UNICON 17: Rumors and pre-planning

[Sanne.Kj]

Originally Posted by toracyclist

I just started unicycling a few months ago and this Unicon is the closest one has ever been to me. I live in Toronto. I hope to go there as a spectator.
I think entering as a participant is dreaming.

No. Two years are absolutely fine to learn unicycling and go for some of the competitons. After beeing a noncompetitor in Switzerland (2006) I decided to learn it so I could be a competitor in Denmark (2008), where I live. I have never won anything, but it is fun anyway.

Best regards,
Sanne

[Alan Hogan]

Originally Posted by toracyclist

I just started unicycling a few months ago and this Unicon is the closest one has ever been to me. I live in Toronto. I hope to go there as a spectator.
I think entering as a participant is dreaming.

There will be plenty of events you could enter by then

[unigoat]

You can disagree, that's fine. From a marketing perspective to our community the name 2013 Unicycle Nationals makes the most sense when we've been talking to non-unicycling local people and getting their opinions. When we sell sponsorship packages, it will be mostly to local businesses and they want to know what they're supporting, quickly. I would venture to guess most of the curious public that will show up to check out the event will be from within an hour or two radius. The name needs to make sense quickly.

I totally realize that 2013 Unicycle Nationals doesn't convey the entire scope of the event. U Games doesn't either. If a headline shows up in the local papers as U Games 2013 is in town, that doesn't tell the story of what U actually is. At this point for those in the unicycling community NAUCC 2013 is probably what it will be referred to. That is the most accurate. U Games is how big?

I realize that it the event is to be all including all of North America. From the unicyclist perspective it will be addressed that way. When we get a chance to further explain the event after the headline we will be able to mention that. Shortening something to just "U" doesn't let the general public know what the event is about. Uni may be a bit better, but I'm not sure the sports crazed region around here understands uni means unicycle. Defining the name of the event with the word unicycle in the name eliminates the doubt.

I hear the formal argument too. U Games is better?

What it boils down to: NAUCC 2013 is the most accurate, but incredibly cumbersome. U Games 2013 sounds fine if you know what the U is. If you don't, it doesn't work. I'm glad that Tom and crew came up with the name for the 2010 edition, but informal polls with non-unicyclists around here aren't promising. We're really trying to address the non-unicycling public to get a lot more exposure. The front of the program and medals (and shirts) will most likely say NAUCC 2013, but it doesn't work well for radio and print.

When talking to many of the attendees at the 3 NAUCCs we've been to (2009, 2011, and 2012), it's amazing how many people naturally refer to the event as Nationals rather than NAUCC or the North American Unicycling Convention and Championships. I don't hang out with the Flatland and Street crowd, but a lot of the other attendees naturally say this.

We're looking to get a lot of exposure for the event OUTSIDE of the unicycling community. That's why we're already working with local media and our Tourism Board to get the event on the radar. We're also looking to push what the general public considers to be non-traditional forms of unicycling into the limelight. It's going to require outside sponsorship so we have more money to work with. We hope to have as many of the spectator friendly event finals in the evenings, but that may require extra facility rental time. Building great courses on a budget can take minor miracles too.


Julia, I'm not sure how this is supposed to be unifying the community:

person: Wow! Congrats on being the 2013 Muni National Champion! How does it feel to be the best in Canada?
rider: Ehm, it was actually in the United States.
person: but........you're Canadian?
rider: Well, it wasn't actually the US Nationals, it included all of North America.
person: So why is it called Nationals....?
rider: ......................

The person who wins the event will be able to say they are North American Champion. I think the winner will naturally be inclined to say they are North American Champion. Their medal and shirt will indicate it too.

[Danni]

unicycle nationals is too ambiguous.

If you look up any competition held for all of north america, it has "north america" in it. for the obvious reason that it is for all of north america. Yes, their acronyms aren't super cute and artsy, but they are serious competitions.

NAUCC is long, you are right. I think cutting the "convention" part would be fine and calling it NAUC: "North American Unicycle Championships.

[Julia B]

Originally Posted by unigoat

I totally realize that 2013 Unicycle Nationals doesn't convey the entire scope of the event. U Games doesn't either. If a headline shows up in the local papers as U Games 2013 is in town, that doesn't tell the story of what U actually is. At this point for those in the unicycling community NAUCC 2013 is probably what it will be referred to. That is the most accurate. U Games is how big?

It's not that 2013 Unicycle Nationals doesn't show the scope of the event, it's that it's incorrect to call an international competition "Nationals." IMO, the name needs to be, first and foremost, accurate. Next people can worry about marketing and publicity, but at a bare minimum it should be accurate.

Originally Posted by unigoat

I realize that it the event is to be all including all of North America. From the unicyclist perspective it will be addressed that way. When we get a chance to further explain the event after the headline we will be able to mention that. Shortening something to just "U" doesn't let the general public know what the event is about. Uni may be a bit better, but I'm not sure the sports crazed region around here understands uni means unicycle. Defining the name of the event with the word unicycle in the name eliminates the doubt.

Just show a picture of a unicycle with U or Uni and people will understand.

Originally Posted by unigoat

When talking to many of the attendees at the 3 NAUCCs we've been to (2009, 2011, and 2012), it's amazing how many people naturally refer to the event as Nationals rather than NAUCC or the North American Unicycling Convention and Championships. I don't hang out with the Flatland and Street crowd, but a lot of the other attendees naturally say this.

That's my point. Unicycle Nationals is a quick and informal way of giving people a general idea, but the quick and easy solution is not appropriate for the official name because of its inaccuracy. But I'm sort of confused, is Unicycle Nationals the official name or NAUCC?

Overall, NAUCC is bad because it's unmarketable. U Games just sucks. We need a new name, but I think we overcorrected all the way into easily understandable, but wrong. It would be great to split the difference (but not by printing one name on half the gear and the other name on the other half). What Danni proposes could be a good step in the right direction, North American Unicycle Championships. It's sort of a given that fun rides/convention stuff will happen at these sorts of events, but that doesn't need to be noted in the name.

Just PLEASE change the name to something that actually describes the event.

[tholub]

Originally Posted by Julia B

Just PLEASE change the name to something that actually describes the event.

Like "Super Bowl" or "World Series" or "Stanley Cup".

[johnfoss]

We're getting off topic here, but Goat, your name sounds excellent. If your purpose is to market the event outside the unicycling community (which is kind of the purpose of the USA Inc.), anything other than NAUCC is probably an improvement. Why, if that name is so descriptive and accurate? Because it never gets used. We don't use it. When we do call it by that name, we actually say "Naucc". The press always gets it wrong. Why? Because none of the printed materials they get handed have the name spelled out. And because it's too long and ugly to work well in print articles. It certainly does not roll off the tongue.

Originally Posted by Danni

If you look up any competition held for all of north america, it has "north america" in it.

Can you offer any examples? Most sports do have national competitions, but I don't know if any actually have North American competitions. To have a North American championships without a national championship is also kind of weird. The USA convention is really the United States, plus Canada (and Puerto Rico and whatever other places count as North America) because they don't have national organizations or national championships. We're doing them a favor.

To any attendee coming from outside the US, naturally they will talk to the press about how it's open to all of North America. The event can still have a longer, formal name while being called 2013 Unicycle Nationals.

Why not UniNats? Sounds like single-wheeled bugs that fly around your ear. That name originated in Australia and I don't dislike it; but it's not any more descriptive or marketable than U Games. EUC? That stands for European Unicycle Championships (or Convention). I don't see why it's being mentioned.

Unicon was coined for the second World Unicycle Championships, in 1986. People have since associated the name with the big IUF event, and there hasn't been much talk about using it generically. If we did, then Unicon would need a new or longer name.

So "2013 Unicycle Nationals" contains the major important ingredients to market a big unicycle event. The year implies it's an annual thing. "Unicycle" covers the major thing that usually gets left out; the name of what we ride. And Nationals, while not entirely accurate, communicates in one word that it's a very large, major event that's probably a competition. It's a name that will generate the usual comment from non-unicyclists: "I didn't know unicycling was a sport". NAUCC doesn't generate that comment, since people associate it with nothing. If the full name is spelled out (which it usually isn't), they start thinking something else by the time they get to the end of the name.

It started out as Nationals, then we invited more people to compete. The convention part, BTW, should always be open to anyone from anywhere in the world. If Canadians and other North American unicyclists get annoyed at calling it Nationals, they really (really!) should put together one of their own.

[unigoat]

Thank you John.

Danni and Julia, a quick note: NAUCC, even though it has North American in the title, does not include all of North America as competitors. I think this has been mentioned before, but the Unicycling Society of America Official Competition Rulebook states:

1.7 Responsibilities Of Individual Participants
1.7.1 Eligibility
All attendees must be current (paid up) USA members to register. Registrations must be completed, signed, and fully paid before
the rider can participate in any events. Attendees must be citizens or legal residents of the United States of America or Canada to
register as competitors. Persons not eligible to register as competitors are welcome to register as non-competitors.

I'm guessing the most likely the reason for this rule is Liability Insurance.

The medals will still say NAUCC. The winners of the events can still say they're a North American Champion.

We're going from the marketing end first. Here on unicyclist.com most people will refer to the event as NAUCC 2013. Those in some of the major clubs who attend most every year will probably just call it uni nationals. That's all good and not misleading.

When the names Stanley Cup, Superbowl, or World Series come up they're referencing sports that are well established in the public eye. They've not only got many years of public recognition, but millions of advertising dollars and major media coverage for decades under their belt. Even those names are misleading though as the World Series doesn't include any team outside of the USA or Canada. At any one of those events there are probably more people in the restroom at any given point then we have in attendance at NAUCC.

Unicycling as a sport can hopefully build to the point when a name like U Games would instantly be recognized by the general public. Right now, being a National (or North American) Champion, coupled with $2, will get you a small cup of coffee at most coffee shops. I speak from experience.

One last off topic note: When I moved to this area I kept hearing of a Midget Football League. It turns out the Midget Football League is the name of the local (American) football association for children under 14. Very misleading.

Back onto the topic: I'm sorry if I caused a tangent to this thread. One of the primary reasons we offered to host in 2013 is because we want to help build momentum for UNICON in 2014. Geographically, we're within a day's drive. I want to compete in Montreal. I've never personally met Hugo, but we have some common friends. Everything I've heard so far is incredibly positive.

I can't wait for UNICON 17. Until then I'm going to be doing my best to make the 2013 competition (and convention) the best it possibly can be.

[MulgoaMUni]

Originally Posted by Julia B

Overall, NAUCC is bad because it's unmarketable. U Games just sucks. We need a new name, but I think we overcorrected all the way into easily understandable, but wrong.

Just an idea: from what I've been reading on the other thread and on Facebook, people seem to like the names Unicon and Uninats, so how about Unichamps? NA Unichamps?

[GizmoDuck]

Originally Posted by Danni

unicycle nationals is too ambiguous.

If you look up any competition held for all of north america, it has "north america" in it. for the obvious reason that it is for all of north america. Yes, their acronyms aren't super cute and artsy, but they are serious competitions.

NAUCC is long, you are right. I think cutting the "convention" part would be fine and calling it NAUC: "North American Unicycle Championships.

Well, UNICON also stands for Uni-CONtinental championships.

I guess the North American land mass qualifies.

[unigoat]

Thanks Ken for the clarification on the name UNICON. It was not on our radar to even consider it for the 2013 event since it doesn't fit the scope of what UNICON is.

I wish we would have been notified about the FB thread firsthand. It got to 70 comments when somebody outside of the discussion pointed it out to us that it was happening. I don't think a rant against us without inviting us to the discussion is a great way to unify.

We're looking to work towards unicycling unity. Hopefully people can try to see that.

[GizmoDuck]

Originally Posted by unigoat

Thanks Ken for the clarification on the name UNICON. It was not on our radar to even consider it for the 2013 event since it doesn't fit the scope of what UNICON is.

I'm not sure it was a clarification so much as an off the cuff remark

Pretty sure UNICON is originally intended to stand for UNIcycle CONvention.

Sorry.

Maybe you could call it the Unicontinental champs instead, so it doesn't get confused with 'the' UNICON.

[Nurse Ben]

Next people can worry about marketing and publicity, but at a bare minimum it should be accurate.

Lke what Tholub said, accuracy is really not going to mean much to the folks who don't unicycle, since our events DON'T have the name recognition like the "Olympics".

The name of the event does not change the event in the eyes of the participants, you know what it is and you know why you are going. They could call it "UGames" and you'd sign up, but everyone else would be wondering if the event was some sort of self exploration conference

It is of utmost important for the event to get publicity, in that way the event can attract investors and volunteers who donate time and money, also it helps to have name recognition when the organizers rent space and equipment.

"Uni" is not significantly obvious to non unicyclists, so you need to have Unicycle in the title.

If it's a North America event, meanting it takes place in North America, then North America should be included in the title.

If it's an Annual event, then Annual should be in the title.

The year goes without saying.

North American Unicycle Championships 2013

In the literature, it is standard to write out a definition for the reader when it is first presented, then the definition can be used thereafter:

North American Unicycle Championships 2013 (NAUC 2013)

A conference? That's silly, it's no more a conference than any other sporting event. I go to medical conferences, the NAUCC is not a conference.

[GizmoDuck]

Originally Posted by Nurse Ben

North American Unicycle Championships 2013

In the literature, it is standard to write out a definition for the reader when it is first presented, then the definition can be used thereafter:

North American Unicycle Championships 2013 (NAUC 2013)

A conference? That's silly, it's no more a conference than any other sporting event. I go to medical conferences, the NAUCC is not a conference.

I think the extra 'C' is for Convention rather than Conference

[hunterthompson]

I think the name change is great. It was such a pain to try to explain to everybody what I was going to last year and half the time I got it wrong
This is short, simple, and get the general idea of what is happening across.

I do also like the idea of making UNICON a more general term. Then you could have NA UNICON, E UNICON, and the big one would be World UNICON.