Plan: 2010 Heartland Gathering

[Fat Guy]

Any talk yet of where the next gathering will be?

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There was talk of all sorts of locations -- St. Louis, Winnipeg, Milwuakee, Ann Arbor, others -- but nobody stepped up and outright offered to take point on organizing the next one. If somebody who wasn't there (several key people from past years were not) wants to make that offer, by all means please go for it (on the planning topic).

Moderator's note: This planning topic has been split off from the 2009 Heartland Gathering in Kansas City report topic so we don't lose track of the folks who have already started planning for the 2010 event. -PR

Let's get the boilerplate out of the way:

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN ORGANIZED THROUGH EG FORUMS BY MEMBERS BUT IS NOT SPONSORED BY THE EGULLET SOCIETY FOR CULINARY ARTS AND LETTERS OR EG FORUMS. YOUR PARTICIPATION IN ANY EVENT OR ACTIVITY ARRANGED ON OR DISCUSSED IN EG FORUMS IS AT YOUR SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE RISK. BY USING AND PARTICIPATING IN THE FORUMS YOU AGREE AND UNDERSTAND (1) THAT IN CONNECTION WITH YOUR PARTICIPATION IN ANY EVENT OR ACTIVITY, YOU MAY BE EXPOSED TO A VARIETY OF HAZARDS AND RISKS ARISING FROM THOSE ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS; (2) TO THE FULLEST EXTENT ALLOWED BY LAW, YOU AGREE TO WAIVE, DISCHARGE CLAIMS, RELEASE, INDEMNIFY AND HOLD HARMLESS THE SOCIETY, ITS AFFILIATES, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, AGENTS, AND OTHER PARTNERS AND EMPLOYEES, FROM ANY AND ALL LIABILITY ON ACCOUNT OF, OR IN ANY WAY RESULTING FROM INJURIES AND DAMAGES IN ANY WAY CONNECTED WITH ANY SUCH EVENTS OR ACTIVITIES. YOU AGREE AND UNDERSTAND THAT THESE TERMS WILL BE BINDING UPON YOU AND YOUR HEIRS, EXECUTORS, AGENTS, ADMINISTRATORS AND ASSIGNS, AS WELL AS ANY GUESTS AND MINORS ACCOMPANYING YOU AT THE EVENTS.

Edited August 2, 2009 by Pam R (log)

[prasantrin]

There was talk of all sorts of locations -- St. Louis, Winnipeg, Milwuakee, Ann Arbor, others --

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Winnipeg? No way! Who'd want to go to Winnipeg? We could win for the most boring uninspired Heartland Gathering.

[CaliPoutine]

Who is hosting next year? I vote for Ann Arbor or Cleveland again( purely selfish reasons for me though!!)

[NancyH]

And Cleveland has (or will have) some amazing new places, and places that didn't fit in last time - Michael Symon's Lolita and Bar Symon, Greenhouse Tavern, Restaurant Dante, Lucky's Cafe, L'Albatros.

[tammylc]

I'm up for hosting in Ann Arbor again too. We've got some interesting new culinary goings-on, and I bet Kitchen Chick and spouse would be up for helping to organize an authentic Asian banquet at one of the many restaurants they are regulars at in town.

I think the biggest highlight of Ann Arbor as a location is the kitchen space we'd have available to us, which would give us the space and opportunity to do a lot of hands-on workshops - like chocolate, bread, etc, without the troubles in finding space to do them. We could have the space all day Friday through late Sunday, at no cost to us.

Ann Arbor isn't as strong in terms of restaurants as some other Gathering locations, but it has a lot of excellent purveyors and is a really amazing place to cook.

[prasantrin]

I love Ann Arbor, and I'd love to visit Cleveland (especially after seeing the pics of the previous Gathering there), but I'm still hoping someone from MSP will step up. It's such a great city that doesn't get enough exposure or credit.

Or if Kentucky can be considered part of the Heartland, I vote for Kentucky. Isn't racheld in Kentucky? hint hint. . .

eta: oops. racheld is in Indiana, but that would be good, too!

Edited August 2, 2009 by prasantrin (log)

[tino27]

I love Ann Arbor, and I'd love to visit Cleveland (especially after seeing the pics of the previous Gathering there), but I'm still hoping someone from MSP will step up.  It's such a great city that doesn't get enough exposure or credit. 

Or if Kentucky can be considered part of the Heartland, I vote for Kentucky.  Isn't racheld in Kentucky?  hint hint. . .

eta:  oops.  racheld is in Indiana, but that would be good, too!

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MSP?

[tammylc]

I love Ann Arbor, and I'd love to visit Cleveland (especially after seeing the pics of the previous Gathering there), but I'm still hoping someone from MSP will step up.  It's such a great city that doesn't get enough exposure or credit. 

Or if Kentucky can be considered part of the Heartland, I vote for Kentucky.  Isn't racheld in Kentucky?  hint hint. . .

eta:  oops.  racheld is in Indiana, but that would be good, too!

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MSP?

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MSP = Minneapolis

[ulterior epicure]

I love Ann Arbor, and I'd love to visit Cleveland (especially after seeing the pics of the previous Gathering there), but I'm still hoping someone from MSP will step up.  It's such a great city that doesn't get enough exposure or credit. 

Or if Kentucky can be considered part of the Heartland, I vote for Kentucky.  Isn't racheld in Kentucky?  hint hint. . .

eta:  oops.  racheld is in Indiana, but that would be good, too!

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MSP?

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MSP = Minneapolis

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Well Minneapolis-St. Paul, to be accurate, and fair.

[ronnie_suburban]

I loved previous events in Cleveland and Ann Arbor but my preference is always for someplace new. I absolutely love the idea of the Twin Cities but is there anyone there to host it?

Perhaps Indianapolis or Bloomington would be good destinations, too. But my food experiences in the rest of Indiana have only been memorable in the negative sense, and profoundly so.

=R=

[maggiethecat]

I'm thinking Toronto, if there's anyone to plan and execute. Excellent food scene, exotic Canada, and I can stay with my TO foodie cousin. Toronto is pretty central, too.

Any Hogtown eGulleteers open to the idea?

[Peter the eater]

Any Hogtown eGulleteers open to the idea?

I'd go to a Gathering in TO, my home town. I don't live there anymore so I couldn't do much more than attend.

[prasantrin]

I'm thinking Toronto, if there's anyone to plan and execute. Excellent food scene, exotic Canada, and I can stay with my TO foodie cousin. Toronto is pretty central, too.

Any Hogtown eGulleteers open to the idea?

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I think TO would be great, but it's not Heartland. Center of the Universe, maybe, but not Heartland.

Think your foodie cousin would be willing to organize? Not too many active TO eGulleters around who might take up the challenge. S/He could join just for this!

Edited August 2, 2009 by prasantrin (log)

[CaliPoutine]

Marlene and I tried to organize a TO gathering( a day thing) years ago and we had close to zero response.

There is also the passport issue to deal with as a passport is now required to travel BACK to the US from Canada. I'm pretty sure most people have one, but I know my two friends( from NY and MI) don't so they can't come see me!!

[prasantrin]

Marlene and I tried to organize a TO gathering( a day thing) years ago and we had close to zero response. 

There is also the passport issue to deal with as a passport is now required to travel BACK to the US from Canada.  I'm pretty sure most people have one, but I know my two friends( from NY and MI) don't so they can't come see me!!

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Were I from the US, I would not go up to Toronto just for a day thing. I'm from Winnipeg and I wouldn't even do that. But if it's a full weekend of fun and activities, I'd go for it.

I suspect most eG types who go to these gatherings either have passports or are people for whom not having one at the moment would not be a deterrent to coming. It's a year away--plenty of time to apply for one.

[CaliPoutine]

Marlene and I tried to organize a TO gathering( a day thing) years ago and we had close to zero response.  

There is also the passport issue to deal with as a passport is now required to travel BACK to the US from Canada.   I'm pretty sure most people have one, but I know my two friends( from NY and MI) don't so they can't come see me!!

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Were I from the US, I would not go up to Toronto just for a day thing. I'm from Winnipeg and I wouldn't even do that. But if it's a full weekend of fun and activities, I'd go for it.

I suspect most eG types who go to these gatherings either have passports or are people for whom not having one at the moment would not be a deterrent to coming. It's a year away--plenty of time to apply for one.

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Thats true, but as you said previously, its NOT the Heartland.

And, I wanna go to the US!!! LOL.

[Marmish]

I would love to go to Toronto again. I haven't been there in almost 14 years. Kerry, aren't some of our chocolate friends in Toronto, Kerry? I also don't think that the passport issue is a big one.

[Kerry Beal]

I would love to go to Toronto again.  I haven't been there in almost 14 years.  Kerry, aren't some of our chocolate friends in Toronto, Kerry?  I also don't think that the passport issue is a big one.

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I'm not sure how many of the chocolate folks were from Toronto.

[jgm]

Here's an idea:

This year's Heartland Gathering had quite a few people who weren't from the Heartland (but nevertheless were quite welcome!).

I see no reason why there couldn't be a second type of event; one where all interested eGullet members, or maybe whoever is willing to organize it, would choose the location/theme/agenda and we could have an event in any other city. There certainly are a lot of cities which would make interesting venues, but which also don't have many eG members. This second type of event wouldn't necessarily have to be modeled on the Heartland Gathering; it may be out of the question for it to have an element where we all get together and cook. And maybe it would include some other type of activity. I don't think it necessarily would need to be held annually; it seems like it would work better on an ad-hoc basis anyway.

The downside that I can immediately see, is that a second type of event might draw attendance away from the Heartland Gathering.

An upside might be that eGulleters would have an opportunity to explore various festivals, farms, etc. that we might individually not get to do. Maybe we'd meet Jane and Michael Stern in a city and enjoy an event with them where they were the main speakers, and took us to their already-planned stop. Maybe we could all go to somewhere like Nieman Ranch and learn how they do things. Or to the Napa Valley or Sonoma; or maybe we could all drop in on Rancho Gordo and learn all about beans.

Is there any interest in an alternate kind of get-together?

This probably needs to be a whole 'nother thread, but I couldn't figure out where to put it.

Jenny

Edited August 2, 2009 by jgm (log)

[boagman]

I think that the MSP suggestion is a good one, if there are sufficient members there able (and, of course, willing) to do the necessary organization. Of course, that's no small task, and I'm not trying to minimize it at all.

I've heard great things about the food scene in MSP, and it'd give me a solid, real reason to finally get out there and visit a friend of mine who's been badgering me quite a bit to make the trip.

While I hate to even bring *up* the idea, does Des Moines have anything to offer? Trying to keep the idea in the Heartland, and different from the gatherings previously known. Seems like I've read some good things about the up-and-coming food scene in that little burg, too. But I do truly despise Iowa.

[tino27]

All of the cities that have been suggested are a wonderful idea, BUT ...

I think we are putting the cart before the horse. As I'm sure any of the organizers from Heartland Gatherings past can tell you, it takes a lot of time and energy to put together this four-day orgy of food. Even if Des Moines or Minneapolis/St. Paul are meccas of food gastronomy, if no one local is available to organize the events, then suggesting them would seem to be a moot point.

What we need is a list of volunteers who would be willing to organize the event in whatever city they happened to live in. So far we only have Tammylc representing Ann Arbor and NancyH representing Cleveland. Once we have that list of volunteers, then we can decide where we want to go.

And honestly, to me, the city isn't nearly as important as the fact that we are establishing a sense of community with others who share a common interest.

[tino27]

Oops, reading back through the posts on this thread, I realize I may have surreptitiously volunteered NancyH for Cleveland when she didn't actually make that offer. In which case, only Tammylc from Ann Arbor has technically thrown her hat into the ring for consideration so far.

[prasantrin]

All of the cities that have been suggested are a wonderful idea, BUT ...

I think we are putting the cart before the horse. As I'm sure any of the organizers from Heartland Gatherings past can tell you, it takes a lot of time and energy to put together this four-day orgy of food. Even if Des Moines or Minneapolis/St. Paul are meccas of food gastronomy, if no one local is available to organize the events, then suggesting them would seem to be a moot point.

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Shhhhh. . . .

We're surreptitiously putting pressure on people who live in those places to volunteer. Not that it would work, but one can dream!

[NancyH]

That's ok Tom - I volunteered you and Edsel to make a meat course, remember??

I actually did offer, on the "2009 planning" thread. And the offer stands - I'll organize CLE if that is where we want to be.

Otherwise, I totally agree with Tino that local organization is necessary to pull this off. Still, I'm willing to travel, though I'd rather not fly.

Oops, reading back through the posts on this thread, I realize I may have surreptitiously volunteered NancyH for Cleveland when she didn't actually make that offer. In which case, only Tammylc from Ann Arbor has technically thrown her hat into the ring for consideration so far.

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[ronnie_suburban]

I think we are putting the cart before the horse. As I'm sure any of the organizers from Heartland Gatherings past can tell you, it takes a lot of time and energy to put together this four-day orgy of food. Even if Des Moines or Minneapolis/St. Paul are meccas of food gastronomy, if no one local is available to organize the events, then suggesting them would seem to be a moot point.

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True 'dat.

=R=