BobbyMurcerFan:

As for video taping, well personally I'm strongly against it, FWIW. The idea is to sit down and discuss in a more candid and informal way than we've been able to in the past. There is just no way taping (and posting it to the web) is going to allow for that. We would all be speaking with the camera in mind. I've been to the larger taped Avid events; they are invariably careful presentations--even the Q&A at the end.

I don't want to be videoed, but more importantly I don't think it's fair to ask Kirk and the engineers from Avid to be speaking for all the world to see. Recording adds a need for gloss and for corporate speak that an informal meeting like this is specifically designed to minimize. Of course it's Avid and Terry's call.

While I understand your point about keeping it candid and less corporate-speak - it would feel now that the select few people who can actually make it to the event would be the "voice" of the User.  If it were videotaped and posted, then at least those of us who are not there would have a chance to say "I agree/disagree with the comment about" ex post facto of course.  It may as well now be a closed door meeting in Tewksbury.  

What if someone in attendance is really adamant about getting the next version to make sandwiches?  What if no one in the audience speaks up and argues against that feature?  Would Kirk and the engineers leave with the thinking that the "users" want their Avid's to make their lunches?  Afterall, if we didn't have to stop for lunch we would be more productive right?  

When your only source of info is a small sect of users you end up thinking they speak for the majority and then we end up with the omission of the dongle.  

In my opinion, it's not very cool to invite someone to an informal meeting, then after they agree to meet spring a oh yeah we want to video tape the meeting on them.

If you videotape, you will end up getting vague corporate jargon.

If my schedule permits I would like to attend. It's about a 5 1/2 hr drive for me.

I'm with Kenton on this one.  As much as I think it's cool that y'all are going to get to sit down with the honchos at Avid and have a chat, it's not much use to the rest of us if we don't get to participate somehow.  Maybe it doesn't have to be videotaped; perhaps there's some other way of letting everyone play that I'm not thinking of.

adios,
Carl

Kenton.VanNatten:

While I understand your point about keeping it candid and less corporate-speak - it would feel now that the select few people who can actually make it to the event would be the "voice" of the User.

I don't think that Avid is so narrow minded to believe that a small group a editors is the voice of all users. 

Here's an interview with Frank Capria that describes a little bit about how they filter through the many feature requests.

http://hdfilmtools.com/2009/03/road-trip-to-avid-a-chat-with-sr-product-designer-frank-capria/

It would be great if Avid considered holding a meeting with customers outside of LA.  While there are a ton of editors on the West coast it doesn't paint a complete picture of the user base.   How about a meeting on the East coast?  London?  An occasional meeting with customers outside of LA would qualify as "New Thinking".

Haze:

It would be great if Avid considered holding a meeting with customers outside of LA.  While there are a ton of editors on the West coast it doesn't paint a complete picture of the user base.   How about a meeting on the East coast?

The Boston Avid Users Group meets the 2nd Wed of nearly every month, but sadly we have not seen any executive level representation from Avid to date*  

*Actually, I forgot that Graham Sharp attended a meeting a few years ago 

I want to point out that Kirk and other execs at Avid meet with small groups of users on almost a weekly basis without benefit of recording for posterity. This would simlply be another of those meetings.

I agree that meetings of this type benefit greatly from one on one conversation without the hassle of it being recorded.

I was originally for the idea of video taping it but, after thinking more about it, and with the idea that taping it makes it more formal then, I'd now say pass on taping it.  The whole idea was first suggested as a way to take Kirk out and shoot the breeze and making it more formal will take that away.  Leave it as a casual get together and have fun.  Wish I could attend.

I'm about as far away as its possible to get from LA, but I don't expect a videotape of every informal meeting between Avid execs and user groups.  In fact I'd go further; I've headed our local editor's guild branch in the past and been involved with events of this kind.  For the reasons that Terry outlined earlier we've never videotaped them.  People are seldom relaxed when they're being recorded.

Kenton.VanNatten:

The Boston Avid Users Group meets the 2nd Wed of nearly every month, but sadly we have not seen any executive level representation from Avid to date

Anyway guys, have a good night.  It sounds like it will be interesting.

Great time to be in LA. Count me in. I'll be there.

RSVP Schy Gleason

Great time to be in LA?  Sudden heatwave!  Unless your from Vegas, not a great time to be in LA.

But alpha dogs has good air conditioning, so I'll be there... of course we might turn the A/C off to make Frank sweat, but that's a different story...

The meeting happened last night and was a great event. While Kirk can't really talk about upcoming features, she was very communicative about the market in general. She brought top engineers and product designers with her to fill in the technical areas of the discussion. 

Once again it made it very apparent that is a new Avid. They are listening, and do care about keeping our market.

Thanks Kirk!

What he said ;) !

I can't say that there was any one direction or idea that came out of the meeting that was earth shattering or game changing.

What did come through very clearly was that the exectuitves and engineers from Avid in attendance care very much about customers and the direction of the company's products are taking.

I wholeheartedly believe that Avid has all the pieces and capabilities necessary to be a case study on how to sucessfully manage a turnaround.

Thank you again Kirk, the engineers and everone else who attended. And of course, an extra thanks to Terry for being such a gracious host.

Mad props (I believe that's the term) to Kirk for the meeting.

Obviously LA was a little far for me to travel, but if Kirk ever finds herself in Auckland, I will arrange a location and drum up some editors... :)

Morning Guys! 

The team and I had a great time this past weekend in LA.  A great big thanks to Terry and the gang for hosting.  What a nice spread!  We had some great conversations and learned a lot from all of you.  The team and I would love to do more of these.  As we find ourselves in other cities we will find a way to do this again. 

Thanks again!

Kirk

Sounds good, i have a lot more faith in the present management than the previous to lead us to a better future.