A group of my peers thought I would be a great host coordinator for a national convention.  When they called me and asked me if I would, I readily accepted and then laughed.  They had no idea I would use my blog to glean ideas.  This may be the best convention yet!

As host, I couldn’t plan a convention alone and do have a talented and dedicated committee. Part of our plan is to have a social event, which is to take place in a museum.  This is not a normal museum, but one that commemorates the assassination of a US President and is in the middle of a downtown area.  We got the place on the cheap, and it was aptly located to the hotel.  And yes, the memorabilia is really cool, but it is a “social event,” and we want people to mingle with each other.  So we needed ideas, and here is what one brainstorming session got us:

1.  Do a scavenger hunt.  Really?  You want to send people out into a downtown area, at night, in a strange city, looking for items for a scavenger hunt.  Although it is not Manhattan, Detroit or Houston, it is still a bit sketchy at night.  In fact, I was mugged in broad daylight in the middle of the week!  And if you get lost, you are screwed.  But nevertheless, I think most people would survive.

2.  Have people dress up like the Kennedy family.  I actually liked this idea, but then I thought about it, and most of them are dead.  So not only are we in a museum to commemorate a dead president, but we would be dressing up like all of his dead relatives.  Why don’t we just call it a zombie fest?  Hey, that’s not a bad idea! 

3.  Put signs on people’s backs.  No, not the “kick me” signs, but names of famous people from our city and other people would have to give them hints as to who they are.  Considering that some people may be wearing silk or $400 suits, maybe taping or pinning a sign to someone’s clothing is not be a good idea.  And everyone would want to be JR or Sue Ellen from the show “Dallas.”

4.  Karaoke – just kidding.

Planning a convention, or any large event, is not as fun or easy as many would think.  If I did event planning for a living, I think I would enjoy it more.  But for right now, it feels like I’m rounding up cats.  I’m not talking about my committee, but all of the other people who are coming in to educate, entertain, set up, feed us, etc.  Unfortunately, I am eye-ball deep in and can’t quit now.  I need some additional entertainment ideas.

Please feel free to share with me any good, legal, legit idea to entertain 150 people in one small museum commemorating a dead president.  I’m all ears.

Carpe Diem