The Singing News has officially announced that the 2008 Singing News Fan Awards will be held Saturday, Sept 13, 2008 during the National Quartet Convention instead of their normal Thursday night presentation.

Singing News Magazine publisher, Jim Cumbee, explains why the move was made. “The Fan Awards program is one of the NQC’s most anticipated events. After discussions with the NQC, we realized that the Fan Awards’ tradition of excitement and fan involvement is a great way to close the week’s activities. We work very hard to put on a great show and the move to Saturday night means even more fans will be able to share in the Fan Awards experience.”

The NQC’s Executive Director, Clarke Beasley, adds, “The NQC is excited about our continued relationship with the Singing News Magazine and looks forward to the Fan Awards being placed on Saturday evening. We feel that the Saturday evening Fan Awards will give a crescendo and a ‘Grand Finale feel’ to the NQC Saturday evening experience.”

Could this move also be an attempt to encourage more artist participation to the already dwindling attendance of the Friday and Saturday programs?  Anyone who has walked the aisles of NQC during Friday and Saturday are already aware of the deserted booths and exhibits by artists who have already left for the weekend.  This move may well help emcourage artists to remain for the entire week and weekend or it may mean less artist participation in the earlier part of the week.

What are your thoughts?

http://sgblognews.sogospelnews.com/index/sgblognews/comments/8240/

I think this is a good idea.

I wonder if this is a tactic to hold more people through the weekend.  It seems many of the booths are emptying out by the weekend, so this might hold more groups til Saturday.

This is a good idea to have more Booths with SG Singer’s on Saturday night, a good move for SN, but the Sat. evenings, & Thursday’s crowds have always been larger to me?...IMHO..  

I guess we’ll see if the Fan Awards are really very popular or if they’ve had the opportunity to be on a naturally popular night.  I’m happy about this since I don’t care for the awards and I never go on Saturday.  It’s a win, win for me.

I am just the opposite - the Fan Awards Show is one of my favorite events of the whole week, so I’ll be there whenever it is held.

I really do enjoy seeing so many of the artists at one time, and I think the singing of the nominated songs for the year is just wonderful!

Mrs.Noah

FamilyMan - 20 November 2007 05:26 PM

I wonder if this is a tactic to hold more people through the weekend.  It seems many of the booths are emptying out by the weekend, so this might hold more groups til Saturday.

If the Fan Awards are held on Saturday, it doesn’t look as bad for the exhibit hall to be nearly empty that night. The assumption will be that everyone is in Freedom Hall for the festivities...even if they aren’t.

It would be nice if booths positions were assigned based on a true commitment to be there for the entire week. Put those who plan to arrive late or leave early on the outer aisles while keeping those who stay all week in a nice cluster arrangement.

DBM--- Your post had some good comments in it, but many people I talked to, in the years that I went to NQC( haven’t been since 2004?) well, they would tell me that it would be better to give the SN Awards on Fri. or Sat. night, either night on the weekend in IMHO, have to agree with them about the SN Awards Night…