Washington State PTA
Convention in Bellevue
This marks the first year since I’ve been exhibiting at the Washington State PTA convention that it hasn’t been held at the SeaTac Doubletree Hotel. And, I feel like the change was good. From a vendor’s standpoint, it was nice not having to pay union rates for services like electricity. On the negative side: the $25 parking fee.
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- Great to see so many parents actively involved in their PTA!
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- My friends at West Coast Entertainment
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- Steel drum musician Ian Dobson
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- Goofing around with Kal and Travis and World’s Finest Chocolate
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- Three chances to knock ’em all down 🙂
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- A sign of the times
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- This clown was hanging around the Fun Rent booth all day…
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- Unacceptable! The PTA’s discriminatory practices must stop immediately!
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- New fans at the EduMazement booth
Fundraising companies make up the largest proportion of exhibitors. This is good, because schools desperately need ways to make money as state and district money has long dried up. At the same time, there is a dearth of assembly presenters. This is for a couple of reasons; first, schools host fewer assemblies now than they did when I was growing up. Due to requirements to “teach to the MSP” and meet state and national standards, administrators hesitate to take time out of class for extracurricular items like assemblies. The two exceptions to this rule are Veteran’s Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day, where, I believe, public schools are required to hold an assembly program.
However, think back to when you were a kid in elementary school: can you remember any school assemblies? Bet you can! I remember when Magic Charlie of the Globetrotters visited my elementary school, and did the most outrageous demonstrations of trick and fancy dribbling, ball handling, and ball spinning. This was over three decades ago, and I can still vividly recall some of the things he did.
So, can assemblies have a long lasting impression? Absolutely! And, teachers tell me how my Science Magic assembly encourages more students to participate in the science fair, etc. In some cases, the motivation or inspiration from an assembly can be a life-changing event for a student.
If you weren’t at the convention, you can meet me – and many other great school assembly performers – at the 5th annual Washington School Assembly Showcase on October 6, 2013 at the Tacoma LaQuinta Hotel. The Assembly Showcase is the only event in the state that specializes in bringing together the best school presenters and family entertainers with those looking to book programs.
To learn more about the motivational-magic assemblies that my business partner Rick Anderson and I present, visit www.edumazement.com, send e-mail to jeff[at]edumazement.com, or call me toll-free in Olympia at (877) 412-5064.
And yes, we’ll be back at the Washington State PTA convention next year!