🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1992Oct11.165838.23840@umbc3.umbc.edu> klr@umbc4.umbc.edu (Kurt Reisler) writes:
>In article <1992Oct10.005208.4083@spcvxb.spc.edu> killeen@spcvxb.spc.edu (Jeff Killeen) writes:

[Aside - I do not know what the hell happened to this posting, but what
follows is what it was supposed to be - Kurt]

In article <1992Oct10.005208.4083@spcvxb.spc.edu> killeen@spcvxb.spc.edu (Jeff Killeen) writes:

>Seminars are a vital part of DECUS fulfilling its mission.  Not only do they
>offer quality information exchange at the national level but because they are
>"portable" they offer symposia week type information at the local level.
>Competition of course has the advantage of everyone sharpening up their act.
>However Don don't expect the U.S. Chapter to fold up its tent and go home
>because someone else is the marketplace.  DECUS will compete by offering the
>best content and the best service when it comes to seminars.  We won't be
>competing by offering marginal left over seminars that are a bus ride away.
>The proof of value of this activity is while other DECUS products and services
>have been on a down trend Seminars continues to grow. 

I will not touch the implication that the DEXPO seminars are "mere
rejects" from the DECUS offerings.  Not my place to make such a call.
And, at some symposium locations, everything is a bus ride away.

However, there is something that DEXPO can do, to give them a
competative edge.  Historically DECUS (excuse me, the US Chapter of
DECUS) has consistantly refused to offer any honoraria to their seminar
speakers (of course, the presenters from DEC's Ed Services are DEC
Employees, to they are another case entirely).  The seminar speakers
for the other DECUS Chapters (Europe, Canada, GIA, etc.) do receive
honoraria, in some cases based on the number of attendees that the
seminar attracts.  While I do not know the arrangement that DEXPO has
made with their non-DEC presenters, I would be more than willing to bet
that there is an honorarium involved.  How long will the U.S. DECUS
Seminar offerings continue to be successful, if the best of the
"volunteer presentations" are drawn in to the DEXPO "web", by the
"evil" offering of compensation?

The U.S. DECUS Seminar program is one of the cash cows on which the
U.S.  Chapter survives.  Perhaps the competition from DEXPO may cause
the U.S.  Chapter leadership to look at the policy and procedures used
by its peer chapters elsewhere in the world, and learn from them?


-- 
                Kurt Reisler (UNISIG Chair, DECUS US Chapter)
		  Captain, UNISIG International Luge Team
		     Only a guest at klr@umbc4.umbc.edu
	     Are creative spellings like a patentable life form?