA is headed with SCI.

 

[Dhutson]

DSC played their cards, let them stay in Atlanta, TTHA has KBH for five years throw 100% behind them , San Antonio is building up international terminal space right now
That will be done in 3-4 years, TTHA can shift to home base in San Antonio after that
And we will have a grand show here in SA , support the Texas based show
Not Oklahoma, Florida, ect,
Or is that such a bad idea it’s not noteworthy

Word on the street at the Houston show was that DSC has a four year contract with Atlanta. Not sure if that is correct but that could make any changes more challenging from a financial perspective. Wonder is all that wasted money might have gone toward more conservation. Just a thought.

 

[Dhutson]

Out of curiosity does anyone from DSC management read any of our comments and if so maybe reply?

 

[mdwest]

DSC played their cards, let them stay in Atlanta, TTHA has KBH for five years throw 100% behind them , San Antonio is building up international terminal space right now
That will be done in 3-4 years, TTHA can shift to home base in San Antonio after that
And we will have a grand show here in SA , support the Texas based show
Not Oklahoma, Florida, ect,
Or is that such a bad idea it’s not noteworthy

I think the problem with that idea is it likely ends DSC..

TTHA is owned by SCI.. so if TTHA has a big show in San Antonio every year (after building up a Dallas based crowd for 5 straight), that may or may not be a great move for the vendors (Dallas would still be a preferable location.. the airport is more suited.. once renovations are done at KBH it will be one of, if not the premier event venue in the country.. etc..etc..).. and SCI continues to have their Nashville show (or moves occasionally to other locations)... SCI would now control the entirety of the marketspace.. and we're back to the 1970's where there was really only one voice out there representing international hunters (SCI).. and if you weren't completely aligned with that one voice, screw you.. no one cares.. you have no other options..

No one wants DSC to die.. hunters need both organizations.. they are similar in many ways.. but maintain different focuses and are also different in many ways.. and both benefit hunting and conservation...

What DSC members, exhibitors, volunteers, etc want is for DSC to fix what is clearly broken, heal, and come back as strong as they ever were.. my guess is that's going to take a few years, and is also going to take some very careful planning and execution.. if they go at this haphazardly its doomed to failure..

DSC not only has to fix what is broken.. they also have to regain the trust of its key stakeholders.. that's not going to happen overnight.. Im thankful that they appear to understand this and seem to be working toward that end..

Frankly, there is room for SCI, DSC, and TTHA in the marketspace.. all three organizations have been around a very long time, and historically have been appealing to slightly different markets within that marketspace.. all can thrive, and exist with a symbiotic, supportive relationship among them.. and hunters (their target audience) would be better off as a result..

 

[Nomsag]

I agree with the HSC and DSC getting together. I am not sure why they should be competitors anyway.

Texas Safari Club

The show could stay at one location in Texas, or rotate between Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio.

It will never happen, because of egos of the higher up decision makers for both organizations.

 

[Green Chile]

DSC leadership could consider creating a small committee that is not elected but comprised of volunteers, vendors/exhibitors and members to help them move forward and work through feedback and changes. I would not leave all of the decisions to the same body that has created this. They may have this already but it doesn't appear that they do or they don't put enough weight on it. If they did this, they should advertise it as part of the solution process.

 

[bashaw]

Would the convention center in Grapevine handle DSC? Why don't they change dates and do it later in Dallas?

 

[RLL]

My two cents:

The Paul Harvey explanation for the move to Atlanta will likely not become known for years, if ever.

I wonder (or maybe more accurately, I doubt) that they explored the option to run a concurrent show with HSC at George R. Brown in Houston. The HSC show is modest in size but the venue is large enough to accommodate DSC. I think this would have been possible if handled properly, but cards on the table I don’t know the personalities involved.

An improved communication plan is obviously in order, but I don’t think that will be enough to put a tourniquet on the number of people that simply won’t make the trip to Atlanta. The comments from some that are active in their industry and attend trade shows is valid—I’m one myself—but most of us do so out of necessity. When you’re talking about vacation time and pastimes/hobbies, that’s a different matter entirely and simply shopping of a population center with a huge convention hall is not enough.

HSC moved back to the Marriot in the Woodlands 2 years ago… I wish it was still at the GRB but the amenties are better there. And there’s not an obvious homelessness problem in the woodlands…

Ive been an on and off member of HSC through the years and always wished they could compete better with DSC. They did that this year, as I heard it was busier than years past shows. unfortunately I couldn’t make the day events and had to visit with folks that came in town the Thursday before.

Maybe this is their chance to get more operators and vendors to participate…Im all for it

 

[bashaw]

The nice thing about Las Vegas is you can get there in one to two flights from anywhere in the USA, going to Atlanta from the West coast it's at least 3 flights

 

[pilar]

DSC leadership could consider creating a small committee that is not elected but comprised of volunteers, vendors/exhibitors and members to help them move forward and work through feedback and changes. I would not leave all of the decisions to the same body that has created this. They may have this already but it doesn't appear that they do or they don't put enough weight on it. If they did this, they should advertise it as part of the solution process.

I just read this from a vendor and take it with a huge grain of salt because they sell RSA hunts and then synthetic replicas to avoid Cites restrictions ( google search them )
But it’s his 2ct about Atlanta
“”
I was an exhibitor at the DSC show in Atlanta for African Arrow Safaris and I will tell you from my experience, it was a cluster**** in almost every aspect. No one knew anything about where to go, how to get there or anything. Very few signs showing where to go to get checked in and into the haul to set up out booth. Very, very food vendors when the show opened. We were put within 15-20 yards of the back of the haul where there was suppose to be a HUGE food court. Yea right. Chick Fil was there on Thursday, but did not come back, the Nathans hot dog was horrendous and no whee to sit. They had about 50 such tables in the back at the HUGE food court! I talked to several of the volunteers for DSC, (they also said that to help and volunteer at this show, it was on THEIR dime) most had no idea what was going on and were not happy with how things were being run. Talked to a lot of vendors and most were not happy. Bass Pro/Cabela's double or triple booth was a little farther back than us and they were ******. The initial layout of where everyone's booth would be, they would be close to the main entrance, but when they go there, they were in the back! In my opinion, if they stay there in Atlanta for another 4 years, DSC will loose a lot of members and attendance at this show. The cause of the move from Texas was due to the higher ups wanting their show on almost the same weekend or date as it has been. A little bit of leeway on dates would have kept the show at least in Texas. Lots of rumors going aroud as the show wrapped up and booths began to come dow, this started at 2and the show did not close until 3!

Again this was my opinion.””

Sounds like DSC league of egos got enough rope to flub up the club ?