Flashback Friday- HLCCA Conference 2002

Welcome back to Flashback Friday! This week we’re revisiting HLCCA Conference 2002, the first “away” conference. For the first three years, conferences were held in the Pittsburgh area. But this year we traveled to colorful New Orleans, where a new tradition was born. Conference attendees were able to enjoy the culture of a new city, as well as the culture of Homer Laughlin dishes. Conference location proposals are submitted by members with the HLCCA general membership voting for final choices, so there are opportunities to visit a new and interesting part of the country. 

Conference 2002

Location: New Orleans, Louisiana. Maison Dupuy Hotel. 

Dates: July 25-28, 2002 

Activities:
• Welcoming event: Fiesta Mardi Gras
• Mardi Gras World Tour
• Mississippi Riverboat Cruise
• High Tea at the Ritz Carlton
• Guided walking tours of the French Quarter
• Volunteer Workshop
• Seminars
• Show & Sale
• Judged exhibits
• Awards banquet, keynote speaker, and auction
• Annual meeting and brunch buffet
• New Orleans Grayline Tour 

Exhibits:

“Court of Honor” The Fiesta Ensemble—exhibited by Fred Mutchler. A recreation of vintage Fiesta advertisements, exactly duplicating one of the colorful tablescape ads run by department stores in the 1930s and ‘40s. A reprise of Fred’s 1999 Grand Award-winning exhibit.

HLC Stuff in Funny Colors—exhibited by Randy and Becky Stephens. Rarely-seen objects from the Stephens’ collection, including a silver lustre demi pot and “lava red” sugar bowl.

Mugs Galore—exhibited by Andy and Jane Flachs. An assortment of vintage advertising mugs, including a set of Sit ‘n’ Sip cups with original packaging and vintage advertising.

HLC and Louisiana—Fred Mutchler and David Schaefer. Decaled items from HLC promoting Louisiana and New Orleans tourism.

The Color of Money—exhibited by Nancy Kirkpatrick and Michaela Hart. A lush array of HLC wares, all in various shades of green.

Fiesta and the Printed Page—exhibited by David Schaefer. An assortment of magazines, cookbooks, catalogues, and the real-life objects they depicted.

Testing, Color, and Marketing—exhibited by David Schaefer. Examples from David’s impressive collection of samples dating from the 1936 introduction, with historical information, marketing ideas, and packaging.

Seminars:

Homer Laughlin Goes to the New York World’s Fair—Linda Hedlund
It was time to take a trip back in time to 1939 and the New York World's Fair.

Searching & Bidding—Matthew Whalen
Discussion on some of the most popular and useful places for information on the internet, as well as auction searching and bidding strategies.

Exhibits & Displays: Your Collection Looking Good—Fred Mutchler
Exploring ideas for displaying at home and tips on making your own collection look great.

Fiesta/HLC Jambalaya—Steve Beals
Mixture of information and history on various solid color HLC ware.

A Conversation with HLC—Dave Conley Question and answer session on HLC and their dinnerware products.

Fiesta Mosaic Art—Joe and Michele Boeckholt
Discussion on creative methods of tackling mosaic artwork.

Ask HLCCA—Officers of the HLCCA
Meet with the officers of the HLCCA and discuss activities of the Association.

Awards:
Grand Award: Randy and Becky Stephens
Gold Awards: Randy and Becky Stephens, Fred Mutchler, David Schaefer
Silver Awards: Nancy Kirkpatrick and Michaela Hart, Andy and Jane Flachs
People’s Choice Award: Fred Mutchler
Best Dish Article: Sandra Bond—“My Love Affair with Vintage Fiesta”
Homer and Shakespeare Award: Matthew Whalen
President’s Award: Michael Rechel

Conference exclusive pieces:
Fiesta Utensil Crock with Conference 2002 decal
Fiesta Medium Pie Baker with Conference 2002 decal

Banquet Keynote Speaker:
Barbara Jacksier, editor of Country Collectibles magazine, spoke on ideas for displaying collectibles.

Highlights:

For the first out-of-town conference, there were several optional activities exploring New Orleans: a behind-the-scenes view of the world of Mardi Gras; a riverboat cruise with live jazz band; walking tours of the French Quarter; English High Tea and the Ritz;  and a Grayline bus tour.

At the Mardi Gras-themed mixer, entertainment featured a Dixieland jazz band. Fiesta fortunes were foretold by Mme. La Verte, The Green Medium, and her diminutive wizard assistant, The Great Ringola, and a murder mystery unfolded in the courtyard of our historic French Quarter hotel.

Exhibits were bigger and better than ever, and the sale room was chock full of vendors offering vintage and P86 dishes.

The new Fiesta color, shamrock, was dramatically revealed by HLC Director of Marketing & Sales, Dave Conley.

Boxloads of Post-86 Fiesta dishes were given away as door prizes by the Betty Crocker catalog representatives.

A giant ice sculpture depicting a vintage carafe graced the buffet table at the banquet.

The professionally-run Saturday night auction included new prototype Harlequin animals in P86 Fiesta colors (and never put into production), as well as other desirable P86 and vintage wares. 

The HLCCA’s 1934 juice pitcher (Transatlantic Ocean Liner) in juniper and periwinkle was unveiled.

Pittsburgh, PA was chosen as the site for Conference 2003. Read all about it in next week’s blog entry!

- submitted by Kathy Holley, Saarin Schwartz and David Schaefer