Public Outreach - How to Attract a New/Younger/Wider Audience?

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Dick_Morris
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Joined: Sat Jan 04, 2003 2:09 pm
Location: Anchorage, AK

Public Outreach - How to Attract a New/Younger/Wider Audience?

Post by Dick_Morris »

Anchorage House of Hobbies, Anchorage's (and probably Alaska's) only hobby shop hosted the "Anchorage Hobby Fest" yesterday. It was held in a football-field-sized indoor stadium. On display were planes, model trains, cars, and a lot more, both static and in motion. Because of the Engine 557 Restoration Company's close relationship with Anchorage's two model RR clubs, we learned about it and arranged an invite to have a booth. On Tuesday, Pat said to me, "why don't you bring in some of your stuff," referring to the cast parts that I make for my own amusement.

I put together a display of parts I have cast and a couple of items used for both investment and sand casting as teaching aids. For context, since most of my castings are for my 1-1/2" scale Consolidation, I added a third panel showing photos of the Alaska Live Steamers.

Here are a few observations from the day.

Although the casting display was a bit of a bust and didn't draw much interest, I'm still glad I did it. I need to think about how I can draw more interest if I do it again. Maybe the organizers would consider a section featuring "makers."

The live steam portion drew more interest, but just the photos didn't compete well with the action of RC cars and planes. A 1/8 scale locomotive and/or cars would have had a lot more impact. The Alaska Live Steamers have been giving rides to the public for over 30 years and many of the people I talked to were aware of their existence or had taken a ride.

I only occupied about 30" of space so I was easy to miss. The basic temporary loop of HO track next to me with a train running drew more attention.

This was the first attempt for anyone in Anchorage to do an event bringing together such a broad population of hobbyists. I believe this was a dry run for the shop's 50 anniversary celebration next year. My mind boggles at the amount of work and other resources that it must have taken to put it together.

I've posted a couple of photos I took below. It's also well worth spending a minute or two scrolling through the photos at this link which gives a good overview of the event and venue. https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=623 ... 2683149135
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Greg_Lewis
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Re: Public Outreach - How to Attract a New/Younger/Wider Audience?

Post by Greg_Lewis »

As to drawing a crowd, I recall a show some years back wherein a portable track was set up with an electric loco and track in the classic Timesaver's switching puzzle. Folks were invited to switch the "layout" and I think there was a prize for the best overall time. A lot more work than a static display, but it did draw lots of folks.
Greg Lewis, Prop.
Eyeball Engineering — Home of the dull toolbit.
Our motto: "That looks about right."
Celebrating 35 years of turning perfectly good metal into bits of useless scrap.
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Dick_Morris
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Location: Anchorage, AK

Re: Public Outreach - How to Attract a New/Younger/Wider Audience?

Post by Dick_Morris »

These days we are kind of short on operating steam locomotives and many of us have gotten older and less able to set up a major display. But a generation ago some of our activities included putting a length of portable track on the platform behind the Alaska Railroad depot and steaming an LE Pacific. Another time we blocked up the drivers on a heavy Mike inside of the depot and used a compressor to slowly turn them over. We also set up a portable track in at least six locations for special events where the heavy Mike hauled about five cars full of passengers around a loop. For several years during the Fur Rendezvous winter carnival a car dealership would close down and clear their maintenance area so that a number of groups could set up displays. Car dealerships have shop air so one could demonstrate moving a locomotive on a short track under its own power. Or turn over the engine on a 1/3 scale Case. A 2X4 acting as a brake on the Case's flywheel, some bored live steamers, and an unlimited air supply resulted in some nice stack talk. And a patch of soot on their recently painted white ceiling twelve feet directly above the stack. :oops:

Sigh. That was then and this is now.
David Powell
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Location: Pickering Ontario Canada.

Re: Public Outreach - How to Attract a New/Younger/Wider Audience?

Post by David Powell »

MY experience shows that efforts to attract newcomers to become term useful club members are largely wasted ! If a person is really interested he or she ,now, thanks to the Internet, Facebook etc can and will find the group which interests them
That does not mean that we should hide our hobby, on the contrary we should redouble our efforts to have a " Public Face" to encourage people in general to see what a great hobby we have and then perhaps, some folk who perhaps are already hobbyists might take up our hobby and eventually be great club members or successful lone hands.
That said, we have found that what attracts folk is models in action. Static displays are all well and good, but for someone to see a small model doing a big job of work, preferably with a bit of smoke and steam blowing about, well that may be the catalyst towards someone taking up live steam as a hobby.
On another level, every newcomer to a meeting needs to be greeted kindly and understandingly.
Too often one hears, too late to do anything about it that a newcomer was simply ignored, and they felt unwanted at that group and did not join.
I could say much more, but thats enough for now !
Regards to all David Powell/
Rich_Carlstedt
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Location: Green Bay Wisconsin USA
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Re: Public Outreach - How to Attract a New/Younger/Wider Audience?

Post by Rich_Carlstedt »

Probably the best thing to do when you see a young visitor to the track is to invite him/her to run your loco.
yes, i know , maybe you don't even allow your friends to do that, but its called "planting the hook !"

Rich
Odyknuck
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Re: Public Outreach - How to Attract a New/Younger/Wider Audience?

Post by Odyknuck »

Our Club tries hard to get new recruits however without much success. We set up at train shows etc. In the last year we have had several thousand riders come thru on our public runs and I have seen only one interested person and he never came back. Granted most are young children however there were plenty of older kids and young adults. Also, as David has mentioned some members are pretty self absorbed in their Train and do not want to be bothered, just sayin!
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