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to fellow jugglers
This is an archival website
For current information visit https:juggle.org
Regular Board Meeting September 15, 2010...
1. CALL TO ORDER: Chair Kim Laird called the meeting to order at 8:04 p.m. EST.
2. ROLL:
Present: Kim Laird (Chair), Kevin Axtell, Matt Hall, Kevin McBeth, Erin Stephens, Thom Wall, Brandi Slater (recording secretary) Martin Frost (communications director,) Mike Sullivan (2011 festival director,) Marylin Sullivan (memberships director)
Absent: Richard Kennison
3. APPROVAL OF AGENDA: Kevin Axtell moved to approve the
agenda for September 15, 2010.
Second by Matt Hall.
4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Erin Stephens moved to approve the
minutes from August 25, 2010.
Second by Kevin Axtell.
5. REPORTS:
2010 Fest (Kim Laird)... A festival survey was placed online but the survey also had some general questions concerning the IJA website, JUGGLE magazine, and other programs and wants of our members. As of Sunday, September 12, 2010 a total of 98 members completed the survey. Survey results are below in attachment A.
2011 Fest (Mike Sullivan)...Only 306 days until the start of
the 2011 IJA Festival in Rochester, MN!
I wrapped up two very full days of meetings here today in the truly beautiful
city of Rochester, meeting with the team of folks who will help make our week
together a blast next summer.
As expected, there were no big surprises working with the very enthusiastic and
professional folks here in Rochester. Two big bits of news from these meetings:
- We have secured free, unlimited, no-hassle Wi-Fi Internet access for all our
jugglers all week long inside the Civic Center. Added to the almost blanket
coverage of free Wi-Fi in the downtown Rochester area, and the free Wi-Fi at
both of our headquarters hotels, this means that our jugglers can stay
connected nearly everywhere in downtown all week long.
- Yesterday we met with the Boys and Girls Club of Rochester, which serves
about 1,700 kids aged 6 to 18 from all kinds of backgrounds, neighborhoods and
income levels in and around Rochester. We are partnering with them for a
special benefit show to kick off the week, staging it on Tuesday night at 7:00
PM in the Presentation Hall theater of the Civic Center. The Boys and Girls
Club and the IJA will both sell tickets to this show, and 100% of the proceeds
will benefit the Club as a major fund-raiser for them, after IJA recovers our
very modest expenses in putting on this show. This public fundraiser show for a
local community organization is a first for the IJA, and all credit goes to
Bill Barr, the IJA's hard-working benefit show producer.
We've also locked in special shuttle pricing for jugglers flying into or out of
Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport, as well as a very convenient and
low-cost airport shuttle for jugglers flying into Rochester International
Airport.
We're planning to keep festival pricing unchanged from 2009 and 2010, and
Rochester presents much more affordable flying or driving options for most of
our attendees than our 2010 fest in Sparks.
Dan Holzman continues to book top-name jugglers to headline our shows, and
we'll have plenty of international juggling stars never before seen on an IJA
stage to announce for our festival after the first of the year.
Other than that, this week we have firmed up many hundreds of small details
that will go into making our fest next year one of the very best ever. The
truly phenomenal Civic Center facility here in Rochester coupled with a
sparkling, vibrant and friendly downtown area and a huge choice of hotels in
all price ranges within an easy walk of everything make Rochester 2011 a
must-do for every juggler. Help spread the word that Rochester 2011 is not to
be missed!
Wednesday night will be the welcome show, Tursday and Friday will be competitions, and Saturday will be the Cascade of Stars show. The awards presentations will be sprinkled throughout the two nights of competitions.
The gym in Rochester is 25,000 square feet - nearly double the size of the Winston-Salem gym. 90% of it will be carpeted with blue carpeting and the rest will be concrete floor for bounce juggling.
Financial (Kevin McBeth)...The quarter ends at the end of the month so there will be a large update in October.
Store (Sandy Brown & Kevin McBeth)...Sandy Brown will be back in the store helping with distribution. The Sparks video will be made available for download on the IJA website in the next few months.
Membership (Marilyn Sullivan)...
# of records 1297
# of members 1570
# life time members 280
# youths 68
# families 184
Education (Kevin Axtell/Erin Stephens)...There are 2 YEP pods that are currently operating, in Colorado and Pennsylvania. The other 2 pods are in planning stages and about to be launched. Erin is currently writing a business plan for YEP as part of a college class.. The Pepsi refresh grant needs to be submitted at midnight Pacific Time rather than Eastern Time, and only the first thousand entrants are accepted. That is why it hasn't gone through in the past. Ivan Pecel has footage from the benefit show that can be used to make a promotional video for YEP.
AMS consultants report (Erin Stephens, Mike Sullivan)...(AMS= Association Management System) Erin contacted four companies to get quotes and an idea of what the IJA needs from its website. Two companies responded to the inquiries. Both expressed a need to either have paid staff to help implement the system or that the organization pay a monthly fee to have another company help with implementation. Basically the company needs a team or individual from the IJA to communicate with. The other two companies have not responded yet. David Landown, Martin Frost, and Mike Sullivan are all interested in being a part of the website team. The estimate for the consultant only was $9,000-$15,000 from one company and $5,000-$25,000 from the other.
Marketing/Promotions (Thom Wall)...The vendor discount program will most likely happen next on Black Friday. The YouTube contest will also be happening again in the coming year, starting in February and ending in March.
Fun Fund (Matt Hall)...The donor has communicated that the ultimate goal of the fund and of the committee is to build attendance at the festival. The committee will be assembled by the beginning of October, and the proposals will be run by the donor and the board so that by February or early March the IJA can announce how the money will be spent and advertise that to draw more attendants to the festival. Jim Maxwell and Warren Hammond have both communicated interest in being a part of the committee. There have been proposals from members already via email and rec.juggling.
7. MOTIONS FOR CONSIDERATION:
A. Motion to approve online workshops as outlined in attachment B. (Tabled at July 30 and August 25 meeting)
Motion:
Second:
Discussion:
Vote:
B. Motion to approve the Props 2 U program for Ethiopia, YEP, and MMCC as outlined
in attachment C.
Motion: Matt Hall
Second: Kevin Axtell
Discussion: Thanks to Erin Stephens for spearheading this project. The circus in Afghanistan has indicated that any DVDs that the IJA could donate would be very appreciated along with props. The board could also have a box at the Rochester festival to collect old props from jugglers at the festival to be used for these programs. The cost of shipping is something that still needs to be addressed, possibly through a donation drive or contacting various shipping companies like UPS and Fedex to see if there is a special rate or partial donation for charity/humanitarian shipping to offset costs.
Vote: Passed by unanimous consent.
C. Motion to approve an IJA Regional Open Stage Championships for the Lima, Peru Festival with proof of insurance for the event. (see attachment D)
Motion: Thom Wall
Second: Kevin Axtell
Discussion: The Lima festival does not yet have a specific date, but will most likely be in March. This will be their first festival and one of the first festivals for Peru, and the organizers are hoping that the IJA's presence will be a big draw for South American jugglers. Manuel, the head organizer, has put together other events and has been involved in European festivals. This will be his first juggling festival, but he seems to be much better organized than the Costa Rican festival organizers were.
Vote: Passed by unanimous consent.
D. Motion for Dan Holzman to be the chair of the 2011 awards committee
Motion: Erin Stephens
Second: Kevin Axtell
Discussion: Dan was a member of past committees, and has indicated that he would first contact people who have been on the committee in the past. He would then put out an open call, and bring his recommendations to the board who would approve.
D2. Motion to amend the motion to read "Motion to approve Dan Holzman to be the chair of the 2011 awards committee and to recommend to the board people to fill the committee. The board will approve the final committee members."
Motion: Erin Stephens
Second: Kevin Axtell
Vote: passed by unanimous consent
8. GOOD OF THE ORDER: Matt Hall wanted to thank the board for their patience and understanding in regards to his posts about the Dave Davis issue on rec.juggling
9. NEXT MEETING: Next regular BOD meeting will be held October 13, 2010 at 8pm eastern time.
10. ADJOURNMENT: Erin Stephens moved to adjourn the meeting. Second by Kevin Axtell.
Meeting adjourned at 9:32 pm eastern time.
Attachment A:
IJA 2010 Festival Survey
First Respondent Date: 19 Aug 2010 12:20
Last Respondent Date: 12 Sep 2010 05:53
Completed Surveys: 98
1. Did you attend the 2010 IJA Festival in Sparks, NV?
Yes. Please continue to answer the fest questions. 46
No. Please skip to question 14.
Total: 97
2. How did you travel to Sparks, NV??
Drive 18
Fly 28
Other 1
Total: 47
3. How would you rate the registration process?
Completely satisfied 32
Very satisfied 8
Satisfied 5
Dissatisfied 0
Very dissatisfied 0
Total: 45
4. How would you rate the gym facility at the John Ascuaga's Nugget?
Completely satisfied 18
Very satisfied 14
Satisfied 13
Dissatisfied 2
Very dissatisfied 0
Total: 47
5. How would you rate the workshops overall?
Completely satisfied 12
Very satisfied 19
Satisfied 8
Dissatisfied 0
Very dissatisfied 0
Total: 39
6. If you participated in the Special Workshop with Kris Kremo, how
would you rate the special workshop experience?
Completely satisfied 1
Very satisfied 1
Satisfied 0
Dissatisfied 0
Very dissatisfied 0
Total: 2
7. If you participated in the Youth Education Program series of workshops, how would you rate your YEP experience?
Completely satisfied 1
Very satisfied 3
51
Satisfied 2
Dissatisfied 1
Very dissatisfied 0
Total: 7
8. How would you rate the production quality of Youth Showcase?
Completely satisfied 15
Very satisfied 16
Satisfied 6
Dissatisfied 1
Very dissatisfied 0
Total: 38
9. How would you rate the production quality of Championships (youth, individuals and teams)?
Completely satisfied 20
Very satisfied 17
Satisfied 8
Dissatisfied 0
Very dissatisfied 0
Total: 45
10. How would you rate the production quality of "A Taste Of Vaudeville!"?
Completely satisfied 33
Very satisfied 10
Satisfied 1
Dissatisfied 0
Very dissatisfied 0
Total: 44
11. How would you rate the quality of the Renegade Shows?
Completely satisfied 6
Very satisfied 12
Satisfied 9
Dissatisfied 1
Very dissatisfied 2
Total: 30
12. How would you rate your overall fest exprience?
Completely satisfied 24
Very satisfied 21
Satisfied 1
Dissatisfied 0
Very dissatisfied 0
Total: 46
13. Please add anything you would like to tell us about the 2010 IJA Festival.
Total: 21
"Amazing festival, cant wait for next year!"
"The choice of using a smoking facility was a bad one. It is unhealthy for all involved, especially for young kids for a week. Somebody different should be in charge of the extreme juggling, somebody who treats all props equally and doesn't ignore diabolo or other alternate categories. The current person in charge >of the extreme juggling has a very poor attitude towards these props and in general and he should be removed from the position. Other than that, the festival was very much fun and I look forward to next year."
"The workshops exceeded my expectations. I was a bit surprised at how few towns people attended the shows. This may have been the result of the casino not putting the shows on their entertainment calendar so there was no place to check the times and location."
"I had such a great time but I would have liked to have music in the gym the whole time."
"Sweet festival. Our first! Looking forward to 2011 in Rochester MN."
"It was amazing. I loved the shows and meeting everyone there. It inspired me to actually practice again, which even WJF couldn't do =P"
"What a well organized event! Thanks to everyone who made it happen."
"It was a great festival! But, poor judging gave it a black eye. It is also possible, you may have larger crowds for the shows in MN next year. There are a lot of jugglers there, so plan the auditorium capacity accordingly."
"I would prefer it not being held at a casino."
"The lights in the ceiling in the gym were a little bright. Too many areas where smoking allowed in the hotel."
"the nugget management was not as good as could be. the food availability was very good. not very interesting place for walking but nevada was gorgeous."
"Great!"
"Disappointed in Nugget's overall unhelpful attitude. They don't seem to care if we come back."
"1. The only place to bounce juggle was an electrical closet where we really shouldn't have been. The dance floor to the left of the stage was obviously no good for bouncing. 2. Although I arrived before the shows started, there were no programs left for the Juniors or Seniors. 3. Sparks was a fun place for the festival. Everything was convenient (except bouncing)."
"Because there was no local involvement our numbers were way down. Please hold Festivals only where we can get a natural local attendance of at least 200 t 300, like Seattle, San Francisco Bay area, or New York, in other words where there are big local or regional festivals that will give us a guarantee of 300 folks to which we add our 400 or so loyal members. Solicit from among these biggest festivals. Why have we never been to Davidson NC, where they get several hundred for the Hurricane Hugo convention?"
"The hotel was too expensive... we REALLY need to find a campground for Rochester. While many may not care, the festival (and the IJA incidentally) will NEVER grow to the size we need it to without catering to lower-income jugglers. Once we have the membership/attendance numbers up, the magazine will be more solvent, and we'll be able to lower the reg. cost."
"It was nice that we could stay at the same place where the festival was located. However, the stage was small and cramped, which made it hard to perform on."
"Overall, a great fest! Missed having a Welcome Show, but Keith Nelson was a great director for Friday and Saturday's shows."
"Great, except for location."
"Having the "gym facility" divided into 2 parts impinged on a complete experience."
"The reason I was dissatisfied with the gym facility is because the lighting gave me a headache. More natural lighting would be better. Incandescent lighting would be better than the fluorescent lighting that was in the gym. Also, the carpet wasn't good for unicycling. Although I support the YEP program, I have just one negative comment. When I arrived at the first morning workshop, I was told that since I hadn't emailed them ahead of time, I wasn't in their already confirmed number of people who would be doing the YEP program. I don't remember seeing anything in the newsletters about the necessity of emailing them ahead of time in order to be in the confirmed group of participants. As it turned out, I couldn't participate in the program because I don't live in the US, but if I were living in the US, I would have been angry about being disqualified in this way. One other thing: I wanted to vote for the YEP program during the< month of August for the Pepsi Refresh grant, but when I went on the website, I couldn't find the YEP program although I looked long and hard for it. I called (or did I email? I can't remember) a few people involved in the YEP program to ask
them how to find YEP on the Pepsi Refresh site, but I never received a reply. So I wasn't able to vote for YEP, unfortunately."
14. How likely are you to attend IJA's 64th Annual Festival in Rochester, MN, in July, 2011?
Absolutely! I'm there! 25
Very likely. 19
Thinking about it. 28
Not really thinking about it. 13
No, I will not be attending. 12
Total: 97
15. How likely are you to attend IJA's 65th Annual Festival in Winston- Salem, NC, in July of 2012?
Absolutely! I'm there! 13
Very likely. 23
Thinking about it. 35
Not really thinking about it. 13
No, I will not be attending. 12
Total: 96
16. What new and exciting guests, events, and/or fun things would you like to see at future IJA Festivals?
Total: 35
"not sure"
"Camping option would be nice to keep costs reasonable."
"Sandy Brown's trading card's from a couple of years ago was a great deal of fun and it brought a lot of people together"
"It would be cool to implement some sort of prop rental system so that attendees could borrow props that they've never juggled to see how they like them. I sometimes wished that I could have tested out some $35 clubs before buying them."
"Better renegade shows. With Tom Renegade and Mark Faje."
"guests: Manne Hanke, Jens Sisgaard, Morgan Cosquer, Stefan Sing, Jeanine Ebnother"
"Nothing more I can think of. You're doing a fabulous job. Keep up the good work!!!"
"More Arm Breakers! I really enjoyed Bob Swaim's collection of bicycles at the 2007 festival, and I'd like to see some seminars on unicycles, rola-bolas, freeline
skates, and other wheeled oddities at other fests."
"Bring back Edward Jackman. Bring back Edward Jackman. Bring back Edward Jackman. And Waldo, Butterfuly Man, and Arsene, too. Please and thank you."
"Come to Cali :) Please? Oh, and you should add hurdles to joggling. That would be exciting."
"I would like to see team championships to be three or more people. Duets should its own category. It seems to me a lot more training goes into teams and they should be judged differently. Something to consider. Voting for the Peoples award should be expanded to individual and team, there should be two awards given to make up for poor judging. Also, the date of the voting should never be changed."
"Pavel Evsukevich, Anthony Gatto, The Teslenkos"
"life member party; free midnight shows; combat, the stuff i used to enjoy in the 80s and 90s"
"Anthony Gatto one more time"
"some club passers are becoming prima donnas and begging off passing with persons they do not consider "up to standards..." very irritating. as a legitimate 8club passer w/ a partner, i try to interact with all comers and go out of my way to find at least a handful of new persons. perhaps a change partners activity..."
"I like to be surprised. Who had ever heard of Get the Shoe prior to that festival? I remember being impressed by the national jump rope team in Denver in '88. Let's search out other variety performers and skills that we wouldn't normally see."
"Why not invite young people who practice other variety arts and similar recreational activities to join us? Issue an invitation to the Baton Twirlers, the gymnasts, the hula hoopers, the cheerleaders, mimes, clowns and magicians. Why not the National Camping Association for their activity or program directors. Why not issue a formal invitation to the physical education teachers association. Let them know that we have workshops and that they can learn to juggle and to teach juggling and to bring juggling into their activity programs. Use some of our special contribution to make these invitations."
"cheeper rates for the festival and camping. many more young people would be able to make it to the festival and the IJA would be able to continue to grow on through the new generation."
"Don't go back to NC so much. I know its a good deal but it is and will continue to
alienate the west coast."
"Tons of workshops. Keyed on new tricks with old props."
"Tres Passe (AMAZING diabolo duo), Jonglissimo,"
"I think it would be nice to have a "prop swap meet" where jugglers could bring their props they don't want anymore to trade or sell with each other. This was my first festival, and I was pretty surprised such a thing didn't exist."
"Cool things to include: options for cheaper places to stay - camping, or similar. Different locations. I've seen Winsten-Salem more than once. I have no pressing desire to visit again. (While I enjoy juggling conventions, I also enjoy traveling to interesting destinations - if I can combine the two, all the better!)"
"Christian jugle"
"Find some unknown talent in third-world countries and use part of the new grant money to bring them to perform at the festival."
"Tuesday night is typically a showless night. I think that would be a great night to bring in a touring show, akin to what the IJA has done in the past by presenting full-length shows of Lazer Vaudeville or the Flying Karamazov Brothers. It would be nice to have ticket information encoded on the gym pass rather than having to worry about saving your individual tickets all week. Was there a raffle this year? If so, I missed it. Bring guests that can contribute routines as well as workshops. Also, make sure to pay guests so you can attract top talent. Alexandr Kulakov and Pavel Evsukevich are both fantastic ring jugglers that would make a great addition. Sergei Ignatov would be a huge draw. Michael Moschen (he's attending 531 Festival of New Juggling this year) as well as company Cie Ea Eo. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0fY5ksMdkQ Also, Morgan Cosquer and the Gandini Juggling Project. Also, volleyclub should be part of the games."
"Dave Davis... I miss this guy and am pretty sure he has gotten a raw deal from current and former boards. As I recall it was not very long ago that he was an IJA hero for what he did to reform the IJA and certain wasteful practices. He always seemed dedicated to making the IJA better, more fun and cheaper for attendees. I remember many people coming back to the festival when the prices were lowered."
"X game style activities / competitions that reward competitors for pushing new levels and encourages taking risks. 3 tries best score. Events that reward difficult, new and different and ignore failed attempts (drops) A skateboarder who falls twice can still winn at X games by making a perfect run."
"A ball pit! Also, I'd like to see a forum on how youtube can be used to promote
the IJA and juggling in general."
"More professional jugglers"
"Don't know."
"Musical comedy juggling...Different routines...like 'Get the Shoe'."
"acrojuggling workshops, more joggling"
"I've never been to one yet because they are always too far away for my juggling club members and my family. Have one in Pittsburgh!!"
17. We would like to improve the IJA website. What suggestions would you have in reconstructing it? What would you like to see? What would you not like to see? Total: 35
"The website should be THE resource for juggling online. The investment spent on Juggle Magazine should be redirected to the website. The website should have an editor. The website has so much potential for increasing juggling awareness."
"Make it more interactive. Maybe more animations or a flash based navigation?"
"Just needs to be updated to conform to today's web standards and capabilities."
"Better member login and integration. Cleaner navigation, store."
"More modern look. Stylize the IJA logo to look more edgy. Make the website easier to navigate. Add news updates more often. Branch out onto social media."
"More timely updates. The registration is still up on the site a month after the festival is finished. It is confusing to new site visitors if they have to figure out what is current and what is out of date."
"It would be great to attract young jugglers with a learning site, including videos of various tricks and techniques, and a chatroom or similar allowing people to post questions, etc."
"make it more current with juggling culture, include a video of the day or week to get more traffic."
"Nothing more I can think of."
"The "Local Juggling Groups" page(s) could stand some work. It'd be nice to integrate that to google maps."
"It's not as easy to navigate as it could be. It could be more 'intuitive.'"
"Job Board"
"Use of use. New video links posted more often to get everyone checking the site daily. Really well made how-to-juggle instruction videos to get more non-jugglers to learn."
"for me, keep it simple,but I am old(er) so ask younger folks as they will be the future of the organization"
"I would like it to be easier to purchase past DVD's, Magazines,etc. I would like a place for IJA photos to be found easily."
"Not so much glitches, cleaner and ease of use. Also frequent updates would makes us happy!"
"It ain't broke. Don't fix it!"
"more videos, including instruction videos. i still can't do burke's barrage, though ken burke himself has tried to teach me on several separate occasions"
"I would like to see more vendors/sponsors, and the sponsors being more prominently displayed. Also more history."
"An index to Juggle magazine"
"A siteswap generator would be nice. I'd also like to have an online IJA history museum, so to speak, where we could read about past festivals and members. The question becomes, who compiles this? I'm not volunteering. Could be a lot of work, but seems like a logical place for our history."
"Give us a social network please and a way to tell each other about our projects, programs, gigs, etc. one on one."
"The website is not incredibly easy to navigate... I'm not a computer wiz, but I suppose the site could be more organized in general."
"An interactive calendar for VDP sales, juggling events, with a way for local clubs to add their own events, too. Digital mag (and other) archives. Blog-style feed with regular updates - this could phase out the eNewsletter, even - way easier for Don Lewis, too - nothing to format. Give him a break! This could also allow board members and officers to make personal posts regarding projects they're working on - this would lend to a lot of transparency. Better forums."
"Better organization. For example, I only recently discovered the historical archives. It was not at all obvious that such a thing existed - it was buried deeply within the menus. An open, more inclusive site would be ideal. Forums for members only make non-members wonder if the IJA has something to hide. I know it may sound counter-intuitive, but I am more likely to become a member if I can more easily see all the problems beforehand."
"I have done professional web design for many years, and my suggestion is to completely throw out the current website and hire a small design company with a focus on simplicity and artfulness. The current design is far too complex and busy, with many icons, buttons, and banners shown right on the front page. For a good example of simple (although not necessarily artful), take a look at google.com. For an example of NOT simple, take a look at yahoo.com. We need simple. The artful part is the trick, so choose a good web design company that has a proven track record of simplicity and artfulness."
"Less clutter. The home page needs to be attractive, with less options. As one navigates deeper there can be more options. The WJF actually has a good homepage because it's colorful, exciting, and gives one the option to navigate deeper if so desired."
"I rarely use it but I think that it shouldn't be a closed forum. It should be open for jugglers everywhere. Aren't we supposed to be rendering assistance to fellow jugglers in general and not just the ones who have coughed up their annual dues?"
"A more modern layout and better UI. Right now it looks like a good website... from 1995. I don't visit it often because it seems outdated and has the air of a site which is forgotten and never updated."
"Maybe gig opportunities"
"No ideas."
"I would like to see that the person(s) responsible for the site get the recognition and remuneration commensurate with industry standards for the quality of product they have produced. Thanks!"
"I have always felt that it should be possible to link to (member)jugglers homepages. I realize that there are issues of content, but it seems to me that there should be a simple way of adding a disclaimer and/or having some sort of "review" committee."
"I like it as is!"
"Turn the first level into an infomercial so that people get the idea quickly that the IJA is actually pertinent for them, regardless of their skill level."
18. What format do you prefer for JUGGLE magazine?
print 61
DVD 6
e-zine (online, electronic magazine) 22
other 6
Total: 95
19. If you selected other, please explain below.
Total: 5
"I'd prefer a member option with one membership fee for print and another for e- zine. I think DVD is not an option at all."
"Any thing to reduce the cost. One more rate increase and I'll give up my membership. I've given up trying to sell IJA to new jugglers because of the cost. I'd like to see a print mag with more meat in a less expensive format. (See a back issue of Juggler's World.) Save the gloss for online or a once a year e-zine."
"18 is a forced choice. dvd would be impossible/worthless. online or print ok."
"I do not like the fact that joining the IJA (which I am required to do if I wish to attend a convention) requires that I pay for a subscription to JUGGLE magazine. Magazines are very 20th century... the IJA needs to get with the times."
"cheapest"
20. What would you like to read about in JUGGLE magazine?
Total: 47
"I would like to see more about local clubs, how they recruit members, games for festivals and fun meetings, patterns that help members improve skills, teaching progression tips. I love the teach ins and would really like to see them on DVD!"
"Past festivals, upcoming festivals, juggling success stories, juggling history, upcoming jugglers, tutorials, new gear
"Juggling performers, festivals, reviews of videos and new equipment. Articles about basic performing, how to create stage shows and street festival type acts."
"more local club info"
"increased coverage on both new up and comers and performers of old. including "where are they now?""
"juggling history, news, tricks, and ads for equipment - mostly what JUGGLE already does!"
"More tips and tricks. Less esoteric $#*%."
"Bring back the "Crib's" column"
"Juggler interviews/profiles. Interesting instructionals. Historical articles."
"juggling"
"More articles about hobby jugglers not so much professional. The whole IJA tends to be geared towards professional"
"biographies, inspirational stories, detailed descriptions of upcoming festivals"
"Tricks and performance hints."
"I'm a history buff...I like the history stuff. Also, keep the workshops about various tricks coming (although perhaps these could include links to videos on UTube at some point?)."
"juggling communities and clubs. maybe a story or two about different juggling clubs and groups each issue."
"I enjoy reading about the juggling festivals,IJA festivals, Teach-in, Eccentricks, jugglers past and present, the same as the magazine has been doing. I read it cover to cover and save them for reference."
"I like the profiles of performers, and the festival news."
"I appreciate everything. The articles on past jugglers is of particular interest. I like Jim Ellison's page. I like news of broken barriers/records but I should get on line more."
"Articles about juggling as a form of exercise"
"Stories from old time jugglers who are still around today (interviews). Discussion about what are the causes of the increase in technical juggling over the last 20 years."
"news from various clubs, festival news, performer stories, like the creative process 6B039B2F@AutoGenerated stuff by jay Gilligan"
"um, juggling...?"
"stories about jugglers more han anything else. life, challenges, etc"
"well, since i never provided change of address, i haven't seen a juggle magazine in about a year. i really got to get around to doing that. since i don't know how to read "site swap" notation, i never read that."
"history, profiles, clubs (jugheads), new patterns, where prominent people are playing"
"I like stories like the Tuan, Ty, Tony stories about up and coming young jugglers. I like Shoptalk."
"OK as is."
"Articles that follow/spotlight people/groups in various stages in their career over several issues. Beginners to pros, what they're up to, how they do it, where they go, what they do between gigs, etc. Sort of a reality juggling tv show in article and photo form."
"Love it as it is. Great variety of articles, instructionals, news, etc."
"I love the articles written by jugglers we know and look up to, like Jay. I'd like to see more articles written about up and coming performers, like Ashley Ellis and people about that age. It's really nice to see the next generation of jugglers!"
"I don't read JUGGLE magazine. By the time I get a copy, its information is already out of date."
"The current variety is good, maybe hire a reporter to go to different juggling clubs around the country (we have a great club in Austin) and write articles about their skill variety."
"I love reading show reviews as well as historical articles. I also like reading about new upcoming jugglers and juggling groups."
"I love the printed magazine and hope that it remains. I also miss the days when it was a bimonthly. I like most all of the articles and reviews as well as the vintage pictures of performers of the past. I have some old copies of Jugglers World and I see how they used to list where professional jugglers were working and could be seen."
"Jugglers in famous places. Pictures from around the world submitted by jugglers in front of recognizable objects. Taj Mahal, Statue of Liberty, Mt Mckinly, Space needle, Times Square etc."
"Profile long standing IJA members, no matter their skill level. What makes them keep sending money to such an organization?" "Tutorials,Juggling history and articles about contemporary acts,reviews"
"Tips on making a career out of juggling, more interviews."
"Typical Juggle mag stuff"
"Whatever would interest beginners."
"Depends on what it costs."
"History of juggling"
"Content has been VERY strong over the past few years. I am completely satisfied with the magazine."
"Professional performers, amazing feats, world records, how-tos"
"Festivals, Jugglers in different parts of the world..."
21. Over the past two or three years many new programs have been started in the IJA. We have instituted discounted insurance, the Vendor Discount Program, and (most recently) the Youth Education Program just to mention a few. The board is working on IJA Regional Championships in other countries and online, interactive workshops. What do you want as an IJA member? What program or member benefit interests you? We want to hear from you!
Total: 41
"interactive workshops. Some sort of skills accreditation."
"I coordinate a local juggling club and have for many years.... We do not have enough IJA members to be an IJA club.... I had heard years ago we could be an affiliate club filled out the paper work was told something was in the mail and never heard from him again... We have had an annual juggling festival for 15 years...This year AGAIN a club in the same region has planned a festival on our date ( That was the first thing I heard when arriving at the Ann arbor Juggling Festival in May)... So for the first time in 15 years we are not having a festival and are attending the Burning Club festival.... If we can get some information about it... Can't we better coordinate our juggling clubs? I belong to international clown and magic clubs they help local regional clubs organize and communicate... Say by state and Region- we are in the Midwest... I think our festival is going to be missed especially by the Northern Michigan jugglers.... We all have very busy schedules to line up with a venue and when we work one out we have to stick with it..."
"I am really interested in the YEP program but didn't get to go to the workshops
at the festival. Also, anything that would benefit my juggling club and my juggling festivals that I host."
"I'm sure you hear requests like this a lot, but having the annual festival in a "bigger" city would be great, and perhaps more accessible to people. Come to Washington, DC or Baltimore!"
"More support for affiliates and regional festivals."
"I would like to see more support for the affiliates program which has all but dyed in the last couple of years. It would be nice if the affiliates could come under the 501.c.3 umbrella of the IJA. This would be the same type of business relationship as an individual Scout troupe has with the Boy Scouts of America."
"Regional Championships is a really good idea."
"how about regional conventions in the united States"
"Those things sound good. Its important that a LOT of what we do focus on attracting young jugglers, or the IJA will become increasingly old and irrelevant in the future!"
"the tutorial contest was good, contests like that with a free ticket as a prize are awesome, plus it generates good attention to the IJA."
"I love the IJA Festivals, & early registration rates, IJA Magazine, IJA Newsletter, & Website. Enjoy the opportunity for insurance, Vendor Discount, & Youth Ed is so important. You're doing a good job."
"Most of my participation is on the local level. Help with insurance for local festivals would be a great boon."
"Good quesions. I mainly want a stable organization that will continue. When I was more active (the '90s) there was a lot of discontent and in-fighting."
"Job Board"
"I am very interested in learning more about YEP. I believe the program might be a good fit in our local school system. Here in Utah. Be well. Keep up the great work. Happy Juggling..."
"More JuggleVision DVDs in addition to the printed JUGGLE"
"like the youth education"
"I like the WJF's Junior Sponsorship program, and I'm sure a lot of kids would be
thrilled to get a free festival."
"The shows are expensive to go to. If possible, get better emcees. On Saturday, the coney island guy was great. However, during the championships, Bob did not go over very well. Also, get better judging."
"senior citizen discounts"
"more local festivals"
"Being part of a sharing community, like it is now."
"the Youth Education Program"
"I like the YOuTube links in the online newsletter. Could that be the lead page? Could it be expanded?"
"More interaction on the internet. Put our money into developing a top notch intranet for members and a really solid internet for the public to find us and to relate to our work. Tell the public that the festival is for them too. Most people think it is a closed shop. When the newcomers and the general public arrive at the Festival have a committee that welcomes them and helps them fee comfortable. Certainly hold an orientation session on Tuesday morning to welcome people and let them meet each other so they don't feel alone at the festival."
"Video competitions to win prizes are lots of fun! The tutorial contest to win a full fest package was a great idea. I would like to see that again next year, and more stuff like that."
"Discounts from prop providers?"
"I want a greater emphasis on numbers competition, and on competitions in general. Teams competition had a dearth of talent and the judging system seems screwed up."
"I would like to be able to view of purchase videos of previous convention competitions from years prior to 2007."
"I like the idea of the Youth Education Program. I teach sunday school and perform with other jugglers in my church regularly. It would be great to see juggling promoted within our schools, churches, and other youth organizations. I also think we should have more connection to the other big juggling groups like EJC, BJC, WJF, etc."
"Perhaps gig listings. Professional jugglers should be able to access gig listings as
members. It would certainly be rendering assistance to fellow jugglers to help them get professional work. The insurance is a great deal. I take advantage of it and I hope you continue to offer it."
"I feel strongly that we should be looking for ways to get more people to the festivals. Seeking camping friendly sights should be a priority. I have attended many large festivals in Europe and have camped at just about all of them. I have always had the best time when I camped as opposed to when I stayed in a room and it is so much cheaper. Without the huge cost of American hotels the fest gets a lot easier to attend for those who do not have unlimited funds. When I heard about the anonymous donation and particularly the $20,000 that goes toward enhancing the festival I thought that part of this could go toward making camping happen."
"more interaction with regional festivals. Help find venues for these events,send IJA pros to perform/do workshops. Sponser them with monetary donations."
"I think that the IJA should sponsor a series of tutorials from famous jugglers which they provide on their website and on youtube. From youtube they can link to the IJA's website gaining interest and promoting the International Jugglers' Association."
"I'm still working on juggling 3 clubs!"
"I mostly want another fabulous festival where I can connect with my friends, see a NEW place, and share another memorable experience."
"I'm a brand-new member of IJA, and so far it looks fantastic to me. Keep up the good work!"
"Youth Education Program should be in every elementary school in the USA."
"discounts on equipment for juggling teachers"
"See comment above for links to member webpages. This would give a tangible benefit to professional jugglers looking to expand their online presence."
"More small festivals? I usually can't make the big one due to schedule conflicts."
~ End of Report ~
Attachment B...
Online Interactive Workshops Proposal...
The IJA Online Workshops would take place at least 4 times each year. Using
UStream or a similar service it is possible to have jugglers register for a small fee to attend an online, interactive workshop with a prominent juggler. Interaction between workshop leader and participants would happen either through audio chat or through instant messaging.
It is proposed that there be two prices for the workshops. The first price would be for non-IJA members. The fee would be dependant on any fee for the online service used but would not exceed $15 per one hour workshop. The second price would be for IJA members. It is proposed that this fee be $5 per one hour workshop or free for IJA members as a member benefit.
Services offering the ability to create online, interactive workshops allow a group lie ours to run purchases through the IJA store. A code number is emailed to the registrant by the online service. Once the code is entered at the designated date and time the online, interactive workshop would be accessible to that participant.
This online, interactive workshop series should be of $0 cost to the IJA. Any costs that may be incurred should be supported through the fees paid in to the program by workshop participants.
Currently Matt Hall and Kim Laird are researching and contacting possible workshop leaders to see what they would require as monetary compensation for them to lead a workshop. The workshop fee to members and non-members would reflect whatever fee is required by the workshop leader.
Attachment C...
Props 2 U Ethiopia, YEP, and MMCC
Program Overview:
Ethiopia:
African Dream Circus has informed the IJA that many folks who were once interested in juggling are now turning to other circus arts because there is a lack of funding to acquire juggling props. The props that Ethiopia has indicated a need for include: Clubs, Balls, Rings, Hats, Cigar Boxes, and Bounce Balls. Robert Nelson has requested that his donated props go to this program, which includes: 1 spinning plate & small stick, 1 Hat, 1 diabolo + stick, 6 passing clubs, 3 fat clown clubs, 4 rings, 5 (no bounce) plastic balls, 5 (high bounce) silicon balls, 5 (medium bounce) lacrosse balls (silver taped), 6 small (high bounce) green balls, 3 cigar boxes, and 4 clown noses Afghanistan: The IJA is already a sponsor of the Mini Mobile Children’s Circus in Kabul, Afghanistan, and would like to strengthen that sponsorship with providing them with props that would be helpful to improve the juggling element of their program. Initial contact has been made, and there has been a reply saying that they would love to partner with the IJA on this program. USA: The Youth Education Program (YEP) is currently implementing its trial program in four different locations across the US. YEP Reps are starting juggling education programs in schools and after school programs – with an emphasis on The Boys and Girls Club of America. In order to be able to teach prop diversity, YEP Reps will require props for kids to practice with. Props requested by YEP: Beanbags, Stage Balls, Clubs, Rings, Spinning Plates, Bounce Balls, Poi, Contact Balls, Diabolo, and Cigar Boxes.
Role of IJA:
To garner prop donations to send to African Dream Circus in Ethiopia, Mini Mobile Children’s Circus in Afghanistan, and the Youth Education Program (YEP) in the United States.
To provide publicity for these programs by posting videos created upon receiving prop donations, and writing articles for the e-Newsletter about the programs and the Props 2 U donations.
To pay postage for sending props to receiving programs – this fee will preferably be covered by financial contributions to Props 2 U.
To provide Project Green Club information for recipients to learn how to make their own environmentally friendly clubs for practicing.
If these programs have success and are met with enthusiasm, other deserving programs will be considered in the future.
Role of Props 2 U Recipients:
To ensure that all props donated are utilized by the program itself for training and performance purposes, or given to individuals that will benefit from having personal props.
Create a video of all donated props being utilized within their program, and send to the IJA to be posted on IJA website.
List the IJA as a Sponsor on their website, and list the IJA website on their Links page.
Attachment D...
IJA Board,
I’m so happy because Lima is considered for you a good option for the IRC to take place.
First of all, I’m producing a juggling convention to take place at the end of our summer (your winter) together with two great event producers here. One of them is Alan Burns, an expert in the field of sales, event production and development and the other is Carlos Zuñiga, an expert in marketing and publicity that also has produced many events here. We are now planning the convention to take place in Miraflores (a part of Lima known because of being an artistic and cultural capital) in a very known convention center from a hotel. That place is surrounded by other hotels; some cheap, some not. The expected number of attendees is more than 1000, counting only the Peruvians. We have many plans that will start to run soon to do some publicity for juggling and therefore, for the event. We already have permission to perform in 11 schools (high schools) and 3 big and important universities. We are going to do many things in those places like workshops, shows and other stuff in a "promotion" way.
About how will we get the money for making the event and everything else, Alan has many contacts in companies that could get us sponsorships. We will also do some workshops in some places that will cost. We could comfortably provide an Emcee for the event, we have many friends that could do that, so that is no problem at all.
Culture in Peru is growing these days so people are going to cultural events a lot. Our country is one of the few that haven’t been affected by the global crisis and that is one of the reasons lots of big events are happening here, including important music concerts, for example. Another thing to know about Peru is that everything is cheaper (well, not technology). The cheaper taxi rate for a short run is 3 soles (a bit more than $1). Food is AMAZING here and, of course, cheaper.
We want to promote juggling culture in our country. We want to show people that this is also a sport and an art and being taken seriously it could also become a profession. We have all the energy and the opportunities for doing from this something great, and working with the IJA is a great opportunity.
Best regards,
Manuel Rospigliosi