patriarch Our club seems to enjoy having speakers chosen from amongst the
alumni of the various woodworking and design programs in our region.
> College of the Redwoods, San Diego State (or maybe USCD), Calif
> College of the Arts, and the like. We also seem to get once or twice
> a year an author from Taunton or Stirling, with an interesting book > to talk about.
Do you know much about the choosing process? We've hired a few big names in the past who turned out to be only slightly more interesting than drying paint. Conversely, we've hired amateurs who were extremely interesting and informative.
Are you looking for someone to fill 90 minutes? Or ten class days?60-90 minutes, sometimes with 1 or 2 eight hour workshops for a woodworking club
> Local or 'imported'? Big name, or hands on? Technique, tools,
> design or marketing? Who's the audience, and why are they there? > Who pays the tab?
>
> All that, and more, makes a difference.
As good as Kelly Mehler is
> with a table saw, after reading his book, and listening to him for 45
> minutes, I'm ready for some new material. And he likely has new
> material to teach. But in a trade show setting, I'm not going to > hear it.
We recently hired a highly recommended expert who came and announced that he couldn't cover any part of the subject in a short time span and so spent the time essentially doing an infomercial for his school. I was pissed, he should have refused the offer if he couldn't introduce the subject. No one expects much in such a short time span, but I do expect them to at least introduce the subject. That's why I was wondering if people check references, it's something I want to do but some others feel that would be inappropriate.