** 2 page feature / too many words! ** Atari Computing Convention ACC '98 ACC'98 was held on 14th November 1998 at Bingley Hall in the Staffordshire showground, England. As organisers our objectives were: ** UL ** * To encourage all the Atari supporting companies and user groups to take stands - and they did. * To encourage Atarians to travel to Stafford from far flung locations - and they did, including some from across the channel. * To offer both exhibitors and visitors a mutually beneficial and enjoyable experience - and we did. * To publically demonstrate to a wider audience the Atari platform is alive and kicking. ** /UL ** We would like to thank all the exhibitors and visitors for making ACC'98 the best supported UK Atari show for years. The user groups and individuals who organised car shares and mini-buses also deserve a special mention - it proved Londoners will travel north of Watford for the right event! Almost all the UK based Atari supporting companies attended - more than at any of the previous Birmingham and London shows which was especially satisfying bearing in mind the market has contracted since the last UK Atari show. ** UL ** ** Turn this into a simple list of names if space is an issue ** * Atari Computing * System Solutions * Titan Designs * FaST Club * The Upgrade Shop * Electronic Cow * Atari Portfolio Club UK * Abingdon Synthesis Projects (ASP) * 16/32 Systems * Floppyshop * CyberSTrider * InterActive * TransAction * Paul Jones/Mathew Bacon: Enchant, HiSoft BASIC * Mevagissey Telecottage * Andy Taylor: BBS demo * Maggie * Ampace Ltd/Vic Lennard * John Fletcher * Roy Golding: Atari Wrinklies Club * Stevenage & Hertfordshire Atari Group (SHAG) * The Tyne & Wear Atari User Group * Coventry Atari User Group (CAUG) ** /UL ** It's been years since we saw so many busy Atari stands and they were busy well into the afternoon. Next time maybe we can attract a few of the German and French companies to exhibit. Sharward reported around 2000 visitors in total and the number of Atari visitors certainly made their presence felt giving as the all-important enthusiasm we need to look positively towards the future. The day was over all too quickly but Atari Computing magazine had laid on a "Chill out zone" where exhibitors, magazine contributors and invited guests could relax and share their experiences. The Atari Computing stand had loads of software on offer alongside our Reader Offers with show prices on everything. We'd also managed to get hold of a stock of refurbished Mega STs, MegaFile 44s (5.25 SyQuest HDs) and SM124 monitors and we used these as demo machines for the help clinics - until we sold them! The help clinics were not as successful as we had envisaged mainly because we didn't have the manpower to man the machines. However, Robert Goldsmith deserves a special mention - he bought along his own Falcon and spent the entire day chatting with people about all aspects of getting on-line. What the exhibitors said Mike Kerslake, Atari Computing: "The Atari Computing stand was busy right up to the last hour of the show and we gained some new subscribers which is great (we wouldn't get new subscribers at a show organised exclusively by us) and quite a few lapsed subscribers returned to the fold." Joe Connor, InterActive: "The InterActive stand was adjacent to Vic Lennard's stand and at one point I was standing between Vic Lennard and Andrew Wright - definitely a missed photo opportunity! Issuing keys on the day proved to be a nightmare!" David Encill, Titan Designs: "We've taken three Milan orders this week, as a direct result of the show, and in PR terms it provided us with the opportunity to demonstrate the Eclipse hardware for the first time and everyone seemed very impressed - it proved the hardware was working. Everything was well prepared and the after-show binge was good too." Karl Brandt, System Solutions: "For a while there it was just like the good old days - we couldn't write the invoices out fast enough." Paul Glover, ST Club: "Went fine for us - sore throat at the end of the day and takings well up on the last show. Congratulations and thanks to everyone who had a hand in organising the show." Chris Crosskey, Abingdon Synthesis Projects (ASP): "I certainly didn't lose money and a lot more people now know I'm here and what I'm doing, even if three days of no sleep left me less than coherent! There was a very wide range of stuff in the hall - if I'd have been a bit more awake then I'd have probably been in elctro-techy heaven - next time!" Gordon Storey, SHAG user group: "We were certainly busy on the SHAG stand, with the user group and ST+Fanzine. Hopefully we also encouraged some people to pop into SHAG or their local user groups or even start their own user group. ST+ Fanzine was well received and we picked up quite a few new subscribers. The feedback we got on the Fanzine was excellent from those that didn't know the Fanzine had been around for so long. It felt like one big user group party. Everyone was having a good time and it was nice to put faces to people you'd only ever talked to online. Overall the atmosphere was excellent with people gathering around the ACC'98 stands staying to chat - which is what's so good about the Atari scene. I thought the PC side of the show might overwhelm the Atari side but it didn't - great stuff. We're all looking forward to the next one." Nick Ripley, Coventry Atari User Group (CAUG: "Just to say thanks for a great show... I wish I could have attended - rather than worked!" Andy Taylor: "For me it was like attending a funeral - I hope it was not the same for others and I'm sure it wasn't. I really wanted free BBS systems to stay at the expense of commercial conferencing systems, although it would seem both have lost out to cheap internet connections. Congratulations on a job well done and please bear in mind my comments and downbeat feeling is tempered by the fact I will still attend the shows as a visitor in future." Roy Golding, Atari Wrinklies Club: "Thanks to the AC team for putting on a good show for the Atari community. It gave PC users a chance to see the Atari platform is far from dead judging by the abundance of software - perhaps it may just give our platform another injection of new users." Steve Delaney, Floppyshop: "I had my doubts about an "Atari Village" in a predominantly PC Show and about staging a one day event instead of the traditional double-barrelled event. In retrospect I shouldn't have worried. The Atari Computing team had everything well sussed out and had everyone's best interests at heart as usual. From a financial point of view, we had a good day, making the long trip from Aberdeen worthwhile. As much as we enjoy attending Atari Shows, Eileen and myself did used to find the two day show schedule rather gruelling. We found ACC'98 much more relaxed and we enjoyed meeting up for a leisurely drink afterwards. It was also an opportunity to say good-bye to the Atari Community after nearly 12 years and move on to pastures new. In that respect it was a sad day - but a memorable one. At least my beloved Falcon has gone to a good home thanks to Chris Holland of the Maggie Team. There's plenty of life left in the Atari scene and things could remain vibrant for years to come provided the Atari community continue to support Atari Computing, the diskmags, shareware authors and the remaining companies. If you let them down, they'll move elsewhere. It's been fun, of that there's no denying." What the visitors said Peter West: "I enjoyed the show a lot. Glad to see my fear that the Atari stands would be swamped by PCs didn't materialise. It was nice to meet Wilfried Behne and chat about NVDI. It was well worthwhile attending and I hope the show did OK financially so there will be another one next year." Mark Wherry: "The show was great although it needed to be twice as long - the evening was great fun too." Andrew Wright: "It was nice to meet up with everyone - sorry I didn't meet more CIXen. I enjoyed the show - I only popped in to say hello and stayed four hours!" Shiuming Lai: "I've got a sore throat from talking! That was a good show! The mixed format was a good move - there are many things in general electronics of relevance to Atari enthusiasts." Tim Vanns: "I am a regular at AMS shows and although I have enjoyed all the shows I have been to, this one was by far the best! So much Atari stuff all under one roof." So what's next? ACC'98 was held in conjunction with the twice yearly All formats Micro Show (AMS) organised by Sharward Promotions. Atari Computing will be joining them again on Sunday April 18th and we'd be delighted if other Atari exhibitors and visitors join us again to maintain an Atari presence every AMS show - make a note in your diaries now! We're considering holding another evening event after this show which would be an informal developers conference open to vendors, writers, programmers and anyone else who has something to contribute. If you have any suggestions we'd be pleased to hear them - more details next issue. ** italics ** All photos courtesy of Brian Stanton and Bob Paton ** /italics ** ** Images & Captions ** ** A01.GIF ** Mark Wherry practises his sales pitch on Mike Kerslake ** A05.GIF: Bingley hall ** ** A07.GIF ** The Portfolio Club team ** A08.GIF ** Steve Delaney and Eileen in what turned out to Floppyshop's swansong ** A10.GIF ** Richard Spowart (left) of the Maggie team ** A29.GIF ** Karl Brandt of System Solutions bags another customer ** B03.GIF ** Ray Gamble (left) and Graham Bettany (right) of Sharward Promotions - they made me do it! ** B06.GIF ** Brian Stanton (left) has the thankless task of looking after the AC database. ** B29.GIF ** Danny McAleer and his Electronic Cow look on as some serious deals are struck ** B33.GIF ** Let's all hang out at the SHAG stand ** B26.GIF: half of the Atari Computing stand **