NSA '97 :-)

[P3D Larry Berlin <lberlin@xxxxxxxxx>]

I literally don't know where to start talking about the convention! It was
all really great!!! Big thanks to the Puget Sound Stereo Club who were the
local hosts for the convention. They did a fantastic job!!! Of course big
thanks to NSA and all who worked behind the scenes to make this convention
another big success.

The inspiration from this event will continue on for quite a long time for
me. It was great putting faces with names, but I'm afraid I didn't meet
nearly as many P3D'ers as were there :-(  We need a better way to
intercommunicate while at these conventions...

The general acceptance and very interested attendance in the workshops was
one of the big highlights of the whole thing. I was astonished to learn that
this was the first NSA convention to provide workshops. I'm sure there will
continue to be workshops in all future NSA conventions. There is a very
strong interest in all aspects of hands-on 3D, especially for newer
technologies.

There is only one way that makes sense for the future. All workshops and
presentations should be recorded and copied to CD-ROM's and other media for
distribution to attendees who wish for a reliable record as well as getting
caught up on events that one doesn't have the time to attend. With
simultaneous events of several types happening throughout the event, it's
impossible to do everything justice. Such records could be distributed more
widely to those who can't make the trip to the actual convention. In
addition to which the material can be used to advantage in a number of other
ways, from educational material for schools, use by various stereo clubs and
for occasional publicity about stereo 3D.

I was surprised to find that the Trade Show was as educational as the other
scheduled events. I could have spent far more time at the trade show and
still not run out of things to look at. There was just too much to do and
see in that short a time frame. I felt sorry for the persons doing the trade
show as many of them were unable to attend many of the other events. I'm not
sure what can be done about that, but reducing the trade show to one day
doesn't sound like a good option to me. A better option might be to provide
a live video feed from other presentations directly to the trade show area
and project it on one or more large scale screens.  It wouldn't be as good
as being there, but for those stuck working the tables, it would be better
than missing them completely.

Special thanks to Bill Moll and Mike Weissman who coordinated and organized
the workshops and the electronic theater. There was some overlap in these
activities, due to the newness of the whole idea. In future there will be
more coordination but I felt they both did a tremendous job this time!!!

I hope someone invents a cloning machine so I can have several of me at the
next convention so as not to miss anything!

Thanks to those who discussed shooting stereo slides from the computer
monitor here on P3D, I had a few slides which got projected during the *show
and tell* session. Other than a few technical problems in a couple slides
they projected very well. I will continue to work with that process as the
occasion allows.

I was most disappointed to miss Lincoln Kamm's slide show all three times.

I'm already making plans for next year's convention, as I am sure it will be
even better. 

Larry Berlin

Email: lberlin@xxxxxxxxx
http://www.sonic.net/~lberlin/
http://3dzine.simplenet.com/


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