Showing posts with label Las Vegas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Las Vegas. Show all posts

08 September 2021

2021 IPMS/USA National Convention (6)

After the 2021 IPMS/USA National Convention ended at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas on Saturday, 21 August, I started to head to McCarran International Airport for my flight home. On the way, I stopped by the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada sign. I had passed it on the way into the city the previous Wednesday morning but didn't have time to stop and view the sign up close.  Now, I did.

There was what looked like a wedding party gathered there, but it wasn't too crowded for me to get fairly close to the sign. At least I could say I was there.







After this visit, I drove to the McCarran Rent-A-Car Center to drop off the Toyota Corolla at the Enterprise area. After parking the car and removing my luggage, I dropped the key off and thanked the Enterprise staff on duty for their work. I asked them to pass my greetings to my Enterprise colleagues in the Las Vegas area. They appreciated the gesture and said they would.

Then, I walked to the shuttle bus stop and waited for the bus to take me to the terminal at McCarran International Airport. After a while, the bus arrived to take me and other passengers to the terminal. It was just after midnight when I got to the terminal--over 6 hours before my flight. I found a seat and rested, while music from various artists who have played Las Vegas was heard over the loudspeakers.

Some two hours before my flight, the baggage check in opened at the Southwest counter, so I checked my bag and got into the security checkpoint line. Then, I made my way to the gate for my flight. While waiting, I bought ear buds for my smart phone from one shop and a deck of used Rio playing cards from another. 

There were plenty of passengers on this flight, but I had no problem finding a seat and stashing my carry-on items. The flight departed early that morning and headed for a stop-over in Dallas. 

The Boeing 737 landed at Dallas Love Field and taxied to the gate. Most of the passengers got off here, but I and others stayed in our seats waiting for the flight to resume to St. Louis. 





There were no hitches and the flight landed early that Sunday afternoon (22 August) at St. Louis Lambert International Airport. After getting off the aircraft, I made my way to baggage claim, where I got my checked bag. Then, I walked to the curb to await The Parking Spot shuttle bus. Along with other passengers, I got on the bus and it headed to The Parking Spot 3, where my car was parked.

After letting off the other passengers with their luggage, the shuttle bus driver headed to my Corolla. I got off the bus and the driver got my bags off it to the pavement near my car. I gave him a $5 tip to thank him for his service, which he greatly appreciated. The bus drove off and I loaded up my car and drove off the lot. At the gate, I showed my Q code indicating my payment of the parking fee. This opened the gate and I was on my way home. 

After stopping by a nearby Quik Trip for a snack, I drove home. Mom welcomed me back and I carried my luggage into the house. After unpacking, I rested at home--tired but happy for this trip.

The following Saturday (28 August), I drove to Liberty Christian Fellowship in Liberty, Missouri (northeast of Kansas City) for ModelFest. This was a contest and swap meet hosted by IPMS/West Central Missouri. I entered three models in the contest, neither of which placed. However, I enjoyed visiting a Region 14 chapter's event, shopping among the vendors, chatting with fellow modelers, and helping judge Figures and Dioramas. It was a fun time.






Speaking of scale modeling contests, IPMS/Gateway hosts their annual show--the Inaugural Region 14 Contest--this Saturday (11 September) at the Holiday Inn--Route 66 in Sunset Hills, Missouri. Hope to see you there!

Later.

Websites of Entities Mentioned in This Post:

2021 IPMS/USA National Convention: 2021 IPMS USA NATIONAL CONVENTION (natslv2021.com)
Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Sign: Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign - Wikipedia
McCarran Rent-A-Car Center: Rental Cars at LAS Airport (mccarran.com)
McCarran International Airport: LAS Airport (mccarran.com)
St. Louis Lambert International Airport: St. Louis Lambert International Airport (flystl.com)
Liberty Christian Fellowship: Liberty Christian Fellowship (lcfliberty.org)
IPMS/West Central Missouri: Home (webs.com)

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Location: Mehlville, MO, USA

06 September 2021

2021 IPMS/USA National Convention (5)

This year's IPMS/USA National Convention ended on a Saturday (21 August). After a good night's sleep at Hostel Cat, I packed up my belongings and checked out before heading for the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino. On my way, I stopped at a Denny's in downtown Las Vegas for a good breakfast.
 






Arriving at the Rio, I checked the drawn raffle numbers in the Model Room, but none of my tickets had been drawn. I also looked around the Model and Vendor rooms.












That morning, I attended the annual IPMS/USA Business Meeting in one of the seminar rooms. President John Noack presided over this meeting, which began with presentations for the next two National Conventions. Scott Hackey spoke for Omaha 2022, giving a status update. The 2022 National Convention will be held 20-23 July. Its theme is "Building the Arsenal of Democracy," highlighting US weapons and equipment built from World War II to the present. Then, Len Pilhofer gave an update on San Marcos 2023. Their group was to have hosted the 2020 National Convention, but the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled that plan. IPMS/USA decided to give San Marcos the next slot, which was in 2023. Its theme, recalling the aborted 2020 show, is "Come and Make It, Take 2: This Time for Sure." It will be held 2-5 August 2023.





Noack then updated the attendees about the state of the Society. He talked about the enhancements of the executive board (e-board) and staff and updated everyone about the operating system improvement project. This includes implementing Wild Apricot member management software into IPMS/USA operations.  Noack also proposed a project for members to build models for veterans and museums. He also asked members to vote for the e-board in the election running through the middle of September.

Most of the national executive board (e-board) are present at this meeting, and they gave updates on their areas of responsibility. Overall, IPMS/USA is in good shape recovering from the pandemic.








After browsing among the contest models and vendors, I caught the first part of the National Contest Committee meeting. This included mention about possible special categories for the 2020 National Convention in Omaha, and concern about possible inflation of special sponsored awards.

I made a last visit to the Vendor Room, picking up some late bargains. Marion Morris offered to take some of my things with him, so I would not have to ship them home. I accepted his offer and got the bag with these items to his room at the Rio. I also made a last check of the raffle, but no winning tickets for me.

With the convention closing until that night's awards ceremony, I drove to a nearby Del Taco restaurant and get a late lunch/early dinner: a burrito and taco combo. It was satisfying. Then, I drove around west Las Vegas for a bit, and called my brothers to let them know how the trip was going.

Returning to the Rio early that night, I relaxed in the hallway before going to the Awards Ceremony. There was no banquet as usual at National Conventions, as the organizers figured the choices of restaurants at the hotel would give attendees a choice.

After finding my seat in the auditorium, Convention Chairman Bob Lomassaro thanked all who attended and who worked on this Convention. He said there were 2680 entries in the model contest. Lomassaro recognized Vendor Chairman Jee Porche. After John Noack spoke to the crowd, Director of Local Chapters (DLC) David Lockhart presented the National Awards for chapters. He recognized the Regional Coordinators present, along with Mark Young, the compiler of chapter newsletters for the DLC. After recognizing the 2020 winners who did not receive their awards in person because the National Convention in San Marcos was cancelled, Lockhart announced this year's honorees.

The first one--Regional Coordinator of the Year--was a major surprise for me, because Lockhart announced me as the honoree. He cited my frequent and effective communication between myself, the DLC, and the chapters in Region 14 (Mid Central), which was formed only two years ago with me as RC. When I came to the stage, Noack told me "No speech," which was good as I had no speech prepared. I posed for photos with Lockhart and the award, which I humbly and proudly accepted on behalf of the Region 14 chapters.

The rest of the National Awards were then presented, the 2023 and 2022 National Conventions were presented by their respective chairmen. Members of the United States Air Force Thunderbirds came on stage to help present the Convention Theme Awards. After those awards were handed out, Aris Papas and Bill Devins made the contest awards presentation. Categories and their sponsored were projected onto screens in the auditorium, soon followed by the top three finishers in each category. (The awards were placed by their respective models in the Model Room.)

Pappas began by recognizing the judges--which included IPMS/Gateway clubmate Jim Victor in Ships and myself in Aircraft--along with the recording team, which included another clubmate, Mike Brickman.

Two IPMS/Gateway members won awards in the contest. Rick Keasey earned six awards: Two in Figures (a First and a Second) and four in Dioramas (two Firsts and two Seconds). Jim Triola's diorama "Last Briefing: USS Hornet at Midway" won in its Diorama category, and two Special Awards: The Theme Award "Aces and Eights" (Hornet was CV-8, and the squadron on the ship was Torpedo Squadron 8), and the Popular Best of Show Award, as determined by votes from convention registrants. (My vote sent to this model.)

After the ceremony, we all went to the Model Room to pack up our models and to congratulate the winners. I also arranged for someone to take a photo of me with the Regional Coordinator of the Year.





I also helped Triola and Marion Morris move Triola's large diorama out of the Model Room and into Morris' minivan that would take them back to St. Louis. I gathered my items and got into my rental car for the trip to the airport.

My final hours in Las Vegas in my next post.

Later.

Websites of Entities Mentioned in this Post:

2021 IPMS/USA National Convention: 2021 IPMS USA NATIONAL CONVENTION (natslv2021.com)
Del Taco: Del Taco - Home
USAF Thunderbirds: Overview (airforce.com)
IPMS Gateway Chapter: IPMS Gateway Chapter (google.com)



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Location: Mehlville, MO, USA

04 September 2021

2021 IPMS/USA National Convention (4)

Day three of the 2021 IPMS/USA National Convention in Las Vegas was a Friday (20 August). After getting up and getting dressed at Hostel Cat, I drove to the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino for the convention.



Arriving at the Rio, I then made way to the Hash House A Go Go restaurant there, for a breakfast meeting. I attended as IPMS/USA Region 14 Coordinator, along with six other Region Coordinators (RCs): Paul Helfrich (RC-4), Jeff Neal (RC-12), Jeff Herne (RC-5), James Corley (RC-3), and Mike Mackowski (RC-10). Also present were Neal's wife Cathy; John Noack, President of IPMS/USA; and David Lockhart, IPMS/USA Director of Local Chapters.

We all enjoyed generous sized breakfasts as we socialized and talked IPMS/USA business. Noack spoke about a new website and the Wild Apricot operating system coming to IPMS/USA in the coming months. Lockhart and several RCs (including myself) spoke about conflicts arising from chapters holding shows on the same date as those in adjoining regions. This would affect attendance by vendors and modelers. Helfrich, Hearne, and I agreed to be in contact soon regarding this issue, as our regions have chapters fairly close together.

I then checked out the vendor room, where my IPMS/Gateway colleague Mike Brickman told me that our club's founder, Del Miller, had died earlier that morning from a stroke. Mike and I made sure our clubmates in Las Vegas knew about Miller's passing. A down note to carry forward during this convention.

Besides making the rounds of the vendor room, I also made more circuits of the model room, where more models were entered into the contest. I also made sure to cast my vote for the Popular Best of Show Award.

That afternoon, I attended a seminar given by Scott Cohen, co-founder of Tru-Color Paint. He talked about his company and their products, which I examined at his firm's stall in the vendor room. Cohen also passed around model parts painted with his product. I was impressed with Tru-Color Paint and will consider it for my future scale modeling needs.


David Lockhart hosted another seminar I attended that afternoon, regarding the Dynamics of a Model Club. He used his experience as president of IPMS/Atlanta on how to effectively run a club--Promoting the club and hobby, running meetings, encouraging involvement by members, and keeping things fun and interesting. I walked with a woman from St. Louis who was in town occasionally and did my best to answer some questions she had regarding model club members.


Late that afternoon, I grabbed a snack from a convenience store at the Rio, before making my way back to the convention area for the Contest Judges Briefing. There were over 120 judges on hand for the meeting, held at one of the meeting rooms and conducted by Mark Persichetti, Chairman of IPMS/USA's National Contest Committee. 

Persichetti introduced the head class judges and went over judging procedures. He then recognized contest judges for their 3-, 10-, 20- and 30-year anniversaries at IPMS/USA National Conventions. Among those recognized on their three-year anniversaries was yours truly. I received a certificate recognizing this, along with a blue and silver pin.



After the briefing, we headed into the contest room around 6:30 pm to begin our work. I gathered with the other aircraft judges in one part of the room to learn our team assignments and the first categories we would judge. I was drawn into team 10, led by Lee Forbes from IPMS/Alamo Squadron in San Antonio and Tom Henderson joined us. Our team was asked to judge category 120. Aircraft; Medium and Large Prop; 1/48, Out-of-the-Box. The three of us spent over 20 minutes evaluating some 15 entries in this category before deciding on the top three places in the category.

After finishing that category, our team judged two more aircraft categories: 107E. Aircraft; Small Prop; 1/48--Axis Radial; and 105C. Aircraft; Small Prop; 1/72--US/Allied Radial; Other. We carefully evaluated the entries in these two categories before agreeing on the three places in each category. After that, our team judged entries eligible for one of the Special Interest Awards: The Jack Morris Award for Best Korean War US or Allied Aircraft. After surveying several candidates, we agreed that an F-86F-25 Sabre was the best of these entries and would receive the award.

After judging, I signed the book confirming I was a judge at this contest and received a pin for doing so. This went with the convention's registrant pin I received in my packet two days before.


After checking to see if I was still needed to help judge other categories and being told I was no longer needed this night, I left the Rio sometime after 9:30 pm to return to Hostel Cat. I understand that some judges were up until 1:30 am Saturday finishing the judging. Some categories were so close to call.

After arriving in my room, undressing, and charging up my battery and cell phone, I went to sleep. Another big day done, with one more to go.

Later.

Websites of entities mentioned in this post:

IPMS/USA: IPMS/USA Home Page | By Modelers... For Modelers (ipmsusa.org)

IPMS/Gateway: IPMS Gateway Chapter (google.com)

Hostel Cat: Hostel Cat | Las Vegas No.1 Hostel

Las Vegas Tourism: Las Vegas Tourism, Official Site

Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino: Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino Las Vegas | Caesars Entertainment - Official Site

Tru-Color Paint: Tru-Color Paint | When You Need Tru-Color (trucolorpaint.com)

IPMS/Atlanta: Home | ipms-atlanta


 


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Location: Mehlville, MO, USA

01 September 2021

2021 IPMS/USA National Convention (3)

The second day of the IPMS/USA National Convention in Las Vegas was a Thursday (19 August), and it was the first full day of the convention. More attendees arrived during the morning and events were in full swing at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino. Not only were more attendees entering contest models, buying raffle tickets, and shopping among the vendors, but there were also several seminars on scale modeling topics during the day.

Besides me, there were five others from IPMS/Gateway at this convention: Mike Brickman, Rick Keasey, Marion Morris, Jim Triola, and Jim Victor. Marion's wife Regina also came.

That morning, I did get a convention T-shirt that my friend and IPMS/Gateway founder Del Miller had ordered. He was not able to come to the event but asked me a few weeks before the convention to get the shirt for me. This was the same pattern T-shirt I picked, featuring the US Air Force Thunderbirds on the back. (The other t-shirt pattern had an alien on the back.)



I got lucky with the raffle, winning two prizes during the convention's first two days. People with winning tickets were asked to come up on the stage in the contest room and select their prize from the available donated items. Most of the prizes were kits, but there were also detail parts, decals, paints, and tools to be given away. Both times my tickets were picked, I selected paint sets--one for World War II US Army Air Forces aircraft, the other for natural metal aircraft. 

Two much listened-to podcasts aimed at scale modelers were present at the convention. One was Plastic Model Mojo, which is co-hosted by my friend David Knights. They were set up inside the vendor room. The other was The Model Geeks, who had a table outside of the vendor room.



After several hours at the convention, I drove to a nearby In-N-Out Burger restaurant for lunch. It was my first experience with this legendary fast-food chain from southern California. I ordered a cheeseburger with French fries--both cooked to order--and a soft drink. It was most tasty, and I was glad to enjoy this lunch experience.


After lunch I returned to the Rio for more of the convention. When it wrapped up for the day, I joined the Morrises, Triola, and Victor for dinner at Metro Pizza, a short drive from the Rio. It was a nice pizzeria, and we had enjoyable conversation over dinner. In my case, it was the Bleeker pizza, with Italian sausage and garlic. It was most delicious.

Our party returned to the Rio after dinner, and I then got into my car and drove to Hostel Cat to get some sleep. Before turning in, I made sure to charge up the batteries for both the camera and cell phone, so they would be ready for the next day's activities.

The third day of the convention will be in my next post on this topic.

Later.

Websites of entities mentioned in this post:

IPMS/USA: IPMS/USA Home Page | By Modelers... For Modelers (ipmsusa.org)
IPMS/Gateway: IPMS Gateway Chapter (google.com)
Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino: Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino Las Vegas | Caesars Entertainment - Official Site
Las Vegas Tourism: Las Vegas Tourism, Official Site
Plastic Model Mojo: Plastic Model Mojo
The Model Geeks Podcast: The ModelGeeks Podcast
In-N-Out Burger: In-N-Out Burger
Metro Pizza: Metro Pizza
Hostel Cat: Hostel Cat | Las Vegas No.1 Hostel

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Location: Mehlville, MO, USA
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