Light Up Ohio 2009

[Bill Hoffman]

Dale wrote:

sign me up for 2 of those hats maybe 3 if I have to get one for the wife



Dale

I got you signed up for 3 hats, Dale. Your wife is going to love it. lol

Bill

[jpohio]

Light Up Ohio 2009 is only 22 days away!!!!

[Bill Hoffman]

Keep an eye on this thread, because tonight, I will make an announcement that will revolutionize the way we do Mega Trees. It will be introduced at Light Up Ohio 2009 exclusively, and it has been years in the making. Also, I just got word today that 2 very special guests are going to be attending. Stay tuned.
Also, the hats are very popular this year, do not miss out, order your's before May 9th. Actually, they are so popular I probably will bring a few extras to sell, because once you see them, I'm sure you will want one.

Bill

[Bill Hoffman]

What would you pay?? Just think about this concept. A 20' ++ pole, free standing with "NO GUY WIRES", able to hold at least 10,000 mini lights, will withstand 100 mph winds, and the average person can set it up by themselves, plus it is completely portable. I don't know about you, but that would solve a lot of my problems.

I have been around the Christmas Lighting community for many years, and I have read too many horror stories about "Mega Tree" failure. I have seen people spending lots of money, and time, trying to put up a "Mega Tree", just to see their money and dreams come crashing down.

At Light Up Ohio 2009 you are in for the thrill of your life. The "Guru's" of "Pole-Ology" will be in attendance, and doing a presentation of the "Portable Hole". We are very proud to announce that Walter and Jackie Monkhouse will be at Light Up Ohio 2009, and if you have never met the Monkhouse's, get ready for a very educational day. The concept of the "Portable Hole" was introduced by the Monkhouse's at the very first PLUS in 2003. It had the potential of suspending stage lighting, flying wireframes, and about anything else you would want to put 20', 30', 40', or even 60' in the air. It was unique enough to have a free standing pole to support a lot of weight and hold up to very high winds. If that wasn't enough it was "Portable", so you could simply store it at the end of the season. The concept kind of faded away, or at least in our community, but not with some of us. I always felt that the same concept could be adapted to the "Mega Tree", so I contacted the Monkhouse's. They jumped on the challenge and have taken this concept to way beyond anybody's wildest expectations. They will be bringing the concept "exclusively" to Light Up Ohio 2009, and all attendees will be able to enjoy their presentation first hand, and receive all literature "Free of Charge".

This alone is well worth the price of admission, but we will have lots more. We have gathered some of the most talented instructors that the Holiday Lighting world has to offer. They will be teaching state of the art tecniques, to make your Holiday display the most enjoyable ever. We will have something for everybody from Computer Control diplays to Static displays. Also, there will something here that will interest Molders, Framers, Puffers, and even Computer geeks. If you don't know what some of those terms mean, come to Light Up Ohio 2009 and we will be happy to explain.

Also, some of the top vendors in the Holiday Lighting world will be represented. Some of the vendors will be sending representatives to the event, and will be offering great discounts for this event only. The door prizes will second to none, as the vendor's and our supporter's have been more than generous.

And if that isn't enough to get you interested, let's touch on my favorite subject "FOOD". Tony Furst is planning a get together on Friday night at a local restaurant, for anybody that is coming the night before. The location will be announced after all of the votes are in. Also, Gregg Jones is going to bring his world famous BBQ to the event on Saturday. This is some fine eating, and I will guarantee nobody will go away hungry.

Please get your registration in as soon as possible to reserve your very collectible Light Up Ohio t-shirt. These t-shirts are getting very popular, and we are also selling hats this year. All proceeds help to keep costs down and is used for next years event.

If you have any questions, please contact me, Jeff Phillips, or Scott Lindsey.

Hope to see you there.



Bill

[Bill Hoffman]

Just wanted to let everybody know that May 8th is the "cutoff" date to get one of our Classic LIGHT UP OHIO 2009 t-shirts. SO REGISTER NOW!!!!! You can actually still register after that date, or at the door, but you "will not receive" an official LIGHT UP OHIO 2009 t-shirt. We have to have the order in to the manufacturer to assure we can get them in time for the event.

Can't wait to see everyone there.



Bill

[jpohio]

The mini is 2 weeks away

If you plan on attending and haven't registered yet, now is the time!

[Bill Hoffman]

This is a copy of a post that Tony has put on another chat line, just wanted to make sure you guys have seen it>>>>>>>



Good Evening All,
Well Light Up Ohio is fast approaching and the poll regarding the Friday night dinner is closed and the winner is Applebees. I have started working out the details with the Applebees manager but need a head count. I have heard from a few folks but not everyone, so if you are going to try and make the dinner Friday night please shoot me a PM or an e-mail.

Looking forward to seeing everyone
Tony

[jpohio]

If you plan on attending the Friday Night Meet & Greet, please let Tony know tfurst@sbcglobal.net as soon as possible, as he needs a head count for the restaurant.

[Bill Hoffman]

Keep watching this thread, because very soon you are going to be introduced to something that will revolutionize the way we put up Mega Trees. I've already told you a little about the "Portable Hole", which is going to be fantastic enough, but this will take you way beyond that. Stay tuned for more info!!!!



Bill

[jpohio]

For those of you planning on attending the Friday Night Meet & Greet, there has been a little change, here is the post from Tony today, on PC...

Friday night dinner plans have been finalized, now I realize that Applebees was the favorite in the poll but we ran into a problem because so many people are coming that they could't handleall of us. So with that being said we decided to move the dinner to Buffalo Wings & Rings at 1574 Stringtown Rd Grove City OH. The restaurant is located at the east end of the same plaza as Home Depot. I have confirmed everything with the manager there for us to begin arriving at 6:00 PM. Please shoot me a PM tfurst@sbcglobal.net if you need more info and I will post exact directions toward the end of the week.

Tony

[Scott Lindsey]

light-UP Ohio 2009 is definitely bigger and better this year. Bill has done an awesome job lining up some great presentations. Jeff has some top-notch vendors lined up as well. Gregg's BBQ has gotten some rave reviews. Tony has gathering on Friday night setup as well. Our numbers have grown this year to almost fifty with attendance from eleven different states. Everyone have a safe trip into town. If you have any questions between now and then, do not hesitate to contact Bill, Jeff or myself. If you will be attending dinner on Friday night, please let Tony know as soon as possible or let one of the three of us know and we will pass it on to him. Looking forward to meeting the new faces on Saturday as well as reconnecting with everyone else.

[jpohio]

~For Light Up Ohio 2009~

We have 13 supporting vendors, and they are...
LEDHoliday Lighting - Suprtec Novelties - Winklebottom Wireframes - Colonnade Lighting - The Demented Elf - GKI Bethlehem Lighting - American Lighting - Christmas Light Show - Christmas Done Bright - Galaxia - Creative Displays - Light-O-Rama & D-Light Designs

The vendors will be offering up... new technologies - special pricing for our event - discounts - product for display, and some awesome door prizes!

Vendor support for Light Up Ohio 2009 is really amazing and we are extremely grateful to each and every one of them, and in turn, we need to support the vendors! They are offering deals exclusively for Light Up Ohio attendees.

I would also like to take this opportunity to say - that it is my distinct pleasure to announce... Carson Williams will be in attendance at our mini!

Also, if anyone is willing to make a donation for the door prizes, please bring the items along with you, thanks!

And just a reminder... the mini is at 1800 Watermark Dr - Columbus, OH 43215 - 9 AM start time.

[Bill Hoffman]

I would like to Thank all of the people who have volunteered their valuable time to be a presenter at Light Up Ohio 2009. It really humbles me that they are willing to share their knowledge and take the time to help other's. Personally, I have been a presenter at 2 PLUS's, and a couple of Light Up Ohio's, and people do not realize how much work and effort goes into these presentations, so please give them a pat on the back. It's hard to cover all of the great presentations in one post, so what I'm going to do is spread it out every evening until Friday. Please check back to read about our other great presenters.
I've already talked about the "Portable Hole", but now I'm ready to "JUMP" into the whole concept!!!! Walter and Jackie Monkhouse are literally Holiday Lighting legends, in our wonderful hobby, and will be attending Light Up Ohio 2009. They introduced the "Portable Hole" concept at PLUS 2003, and are "Pole-ology" experts. The idea laid dormant for 6 years, but it's been on LUO's mind ever since, and we have been thinking, "WHAT IF". LUO contacted Walter and Jackie a couple months ago, and basically got them thinking about what this concept can do. They both jumped on the challenge and for the attendees of Light Up Ohio 2009, you are about ready to "JUMP" into one of the biggest breakthroughs in our hobby, and you will see it "FIRST" at Light Up Ohio 2009.

In a few short days, Walter and Jackie will unveil for the very first time, exclusively at Light Up Ohio 2009, a device that will raise your Mega Tree (and anything else) to heights of 20 and even 30 feet high. This thing will be "Portable", and forget about the guy wires, you will not need them. Just think about the weight of all the lights you have been struggling with to raise on you Mega Tree, I mean really it's a hernia ready to happen. With this device you don't have to have all your buddies and neighbors over to help, one person can raise it easily. The mechanism has already been tested for 280 pounds, that's "30,000" minis!!!!!! I would like to stress again "THAT IS WITHOUT GUY WIRES". This thing has been tested under tremendous wind loads, I will not say how much, but Walter and Jackie will give you all of the wind stats at Light Up Ohio 2009. I know you've read all the horror stories about "Mega Tree Failure", let me set your mind at ease "this one is not coming down". If that isn't enough, the device is completely portable, so you can build several "Portable Holes", and move it from pole to pole. Also, you can build this whole system yourself from parts widely available with common everyday hand tools.

It is called "JUMP" which means "jack up mega pole". It's just like the "JUMP" drives for your computer, it is completely portable. This is something you do not want to miss, we are still taking registration at the door, and you will receive all specs for this device.

As Van Halen so nicely put it in a song "You might as well "JUMP".



Bill

[Bill Hoffman]

We have so much going on at Light Up Ohio 2009, but for me, it's all about the learning and the sharing of ideas.
The presentations at Light Up Ohio 2009 will be second to none, and I would like to talk about a couple more of them.

David Jones has volunteered his time to help educate people at our event about FM Transmitters. A lot of people are confused about them, but David's presentation will give you the information you need to make an educated decision on what you need. This is definately not a "one shoe fits all" decision. He will cover off the shelf transmitters as well as DIY Projects. His goal will be to show the progression of the easy decisions to the harder solutions. It should be a fun and a very interesting presentation.

Another presentation at Light Up Ohio 2009 will deal with Etching your own computer boards at home. This presentation will be brought to you by Roger Phillips. I know this sounds like a daunting task, but once somebody shows you how it's done, it's not that scary. Roger is an expert at the technique, in fact he is etching David's boards for his FM Transmitters. Roger has given numerous training seminars, and is well versed on this subject. He will show you how to save lots of money by doing it yourself.

I am really looking forward to these two presentations. I started out years ago in this hobby as a do it yourselfer, and to me that's what it is still all about. Check out www.doityourselfchristmas.com, this is the site for the true DIY enthusiast.



Bill

[Bill Hoffman]

Here are a couple of things that I will be donating to give away as door prizes at Light Up Ohio 2009.



Bill


Attached files

[jpohio]

The mini is only 3 days away... can't wait for it to get here!!!

[jpohio]

Well, the mini almost here! I'm just about all packed & ready to go. For those of you coming tomorrow... see ya the Meet & Greet, the rest of you... see ya on Saturday!!!

[Bill Hoffman]

Just to finish up, I would like to talk about a couple of more presenters.
Let's say you advertise something on Ebay, then it sells, what is the best possible way to ship that item. What is the cheapest? How do I package it? Especially Blowmolds, they are big and bulky, what's the best way to ship? We are all looking for a bargain, and your buyer is too. So the cheaper the shipping, the more interested your buyer is going to be. David White will be with us to teach you some great tips on shipping. I talked to David at Light Up Ohio 2008, and right away I knew this guy was a professional. With the cost of shipping rising, as we speak, I'm sure this will be an interesting presentation, and David is just the one to discuss it.

Another presentation is going to be about Wireframe construction. This is one of my passions, and one of the best in the business is Gregg Jones. Gregg will have several Wirefames at Light Up Ohio 2009, and will be showing you how you can construct your own. It should be a very educational presentation.

Last but not least is the subject of Blowmolds. We ran out of time in the presentations to cover this, but our resident Blowmold specialist, Carrie Sansing, will be "In the House". She has graciously agreed to field any questions, one on one, during the whole day. So please feel free to approach her and ask any questions you may have on your mind. Sometimes she tries to hide, but we will let you know exactly who she is. lol

Everybody have a safe trip, and we will see you at LIGHT UP OHIO 2009!!!!!!!!!!!



Bill

[Bill Hoffman]

Just got home from Light Up Ohio 2009. It couldn't have turned out better. It seemed like everybody was having a great time, and there was plenty of food. I'm a little tired right now, but I will go into more detail tomorrow. I will tell you right now, there were a lot of memory making moments in Ohio today, and some of the best people in the world shared them.

To Dan and all of the LOR crew, Thank You for your continued support, and the great door prize, it was truly appreciated. We will send you a pic of the winner.

Bill

[Bill Hoffman]

I'm all rested up from Light Up Ohio 2009, and sitting here in amazement of the turnout. Thanks to all of the people that attended, and my only hope is that you walked away with a little more knowledge of our hobby, and a new friend you can share ideas with. It's always great to find other people who are interested in the same thing you are, and be able to contact them to talk about what we are passionate about. That's why I feel the experience of attending Light Up Ohio is "priceless".
I would like to Thank our instructors for this year, without them there would be no Light Up Ohio. As I have said before, I have instructed several classes, and I know what goes into preparation and the time involved to plan. I respect these people so much, because they are sharing their knowledge to help you make your display the very best it can be. I would like to personally thank Roger Phillips, Tony Furst, David Jones, Dave White, Walter and Jackie Monkhouse, and Gregg Jones. You guys are what made Light Up Ohio 2009 successful.
I would like to thank all the vendors who attended, and sent door prizes. As far as I'm concerned, the vendors that support these events, are the vendors we need to support.
I would like to thank Scott Lindsey for the use of the great facility and help on planning this big event. I would like to thank Jeff Phillips for his help in handling the Vendor participation, and set up, he was simply everywhere and without him this would have been difficult to pull off. Thank you Andrew Stemen for your computer expertise, as always you came through. Thanks go out to Gregg Jones, that was one great BBQ. But the most important thank you goes out to the participants. We had attendees from "14" different states. It really humbles me to think that people from all over the U.S. are recognizing Light Up Ohio as one of the "must see" events in our holiday lighting world. Thank you.
In closing I would like to say that the turnout was great, the food was great, the education was great, and I really feel like everybody left Light Up Ohio 2009 with a memory. It doesn't get any better than that!!!!

Bill

ps Pictures will be out soon