WTA/FTA Convention Cancelled

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Due to COVID-19 restrictions imposed on us by the City of Marshfield, the Central Wisconsin Fairgrounds and our insurance carrier, we have been forced to cancel our combined WTA/FTA convention scheduled for September 10-12, 2020. The folks in Marshfield waited as long as they could to notify us in case things got significantly better, but instead they have been experiencing a spike in cases and could not allow us to proceed as planned. We could not hold an event without abiding by every state, county and local restriction (including group size limits, physical distancing requirements and no use of buildings) which are tightening there by the day. We also found that the cost and availability of liability coverage would have been prohibitive at this time. As a result, we voted at our board meeting this afternoon to cancel.

We hope and trust that these current parameters will change drastically before our next big event, and we’ll look forward to a better year next year.

Sorry to have to report this,

Patrice, your TMan Feed Gestapo
along with Arnie Groehler, WTA President

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Crap, I'm sick of covid! Let's put govment in charge of more of our lives! Yeah right!

I bet if we call it a Black Lives Matter gathering it will be approved

Why not do it at someones house, a farm?

Could the moderators make this a sticky? Please.

Run, I already PM'd Paul about it. I'm sure he'll give us some glue as soon as he sees that.

Catch,no way 2,000 trappers could be hosted at a house and at a farm,all dealers would have to set up outside,and many dealers won't do that.
Having done over 100 conventions and rendezvous by setting up outside, it can be an iffy thing.More than once I have had products ruined by a quick storm.
Last NTA convention in Minnesota,my entire canopy set ups were torn down by a bad storm.Some dealers stuff was found a long ways away.
While I still set up at some shows out side ,I much prefer the safety of an indoor set up.
Tom

Thanks for the heads up, I’m with you Lee I’m tired of all this COVID bs!

I'm sure with you guys on that. I'm sick of even hearing about it. We got stuck between a rock and a hard place with all the rules and insurance crap. I hope everyone knows that.

Garbage.

I understand but it still stinks

Iowa Convention in Cherokee is still a go at this point.

It’s still 2 months til the event. How do “they” know things won’t be better by then? Just curious. Thanks

My thoughts exactly! Seems premature.

Both organizations will be missing out on what would've been a stellar turnout of trappers anxious to get back to normal and spend some extra pocket change they've saved up not going out to eat and doing other things all summer. IMO it's the wrong decision.

I agree with you both....politicians have got folks scared to death.

Perhaps you could provide the insurance for the event.

Zim

The whole thing sucks. Eight weeks out, however, is a blink of an eye when it comes to setting up a convention. There are already quite a few people who have significant time into organizing that event and the rest were in a holding pattern waiting to hear what we found out this week because they needed to move ahead on their jobs. It sucks. We were given criteria we could not meet. There wasn't much of a decision. It just sucks.

Complely understandable. It sounds like it was really out of your hands anyway.

Patrice, thanks for the effort you and other volunteers did to try make this happen. It's a bummer it had to end this way although I was expecting. I'm actually most surprised it took this long.

The reaction to this virus is insane.

Sad news for sure, but understandable. Wisconsin always puts on a great convention, we have been going for over 30 years. Patrice and Arnie, thanks for all your hard work, and all the other volunteers that make it happen.

Thanks, you guys. This week, I spoke with at least ten of the fifteen or so Labor Camp people who put on the Trapperman Feed, and they were all ready to spring into action as usual. I also spoke with the D9 Black Sheep guys who do the prep for the Saturday vendor lunches and who help with set up, tear down and the gate, and they were ready to get it in gear as well. All fantastic people who knock themselves out to put on a good show. I miss everybody right now!

Arnie is a hard working guy with a lot on his plate right now and always. I sure appreciate him too and I hope everyone else does!

Thanks again, guys! This crap has to end.

Yes it is a disappointment for sure but many of us scaled larger challenges in our lives and will in the future. For promotional purposes we had our demo slate fully slated by June so we could add the names to the promotional materials. I will be contacting all those today and early this week to let them know the event is cancelled. For those from say the other 3-4 states that have events the same weekend they could review the slate if timing is not too late and contact those that had committed to the WTA/FTA.

Bryce

I am so sick and tired of everything getting cancelled. The words in my head aren't fit to type here. Hopefully we can all get together in the near future, but I have my doubts.

This goes on my list of disappointments due to covid, and my list of what to buy at convention will be bought from vendors online. Thanks to event organizers for your efforts.

The FdL County fair is happening as planned this weekend. Maybe reach out to them and get some info on their insurer?

TL, you do not seem to have a grasp on what it takes to put on a convention, how much time and coordination it takes, how many people behind the scenes, workers that have
access to equipment and will be on site, volunteers who put in an entire week for the event, cleanup, etc.
If'n you can pull all that together in 2 months, find a facility with the infrastructure to handle a couple thousand people, 100 or so vendors, has camping and restroom facilities,
get notice out so the many folks who stay in hotels can make reservations and book blocks of rooms there, coordinate liability insurance, get contracts signed and have a successful event you have missed your calling on your day job.

Zim

The FDL CO Fair is not going on as planned. There is the educational or youth activities with strict rules and regs. There is no midway, no rides, no carnival, no grandstand events.

Bryce

My bad, I heard on the farm report this morning they would be showing livestock, I incorrectly assumed it was going on as planned.

Zim, I know it takes a lot of work and coordination. Seemed like from an earlier post that insurance was the major holdup, but I imagine Marathon county and the city of Marshfield have additional hoops to jump through.

And nobody can know what will be going on in 2 months, things could be worse or they could be better. I was hoping they would be better and we could still enjoy a convention, but if the organizers felt they couldn't wait any longer to pull the plug, then it is what it is.

I'm just upset we're not going to have it, and my frustration was misdirected at the organizers. Not my intention, but I can see now that's how it came across. My apologies. Hoping for an even more successful 2021 convention!

I was already planing my potatoes for the convention.

Don't worry, TLguy. If I had my way, and this was just my personal party and not representing a WTA or FTA event with legal contracts and liabilities, I would put on the whole thing just like always. It wasn't the organizers pulling the plug - It was our board members being informed that we could not do anything we planned. The fairgrounds had just cancelled their Central Wisconsin State Fair for the week before our convention, and they laid down rules that sounded like ten of us could gather under a tent in an open field. They also added that we must abide by every guideline (state, county and local) as it arises and changes day to day - all of this as Marshfield is reacting to a rise in cases up there. Meanwhile, the people who provide liability insurance for such events are watching a massive wave of class action suits arise across the country from anyone who would like to blame their loss of a loved one on the entity that allowed them to gather in larger groups, etc. etc. Like I said before, it all sucks. None of us are happy about it or feel this is how things should be. The only way I can keep my chin up is to believe that as some big events come back, like Packer games and other big dollar and large group events, and the insurers and venues settle down from panic mode, our world will return to normal. Not a "new normal" either - just normal.

If I had my way, TLguy, I would have a Trapperman Feed with hundreds of great people like you packed into a line while I get a chance to shake every hand and thank each of you for coming. They would go through the line and scoop up a huge variety of wonderful homemade potluck food from all different sources and trappers' homes, and then pack themselves into a barn and have a great time and a great meal. The food would be just fine and the company even better. And people like you - people who bring wonderful sweet corn and dessert bars and propane cookers and tanks of propane (see, I remember!) - would get a great big hug and a thank you from me for all of your contributions.

I would also help my District 9 guys with their huge effort to get a lunch to every vendor on Saturday. They were waiting to order all of their food and supplies last week! That lunch delivery makes Wisconsin different than any other state convention for our vendors and we're so proud of it. We were ready to amp that up for the combined convention.

That's what I'm comfortable with and I would be happy to be back in that place again right now.

I am sickened and saddened by this whole situation. Please know that this is not my personal preference. As a board member, I had to make the best and only business decision we could reasonably make on behalf of both organizations, given the parameters before us - and it was a bitter pill for us all. I hope that makes sense.

I hope all of you know how much I appreciate everything you all do. Believe me, we did not take this lightly and we did not do this to be fashionable or politically correct. It was a bitter business decision and I hope you trust us.

Patrice

I just wish I had access to a barn and a big field somewhere centrally located. We could mount a "protest" of sorts and peaceable assemble around good food and better friends. I even bought a lunch tray to be more efficient going through the line this year! I'll have to break it in at deer camp I guess.

I will miss the Tman feed most of all.

Sorry to hear. Was looking forward to going this year, havent been to one in 25+ years.

Any idea when the inside vendors who signed up are going to be notified? Both I know personally haven't heard a word and don't want to make other plans till the have a email or notice of some sort.

I will contact the person who is in charge of vendors and let them know. I personally called my demo persons, many who were also vendors and they were aware of the cancellation but they may have heard that from other sources.

Bryce

Pam Is sending out a letter to all vendors as of tomorrow.

When is the Iowa convention scheduled for?

Same weekend as the WTA was. It is always the same weekend as the WTA

Bryce

Sept 11-12th in Cherokee Iowa

www.iowatrappers.com

Thanks ADC, I'll be making a trip home in Sept and may plan around that.

Maybe a informal one in a national forest some where around Wabeno?

An old fashioned unsanctioned meetup at the fork of some river. Canvas tents, campfires and fur hats as far as the eye can see. I'll bring the sweet corn and my coonskin cap, but my canvas tent will be my pop-up ice fishing shack.

Name the fork and the date.

Not that it would happen but......an informal at Portage by the Indian Agency House would be cool and centrally located.

Pike,the district rendezvous was held there years ago. Great big open area ,not far from the Indian agency house. Can't remember the exact years--to many conventions and district rendezvous under my belt to remember everything.
Tom