FFAP changes venue for FISM Europe - no longer on the high seas

[CraigMitchell]

FFAP have announced their decision to change the venue for FISM Europe 2014 - opting against hosting it onboard a cruise-ship - primarily due to various contractual issues and payment obligations.

Full release at www.fism.org/web/fismeurope2014.pdf

[IrishMagicNews]

Will be interesting to see if the usual suspects who slag disorganisation regarding previous FISM Europe's will say about this.

It's a pity really, I thought the idea of FISM Europe on a cruise was quite cool.

[Tom Moore]

Reading through that link the things that scuppered it are really really basic points; points that anyone who's ever worked on a ship will know instinctively (the theatre is only half the capacity of the ship and every show is run twice, there's limited storage space, the conventioneers have to use the on-board accommodation (obviously!), there's no sales in-port, renting a whole cruse ship costs $$$) so I've suddenly lost all faith in their ability to organize the event since they announced this project without (clearly) doing even the most basic research to check if it was possible.

Since the most basic elements of the competition have now been changed and the organisers have shown they really don't have a clue surely FISM should be re-running the competition?

[CraigMitchell]

It is completely & utterly bizarre that you go ahead with the announcement of an event & venue - accept bookings et al - without having the most fundamental aspect in place ... the contract with the cruise line !

"Presentation made at this date without any contractual element, but on a simple calculation"

The above line is just embarrassing for the FFAP.

Have to agree with Brendan - the idea of a magic convention at sea would have been great ( preferably not on Carnival ;-)

As much as it pains me - the FFAP may not have factored in the very real possibility that a new vote will need to be scheduled to decide location. It is not a foregone conclusion that FISM Europe remains with the FFAP.

It would be grossly unfair to Blackpool ( assuming they still wished to host FISM Europe ) that a new vote not be called. Otherwise any bid country could promise the world cancel a few months later and do something completely different.

Had FFAP not presented the cruise ship bid it is quite possible that Blackpool may have won the vote ...

[Richard Kaufman]

There is one factor that hasn't been mentioned here, which is mentioned in the document: they can accomodate 1200 magicians if every room is shared. But most people will not want to share a tiny stateroom, which means the number of attendees would probably be 700. That greatly limits FFAP's income, and I would imagine that this is one of the big reasons why they've scuppered the idea of the cruise ship.

(Incidentally, there have been many "Magic Cruises"--conventions on cruise ships--which have originated in the United States.)

Is it a coincidence that this announcement has come only a week after the catastrophe on Carnival Cruise lines in which their ship was stranded with no electricity or working toilets and the people were walking in feces-contaminated water and sleeping in mattresses on the deck of the boat? Every one of the passengers on that boat is going to sue Carnival Cruise Line, and perhaps FFAP thought that if such an event happened to them, it would bankrupt and destroy their organization.

Personally, I am glad that the convention won't be on a cruise ship--I didn't want to pay a lot of money to stay in a tiny cabin! I am much more likely to go to the convention if it's in a major city in France. Perhaps others feel that way, too. I really don't know what the average attendance of an FFAP convention is. But this is the first time it will host FISM Europe, so the number of attendees would likely be higher.

Craig, after the terrible job that Derek Lever did in putting on FISM, I would imagine that it would be unlikely he would be given the FISM Europe competition again.

[CraigMitchell]

"Craig, after the terrible job that Derek Lever did in putting on FISM, I would imagine that it would be unlikely he would be given the FISM Europe competition again."

I don't dispute that. But placing the merits of Blackpool aside - in the interests of fairness, they do have the right to request a new vote to be called.

It may well still be a landslide vote in Frances favour - but a new vote should be called.

FFAP have made the foregone conclusion that they can summarily change venues - which fundamentally alters their bid. This isn't simply a switch in hotel.

With regards to cruises - they offer significant value for money - and for most attendees, the amount of time spent in their room is so limited - that it is of little concern ;-) I've heard rave reviews about many of Shawn Farquhar's events at sea.

[Tom Moore]

Is it a coincidence that this announcement has come only a week after the catastrophe on Carnival Cruise lines.......

nope, it's quite clear that FFAP announced the magic cruise idea without doing any research in to it and it's only now that some pesky facts have cropped up that they've realised they are out of their depth. There's plenty of ways to make a magic convention on a ship work but it requires an organising team who know what they're doing; something FFAP clearly don't have?

[Pete McCabe]

Wasn't there another country that came in a close second to France? Wouldn't they be the favorites in a revote?

[Q. Kumber]

Personally I found FISM Europe at Blackpool two years ago to be an intrusion and inconvenience to my enjoyment of the normal Blackpool convention.

I much prefer Blackpool as Blackpool, as do any magic regulars I have spoken to, so please keep it in France.

[IrishMagicNews]

Personally I found FISM Europe at Blackpool two years ago to be an intrusion and inconvenience to my enjoyment of the normal Blackpool convention.

I much prefer Blackpool as Blackpool, as do any magic regulars I have spoken to, so please keep it in France.

Hear, hear.

[CraigMitchell]

Personally I found FISM Europe at Blackpool two years ago to be an intrusion and inconvenience to my enjoyment of the normal Blackpool convention. I much prefer Blackpool as Blackpool, as do any magic regulars I have spoken to, so please keep it in France.

Hopefully the Blackpool organiser concurs :-)

[CraigMitchell]

The FFAP really do need to make up their minds ... now I am hearing that the event is going back on the cruise-ship.

[Tom Moore]

Cruise-line full-ship charters are normally booked YEARS in advance; if they're going on to a ship now then it's either only a part charter (a MASSIVE compromise) or on one of the old/undesirable ships that hasn't been able to sell the cruise on its own merits.

[cardmaster]

I am sure that you will all be delighted to hear that FISM is back in Blackpool in 2017.

[CraigMitchell]

I am sure that you will all be delighted to hear that FISM is back in Blackpool in 2017.

To clarify - this is the regional FISM Europe event, not the main World Championships.

After the disaster that was 2012 - Blackpool won't be seeing another FISM World Championships anytime soon.

[Richard Kaufman]

I'm surprised they allow FISM Europe to take place in Blackpool.

[Tim Ellis]

Were there ANY other bids to host FISM Europe for 2017????

[CraigMitchell]

I am open to correction but from what I understand none of the other European clubs bid to host the regional event ... So Blackpool got it by default ... Exactly what happened for 2012.