Here's an idea that's being bantied about in the hoop community.

FIRST NATIONAL HOOP DANCE CONVENTION
THEME - Hoop for Peace!: Moving from Local Projects to a National Network
Proposal by Christabel Zamore and Kandice Bishop

Mission Statement:
To gather hoop dancers from a wide array of communities nationwide to share dance techniques, community projects, teaching skills, and personal hooping intentions and experiences. The goal of this event is to create a sense of solidarity within the hoop community and a set of collective goals for using hoops in local communities as part of a global "peace through hooping" movement.

We envision a weekend of hooping, roundtable discussions, hands on workshops, classes, presentations and performances where ideas can be shared and participants can start to gain a sense of their potential to activate personal and planetary change if allied on a national level.

We envision a two day event. The theme of the first day revolves around local projects we are each working on, providing a chance for us to learn from the experiences we are each creating and to be inspired by each other. The theme for the second day is national and involves more collaborative discussion about a single or several larger projects we wish to collaborate on nation-wide over the coming year -- working together as a national network of hoopers to make this happen.

Hands on workshops and classes will be sprinkled throughout with some special two day workshops, such as fire hooping, which will require pre-registration. The evenings will have special hoop dance events at local downtown Los Angeles venues with a dance environment especially suited to hoopers.

We envision doing fundraisers for the event by throwing some hoop dance events or teaching events in the time we have before the conference occurs.

DAY 1: HOOPING PROJECTS ON THE LOCAL LEVEL
(presentations by people using hoops in various ways who can share their insights with us and stimulate discussion)

PLAY: Playful new ways of using Hoops (fire, circus, etc.)
DANCE: Creative movement and fusing various forms of dance with hooping
EDUCATION: Using hoops in schools and other learning places
HEALING: Case studies of using hoops to heal in rehabilitation and
other settings
POLITICS: Use of hoops for political action and in peaceful
demonstration
TRANSFORMATION: Using hoops to change consciousness
MEDITATION: Using hoops as a meditative tool
SPIRITUALITY: Using hoops to connect with source and divinity

DAY 2: HOOPING PROJECTS ON A NATIONAL LEVEL TO CREATE PEACE
(Roundtable discussions on several projects established before the conference and creation of action plan/s, delegation of responsibilities to make one or more happen)

NATIONAL PROJECTS: Project Ideas to Use hoops Nationally to Create more
peace and joy (samples: Hoop Across America Project, etc.)

Beautiful hooper, What aspects are you interested in participating in?

Need volunteers for the following aspects of conference production:

1. PANEL PRESENTATION RECRUITER This person will recruit/sign up various people who will commit to a presentation of events they are doing in their own communities, whether verbal, visual media of photos video or any other form. (For the personal day 1 and the community day 2. It would be easiest to have specific e/mail addresses for each person and we can direct the people to each appropriate one, this idea will come with time, as these positions fill up.)

2. VENUE POD. People who will commit to finding a venue appropriate for conference and evening events and following through on arrangements to use them. (This will include applying for and obtaining all applicable permits required to hold the event, and have certain performances i.e. fire.)

3. FUNDRAISING POD. People who will create or co-ordinate at least 6 fundraising events to generate revenue to cover costs of space rental, brochures, etc. (These people will work closely with the venue and publicity people, so that the fundraisers will be as successful as possible.)

4. PUBLICITY-REGISTRATION POD. A group committed to publicizing the event to hoopers nation-wide and to the media and in related circles (peace movement, circus groups, etc) to register participants and get media coverage. Must create a press release and disseminate information created by graphics committee as widely as possible.

(The Hoop Loop is the beginning of this process, we need an avenue to reach all of the hoopers nation-wide. What ideas do you have to do this?)

5. GRAPHICS/MEDIA POD. A group who will create the website and all relevant brochures, and written information to be disseminated. (This is very important for these are the things that will be representing us, and proceeding us in most cases, so they must be professional and creative at the same time.)

6.) CREATIVE POD. A group that will be dedicated to the overall look and feel of the conference. There jobs will include but not be limited to; collaborating with graphics committee on style of promotional materials, creating/making/purchasing all costumes, decorations, etc., they will create the floor plan or lay out for the event and what it will look like in the venue, and will have to discuss and lay down any rules pertaining to their work i.e. no materials that aren't fire proofed near the stage, no nudity for performers costumes, etc.

7.) SOUND POD: This group will be in charge of all sound for the conference. This includes obtaining sound systems, microphones, and DJs. It also includes creating the ambience of the event musically, and providing the line-up of musicians.

8.) SCHEDUAL POD: This group will be in charge of organizing the time-line for the entire event, including workshops, classes, discussion panels, performances, etc. They may also have a hand in laying down needed rehearsal schedules; by obtaining everyone's availability, creating a schedule that works for everyone, and then informing everyone of the schedules.

--All pods will be expected to communicate and work well with all others involved. We would like them to; be flexible in their vision, allow for everyone's creativity to thrive, be open to constructive criticism, be open to new ideas, allow for open discussions to take place, be dedicated and fulfill all that they have taken on with integrity.

UPDATE
Looks like this idea never made it to fruition, but it's a great concept, and we encourage others to use this proposal as a framework for their own brainstorming! For now, events like Burning Man seem to be the defacto hoop conventions.