A nice way to do an expo.

Panic! · 03 Jul 2012, 2:49 pm

My idea of a fun way to run an expo is to do all dayers, or all weekenders. Because I am 2 hours out of Sydney down the coast it is a big thing to get there. So I like to get together with like minded people, plan out what we want to see and make a job lot of it. It is good to choose one or two main targets to explore and to also see what is in the area or on the way that can also be explored.

Generally in the past, as I have a van I've explored with small groups, but have done a few expos with larger groups. Usually quite dedicated explorers, often with heavy leanings towards professionalism and photography.

At some sites we've rocked up in broad day light, don heavy visability gear and just start photographing or exploring the place. At sites with known security we've either adopted the blatant "Hi we're a photography class / water training class just here to do some photography / water samples. Most people don't mind that. As I am an old fart I often do the talking why the rest pretend to be students / apprentices. It is amazing what a few clipboards do as a credibility prop. But sometimes we just sneak in.

Usually people chuck in for fuel and food on the day trips, and some one prepares sandwiches. Which sounds a bit over the top, but the aim was usually to save money and fuss. For $20 we could provide a group of 8 with enough food and drinks to last the day.

Professionalism meant taking responsibility for ourselves, our safety and the safety of the newer explorers. This mean not being drunk, talking about potential site dangers on the drive in, providing everyone in the group with a contact phone number and agreeing on a time and place to meet if we got separated, and having a first aid kit and qualified first aider.

This has paid off. I have only been on one expo where we had injuries and it was minor and first aid was rendered straight away. Also, on one site which had security I approached the guard, spun the water apprentices story then asked if we could park there. We gathered on the grass while I did a short speil about the drain, then in front of the security guard we opened up the drain manhole, vented it, and put a safety barrier around it then explored it for an hour before exiting with no problems. This professionalism got us into several sites as well when we pulled the photography group card and bored security or custodians offered to show us around.

Titan · 03 Jul 2012, 3:59 pm

Thanks for sharing Panic!

It just goes to show that if people behave like adults and use some brain-power fun can be had with UE.
Few points taken and will apply to next UEGA expo

The only issue i can see with an all weekender thing is for those who work on weekends, who have family commitments and other plans therefore may not always make it to such events. Thats why we try organise a one dayer events.
Don't get me wrong, Im sure theres a few here who would love to do an all weekender expo, but just getting you realistic background info

Btw, if you ever win a lottery feel free to fly me over to Pripyat or Battleship and leave me there for a month lol

Panic! · 03 Jul 2012, 4:33 pm

Titan wrote: Btw, if you ever win a lottery feel free to fly me over to Pripyat or Battleship and leave me there for a month lol

If you need a guide for either of those places I'd be happy to oblige. The second time I went to Pripyat I drove my van out there all the way from Poland via Kiev. There's a huge highway that goes all the way across to Kiev.

They run tours at both locations now.

My current van has a ceiling mounted DVD player. Before some one crushed the remote we used to watch trip videos on it from my OS trips during expos.

Crazytrain1978 · 05 Jul 2012, 8:55 am

Hey Panic, do you have a blog of Flickr or something, I would love to see some you your photos

Pripyat looks an amazing place, but I love seeing Australian drains also

Titan · 05 Jul 2012, 10:49 am

Crazytrain1978 wrote:Hey Panic, do you have a blog of Flickr or something, I would love to see some you your photos Pripyat looks an amazing place, but I love seeing Australian drains also

What he said.

Panic! · 05 Jul 2012, 11:41 am

Nope. I used to have a web site. A pretty big one too, and still have it backed up on CD, but I don't have anything online at the moment. I am considering putting it back online. I just need to buy some hosting space and a new domain name. It was kind of an old school web site, no fancy stuff, but it had guides and pictures to over 100 drains on it, and lots of sites like Pripyat, the Paris Catacombs, lots more.

Crazytrain1978 · 05 Jul 2012, 12:16 pm

Panic! wrote:Nope. I used to have a web site. A pretty big one too, and still have it backed up on CD, but I don't have anything online at the moment. I am considering putting it back online. I just need to buy some hosting space and a new domain name. It was kind of an old school web site, no fancy stuff, but it had guides and pictures to over 100 drains on it, and lots of sites like Pripyat, the Paris Catacombs, lots more.

That's a shame

Enigma · 23 Jul 2012, 9:20 pm

Panic, these days you can simply download a free 'theme' or style for your forum, and simply load it into the PHP software. That way, as is done here, a pre made 'style' becomes your way of standing out from other forums. There are many to choose from, and most are free.

Titan · 24 Jul 2012, 8:05 am

Just need to make sure that version of the core phpbb is compatible with the style/theme applied.

As long as you have FTP knowledge and can browse your ftp server you can then customise accordingly

Btw Enigma, why are we talking about forums all of a sudden, Panic didnt ask about them hehehe

Panic! · 24 Jul 2012, 4:31 pm

Yeah, maybe one day I'll upload my site back to the web. Finances are an issue right now. My missus is very ill so we're focused on her. One of the main reasons I am getting back into UE is that I need an escape, and since I don't drink, do drugs or even smoke, UE is it. I like that there are no rules underground and it is a stress reliver just getting away from it all.

So yeah, maybe one day I'll get the site back online. But it won't have a forum. Managing forums can be a pain in the rear. I already moderate a few forums. I don't want one of my own. Happy to just be here.

Enigma · 24 Jul 2012, 7:21 pm

Titan, my mistake. I thought Panic was talking about a forum, but I re-read it, and he wrote 'web site'. :-)

Titan · 25 Jul 2012, 7:54 am

Ah well anyways thought id share some info.

Crazytrain1978 · 25 Jul 2012, 9:57 am

Panic! wrote:Yeah, maybe one day I'll upload my site back to the web. Finances are an issue right now. My missus is very ill so we're focused on her. One of the main reasons I am getting back into UE is that I need an escape, and since I don't drink, do drugs or even smoke, UE is it. I like that there are no rules underground and it is a stress reliver just getting away from it all.

So yeah, maybe one day I'll get the site back online. But it won't have a forum. Managing forums can be a pain in the rear. I already moderate a few forums. I don't want one of my own. Happy to just be here.

There are lots of places where you can host for free. Freehostia is a good examples used to use it a few years back for a Wordpress instance amount other things.