Thursday, June 18, 2009
Dinner Dance
The 2009 gala event will be hosted by the teachers of the Woodgate-Shamrock School. Details to follow in the Fall.
Family Fee In Lieu Of Daily Admission Charges
2009 will see the introduction of the family fee at Oireachtas level.
There are many pros and cons to this system but for various reasons we have opted to switch to the family fee.
In addition to the struggle to get volunteers to sell wristbands and to check for wristbands at each set of doors to the competition rooms, the layout of the Niagara Falls hotel in 2008 meant that we were not allowed to put our sales table in the main hallway. This allowed people to access the ballrooms without going to the sales table to buy wristbands. We have trouble securing volunteers to stand at the doors, often due to mis-treatment by others.
The family fee system will allow an unlimited number of friends and family members access to the dance ballrooms to support the dancers.
The family fee will be $40.00 and shall be paid via the TCRG (who submits the school's entry).
There are many pros and cons to this system but for various reasons we have opted to switch to the family fee.
In addition to the struggle to get volunteers to sell wristbands and to check for wristbands at each set of doors to the competition rooms, the layout of the Niagara Falls hotel in 2008 meant that we were not allowed to put our sales table in the main hallway. This allowed people to access the ballrooms without going to the sales table to buy wristbands. We have trouble securing volunteers to stand at the doors, often due to mis-treatment by others.
The family fee system will allow an unlimited number of friends and family members access to the dance ballrooms to support the dancers.
The family fee will be $40.00 and shall be paid via the TCRG (who submits the school's entry).
***NEW for 2009 - Traditional Set Dance Competitions***
Following the success of the Mini-Feis concept at other regional Oireachtasi, our region has voted to conduct a “Mini-Feis” on the Sunday morning of the Oireachtas to allow Advanced Beginner, Novice and Open Prizewinner dancers who are otherwise not participating in solo events at the Oireachtas to compete in a traditional set competition. Originally (two steps of) a reel were to be included, but after discussion, it was agreed to try just traditional sets for 2009 and consider, based on success and timing, including reels for 2010.
Benefits of this concept include: exposing more dancers to the prestigious championship event, making the trip more worthwhile for those who are usually team-only dancers, encouraging more dancers to go for teams since they can do a solo dance too, promoting the traditional side of Irish dance and having something to work toward once the feis season ends.
Dancers can choose from the seven traditional set dances in our syllabus: St. Patrick's Day, The Blackbird, Job of Journeywork, Garden of Daisies, Three Sea Captains, King of the Fairies and Jockey to the Fair.
Competitors would be entitled to wear the costume of their choice.
Competition age groups to be under 7, under 9, under 11, under 13, under 15 and 15 and over, to be split at the discretion of the Oireachtas Committee. That the rate of entry would be $20.00 per entrant, plus the family admission.
Being the first year, we have no idea how large or small these competitions will be. All teachers have been asked to provide an esitmate of entries or a notice that they do not intend to participate so we can plan better. Perhaps we have too many age groups? Perhaps we need one year to let people see what it's all about? Perhaps it's not necessary?
Team events will begin once the traditional set dance competitions are complete, allowing time for dancers to change outfits.
We realise that many schools travel from afar and look forward to getting on the highway after team events. We are working on a schedule that will minimize any such delay.
Benefits of this concept include: exposing more dancers to the prestigious championship event, making the trip more worthwhile for those who are usually team-only dancers, encouraging more dancers to go for teams since they can do a solo dance too, promoting the traditional side of Irish dance and having something to work toward once the feis season ends.
Dancers can choose from the seven traditional set dances in our syllabus: St. Patrick's Day, The Blackbird, Job of Journeywork, Garden of Daisies, Three Sea Captains, King of the Fairies and Jockey to the Fair.
Competitors would be entitled to wear the costume of their choice.
Competition age groups to be under 7, under 9, under 11, under 13, under 15 and 15 and over, to be split at the discretion of the Oireachtas Committee. That the rate of entry would be $20.00 per entrant, plus the family admission.
Being the first year, we have no idea how large or small these competitions will be. All teachers have been asked to provide an esitmate of entries or a notice that they do not intend to participate so we can plan better. Perhaps we have too many age groups? Perhaps we need one year to let people see what it's all about? Perhaps it's not necessary?
Team events will begin once the traditional set dance competitions are complete, allowing time for dancers to change outfits.
We realise that many schools travel from afar and look forward to getting on the highway after team events. We are working on a schedule that will minimize any such delay.
Officials - Updated Sep 18
The following people will officiate at this year's event.
Pat King - Brian Grant - Merv Bell - Jessica Bell - Tony Nother - Teresa Wilkinson had to cancel; we have decided to stay with five
Brendan O'Brien - Maire Dixon - Annette Doolan - Seaneen Doherty-O'Neill - Bernard Hynes - Tara Dey - Terry Gillan - Mary Kay Heneghan - Laura Masters
Pat King - Brian Grant - Merv Bell - Jessica Bell - Tony Nother - Teresa Wilkinson had to cancel; we have decided to stay with five
Brendan O'Brien - Maire Dixon - Annette Doolan - Seaneen Doherty-O'Neill - Bernard Hynes - Tara Dey - Terry Gillan - Mary Kay Heneghan - Laura Masters
Dates and Location and Attrition
Hello everyone:
This year's Championships will occur on November 13, 14 and 15 2009 at the Sheraton On The Falls Hotel in Niagara Falls, ON. This is the same hotel that was used for the 2008 event and many events prior.
Our venue was secured on July 23rd, 2009; much later than usual, due to a complicated negotiation process. One may assume that a hotel in a recession would make a stronger effort to secure business, but sadly, that wasn't the case.
The primary area of delay was not about profit for us but for fear of losing money due to attrition charges.
In 2008, our organization stood to lose a considerable amount of money (over $15,000) due to attrition charges. Attrition charges occur when we don't meet the guestroom quota agreed upon in the contract.
In order to get the ballrooms at a (heavily) discounted rate, we must guarantee so many roomstays over the weekend - particularly on the Saturday night. I don't recall exact figures, but if we were going to be below (I think) 75% then we would have had to pay a bill of about $80,000.
We were near 90% with two weeks to go but for whatever reason, many people cancelled their bookings in the final week and we fell to about 77% (c. $18,000 penalty). We managed to get the hotel to credit us for Oireachtas families who stayed there but didn't book within the block and that helped a bit more. Still, we paid a bigger than expected rent for the ballrooms and an unexpected attrition fee for our un-met contract. We can't afford to do that each year, obviously. We try hard to not have to raise fees even though our costs go up each year.
As a note of information, the Western Canadian region hosted a National Championship in Vancouver but lost so much money in attrition charges that it ruined their association and they subsequently dropped out of the rotation for hosting that event. Eastern Canada is the next smallest region and we don't want the same to happen to us. The last Florida nationals had the same thing happen to them which is why they have a new fee structure for 2010, but I am not here to discuss their decisions...
Due to last minute cancellations last year, we had no choice but to go with a one-night non-refundable clause for all bookings this year. Not expecting a surge or drop in entries, we assume the competition sizes will be about the same, so the schedule will remain as it was in 2008. This assumption will help everyone plan better. We realise that no one has or wants to risk losing this deposit should something occur, but in trying to plan an event, we need security of knowing you will support it.
In response to requests to seek out less expensive hotels, remember that they come with fewer facilities that we otherwise take for granted. We are looking at proposals for Windsor, Collingwood, Ottawa and Montreal for the coming years. There is interest and opposition from dance families for every one of those choices already. The GTA is often mentioned as a possible choice since it is fairly local for the majority of the region, but that is the exact reason why we can't have the event in the GTA (unless it is heavily sponsored). If people don't stay in the hotel because they live so close by, then we don't get a discount on the ballrooms.
So in closing, we hope you will understand our position and make the best choice possible.
See you at the O,
Ryan Carroll,
on behalf of the Executive committee of the Irish Dance Teachers Association of Eastern Canada
This year's Championships will occur on November 13, 14 and 15 2009 at the Sheraton On The Falls Hotel in Niagara Falls, ON. This is the same hotel that was used for the 2008 event and many events prior.
Our venue was secured on July 23rd, 2009; much later than usual, due to a complicated negotiation process. One may assume that a hotel in a recession would make a stronger effort to secure business, but sadly, that wasn't the case.
The primary area of delay was not about profit for us but for fear of losing money due to attrition charges.
In 2008, our organization stood to lose a considerable amount of money (over $15,000) due to attrition charges. Attrition charges occur when we don't meet the guestroom quota agreed upon in the contract.
In order to get the ballrooms at a (heavily) discounted rate, we must guarantee so many roomstays over the weekend - particularly on the Saturday night. I don't recall exact figures, but if we were going to be below (I think) 75% then we would have had to pay a bill of about $80,000.
We were near 90% with two weeks to go but for whatever reason, many people cancelled their bookings in the final week and we fell to about 77% (c. $18,000 penalty). We managed to get the hotel to credit us for Oireachtas families who stayed there but didn't book within the block and that helped a bit more. Still, we paid a bigger than expected rent for the ballrooms and an unexpected attrition fee for our un-met contract. We can't afford to do that each year, obviously. We try hard to not have to raise fees even though our costs go up each year.
As a note of information, the Western Canadian region hosted a National Championship in Vancouver but lost so much money in attrition charges that it ruined their association and they subsequently dropped out of the rotation for hosting that event. Eastern Canada is the next smallest region and we don't want the same to happen to us. The last Florida nationals had the same thing happen to them which is why they have a new fee structure for 2010, but I am not here to discuss their decisions...
Due to last minute cancellations last year, we had no choice but to go with a one-night non-refundable clause for all bookings this year. Not expecting a surge or drop in entries, we assume the competition sizes will be about the same, so the schedule will remain as it was in 2008. This assumption will help everyone plan better. We realise that no one has or wants to risk losing this deposit should something occur, but in trying to plan an event, we need security of knowing you will support it.
In response to requests to seek out less expensive hotels, remember that they come with fewer facilities that we otherwise take for granted. We are looking at proposals for Windsor, Collingwood, Ottawa and Montreal for the coming years. There is interest and opposition from dance families for every one of those choices already. The GTA is often mentioned as a possible choice since it is fairly local for the majority of the region, but that is the exact reason why we can't have the event in the GTA (unless it is heavily sponsored). If people don't stay in the hotel because they live so close by, then we don't get a discount on the ballrooms.
So in closing, we hope you will understand our position and make the best choice possible.
See you at the O,
Ryan Carroll,
on behalf of the Executive committee of the Irish Dance Teachers Association of Eastern Canada
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