[SEL] Comments on Portland this year.

Alan Bowen rustaholic777 at yahoo.com
Mon Aug 27 16:47:52 PDT 2007


Hi Curt, It was strictly a matter of CASH that kept me away from Portland this year. (No Job)
Is the SEL area still in the same place?
I sure hope to get a job soon and see the show next year.
Alan Bowen
Williamsburg, Michigan

Curt <curt at imc-group.com> wrote: Well most of us are back home from Portland and "suffering" back at 
work. Tough transition from play back to working isn't it !

I've got to say I have enjoyed Portland much more in years past. Engine 
attendance was off 40 to 50% according to the stats they announced each 
morning. 1800 engines compared to years we recall 3800 engines. Some of 
the show directors cite fuel costs as the reason. However, when pressed, 
the same directors will tell you the tractor numbers are actually up. So 
that blows the high gas cost theory all to hell! The OFES area seemed as 
full as ever.

I have a theory.....perhaps the splitting of the engine area into 2 
separate areas has pissed off the engine community and many are no 
longer attending. It was a damned shame seeing several acres of green 
grass under the big oak trees (the area beside the horse barn) with 
nothing there. There were not enough feature tractors to fill the area 
and it sat empty the entire week, while the new engine area baked in the 
sun. No one likes it and everyone looses. But the directors seem 
oblivious to the issue. Go figure!

So what do you guys think? Is the engine community disgruntled at the 
split in the engine area and no longer attending?
Or, are the engine guys aging out and no longer attending while the 
tractor guys are a younger group?
Or, are the tractor guys so well off that gas prices don't affect them? :-)

What do you think it is?

Perhaps the comments can be collected and sent to the board as 
ammunition for putting the engine area back together.
Curt Holland
Gastonia, NC

       
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