Just who ARE these Atlanta speakers?

Mike LeCompte CPF

MGF, Master Grumble Framer
Joined
Jul 20, 2005
Posts
792
Loc
Knoxville TN
OK I've been off this thing for quite awhile and maybe I've missed something and I recognize a coupla of the women speakers but who are the rest of these guys? Where's their track record?

try as I might--and unless Decor eliminated some pages out of MY magazine--I find no bios of most of these people.

Are they industry experts?

Retailing experts? (Heavens knows we could use more of them in the mix)

anyone heard of ANY of these people???

And while we're about it: where's the stuff like effective pricing strategies? Pricing for profit??? That kinda thing.

Is there an upheaval afoot I didn't hear about? Which wouldn't be surprising since I haven't been here in ages.

Just curious. I remember the old Decor shows where there were industry experts all over the palce. Just don't see them on the roster this trip
 
Michael, I have been emailing several people who have been in this trade longer than I that very question. The response has so far been the same, "I don't know"!

Well I have already taken one of them. It was a complete waste of my time and money. It really has me gun-shy about taking more of the same type of thing. Oh well maybe this year I can catch up on my framing techniques and take something from Nona, or John. I'll get some business savvy in Vegas.

Part of me would really like to share which class was a complete dud but I don't wanna "attack" somebody. However I would really like to give my friends here at the grumble a heads up.
 
The same thing happened in my other business that I run. I run a frame shop full time and a taxidermy business also in another building (yes, it's tough-I'm phasing out the taxidermy business slowly after 23 years, can't run from one building to the other as fast these days. Good thing for good help)
My point is when I was in my prime of taxidermy, I competed from the state level to the international level. I won everything there was to win in the taxidermy field, including "Best in the world" fish and whitetail deer. I used to judge state and international shows after a few years of retiring from competing, plus gave seminars from state to state. These days I'm too busy to do any of that, but when I picked up a copy of the latest taxidermy magazine a while back, I didn't know half the people who were teaching I used to know when I was active giving seminars. Old dogs are good, but they are not the only dog on the block that can do good work or teach the trade. This is not taking anything away from anyone for their past and present status in the field of framing. but there are other people in the field we may not recognize that are as good as the best in passing on their knowledge. Speaking from experiance here...I don't mind learning from anyone who is smarter than I am or knows something I don't. I value anyones input if it makes me better at what I do. To answer your question though, I don't know a lot of the people who are giving classes in Atlanta. But like I say, Old dogs can always learn new tricks, and younger ones too (like me even though I turn 56 next month) :D .

Rock
 
Thank you for opening my ears and eyes, I must say I do not all the who's who. So let us hear from Nona, Bob, Jim, Hugh, and anyone else I may be forgetting maybe if they know of these folks. I could be a bit behind as to who they are, so any help is appreciated.

Thanks
Patrick Leeland
 
Post removed at the request of its original author(CharlesL).

[ 07-22-2005, 09:42 AM: Message edited by: Mike-L@GTP ]
 
If you'd like bios of the speakers, they have them on Art and Framing School section on the Decor Expo website... on the right of the page there's a button to View Bio of each speaker, and it not only gives a little head shot and bio but also lists which classes they are teaching.

Hope that helps...
 
Steve that WAS helpful.

I don't plan to go to Atlanta, but I was curious about the list of educators.

Gosh, folks, I recognize about half the people on the list and have taken classes with several of them. The ones I don't recognize are mostly from "outside the industry." Marketing people, professional trainers, digital imaging pros . . . I think we can learn something from them, don't you?

It looks like a good line-up to me. I think some of you are focusing on the names that AREN'T on the list instead of those that are.
 
I am not knowing of these folks, but like I said that means nothing. Ron you could be right in my case, I like several of the folks not on that list a bunch. I did read the bios, but I was still not sure since I am not used to seeing their names.

Patrick Leeland
 
What a pile of crap this is. After I took that dud last year, I decided right then and there that I would be way more cautious about who I donated my $65 (and more importantly 2 hours) to.

Steve that list was most helpful. I see where there are 15 educators teaching at least one class in the “business” category. I put that word in quotes because it seems that there is ONLY 2 teaching that own frameshops. Look for yourself. I break it down at 2 that do, 11 that don’t, and two that I’m unsure about.

Can it be true that out of 15 “business” teachers only John and Meg own a fricking shop? I mean if these guys are so smart why haven’t they invested in the very business they profess to know so much about?

Last year the classes I took were Jay’s, Rob’s, Marc’s, Bob’s, and the complete waste of my time class. You might not be surprised to learn that the dud’s class didn’t even own a shop!!!!!! All the other classes blew me away. THAT IS NOT A COICIDENCE.

Do we not demand more? My brother in law sells nuts and bolts. At 20 he was one of the best salesmen they had. They moved him to another city and gave him his very own startup Fastenall. Maybe he should call decor and offer a class like “Everything you could possibly ever need to know about opening a frameshop”. Sure he doesn’t own one but in all fairness his business is doing much better than mine so he must be a professional.

Ron, I’m sure some of these classes are fantastic. I don’t think that owning a shop should be a prerequisite to teaching a business class but it certainly wouldn’t hurt. But 2 people?????????????

FAGITABOUTIT!
 
One of the people is from the "Scrapbooking" Industry (don't tell Captain English) - and these folks are responsible for the flood of awareness in the general public about archival materials and words like "acid-free." That oughta be a GOOD class!
 
Here are some of the folks on the speaker list that I know - some very well, some from a brief encounter or drinks at the Omni or a FACTS meeting somewhere. I've taken one or more classes from at least seven of them. I won't insult them by calling them old-timers, but they've all been around a while.

Stuart Altschuler
Carol Graham (Frameready)
Vivian Kistler
Jim Miller
Jim Parrie
Greg Perkins
Meg Peters
Nona Powers
John Ranes
Brian Wolf

If you want to stick with "known quantities" take a class from each of them and you'll have a pretty busy visit to Atlanta.

For myself, if I were going to Atlanta, I'd try out some of the folk I don't know and figure I'll probably learn something new.

We could start a list of who's NOT going to be there, but what's the point? You're not going to be able to take 48 classes.
 
I appreciate the kind words of those that thought my classes were worthwhile.

I'll share what I know and what I perceive

Decor Mag last year decided that they needed to be in the Education Business and eliminated the contract with PFM. They worked hard at putting together a schedule of classes and instructors.

There is, however, a fair amount of loyalty from me (and others) to PFM and their way of doing business. As I have spoken to others (this was last year at Atlanta) sides were being drawn and turf aligned.

In fairness, no one from Decor asked me to teach

In accuracy, the prior year John Taff and Eric Smith, asked me to sign on for a long term arrangement to write Business Articles and teach at their upcoming venues. I declined and they hired Ms Peters

I do think they will have a worhwhile offering

I am not going to Atlanta and would have declined the offer as I will be doing PPFA work the prior week in San Diego. I cannot speak for the others, but there are no better educators than the ones missing.

I have a long standing point of view about experience: If I want to learn how to hit a Randy Johnson Fastball, I hope it comes from someone that has actually taken ol' Randy out of the yard every so often. I prefer to not get advice from someone that has never been in the batter's box at that highest of levels

I agree with Ron; give them a chance. A fresh perspective might be meaningful. It is a small list on non-attendee educators, indeed.
But, the list that Ron did include are all Industry Sponsored educators and bet the farm that no one, not Decor, no one would dare not include a vendor's educator that has half a dozen booth spaces on the floor.

It will take care of itself and those not attending will be in venues across the country. I'll be in Denver in Aug, Sept in San Diego and who knows where else.

And, more importantly, I am appearing regularly on the G

The show is still worth the trip and I would suggest that you give some of these new kids a shot. We all started somewhere
 
what Jerry and Bob say makes a lot of sense. I was NOT being critical when I posted this; it wasjust Ididn't see the bios listed in Decor and hadn't a clue who these folks were.

Honestly, my weaknesses were in areas where Goltz/Carter/markoff/Bluestone shine so therefore Itook their classes several years ago. And while I don't know these folks I do agree it's time to focus energies on running a business as a business. So anyone with sound bsusiness expertise would probably be very informative.

While on the subject of education it may also behoove us to go to our friendly magazine dealer and monthly read the various shelter magazines like Architectural Digest, Coastal Living, Home and Garden etc. to see what's trending. I know Betty Newman suggests all the business mags but the shelters also provide insight into where the decorating scene's heading.
 
One of the scheduled Atlanta speakers is Greg Perkins. Greg would suggest those same magazines, Michael, and for exactly the reason you mentioned.

I like to get my framing advice from framers, but I have NO problem getting business advice from people outside our industry. We like to think that a framing business is unique, but sometimes we need to be reminded that it is a small business (usually some combination of retail and light manufacturing) and needs to be run like one.
 
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