IRCHA 2023 – CANCELLATION INFORMATION

IRCHA WEST 2023 – CANCELLATION

AN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY LEADING TO THE DECISION TO CANCEL

The decision to cancel the event was a difficult choice as executed by the IRCHA Organization following a strategic dialogue between the IRCHA Organization and Board Members of the Clovis Area Modelers (ClovisRC) Inc.

While both organizations desired to continue with the event as scheduled; after a review of planning to date, it was revealed that an unfortunate break-down in communication left many required facets of the event up in the air with no perceivable path to create the needed intersection in time to put the event together.  And, IRCHA felt that in the best interest of the event that a postponement was in order till 2024.  Where, over the 2023 year, adequate communication and planning could be engaged to ensure that no loose ends existed for such a 2024 event.

In late January 2023, via a fact finding process, it was revealed that neither IRCHA nor ClovisRC had effectively promoted the event on their respective websites to derive a viable count of potential attendees, sponsors, and what was needed financially to put an event together that would be indicative of the quality level of event that IRCHA attendees have come to expect.  And following this assessment, IRCHA after some consultation amongst their board members advised ClovisRC that a postponement was in order.

In short, the chronology of events began with a solid foundation with members from ClovisRC attending the 2022 IRCHA event in Muncie to assess the magnitude and requisites needed along side IRCHA Staff.  Then, a hand-shake agreement was reached with IRCHA to host the event; and, there was an additional requisite in two parts; where,(1) IRCHA would promote the event on their website for attendees to register and (2) ClovisRC  Event Directors would promote the event continuously on social media as per the agreement and expectation from IRCHA. 

Sadly, neither of these required processes took place.  And, the event was less than 2.5 months away.  Further, a series of legacy vendors would be expected to show up; but, as of late January, no commitment on the part of any vendors had been officially received.  And, non-legacy vendors that were contacted indicated that the initial entry cost per vendor as required under IRCHA policy was prohibitive; although, it was felt that this first year it could be waived. But still, they could not commit as further exacerbating their quandary was that as of late January 2023, no firm commitment on the number of attendees could be provided by the event organizers.

In short, while ClovisRC was prepared to do some last minute salvaging of the event with IRCHA’s assistance, the IRCHA Board decided after a careful and cautious review of the discovered information, that it would be best to postpone the event till 2024.

To that end, the ClovisRC Board out of respect for the IRCHA Board experience with their historical and successful event; sided with their decision to postpone the IRCHA event until 2024.

Respectfully, the Clovis Area Modelers (ClovisRC) will be ready for the event in 2024.  Such readiness is evidenced from the success of other ongoing events such as the annual Jet Rally (https://clovisrc.com/events/jet-rally/ ), IMAC Competitions, Control Line Combat Competitions, and Warbird events.  Large events are not new to ClovisRC; however, the success of an event always follows the 5-P’s of preparation.  Perfect Planning Prevents Poor Performance.  It is to that end that ClovisRC will ensure a successful IRCHA 2024 Event.

For more detail on the discovered information, additional documents can be made available upon an emailed request to the Club President.

Our goal from ClovisRC is to dispel false perceptions that it was the newly elected ClovisRC Board that were the sole decision makers in postponing the event.  In fact, two of our Board members that were integral in the findings are heli-pilots and have been flying heli’s for well over 20+ years.  It is to this end that ClovisRC hopes that the heli-community can understand the challenging quandary in the IRCHA decision of which, ClovisRC did not make exclusively but supported giving recognition out of respect to the experience of the IRCHA Board in their final decision.

Respectfully,

Jan Sundberg

President – Clovis Area Modelers