What has been your own experience as to recruitment of “new” garden RR members from installing and showing a public garden RR display?
Example:
Southern California Garden RR Society recently placed a 20 x 30’ 3-trains running display at a major SoCalif. Garden show held at the upscale ($$$) South Coast Plaza shopping center in Orange County. Along with the trains in operation was an kid-operated five station children’s railway with five separately controlled push- 'da button- see- it - run track circles. The kid operations was a big hit.
The result as to the public’s interest in either membership or generating a garden RR by any of the over 100,000 attendees (over three days of display) was absolutely minimal. If the effort was for the purpose of recruitment, it was a bust. That, fortunately, was not the singular focus – we were to augment an event. It did to that! Rave notices from the management and a welcome to return next year. However…
Some conclusions:
Create a display to augment or support a charity function.
Create a display to help with a commercial function.
No matter, just make sure NO ONE working the show thinks the display was created to garner new memberships or generate a committment to building a new garden railway.
OK, does this admonition fit your personal experience? Am I simply cynical?
Wendell