This being the first-ever bid organized by six countries, the committee is, out of necessity, spread out over the entire region. Just getting the organizing committee nominated gave the first indication of the complexities that lay ahead. Although Chiang Mai is the central hub of the region, and the venue for the main event, all other regions will be integrally involved and represented on the organizing committee. In order to take advantage of the many years of cumulative hashing and Interhash experience among our hard core, we try to involve as many of these piss up artists as possible, without letting the committee become so bloated that nothing ever gets decided. Once people have come on board and been allocated areas of responsibility, then the real fun of an Interhash bid can begin.

The Roads Less Traveled to Mekong or Indochina?

Starting from scratch, one of the first things that had to be done was come up with a name for the event, and a logo. We had originally planned to name the bid "Mekong / Indochina 2006," but found that having the word "Mekong" in the bid would antagonize potential beer sponsors because "Mekong Whiskey" is their direct competition. Also, in order to assure local government support and approval, Chiang Mai had to be prominently mentioned. Thus "Chiang Mai 2006" was born. These are just two examples where our collective hashing experience blinded us to these concerns, and it was only by going "outside the hash" for this critical decision-making input that we avoided serious problems further down the road. Ideas for the logo were batted around and multiple modifications made before settling on one final design. Here, too, the attitudes and cultural sensitivities of the various countries taking part in this bid had to be taken into account. This necessitated showing our Chiang Mai elephant sitting on ice with his pants on, for example, and being sure that Myanmar is always written instead of Burma.

The only way to assure a successful event is to have all relevant local authorities, potential sponsors and government agencies working side by side with the organizing committee. This can only be accomplished by networking at the highest levels. It is often a case of "who you know" being more important than "what you know" when trying to get support and/or approval from certain agencies. We are certainly fortunate to have a chairperson with a solid base of influential friends, and vast experience in organizational matters. Developing and maintaining good relations with these supporters is also critical to get accurate information concerning things like hotel room capacity, ground transportation, airport capacity, adequate venues for the main events, etc. Being armed with accurate information is the only way to counter any potential naysayer who might claim there are not enough hotel rooms, or there are no venues large enough to hold the expected masses. Always go right to the source to get your vital statistics and do not listen to other so-called experts who might have their own agenda.

Early Birds Get the Beer

After completing a detailed and accurate feasibility study, finding the right people and getting them on board, the next thing required is some working capital. Because this region offers such value for money, we knew we could provide the ultimate Interhash experience for only $125 U.S. In order to get some money up front, though, people were given the opportunity to become an "Early Bird" for 75 bucks, with the understanding that if our bid does not win in Cardiff, that money will have been lost (we promise all of them a beer or two to drown their sorrows in Chiang Mai, if we lose!) This income is vital to provide funds to set up the website, produce promotional materials such as VCD's, flyers and pamphlets, etc. And we are pleasantly surprised that 132 like-minded souls place their trust (and their $75) in our hands. For all of you Early Birds out there, we owe you the BIG ONE!

Additionally, our Early Bird registrants become roaming ambassadors wherever they go, certain to promote the bid even if it might only be out of self-interest. In order for them to be most effective, they must be continually informed of ongoing issues and kept up to date with our regular newsletters.

Roving Committee Meetings

This is of course true for the extended committee, as well. Face to face meetings, although extremely valuable, are not always easy to arrange due to six nations taking part. We can only meet on the tail end of other hashing events, such as the Pan Asia Hash, the Mekong/Indochina hash in Yangon, the Nash Hash in China, the Pre-Lube Exploration Run in Sukhothai and the numerous core meetings in Chiang Mai as the situation requires. We take full advantage of these gatherings to decide on many issues. Almost all of our committee members made their utmost effort to attend all these meetings. Apart from that, e-mail and our website are the only other ways of keeping people informed.

Visit Our Website

With limited funds to promote our bid, we set up the website as our most important tool, and the most time-consuming part of the bidding process. We know that the website is most people's first impression of our bid for Interhash 2006, and must convince them that we are making a serious commitment to bringing them the best and most varied Interhash yet.

Natural Endowments of Venue

And of course, a successful Interhash must provide outstanding runs and beautiful scenery. We are blessed with abundant areas, many of which will be opened up for the first time ever to the Interhash by local authorities. The more we work on this bid, the more certain we become that Chiang Mai 2006 will truly be the Ultimate Interhash Experience.

May The Best Bid Win!

Our ultimate goal in bidding for the 2006 Interhash is to host an enjoyable, memorable and fun-filled event. We ourselves have all had a lot of fun preparing for the final presentation of our bid at Cardiff 2004. Our bid is an invitation extended to all hashers, including old and new friends, to come and enjoy the hashing splendour in Chiang Mai and the 6 countries in the region. We firmly believe that it will be the most unique Interhash experience for all of us to share and cherish for many years to come.

INTERHASH 2006, CHIANG MAI IS IT!

• Involve as many experienced hashers as possible without letting the committee become so bloated that nothing gets decided.
• Allocate the committee members' areas of responsibility.
• Take local attitudes and cultural sensitivities into account to assure government support and approval.
• Have all relevant local authorities, government agencies and potential sponsors working side-by-side with the organizing committee.
• Arm yourself with the most accurate logistical information to counter potential naysayers. Do your own homework in researching statistics directly from the source instead of relying on so-called experts who may have their own agenda.
• Complete a feasibility study.
• Raise working capital through Early Bird registrations.
• Turn Early Bird registrants into roaming ambassadors by keeping them informed and enthused through regular newsletters.
• In addition to using e-mail, take advantage of regional gatherings for face-to-face meetings with those members who live in different areas.
• Invest in a website; it will be people's first impression and will serve as your most important tool.