In another thread I've used the phrase

"The First Annual White Rose Beer Festival"

and this reminded me of something that has sort of puzzled me for some time.

When an event is being held for the first time can it legitimately be described as "The First Annual...whatever" ?

If it isn't a success and is never held again then it could hardly be described as "annual" could it ?
Surely only after the second one has taken place would it be reasonable to describe the first one as "The First Annual...".

What do you think ?

Vescere bracis meis.

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I think organizations name these things with all good intentions but also the event sounds so much more important or worthy when you throw in that "annual" bit. Case in point, my husband and I had the great idea to hold a mountain bike race for Vandenberg AFB. When starting out soliciting for the prizes for the "VAFB Fat Tire Festival" from local businesses, we at first encountered a lukewarm response. When we added "The First Annual" to our tagline, we got a great response. Coincidence? I think not...

(Oh yeah, and we PCSed about 3 months after the race and as far as we know, they never held another one.)

[This message was edited by TrossL on Thu Apr 17th, 2003 at 8:26.]

"VAFB Fat Tire
Festival" from local businesses, we at first encountered a lukewarm response. When
we added "The First Annual" to our tagline, we got a great response. Coincidence? I
think not...
-----------------------------------------
Don't tell me, let me guess: First prize was a can of Andersen's split pea soup! Your situation is ironic, since the guys who got mountain biking started just got together without fanfare for their "repack" rides on Mt. Tam, and the sport took off without any fanfare. I was gonna say, "without spokesmen," but the pun was too bad, so I didn't.

quote:

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What do you think ?

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Well, Bob, I guess I agree with TrossL. Calling it the "First Annual" just gives the event more authority & pizzazz. We started the "First Annual Walkathon" when I was on faculty, and those walkathons are still amazingly successful--we were raising scholarship monies. While I see your point as it is rather presumptuous, it also may be a marketing technique. Any marketing experts out there???

PCS. Is it:

Pieces?
Personal Communication System?
Personal Computer Software?
Process Control Systems?
Punch(ed) Card System?
Possession of a Controlled Substance?

Do tell

Richard English

"PCS" in the military stands for Permanent Change of Station, which means that we got orders to move and go live on another base. It differs from "TDY" which is a temporary change of station, like when the guys go off to Saudi to play in the sand. They usually (hopefully) come back after a few months and they don't get to take their families. When you PCS, you take your family with you.

Every answer raises a question ... OK, then what does PDY stand for?

Many years ago, when I needed help moving from one apartment to another, I needed to get creative to get the same folks who helped me year after year, to show up, yet again to move me.

I called the guys and invited them to my "Tenth Annual Moving Party and Beer and Pizza Blast". It worked! They showed up, got my stuff moved in record time, and enjoyed beer and pizza, when the truck was empty and the apartment was full.

It's all in the advertising.

A few years ago Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) hosted the "First Annual Thornton Creek Festival", with the full intent of repeating it yearly. Alas, there was never a "Second Annual Thornton Creek Festival". Resist the urge to tack "annual" onto an event the first time it is held. Things may not go as planned and the event never repeated. An event cannot be annual event until it has occurred at least two years in a row. Advertising your first-time event as "first annual" may sound snazzy and impart a sense of importance to it that it may or may not deserve, but it is incorrect, dishonest and may be misleading. You may argue that it's only a little white lie, but it's still a lie.

SPU would have done better to advertise their festival as the "First Thornton Creek Festival" or perhaps the "First Ever Thornton Creek Festival, and noted that it was expected to become an annual affair.

A related question: if an event is staged for 12 successive years, skips a year, then resumes the 14th year, what would you call it the 14th year? Would you call it the "14th annual", though it skipped the 13th year, or the "13th annual", or what?

Incidentally, annual has another meaning: occurring or lasting for one year. An annual plant is one which completes its life cycle in one year. Annual tickets are those which are good for only one year.

Tinman

[This message was edited by tinman on Sat Apr 19th, 2003 at 0:31.]