Dc Convention Cancellation !

[Spenser]

DC Tickle Convention!

There are less than THREE WEEKS left until the Washington DC Tethers and Feathers Tickling Convention. There are full details on how to register for this event in the section called Tethers and Feathers of the Gatherings Topic of this list.

With a whopping 12 -thousand- members in TMF, I have hoped we could get at least one hundred avid tickle fans to show up to this Convention that runs from July 23rd through the 25th! I'm still hoping that we see a surge in registrations and everyone, at least from New York to North Carolina, that can get here makes plans to do so.

I don't know about folks in the tickle scene, but I've always thought that members of this community ought to show up real time at events in far bigger numbers than we've seen over the last four years. Now is the time to be seized; and no seemingly good reasons anymore for -not- jumping in head first into full-blown wildly enjoyable live tickling events.

The folks who've hosted them for the first 5 years or so can't expect to continue putting out these kinds of efforts forever with dwindling attendence, rather than growing as we should be seeing.

Nonetheless, additional future plans..... for down here in Virginia, USA.

As we mentioned at NEST in Philadelphia in May, Melinda and I are indeed thinking of hosting a houseparty here in Northern Virginia. However, we're thinking of altering the program just a little bit.

Since attendance at local neighborhood house-parties hosted by tickle hosts and tickle fans are so very lightly subscribed around the country (average attendance less than EIGHT persons), we are planning to host our October house-party for both ticklers and members of the local Washington DC online list called DCS (or DC Spankers).

We know that it's very easy to get 30 to 50 RSVP's immediately (within 3 days of announcement) for parties from the DCS list, and our townhouse can comfortably handle about 24 to 30 or so, we're going to reserve the right to having a "cut-off" limitation. We haven't figured out what that number limit might be, but we may limit it to as few as 20. Any more detailed plans on this party will likely -only- be posted to our Tn'F section of this list.

Spenser

 

[Spenser]

Update on the Convention. I believe that just within the last hour or so, the host organization has determined to CANCEL the DC Tickling Convention due to low registrations.

Spenser

 

[Spenser]

I wanted to get this up on the Board as quickly as I heard about it. Only in the last hour or so today, it looks as though the host organization has determined that we will need to CANCEL the DC Tickling Convention due to low registrations.

Spenser and the rest of the Tethers and Feathers bunch

 

[Collin]

🙁 😡 😱 😕

 

[TklDuo-Ann]

MODS NOTE: No, you aren't going nuts. Nor is Spenser. Two threads about this were combined in order to keep anyone from missing the unfortunate fact that the event had to be cancelled. Thus, the repetition.

Ann

 

[Collin]

Since few seem to be expressing disappointment at the events cancellation, I guess its for the best. My theory is that there isn't enough interest in most markets to support an event without those who are willing to travel from out of town. For example, how many people at the last NEST were actually from the Philly area and how large would it have been if few had been willing to travel to get there? The DC event was only 2 months after the NEST in Philly and so it was too soon for people to want to invest in another long distance trip. DC could have a succesfull event, but it would have to be the host city of the NEST, 6 months-1 year after the last. Kind of like the Olympics, the "NE" city would rotate.

As I said, its just a theory.

I have a female friend with whom I shared my dark secret with, and she informs me that there are plenty of clubs in DC similiar to the one we used in Philly. Perhaps I could go hunt for one for us.

 

[JPie1]

would have been there and indeed had made arrangments had it not been in conflict of a must go work conference! Would have loved to have seen the event. Must make a trip to DC soon...

 

[Spenser]

Hi Collin, there were a few things you’d mentioned that I wanted to respond to; all good thoughts of course! (and thanks for leading the whole crew so efficiently from the hotel to the club in May!)

> Since few seem to be expressing disappointment at the
> events cancellation, I guess its for the best.
> My theory is that there isn't enough interest in most
> markets to support an event without those who are
> willing to travel from out of town.

I think there are so few expressing disappointment at the cancellation of our event, pretty much because there don’t seem to be many who want to really come to tickling social events compared to the population of online fickle fans, and members of tickle lists and internet groups. This forum alone represents over twelve thousand members! But in most cities around the US, the average local community tickling party is only attracting about 5 to 12 people on a routine basis. After studying the dynamics of the RT social tickling (party) scene for about four years now, there have only been about half dozen or so locations where tickling parties and events have been conducted/hosted by presenters. These numbers should be growing and tripling rather than declinging (sigh...). I’ve met many of these hosts-presenters (at NEST), and there does seem to be a bit of a creeping “exhaustion” setting in.

My wife and I have been hosting parties for various kinky activities since 1991, and we’ve had -no trouble- getting thirty or more RSVP’s (for other sorts of kinky activities)within three to four days of announcing a party. We just cannot fathom why the tickle folks are so shy about “coming” to house parties. Anonymity is absolutely guaranteed. Safety is assured, enforced, and guaranteed (with a big stick). And a great time is pretty much assured for those who do attend. All these reasons are why our friends keep coming back for more.

I love the NEST party events! M and I have been to four now, and everyone is and has been wonderful. But I think there is only one and only NEST. And it does not appear that the tickle community is quite ready yet (in the first quarter of the 21st century) for any others on that scale (of NEST) in the US or the rest of the world.

I’d hoped that by riding a wave of “enthusiasm” from NEST, and with the promise of the venue in Maryland where we were going to host our event, we could attract 100 to 120 registrants. We got fourteen as of last Sunday.

I’ve been in the hotel ballroom I'm speaking of in past years when the local “leather” (SM fetish) organization Black Rose hosts its annual conventions. The ballroom has been filled with one thousand to fifteen hundred people for parties that extend from 8pm to 2am on Friday and Saturday, and concluding with a 6 to 10pm party on Sunday nite. The group also fills that hotel and four other hotels. They’ve had as many as 3,500 to 4,000 registrants. Lemmee tell you, it’s a pretty phenomenal phenomenon…… All doing the things they like to do the most and the best! Or even just plain "watching".

> For example, how many people at the last NEST were actually
> from the Philly area and how large would it have been if
> few had been willing to travel to get there?

Not certain, but I believe there are at least approximately 6 to 8 from the close in South Jersey, Phillly-PA, and Delaware areas, not to mention the really close by NY-NorNJ-CT, and DC-Balt-VA areas. Max has the big map with the pins on it showing the many states (and other countries !) people fly in from to get there every year. But yes indeed, most folks are from the local Northeast “corridor”

At NEST, during the announcements, local DC area tickle fan Chris M mentioned that it would be perfect if we could set up a routine set of parties along this corridor from New Jersey to even the Richmond (VA) area, hosted frequently and periodically so that tickle folks would always or often have things to get to. That hasn’t quite gotten off the ground yet either.

> The DC event was only 2 months after the NEST in Philly
> and so it was too soon for people to want to invest
> in another long distance trip.

M and I tried to “market” this event as much as we could. We announced it on over 42 internet groups and lists; three times the numbers of lists than we got registrants. We enticed, by mentioning the facility, presentations, etc. We lured, by mentioning lower cost for early registration. Nothing really seemed to work. And as far as the tickle community as a social entity for individual parties and events, M and I are flat our of ideas about how to get people to attend (deep sighs….).

> DC could have a successful event, but it would have to
> be the host city of the NEST, 6 months-1 year after the last.
> Kind of like the Olympics, the "NE" city would rotate.

Six months from NEST would have been November, which Black Rose already reserves the hotel for its annual monstrously huge Leather-SM festival. So -that- physical location woudl be unavailable. We “could” fit in the Crucible (easily handles up to 200 to 250), but the owner-manager of the Crucible club is (not only a former BR board member, but) committed to assisting Black Rose with its big convention, so the Crucible would be out of the question that specific weekend. We have thought of approaching him for future larger events tho’.

> I have a female friend with whom I shared my dark secret
> with, and she informs me that there are plenty of clubs
> in DC similiar to the one we used in Philly.
> Perhaps I could go hunt for one for us.

The two commercial “clubs” that host kinky parties for local (all gender prefs) groups at present are the Maryland hotel which holds monthly socials in a smaller ballroom for Black Rose (by the way, Tethers and Feathers -is- a subset, Special Interest Group of the Black Rose Society as well, so you ...may... wish to consider joining BR as well), and the Crucible. Baltimore has the wonderful Playhouse, which is still open, and there are one or two gay leather clubs in the DC area. Other than that, it’s all private parties at the moment. Clubs such as “DC Bound” are pretty much mostly “dance” clubs, where some very occasional and very discrete “play” has been at least not forbid in the past, but Bound, if it’s even still in business a this time, does not present itself as a Kink play club.

My missus and I have decided that we’re going to go ahead with plans to host “joint” parties for the local spanking group DCS, as well as invite any tickle folks that would like to come too. We know we can at least get a houseful (our TH can hold up to about 36 for parties, so if we get another 4 or 5 tickle fans, we won’t be strained (hey we –even- allow tickling in our back yard hot tub!). But I don’t think we’re going to plan any tickle “only” parties at our house in the future, ….. just not enough would hsow up……

The thing that is most surprising to me, still, after these years of looking at this specific kink of Tickling, is that most often at least half or more of the people attending tickling parties, are ladies. So the ladies do seem to participate socially at tickling events in far greater ---actual percentages--- than the guys! M and I cannot figure that one out either.

and JPie!
> would have been there and indeed had made arrangements
> had it not been in conflict of a must go work conference!
> Would have loved to have seen the event.
> Must make a trip to DC soon...

Perfectly understood. We know there are a lot of additional conflicts that many have. We hope to have you visit the DC area soon as well (Rodney is still having a local small event that weekend). And M and I are having our house-party in mid-October (final date to be announced soon).
And oh yes, ….. you do have a pretty fine pair of feet too! From where I peeked at ‘em.

Spenser,
still hopin' it all comes together someday......

Now, three or four months from now people will be complaining about having no place to meet fellow ticklees (frustrated, but exhausted sighs).

 

[TickledToDeath]

Sorry Spence,

IF the dates matched up, Shygirl and I would have loved to attend but unfortunatly the dates did NOT match with our schedules.

TTD