WEVA- Renew?

[tbanucci]

Well, it's that time of year again when WEVA asks me for more money to renew my "membership" to them. I put membership in quotes because it never really did anything for me by belonging to them.

I considered myself a rookie 3 years ago when I joined WEVA. I had done corporate video for a while, but never wedding video and I wanted to get into it. At the WEVA conferences, all of the seminars seemed like they were being pitched towards pre-rookies. I mean, I don't want to sound like a know-it-all (which I am definitely not), but I did not get one piece of new knowledge from one of their seminars.

I went again the next year and even participated in one of the roundtable presentations as a speaker on real estate video. I guess I went in hopes that the seminars would be better. They weren't, and by talking to other videographers, they were unimpressed as well.

As for the WEV magazine- I have not received one in a year and a half. Event DV is much better anyway.

The ImageSpan idea sounded great. Has anyone gotten a lead from it? NO! WEVA admitted that it would take a year to get any jobs posted in there. I really don't want to wait and see if that is true.

Their forums blow, they always have. They would never fix the bugs with the forum or update it to show actual threads. The content on there was sometimes interesting, admittedly, that is the only thing I have gotten out of my membership with WEVA. Now that WedVidPro is around, why do I need their forums when these posts are much more interesting and seem to be written by much more experienced people? PS- Thank you guys for starting this forum.... :wink:

The WEVA website for news content is hardly updated, when it is updated, it's late by a week. I can find video news in other places.

The WEVA "certificate" never meant anything to me. I shelved it in my filing cabinet once I got it. A bride is never going to know what the hell belonging to WEVA means or why it may be a good thing.

Finally- the WEVA affiliated things like insurance and credit card deals all are terrible. I got much better deals by just doing a little research on the web.

So please someone, after all of this ranting, why should I renew my WEVA membership? And don't try to get me to join 4EG, I feel like it's going to be the same thing....

[AndrewMSV]

What's up, Banucci.
It was cool to finally meet you last Monday.

As far as membership goes, I hashed over this same exact question on 'the forum we no longer mention' when it was my time to renew a few months ago.

I ended up renewing and I'm pretty sure I don't regret it. Expo, if you're planning on going, is cheaper. CEA entries, if you're planning on submitting anything, are also cheaper.

These two things are the main reason I rejoined. The former being the more important of the two... not because I get so much information from Expo, but because the networking and rubbing of talented elbows is such a valuable thing to me. Obviously, if you don't plan on attending Expo or submitting work for the CEA competition, then there is a lot less to be gained by renewing.

Simply ask yourself this: Will the money you use to renew your membership help you make at least that much money in return? - either through new ideas or marketing strageties or whatever.

Let us know what you decide!
Cheers!

[sheilaorsi]

As for the WEV magazine- I have not received one in a year and a half.


I am totally neutral in this .. AND- just a heads up - Roy and John Z attended the NPVA 20th year anniversary this past month and brought a brand new mag they are launching for WEVA members folks...

It's colorful and interesting...

[MediaConcepts]

I'll probably continue with WEVA. We're not talking about a lot of money. I've gotten a few weddings from the Bride's Guide and I like the forums except for the censorship. Do you realize you can't say jerk on WEVA? Not to mention Ted's entire post would have been quickly deleted if he had posted it on WEVA.

Joe

[tbanucci]

Hey Andrew- good meeting you too the other night.

Thanks for the good insight on a reason to join. Now you had to make me think! D'OH! In all honesty, I think that WEVA has probably not given me a return on money... BUT... the potential for them to help me make more money is there (I just decided that half way through typing this sentance). The only reason I say they have potential is self-serving, because I plan to market a DVD to other videographers by next year and the WEVA crowd would be an easy crowd to target. So, I guess I will give them another years worth of money. Thanks for the help! (And if they don't give me a return I know where you are every 3rd Monday night of the month! :P )

Sheila- thanks for the update. I did hear about the new WEV mag about a month ago but figured it should be in my mailbox by now- it is not. Anyway, you are one of the regular WEVA forum contributors that I actually find has good things to say, so I wanted to thank you for keeping the good topics and replies coming!

Joe- You would not believe how many times I was censored by WEVA on that board. I had full posts removed when it wasn't even ABOUT WEVA! And it definitely did not have swear words in it. Anyway, it's the reason I love this board and barely ever post over there any more.

Ted

[joemcmanus]

As far as joining WEVA again, that is your own decision and I think my opinion on that issue has already been discussed enough.

As for joining 4EG, they offer a great alternative with local association outreach, no censorship, VIDEO 07 convention coming up with some of the absolute best lineup of educators, (last years was amazing - full of fun and networking), and new benefits like E&O insurance.

If you are that upset with WEVA you might want to look into it. Not that you have to take my opinion for any value, but from my own point of view - it is well worth it.

And if you do decide to join, come to the convention and say "Hi Joe" and receive a free baked good (while supplies last)

Joe

[Earl]

Uh, actually Joe, 4EG did/has/does censor...

[Jenny]

I have been a member since day one and have attended all 16 Expos and without a doubt get a huge return on my investment.

Also for the record:
I have been in business 23 years, full time since 1989 and I am not a newbie. I charge a much higher then average rate for my work and credit much of my success to WEVA.

-Jenny Lehman
very proud member of WEVA

[joemcmanus]

I haven't heard any complaints of censoring but if you have or have had issues yourself. I expect any forum would exercise censoring of questionable content, flaming, etc. As for censorship of posts relating to 4EG policies, I haven't seen that. There is another association for who it is business as usual though.

[Gadget Man]

Uh, actually Joe, 4EG did/has/does censor...

Uh, Earl, you must be confusing the 4EVER Group forums with some other forum. I have full (and only) control over the 4EG forums and I have never deleted/censored posts there. The only thing that disappeared from 4EG forums were spammers (non registered people). Not one single post from a registered user has ever been deleted or modified.

Our attitude there is WAY different from most other forums (except maybe this one) and will not delete or censor what is said. We don't have to. Especially when we require the posters real name as the username. Eliminates the lurkers and trouble makers from causing trouble. We also ALLOW discussion of any and all other associations and organizations.

Sometimes people hear and believe things that are not true. All I ask it so experience it yourself before you make statements or judge.

Peace

Ed Wardyga (the Gadget Man)
Dir. of Technology & Web Operations
4EVER Group

[Gadget Man]

Well, it's that time of year again when WEVA asks me for more money to renew my "membership" to them. I put membership in quotes because it never really did anything for me by belonging to them.

So please someone, after all of this ranting, why should I renew my WEVA membership? And don't try to get me to join 4EG, I feel like it's going to be the same thing....

Ted,

My advice it to look at what your needs are, see what is available with any and all associations/organizations. Do they provide you with what you need? Are the benefits worth what you are paying for membership (is what you gain, both monetarily and educationally)? Can you get those benefits elsewhere for less? What are the other non-tangible benefits?

No one can make the choice for you as your needs are most likely different from the next person. People can tell you if they are happy or dissatisfied with a given association and maybe a reason or two, but that is their choice and opinion and may not necessarily reflect your ideas or needs.

What works for YOU is what you should go for. If the former association did not provide you with your needed benefits, then move on or look for something else.

Good luck,

[Earl]

So sorry to differ, Ed. Sadly, I've not taken the time and effort to document such occurences, and such "censorship" was, at the time, not critical enough to burn itself into my brain. I am sad to say that somewhere, somehow, the two of us are having diverse experiences. On at least one occasion, and no, not getting the forum for which YOU are the one and only person in control confused with another, I do recall having had something I posted differ from the original content I submitted.

Again, I have only MY memory, such as it is, upon which to depend. So.
I am sorry to come off argumentive, but I was compelled to respond to your comment.

Respectfully, to the Gadget Man...

[Earl]

Uh, also Ed, my post was based on personal experience, not heresay. And, I've ALWAYS elected to use my real bonafides to identify myself on ANY and every forum or organization to which I belong or participate. Being a career journalist and having had the responsibility to contribute to, and edit submissions for the editorial/perspectives pages of countless publications, I've always had a problem with those who wish to make comments, statements or lash out, yet request anonymity.
If an opinion is worth making, it is worth putting your name behind.
PEACE,

[Gadget Man]

I do not want to get into a 'contest' here, but I know I have never censored anyone on the 4EG board. Earl, you have posted 5 times and the only one that was "modified" was the lengthly one that was a reprint from your blog. An attempt was made to move it to the correct forum and the original post was trashed and I had to post it under "admin". The title of the post was "Post by Earl Chessher / CorElAnn Productions" to give you the full credit for the posting. Nothing was changed, added to or deleted. And if I remember correctly, I had sent you an email stating what had happened.

Not saying that one of your posts was edited on another forum, which could have been (I am not the only moderator there), don't remember and haven't kept track. But with the site in question, there has never been an edit.

I'm (we) are proud of the fact that everything there is still there and un-touched. Minus the uninvited (unregistered) "guests".

Oh, and I agree about 'hiding behind screen names'. I've always signed my name, company and location on every post on every board. I believe that it creates credibility to the post.

One of these days, we have to do a face-to-face. We've talked over the years but never met.

Say "Hi" to MaryAnn for me.

[dpx]

As far as censorship goes, I must say, and I hope others will join me, that this forum is the best. Period.


WHO DO WE LOVE? WVP!

[AndrewMSV]

As far as censorship goes, I must say, and I hope others will join me, that this forum is the best. Period.


WHO DO WE LOVE? WVP!

I can't tell if you're being sarcastic. I tihnk probably not. But I'm not the brightest guy around, either.
(By the way, welcome back. Long time no see.)

I think - I may be wrong because my memory has been shot ever since I went on a 6-hours of sleep/night regimen - that the only posts I've edited were my own. One was a very unprofessional jab that included the term 'upskirts' :icon_eek: and some others that just weren't very becoming.

Anyway, I'm also proud of the fact that the only moderating we do on these boards has to do with squelching 'mean stuff'. It's never been about the content or meaning behind the post; usually only about the way the message was delivered.

I recently spent a few PMs with another member trying to sort out whether he had crossed the line with an insult he posted. In the end, I figured it was pretty fair and let it go.

Here at WVP, it's all about mutual respect... the optimal word being "mutual". If you have no respect for others and want to sling the dirt - that's cool. But just be prepared to take it too. No crybabies.

Anyway, ... I guess this is pretty far off topic. I just wanted to share my thoughts.

Cheers!

[Mathew]

As far as WEVA goes, I joined for a year when I first started my business but didn't renew past that. Biggest reason is that with web forums like ** and now WVP along with my local videographers association there's really no need for WEVA at least for myself. It might be cool to attend one of the Expos but really unless I was entering one of my demos into competition I don't see it being worth the expense of flying out. I just don't see the return on investment. Besides I don't care for the politics of WEVA which sometimes overflow into these forums. Oh yeah and....Where's my damn magazine!?