Conferences

[Bev06 GG]

Hi Ladies
Have I seen somewhere that in the US they have TG conferences. If so what do they entail. What sort of thing do they offer and how many of you actually get to go.
Bev

[Julogden]

Hi Bev,

I've never been to one, just wasn't able to cough up the money for most of my life, and now I'm not willing to pay the asking price, as they're a bit on the expensive side in my opinion. I think for those who are in a situation where they don't normally have contact with other TG people, they're great, and from what I can see, they're good for anyone, assuming that one can afford it, lots of socializing and seminars for self-improvement and other stuff.

There's one here in the Chicago area every year (now past for this year), click here (http://www.be-all.org/) for the site. There's a PDF file to download with all the details of what goes on during the event, scroll down a bit to see the download button. Keep in mind that the fees that you see do not include the price of your hotel room or optional events. I've heard nothing but good things about this event from people who have attended.

Carol

[Nicole Erin]

The biggest one is called "Southern Comfort" and I think it is in Georgia.

I probably won't bwe able to attend something like that for some years cause with a kid, I can't really just up and split and expect the wife to watch our kid. I still have a few more years, like 5 or 6.

[johnna]

Hi Bev,

There are many. A popular one upcoming at the end of September is the Southern Comfort Conference in Atlanta. Link below...

http://www.sccatl.org/

If you look at their site, you will see that they have numerous events and workshops scheduled for the attendees (including SO's/family). Normally, they also have a vendor area where people sell items especially made for us. The attendence is usually quite good and I believe there are a number of our members who attend each year (they can probably tell you more).

Hugs, :hugs:

[Deedee Dupree]

Hi Bev,

Please check out... http://Fantasiafair.org... for a full description of what these conferences are all about. This is one of the big ones coming up soon. Cape Cod Mass. is a marvelous place to vacation too. Best dd

[deja true]

Golly yes!

Both Joanne07 and myself have put up long threads with lots of pics of our adventures at Chicago's BeAll last spring.... There were about 15 of us from this forum in attendance. Great to meet face to face with these wonderful girls and make new friends too.
My first outting ever and definitely worth the experience....450 attendees!

SCC in Atlanta will have 1,000 participants...and about 15 or more from here will be there too... there's an ongoing thread on it now....probably the biggest star for us will be Suzy Harrison who is flying all the way from Australia to attend! It's in about 5 weeks from now.

There are lots of other conferences too, all over the states...at least one a month somewhere it seems. Many have great educational components like seminars and some are just a good long weekend of pure socializing... All are worth it if you've heard of them here....

All also welcome all T folks and their SOs and friends. Many even have specific events for SOs...

Sorry to go on...but after my "baptism" at BeAll, I am a great believer in conferences, especially for us deeply closeted ones. The friendliness and support are miraculous!

[Jodi]

Bev, I have gone to The Lake Erie Gala held each November in Erie, PA for the last 9 years. This is one of the smaller tg events, usually averaging about 100+ cd's. More info as to what goes on at the Erie Gala can be found at the Erie Sisters website--www.eriesisters.org.

I also attended the Chicago Be-All this year for the first time.

Jodi

[Joy Carter]

Yup been to Be All in "Chick-A-Go" in 06'. Had a nice time, but it was about three hundred bucks, for the two days I was there at the conferance. Hope to meet Jodi at the Lake Erie Galla in November. :D

[AnnaMaria]

As Deju True mentioned Be All is in Chicago in the late spring and Southern Comfort is in Atlanta in the fall. There are a number of other conferences that take place during the year across the country that are held by different organizations at different times.

Be All '07 was the 25th consecutive Be All since it started, and I am proud to say that I have been to 4 so far and have no intention of missing one any time in the near future. And yes they do welcome so's to all of the events that I have read or heard about so far. What you have to keep in mind is that most of these conferences, while focusing mainly on the tg, do realize that our so's are a big part of our lives and they need a place that they can learn more about the person that they are sharing their lives with. And what better way than to spend 5 days or so with that persons femme side.

Just keep in mind that at most of them and for sure at Be All you are going to meet girls from all walks of life that are at all kinds of different places along the tg spectrum so you have to be prepared for that.

I met a girl this year that was born in the US and now lives in the west indies. Last year I had the pleasure of meeting Helen Boyd and her spouse Betty. Helen is the author of "My Husband Betty". They are both wonderful people and I truly had a wonderful time chatting with them.

I know that there is an event in Colorado Called Colorado Gold Rush. There is also the Diginity Cruse which is just what is says, it is a cruse on a cruse ship. There is one on an island in the northeast. And from what I understand there may be one comming in the near future to the L.A. area. That is one that I am for sure looking forward to because I know the main organizer and she is a very passionate and driven woman who just will not take no for an answer. And of course when you are connected like she is because of her job you really don't have to take no for an answer.

All of the conferences vary to some degree from one to the next but the one thing that is constant is that so far I have not heard of any serious problems at any of them. They are all held in safe places and under very controlled conditions so that we don't have to be afraid to come out of our hotel rooms for fear of being assulted in any way.

If you are interested in finding out more about any of them or if one is close to you just do a search on google for tg events or contact me and I will be more than happy to help you find out what ever I can. I do have some contacts within the Be All organization which would be more than happy to help me find out as much information as can be had about any of them.

Huggs

Anna

[Denise01]

While not as large as some of the conferences that they have in the States Bev,, in Kingston Ontario, every april they have an event called the Spring Fling.

Last year there were about 80 girls there, Cd, TS and spouces. Every one had a good time

If you go to Google and type in Kingston Spring Fling it should come up ok

Think the web page is www.kingstonspringfling.com

I have been to the last 3 of them and had a great time

Denise

[SweetCaroline]

I've been to First Event, sponsered by the Tiffany Club, just outside of Boston (Peabody) last year, and it was a wonderful oppertunty to be me, full time, Caroline, for alomst four days.

They have seminars during the day, as well as a vending area, were you can get everything from breast forms to books, wigs to make overs, everything.

Each night they had an event. One night it was a pool party. Another night it was a costume party. The last night it was an an Awards banquet. You had to pay for them all.

I was in the Fashion show last year, but won't be next year. It's a shame too, since I was told I was the most energetic model in the show. :(

[DanaR]

I.F.G.E. has conventions every year, I think and they move to different locations. I attended one in Portland OR, in 1994 and another in Long Beach CA in 1996.

Esprit is a convention that is held every year in Port Angeles WA, in mid May.

These are a great place for first timers, there are numerous seminars and a lot of help is available.

[Deborah_UK]

Bev,

We have them in the UK too, http://www.pfc.org.uk/node/1577 not that I can attend.

[Holly]

I've enjoyed going to Diva Las Vegas (http://geekbabe.com/dlv/) for the last three years. It's not a conference per se as there are no seminars and such. It's billed as a vacation, not a convention, and we plan activities for the attendees to participate in as they choose. There is no fee to pay to attend Diva Las Vegas (DLV), all you pay for is your travel, lodging, and any event in which you choose to attend (dinner, show, limo tour, etc.).

[Bev06 GG]

Thank you ladies, sorry for getting back to you all so late. Very interesting that we have them in the Uk thanks for that Link Deborah. Maybe now I have joined the Beaumont sociey I will get to hear of them.
Thanks for all the help.
Bev

[Nicki B]

Bev,

The difference, as I understand it to most UK events, is that at a 'convention' you pay a fee to attend, as well as your accomodation charges, and they are primarily run around workshops and talks using a hotel's facilities (does Fantasia Fair class as a proper convention?). SCC would be a typical example?

It's mostly a US idea, but we are getting more over this side of the water for all sorts of things..

[Bev06 GG]

OH I see Nicky. Funny how we always have to wait for the US to point us in the right direction isn't it, they seem to be streets ahead of us in alot of things. I would think an actual convention would be very enlightening. Specially if you got someone who knew what they were talking about on the programme.
Bev

[tamarav]

There are a number of CD/TG conventions around the globe that occur every year. Most of the links have been posted and the timetables are available online.

It seems that a lot of the sisters on this site have never been to a convention where they can spend a prolonged period of time en femm and attend classes on deportment, wig styling, makeup and fashion. While all of them have a cost associated with them, they offer a look at reality that you don't get from an online forum, or even knowing one or two other CDs.

Being in an environment with hundreds of others, dressing everyday for a few days to a week, and interacting on all levels can be a true eye-opener.

My first convention was sometime in 1984 in San Francisco, run by Tri-Ess. I attended numerous classes on modeling, wig styling, movement, gestures, makeup and voice. The information I gained was so helpful that I have been an advocate ever since. I have spoken at about 20 conventions giving classes on wig styling, attitude, dressing style and others to an overly needy group each time. You are able to see breast forms in all sizes and styles, see hundreds of wigs and buy the things you never see advertised either online or in catalogs.

Being able to talk and interact with others for this prolonged period advances your CD skills well beyond comprehension, there is so much to be picked up there. It is true that they all cost money, they have to be organized and run and speakers get paid and money guarantees made to the hotels and caterers and such, but the cost is very well worth going to at least one in your life. For the deeply closeted CD this is like Disneyland on crack. You can stay up all night if you want and find others to talk with, learn to dance, understand the finer points of femininity and just have fun.

I truly hope that all of you get to attend at least one in your lifetime.

Your sis,

Tami