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Thread: DutchLEM 2019: 8-10 February 2019

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Location
    The Netherlands
    Posts
    1,473

    Default DutchLEM 2019: 8-10 February 2019

    Hi Guys,

    I am organising another DutchLEM (Dutch Laser Enthousiast Meet).
    After having consulted with Rob Faulkner we picked the date below.
    I hope you all can make it and by communicating this early i want to give everybody a chance to arrange flights, hotels etc.

    DUTCHLEM 2019
    Start: Fridaymorning 8th of February 12.00u
    End : Sundayafternoon 10th of Februari 17-18u (5-6PM)
    After teardown we can do the traditional visit to the WOK restaurant in Stiens it's a few km in the direction of Leeuwarden
    (Almost everyone will pass it on the way back....)

    ADDRESS
    Doarpshuis De Nije Tille Marrum
    Ringweg 21
    9073 HG MARRUM
    53°19'22.90"N 5°48'10.80"E

    Entrance will be 20 EURO for 2 or more days.
    Entrance for One day will be 10 EURO

    If enough people show up food (chinese buffet) will be included on SATURDAY night (maybe a small amount is needed to pay for the food, last year we had to pay 5 euro each). For people that don't like chinese or who are vegetarian we can ofcourse order pizza.
    There is a supermarket at 200m walking distance, also snackshop / chinese restaurant is there for people that like to eat that.
    And ofcourse Fred can make you breakfast for a very good price.

    Sleeping in the hall is no problem, bring your airbed, pump, sleepingbag etc.
    There are also hotels and B&Bs in the neighborhood.
    Biggest city in the neighborhood is Leeuwarden, with lots of choices in hotels.
    But again, since the building is an old school we have 2 or 3 classrooms to sleep in.

    Hopefully our Dutch, English, Belgian, German and Lithuanian friends will be present again ?

    So looking for a fun event with lots of lasers, people from a lot of countries, shows, tinkering ?
    Come to DUTCHLEM !

    Questions? Ask me.

    We also have a FB event, you can find it here: https://www.facebook.com/events/330726490747452/


    Guestlist:
    Dimitri
    Tony
    Gijs van Waversveld
    Albert Bosma
    Rick Bosma
    Koen Derix
    Pieterjan Ruysch
    Dustin Snijders
    Michel Rietveld
    Anton
    Richard de Vent
    Emile Chauvin
    Bram Wilbrink
    Paul Gee
    I didn't fail !
    I just found out 10,000 ways that didn't work.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    Netherlands
    Posts
    4

    Default

    Why not just a central place like Utrecht? more closer to drive from Belgium
    4x 2W, 2x 8W, 4x 1W in stock
    Beyond Advanced

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Location
    The Netherlands
    Posts
    1,473

    Default

    I'll give you 3 reasons.

    A) Money (halls in the central part of the Netherlands (called "Randstad") are more expensive.
    Even if 15 people come we can pay this hall and i only have to charge 20 euros for the whole weekend or 10 euro for a day. Other LEMs are way more expensive.

    B) Distance is relative. I drive to LEMs in Germany (400km single way), UK (700km single way). I myself have to drive 165km to get there, and i don't complain...

    C) Fred, the caretaker. No other LEM has such a dedicated caretaker so we like to stick to the current location.
    I cannot explain this. If you come to the LEM you'll know and never ask a question like you did again ;-)

    So stop whining, get in your car and next time be there ;-)
    Or not, and set up your own LEM, and i'll visit your LEM.
    But lot's of people say they are organising one and then you never hear from them, the last 10 years only Stoney3K organised a LEM (once in Eindhoven), Maurice ( 2 or 3 times (maybe more) Ilpendam) and Bart (once in Haarlem) and myself 7 times (Marrum, since 2011). So i keep doing what i do and gladly visit a LEM you organise just around my corner (Amersfoort).
    Last edited by hobbybob; 02-12-2018 at 07:00.
    I didn't fail !
    I just found out 10,000 ways that didn't work.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2017
    Location
    Southern Netherlands
    Posts
    42

    Default

    Present. I’ll be there! Dunno if im there for the full weekend of just sat-sun.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Charleston, SC
    Posts
    2,147,489,446

    Default

    Excellent answers, hobbybob!

    To anyone contemplating starting up a laser enthusiast's meeting: finding a venue is the hardest part. It has to be affordable. It has to be big enough for what we want to do. And you have to have a lot of freedom with the owners. (People freak out when you tell them you want to open up the main breaker panel and start hooking things up, to say nothing of running water hoses through a building to cool a bunch of lasers!) Then there's the whole sound system / noise ordinance issue, possible fire alarm panel problems, and so fourth.

    So, yeah, when you finally locate a venue that works for a LEM, you tend to stick with it! SELEM has been in the same place since it started in 2007.

    The drive isn't nearly as bad as you might think. We have people who drive 2 full days to come to SELEM, and 2 more days to get home after it's over... (Seriously: over 2200 miles round trip!) But because it's a fun event, it's worth the drive. I won't ever say it's like a "vacation", because it's still a lot of work, but it really is a lot of fun. Bring someone with you in the car and you can talk about lasers while you drive - that makes the trip go faster.

    LEMs work because people make them work. The ones who commit to the event are what make it amazing. People who drive a long way, people who spend weeks preparing equipment or shows, people who spend long hours setting up and cleaning up afterwards... You need that level of participation to keep the event going.

    Adam

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    Cambridgeshire, England
    Posts
    478

    Default

    I drove there from the UK, and I'll be doing it again next year!

  7. #7
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    Jan 2006
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    2,147,489,446

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    Quote Originally Posted by NobleGas View Post
    I drove there from the UK
    Chunnel or ferry? (Got pics?)

    I have to admit that the Chunnel is on my bucket list... So cool!

    Adam

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    Cambridgeshire, England
    Posts
    478

    Default

    Ferry from Harwich to Hoek van Holland; I've done the Eurostar quite a number of times on business, it's much nicer than flying to Paris.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Charleston, SC
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by NobleGas View Post
    I've done the Eurostar quite a number of times on business, it's much nicer than flying to Paris.
    I would imagine it's quicker too, because you eliminate all the airport delays.

    Ferry from Harwich to Hoek van Holland
    From what I understand, the ferry you took is about a 4 hour ride. Was that really faster than taking the EuroShuttle and then driving north to the Netherlands? Or did you just prefer to have the chance to look out at the sea during the trip?

    Adam

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    Cambridgeshire, England
    Posts
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    Default

    Actually it's closer to 7 hours; if you're taking the car it is way cheaper than using Eurotunnel. If you fancy getting some rest, the cabins are very reasonably priced during day crossings (they are considerably more expensive at night) and you have your own private toilet and a decent shower.

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