There is No Such Thing as a Virtual Reunion

I’m headed to Massachusetts this weekend for my 50^th high school reunion. WOW! How did that happen? I will get to visit with my classmates in my hometown of Plymouth. We will listen to music of our era and reminisce about our childhood and neighborhood. Coming together with classmates after all these years is a special occasion that I wouldn’t miss for the world.

Within 10 years of my graduation in 1964, I was working as editor of Eastern Quarter Horse Journal. Not the career I chose in high school, but certainly the one that became a lifelong career in equine publishing. By 1974, I had attended my first AHP seminar in Washington, D.C. and had met some of the people who would become my friends and mentors. Attending every annual seminar from then until now has always felt like a reunion to me. It’s one of the few times during the year where I get to spend time with my longtime friends and the members I have communicated with by phone and internet. Reunions are about face-time.

Whether the reunion is with family, classmates, or your business associates, the one factor that sets it apart in today’s digital world is that we take time from our busy lives to communicate in person, where we can shake a hand or give a hug. We live in such a virtual world that this form of interaction enhances the importance of face-to-face meetings and discussions.

I’m looking forward to reuniting with AHP members in Charleston this month where we can share experiences, ideas, and a welcome hug. Hope to see you at this year's AHP reunion, and if not Charleston, then plan on San Antonio in 2015!

Show Your Gatsby Side

When the Francis Marion Hotel opened in 1924, the famous 1920s dance craze that began in the dance halls of Charleston was not only sweeping the nation, but also defining an era. The Roaring 20s was a decade that infused a nation with fads, fashion, and slang that pretty much laughed in the face of prohibition.

Women bobbed their hair, experimented with dropped waistlines and hem lengths, and adorned themselves with beads, feathers and bling.  Dapper Dans strutted around with suspenders and spats, zoot suits and vests.

Slang was colorful and while several words and phrases have remained part of modern vernacular, there are some best left in the 20s.

 

For example: Flat Tire: used to indicate that one’s date did not meet expectations. ie: “She seemed so interesting, but she was nothing but a flat tire!” OUCH!

Or this one:

“Cash or Check?”: “Will you kiss me now or do we wait until later?”

Note: “Check” on its own means to take a raincheck on kissing or save the kiss for another time.

I will certainly chuckle the next time a sales clerk asks me that question. Of course, today the term is “Debit or Credit?”

Some of the popular phrases of the 1920s have lingered on with baby boomers like me, but young people today probably don’t know the meaning of “cup of joe” or “looking out for the fuzz” or “the cat’s meow.”

A 1920s theme just seemed like the cat’s pajamas for the AHP’s Student Party since the decade flourished with young people who were making a statement and it was full of crazy fun.

So, how do you show your Gatsby side? Flapper style dresses and pin-striped suits are easy to find online or in party stores or thrift shops. I found my flapper dress online located in The Netherlands. Judy found her outfit in a local thrift shop in Daytona. No time to shop? Head to your local party store and grab a boa, some beads and a feather headband for the ladies or suspenders and a bowler hat for men. You will be The Bees Knees. 

Join AHP members on Friday night, June 20 for the AHP Student Award Party, HOOFIN' IT. Starting at 5:30 p.m. It'll be swell.

  

AHP Welcome Reception Gets a Face-Time Lift

If you have been attending the AHP seminars for a few years, you will notice a welcome change to this year’s opening night reception.

For one thing, we have invited GARDEN & GUN’s Rebecca Wesson Darwin to present the Keynote Address, which has typically been held on Friday morning. Darwin has selected a horse-themed title for her talk on how she created G&G and led it to the print sensation it is today. Along the way, she’ll offer tips on creating and maintaining a memorable magazine that captures the passions of its devoted audience. You won’t want to miss, From Dark Horse to the Winner's Circle, at 6:30 p.m. sponsored by MediaRadar.

The next new feature will be a special edition of a mini trade event that was limited to seven exhibitor sponsors. Our hosts for the welcome reception include fellow AHP members: Lane Press, MediaRadar, Morris Media Network Equine Group, Schleese, Inc./Saddlefit 4 Life, SmartPak, Straight Arrow Products, Inc., and the United States Hunter Jumper Association. Be sure to spend a little Face Time at their exhibit from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

The welcome reception is a great Face Time opportunity to start that all important networking, socialize with old friends, and meet some new contacts. You will also get to enjoy some tasty appetizers and adult beverages.

And, the evening will end early enough to catch some Z’s if you are travel weary or head out to explore the Charleston nightlife.

Sounds like a good time to me. Hope to see you there from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.

Charleston is for Foodies (and those who just like to eat)

Shrimp and grits, she crab soup and benne wafers are among the Charleston favorites for visitors. The city is well-known for its low country cuisine and sustainable cooking.

June will be my third visit to Charleston, but if you are visiting for the first time, here is a list of restaurants that have been recommended or sampled.

Virginia’s on King 
offers sophisticated Southern dining just steps away from the Francis Marion Hotel.

Magnolia’s is an upscale Southern cuisine located on East Bay Street

Poogans Porch, Charleston’s oldest independent culinary establishment, is located in a Victorian house. I already have reservations for June. It’s that good.

Swamp Fox Restaurant at the Francis Marion Hotel, offers some great Southern favorites whenever you prefer to dine at the hotel.

Prohibition offers a moderately priced menu of low country cooking with a 1920's twist. It’s a great hang for hooch, too, and only a few blocks from the hotel.

Other options are 82 Queen, located in Charleston’s French Quarter, and 39 Rue de Jean, a French style café within walking distance of the hotel.

And if you are in the mood for southern barbecue, you need to know that Carolina style BBQ sauces are vinegar-based and contain mustard.

There are endless options to choose from as you wander through the streets of Charleston. And if you find a gem in your travels, pass it along. Charleston is only a five hour drive from Daytona and I could easily return for some low country food and Southern charm.

A Second Time Around

Over 25 years ago in February 1988, AHP members gathered at the Sheraton-Charleston Hotel in Charleston, South Carolina. There were 33 attendees who represented 23 publications. I was there as executive editor of Eastern/Western Quarter Horse Journal. Not one of the 33 is at the same publication today. Many have retired, some have moved on to pursue other interests, and sadly a few have passed away. However, there are several who are still actively working in the horse industry, me included. Dean Hoffman recently moved to Arizona to take a position at the University of Arizona’s Race Track Industry Program, Charlotte Kneeland continues to head the American Riding Instructors Association, and Mark Simon was recently named editorial director at the Daily Racing Form.

One of the field trips at the 1988 seminar was
to historic Middleton Place.

The AHP members, who come to Charleston in June 2014, will be much larger in numbers, but the demographics haven’t changed. Then, as now, they represent a cross-section of equine breeds and interests. The late Peter Winants, who served as AHP president in 1988, wrote in the newsletter, “They were tied together by the desire to further their expertise in the publishing industry, which was accomplished through seminars presented by fellow AHP members, outside speakers, and two field trips.” Matter of fact, Dean Hoffman, then editor of Hoof Beats, and I served on a panel discussion together titled, “Reshaping a Magazine’s Image,” along with Darrell Dodds, then editor of Appaloosa Journal.

There have been many changes in equine publishing between Charleston 1988 and Charleston 2014. Yet, the AHP seminar is still a gathering of professionals involved in the equine publishing industry, who meet to network, learn, and experience a great destination. Our attendees now include representatives of print publications, digital media, businesses and organizations, as well as freelancers and students.

You might be wondering about the February date, but from 1983 to 1995, AHP also held a winter seminar every year in addition to the June event. The February seminar was discontinued due to lack of growth in attendance, however the winter dates were the reason we could afford to meet in Charleston back then.

With Charleston being a number one destination site (named Top U.S. City by Condé Nast Traveler 2013 Readers’ Choice Awards for the third consecutive year), why has it taken AHP so long to return? The answer is price.

Over the years, we tried several times to secure reasonable room rates for our group, but they were always well over $200. In 2010, when we were researching locations for the 2012 seminar, several Charleston properties, including the Francis Marion Hotel, sent us a proposal and Judy and I did a site visit. While Colonial Williamsburg ended up as the 2012 site, our contact at the Francis Marion remained in touch and in 2012, they offered AHP a group rate of $169. It was too good to pass up, especially after our members had selected Charleston as their favorite city by a wide margin in a survey.

I hope you will come to Charleston for its southern charm and history, for the face time and education with fellow members, and especially to join AHP for the second time around.