Haven't started any work on the 2014 Newbie Jam, but I will pretty soon.
We've had attendees come for this event from over 3 hours drive away. Last year, L_Soult made a drive about that time, and he sent me a PM stating that he thought it was well worth the drive.
We sometimes have instructors drive 3+ hours to help out at this event - Old Lefty comes to mind.
There are several reasons we have this event at the location(s) we do.
First, we try to have this event before Opening Day of the trout season. This helps prepare the newbies for the upcoming season on all the ATW waters. It also is easier to get instructors that may otherwise be out fishing once the season starts.
We also want to hold the instruction (except the casting and on-stream instruction) indoors. This takes the weather issues out of the equation. We've developed a great rapport with the Wildlands Conservancy in Emmaus. We get to use their nice facility for free, and can access it early in the morning to get things set up. Plenty of room inside, lots of tables and chairs, and it's warm in there! We also have room outside to do the casting instruction.
Since we have this event at the time when ATW's are closed to fishing, we have to have special regs waters nearby. The regs section of the Little Lehigh is just a few minutes away, has easy access for wading anglers and bank fishermen (not all newbies have wading gear), and it fishes well all year long. Plenty of newbies have caught their first trout on the fly at newbie events there.
With the quality of the instructors we typically have at this event, it's a great opportunity to learn the skills needed to flyfish, and best of all, it's totally free of charge!
Keep in mind, there are expenses for both myself, and the instructors. We pay these out of our own pockets, because the newbies are soooo worth it! It's a way for the more experienced members to "pay it forward", and go the extra mile to help our newbies out, as well as attract new members to PAFF.
Some learning experiences are best done face to face, and this event was created to supplement the beginner's forum - not replace it. It's also a great way to meet some of your fellow forum members, make new fishing buddies, and boost the camaraderie here on PAFF.
Due to logistical reasons, I can't do these type of events all over the State, but I CAN do something here in an area that has a large number of PAFF members, and it's within easy driving distance of two of the largest metropolitan areas of PA.
Other members in areas of the state not close by can create their own "Newbie Jams" - just check with Dave Kile before setting something up. He's always been very supportive and appreciative of these kind of events.
H.A.