Ok, thinking about this more closely, I'd say there are TWO ways of approaching this:
EITHER
- everything is centred around ONE venue (ie Pikes - or one of Stivi's other options) where everyone convenes at the same site
OR
- TWO separate events take place at different venues on the same weekend, perhaps catering to different music/crowds/ day v night vibes (reflecting the fuller diversity of the forum - FGP goes left, 'old farts' turn right etc)
Either way, I reckon a daytime thing would be better in so far as an afternoon jam is likely to be more relaxed and under less pressure - and maybe easier to secure? If anyone wanted to bring a guitar, maracas or sing or something, perhaps that could be accommodated too?
How to go about this? Well here are some 'back of a matchbox' ideas I had over lunch.
1. Select preferred dates. The first stumbling block. Potentially awkward. I think the best scenario is here is that someone on the staff throws out some possible dates and puts to a forum vote, perhaps including 2nd round preferences in a knockout. If a certain % of the forum [insert figure] still cannot agree, then we call it a day and this post never happened and page 14 of the thread self-destructs.
2. Upon agreeing dates there should then be a rollcall of people who would definitely want to DJ [+ likely wives/husbands/waifs/associates in attendance, to get a rough idea of numbers.]
3. Determining who plays & when. Perhaps at this point the staff could draw separate lots, also factoring in the general level of interest. If the response is half-hearted, then the dream ends HERE [although there is nothing to prevent a casual pre-arranged turnout regardless as Ibz Paul suggested above]
4. Upon agreeing the dates, the number & identity of DJs, these could then be sorted into:
- A. one lineup for that ONE session at that ONE venue
- B. TWO lineups divided up between TWO venues according to music/vibe/age/other
5. Approaching the venue. Again it could all unravel at THIS point [maybe better to take a punt on the venue first and just see who turns up but feels riskier to me].
Personally I think the only rules should be that:
- it is a strictly free/'amateur' event [albeit maybe with SPL branding/support?] and not hijacked by anyone else.
- it should NOT feature any DJs who aren't a regular forum contributor (at SPL's discretion)
- all attendees must respect the venue, music policy (you know the score at Pikes), timeslots, equipment etc
- any historical online 'history'/beef/tension with other forum members is temporarily parked in the interests of having a good time
- the event should be completely inclusive - all members of the forum from all international contributors alike
Anyway, just a few rambling thoughts. Feel free to trash / improve on / roundly ignore.