Legend has it that when the automobile was invented, instead of the stagecoach companies using their expertise with wheels, suspensions and comfortable seats to join the transportation revolution, they considered themselves to be in the stagecoach business and not the automobile business. It proved to be costly for them.
The recent publicity around themed cruises has our phones ringing with some ideas we never thought we would hear.
We are always looking deeper to understand why the concept has been working for us and are constantly reminding ourselves to make sure each event is made of the right ingredients.
Music has defined us to date but we believe we are in the business of bringing communities together to celebrate their passion for life, discovery, friendship and a particular affinity.
So when we got a call from Gina Halladay from Quiltersbuzz.com about a cruise for quilters, we saw it as an opportunity to test our theory. Gina is one of the premier authorities in quilting and has a blog that is visited by thousands of quilters each day. She joined us on the Mayercraft Carrier last week and explained to us how there is a healthy community of quilters who she believes will flock to the idea of cruising with their favorite fabric designers and connecting with other quilters from around the world.
Does this mean we would trade in our guitars and drums for sewing machines and irons? We intend on applying what we know about gathering people for a vacation experience and discovering what business we really are in. Is it Music or Community?
Why are we excited? We believe that when you ask someone “What do you love to do when they aren’t working, parenting, sleeping or eating?” you will get some great answers like quilting or roller derby or play video games. For many of these affinities, there are already local and online communities thriving around them. We want to invite them to come on vacation and see what happens.
Beyond Quilting, Roller Derby and X-Box, anyone know some other affinities or hobbies we should be looking for?
-Andy