As Mrs. Lipe points out very eloquently, holding the bourse on the
weekend would be restrictive, and would in fact detract from the COA
conventions, which are much more than just the buying and selling of
shells.  People do not nessessarily have to come for the whole week, but
enough do come for a good portion of the week now, to make these
conventions much more than the shorter ones  of Europe and Australia,
which are largely weekend affairs. (and i would be remiss to add that it
makes it possible for those who cannot do anything at all commercial
including set-ups on Saturdays, to attend.......)

-Ross M.

>
> Having been one of the people who has planned and put on a convention, I will add my two cents to mix.  1.  The Convention is > more than the bourse.  It is a time for meeting people we have only heard about. Hopefully the education programs add to our > knowledge of the hobby.   2.  The Oral Auction is the only money maker for COA and this is what supports the Scholarship > program.  3.  As Bobbi said, the set up and take down of the bourse requires major work with the hotel. The Bourse actually > takes up two days of the convention even though it is open in the afternoon of one day and the morning of the second and if > you look at the people who are entering, they are conventioneers.  Which means that they have supported COA with their > registrations and we hope that have liked what they saw and will become members.  4. All shell shows in Europe and America > have their entire show on a weekend, but I doubt that the bourse will ever be only on weekends.  If that was the case, we would > not be able to have a bourse, as the 2004 convention starts on Saturday with preconvention trips and ends with the bourse and > banquet on Thursday and Friday.   See you at the Grand Hyatt of Tampa Bay, June 26 thru July 2, 2004. Betty Lipe
>
> Please visit us at our Website: http://www.theshellstore.com
> Or at the shop at 348 Corey Ave
> St. Pete Beach, FL, 33706
> Phone: 727-360-0586
> Fax: 727-360-3668