message from ilford

ann · Oct 10, 2005

found this today, perhaps it has been posted here, but just in case

http://www.ilford.com/html/us_english/ILFOPRO/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=6872

Andy K · Oct 10, 2005

Sounds like it'll be worth a visit. Any of you over there going along? It's a bit far for me, but it would be good to see some APUG representation.

<edit> I see our very own Les Mclean will be speaking. Most excellent!

blaze-on · Oct 10, 2005

Yes, Steve Simmons posted this awhile back..When I first heard of it I thought "great' as I live an hour away.

But the $300 registration fee was a deal killer.
Some good people there I'd like to meet and discuss with, but for two days of discussion, it seems way high. Ilford is essentially charging us to help gauge their current and future market to some extent.

I support Ilford with product purchases, but not with this.
Just my CANSHO (cheap ass not so humble opinion) .

Jorge · Oct 10, 2005

blaze-on said:
But the $300 registration fee was a deal killer.
Some good people there I'd like to meet and discuss with, but for two days of discussion, it seems way high. Ilford is essentially charging us to help gauge their current and future market to some extent.

I wonder how wise is it to do it this way? $300 is a bit high for a conference, if people dont show up will they conclude there is no support? If they had opened their contest to anybody, not just those attending and limit it to only film exposures they might have been able to better judge the support even if they charged a fee for sending prints.

Sean · Oct 10, 2005

I don't have an info pack yet but I have been in talks with Ilford and they have invited us to be a part of the conference. There will be a discount for APUG subscribers and more information coming soon so stay tuned

Robert Hall · Oct 10, 2005

Sean said:
I don't have an info pack yet but I have been in talks with Ilford and they have invited us to be a part of the conference. There will be a discount for APUG subscribers and more information coming soon so stay tuned

Good to know Sean,

Thanks.

PeterDendrinos · Oct 10, 2005

ann said:
found this today, perhaps it has been posted here, but just in case

http://www.ilford.com/html/us_english/ILFOPRO/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=6872

Looks like the wife is going to let me go. So perhaps i'll see some of you out there.

Pete

sunnyroller · Oct 10, 2005

Wish I could go! I would love the hear Keith Carter speak and of course Les McClean.

Sunny

jd callow · Oct 10, 2005

Sunny,
Come to the APUG Conference (for far less) and you can have half your hearts desire (Les that is).

Michael A. Smith · Oct 11, 2005

I will not only be at the Silver Conference, as will my wife, Paula Chamlee, but we were both recently invited to be speakers. As I understand it, one of the main purposes of the conference is to show support for what I guess is now called analog photography (though I hate the term). As such, it should be right up the alley of members of APUG. The conference is pricier than the APUG Conference in Toronto, however. The pricing of the workshops in Toronto is astoundingly reasonable, and if you cannot get to LA for the Silver Conference, you should try to make it to Toronto. Getting to both would be ideal as they will be very different from each other. I look forward to meeting many of you at one of or the other of the conferences.

wildbill · Oct 11, 2005

I thought this was a great idea as well since i live 1/2 hour away. Then i saw the price on Calumet's email to me. Has anyone been in the LA Calumet store lately? They have put their limited supply of b+w materials in a tiny room apart from everything else in the store. The shelves were b+w supplies were are now filled with inkjet papers. Good luck getting any of the papers listed on their website from a local store. Calumet's in this thing for the money.

gbroadbridge · Oct 11, 2005

That's hardly surprising given the low volume of traditional B&W stock. As a retailer myself, I wouldn't waste wall space on stock that caters for a niche market - I'd put it in a cupboard and advertise availability.

The days of wandering in and playing touchie feelie are coming to a close.

per volquartz · Oct 13, 2005

The conference should be FREE!!!

Ilford is a commercial enterprise, so is Calumet, and so is Art Center.
A token fee of $50 would be appropriate.

I live 15 minutes away and will not attend.

Although all my work is 100% black and white, traditional silver based photography I find this kind of "Symposium" nothing more than advertising disguised as "editorial" content.

PeterDendrinos · Oct 14, 2005

per volquartz said:
Ilford is a commercial enterprise, so is Calumet, and so is Art Center.
A token fee of $50 would be appropriate.

I live 15 minutes away and will not attend.

Although all my work is 100% black and white, traditional silver based photography I find this kind of "Symposium" nothing more than advertising disguised as "editorial" content.

Be that what it may, I expect some good information from the sessions. Ill be there, and am looking forward to it.

May even enter some prints in the contest.

Pete

rbarker · Oct 14, 2005

While each potential attendee must make their individual decision about the cost:benefit ratio for them, there are real expenses involved in staging a conference of this nature. Thus, as I suspect the sponsors have a desire to continue to be commercial enterprises, a fee that covers most of those expenses is probably necessary.

gbroadbridge · Oct 14, 2005

rbarker said:
While each potential attendee must make their individual decision about the cost:benefit ratio for them, there are real expenses involved in staging a conference of this nature. Thus, as I suspect the sponsors have a desire to continue to be commercial enterprises, a fee that covers most of those expenses is probably necessary.

True, but $300 is ridiculous. $50 would more accurately represent the true cost of holding the meeting and also enable more to attend.

Curt · Oct 14, 2005

Been there.
I when to ACCD in the early '80's.
I would go to the event but I still don't have the Lambo yet.

lee · Oct 14, 2005

as I stated in the Simmons thread, I have no intentions on going as the $300 is just the tip of the iceberg for me. Gas if I drive over 3000 miles or the cost of the airlines ticket will double or triple the cost of the meeting. So, they can put me down as a no show. I would love to attend but not at pawn broker prices.

lee\c

Jorge · Oct 14, 2005

I would love to go and ask the why the heck they dont have anything going in Mexico. But like Lee said, $300 is the least of the problems.

blaze-on · Oct 14, 2005

rbarker said:
While each potential attendee must make their individual decision about the cost:benefit ratio for them, there are real expenses involved in staging a conference of this nature. Thus, as I suspect the sponsors have a desire to continue to be commercial enterprises, a fee that covers most of those expenses is probably necessary.

Sponsors typically pay a fee to BE a sponsor, host a booth per se, to promote their business, with hopes of expanding sales or generating new sales.
350 attendees (providing they fill the bill) at $300 ea. is $105,000.

Seems they want to promote themselves at our cost...and make a profit perhaps. I can't see how this "conference" could possibly cost this much. Cost of facilities rental and guest speakers could be covered by a lesser fee.
Other expenses are their responsibility under typical marketing/advertising expenditures.

For that amount I expect to see Ansel, Edward, et al reincarnate...

Changeling1 · Oct 14, 2005

The only big L.A. store that is truly committed to B/W photography seems to be Freestyle Photo. They have a good mail order department and deserve our support!

Andy K · Oct 14, 2005

As it is we have to go through third parties and either wait a couple of weeks while they source the order or trawl the high street hoping to find what we are looking for. Even Jessops only keeps two small shelves of chemicals and paper and one small display unit of film in store these days. Is it any wonder (uninformed) people think film is dead?

Things would be a lot simpler if it was possible to order direct from Ilford.

thedarkroomstudios · Oct 14, 2005

*wakes up, looks around* Huh? What? Did someone say Film Ain't Dead?
You can't seriously knock businesses for doing business can you? If you could direct-order from Ilford there would be a tremendous backlash from retailers... how many dealers switched to PanaVue b/c you can buy PrintFile for below-list direct (whole 'nother discussion about "list" prices then)?
In an age when margins on all things photographic are increasingly slim it seems it shouldn't be such a horror that Ilford/Calumet stand to potentially earn a reasonable return here. Suppose for a moment that the 100K tossed above is accurate; do they deserve that profit any less than a realtor selling a relatively simple 4 million dollar shore home, an investor choosing when to sell a stock or a state selling an hours' worth of lottery tickets? It may be a hobby for many, but for the rest it is how food is put on the table for the owners, their employees and their families.
My 2-cents.

-Brad

BWKate · Nov 7, 2005

Jorge said:
I wonder how wise is it to do it this way? $300 is a bit high for a conference, if people dont show up will they conclude there is no support? If they had opened their contest to anybody, not just those attending and limit it to only film exposures they might have been able to better judge the support even if they charged a fee for sending prints.

As far as I know they have opened the competition up to anyone who prints silver photographs. There is a fee[$35.00] to send up to 3 prints and then $15.00 each additional print. I understood that you didn't have to attend the conference to enter the competition.

I'm probably replying to an older thread, right?

Kate

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