# How about a few reports from EAS?



## Bsupplier (Dec 23, 2008)

Classes are great!
Campus on the side of a mountain. Be prepared to hike.


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## NewbeeNnc (May 21, 2009)

Got ran out of the vendor area this morning. 5 minutes too early. I didn't take it as bad as some others. Was kind of rude.


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## cdanderson (May 26, 2007)

This was my first EAS meeting. A good time but I would have liked to see a little more variety in the classes for those of us who were only there for a few days.. and the walk from the parking area was a killer !


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## Ski (Jan 18, 2007)

My first EAS meeting as well but I did attend the full week. The walk from the parking lot to the Student union building was a challenge but I was getting in shape by the end of the week. They started a shuttle by mid week but I stuck to walking. Once you got to the Student Union building you could pretty much stay there if you wanted. It is a large building with large quantity of seating, rest rooms, small restaurant, vendors, registration desk that was maned with helpful folks just about all the time. I did not get a meal ticket but did eat at the cafeteria a couple of days and the food was very good, also ate at restaurants which were a short walk to down town. 
The vendors started noontime on Tuesday or Wednesday I forget but they held everyone out until they were set up.
The short course was good being a 4th year beekeeper I went back and forth between the two levels but there was still a lot of good information. 
The conference was great with most of the presenters keeping things at a level we could understand with not too many complicated charts and graphs. Saw the movie "Vanishing Of The bees" with David Mendes and Dave Hackenburg. Both guys were at the conference.
The latest research on Nosema and pesticides, studies on feral bees, a great dissecting class, the bee rodeo was fun (we took first place in the hive carry). I have attended a few of the North Carolina State beekeeping meetings and found the same thing to be true at this conference you cannot get to all of the talks and workshops, with 4 going on at one time some repeated some not.
Next years EAS will be in Rhode Island.
Overall I had a great time met some interesting people learned a lot and had FUN!


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## NewbeeNnc (May 21, 2009)

Heard some complaints from On-campus (workers) non-beekeeper folks that the people at the conference were rude, unhappy, full of complaints. Unfortunatly these people will come away thinking all bee keepers are this way. Got this from 3 different unrelated ASU employees. I will say I heard some attendees talking about how rude EAS folks were and how hard they were to deal with.

Did anyone else expereince this or am I living in a vaccum?


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## Ski (Jan 18, 2007)

rude, unhappy, full of complaints

WOW that is sad to hear, we (EAS) were guests on the campus and any complaints should have been taken to the EAS folks, they were not hard to find.
I did not hear any comments that but the workers / students that I encountered were helpful and I was glad they were there to help or point us in the right direction.

IF you get between 500 and 600 people from all over the east coast and then some there are bound to be come complainers in there somewhere.

IF IF you wanted to complain:
The walk was long from the parking lot to the Student Union building down hill up hill steps downhill steps uphill and then you walk back.( in hardship cases there was parking at the parking deck behind the Student Union building)

Some folks did not get parking passes and they were strict about parking.

IF you were picking up items from vendors the road got blocked by construction and I heard they still would not let you down the road to pick stuff up.

If you stayed in the college dorms I heard they were like college dorms lol.

We got rain one afternoon.
........................................

I had a great time!!!


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## cdanderson (May 26, 2007)

You cant please everybody and the more somebodys you get together..the more unpleased somebody's you will have 

I didnt encounter any rude folks in either group. I met some nice beekeepers and the campus folks I encountered were nice and helpful too.

However, I did hear alot of folks grumping about the walk from the parking lot. It was quite a hike, if you were not able to stay in one area all day and had to go back and forth it was a problem. For those of us over 50 but not ready for a special parking pass yet, a location with easier access parking would have been a plus. 

Overall, it was an event that required alot of work by the organizers and they deserve a thank you and it is a very worthwhile event to attend if you ever get the chance .

My takeaway thought is: go if you ever get the chance, but if you dont get the chance - dont despair- , there is enough info out there on the web, forums, books, to help you be the best beekeeper you can be !


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## NewbeeNnc (May 21, 2009)

Just cuirious what the $100 went towards. This is what kept me away plus the extra $25 to be a member.


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## waynesgarden (Jan 3, 2009)

NewbeeNnc said:


> Just cuirious what the $100 went towards.


I didn't get to attend (but will next year since it is in New England.) I do know though, that speakers aren't free and it costs something to use the venue. plus all the assorted other expenses that I can only imagine, such as publicity, insurance, etc.

I went to another conference (which cost more than EAS) and the organizer mentioned that it cost over 10 grand out of pocket to cover expenses. To me, the knowledge I gained there was worth every penny I paid and then some.

Wayne


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## deknow (Jul 17, 2006)

1. my understanding is that not all EAS speakers are paid (at least in some cases, speakers are expected to pay their own travel and lodging as well).

2. our conference was more expensive (all speakers were paid/lodging provided with a couple of last minute exceptions, all speakers that were not selling products had their travel expenses paid), but 3 meals a day were included in the price.

deknow


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## waynesgarden (Jan 3, 2009)

deknow said:


> ..our conference was more expensive


Yet worth every penny. And the food!

Wayne opcorn:


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