PHIP, the organizer of MOTM, has announced they are pulling out of Key West in 2023. The Casa Marina will be doing major renovations in 2023 and initially, PHIP doesn't see the renovations completed in 2023 and have hesitations on it being ready for 2024.
In their statement posted on their Facebook page on August 2nd regarding the changes being made at the Casa Marina:
“...it is apparent that the planned changes to the grounds would make it physically impractical to hold Meeting of the Minds at the location in future years...”
Then,
regarding alternative Key West locations:
“The
Committee has researched other potential venues and determined that
no other venue in Key West is suitable for producing Meeting of the
Minds...”
These two statements essentially state that, unless PHIP change their modus operandi, they are out of Key West for good. The new Casa layout won't work in the future and no place else in Key West suites their needs, as they see it.
PHIP did state that they are looking into alternative locations in Gulf Shores, Al. Punta Gorda, Fl. And Ft. Myers Fl. Just taking an educated guess, I'm thinking that they are looking for a location which offers the available real estate that can handle vendors, as well as the acreage for a concert venue. If this is the case, they'd be looking at a resort.
Overall, I see this plan as a risk.
Here's the first reason:
In my second year living in Key West, something became apparent to me. When I was growing up, my family vacationed in Cape Cod every year. We all looked forward to it and loved it dearly!
In my second year in Key West, I started seeing visitors that I met the previous year coming back to the island. This continued more and more as the years went on. Just as my family returned to Cape Cod every year, these people returned to Key West every year.
People love their vacation destinations! It's their anticipation utopia when they are not there. If an organization can enhance that for the traveler, it's fabulous! However, attempting to dictate where people take their vacations, I feel is a major mistake.
Many vacationers come here twice a year, while others, three, four, and five times a year. When it comes down to it, the crux of it is: people have their own vacation destinations that they think about all year, from the moment they leave, to the moment they return. That's their battery re-charge. It's their breath of fresh air.
The point here being, people are attached to their vacation destinations. I mean they are really attached to their vacation destinations.
Key West MOTM is the vacation destination for seven to ten thousand people a year, and has been for twenty-five years, as of this year.
Generally, people don't want to change their vacation destinations and activities. This is what they look forward to every year. Stop and think about it. Would you want to spend your quality time sequestered in an enclosed resort, in Punta Gorda, Ft. Myers, or Gulf Shores? Bear in mind, a lot of people who live in Gulf Shores, Punta Gorda, and Ft. Myers, vacation in Key West.
I recall last year reading that Key West was the #1` vacation destination in the country.
There is no replacement for Key West, and that's a fact, not an opinion. Anything else is a compromise.
Reason #2
One thing that cannot be overlooked:
Key West is a live music town, 365 days of the year.
An interesting thing happened over the years at MOTM. Related musical events started to pop up outside the Casa Marina, where the MOTM event was held by PHIP. These were connected culturally music wise to the MOTM event, however, weren't connected with PHIP/MOTM in a business sense. They were independent productions. This has grown over the years as well. Locations such as Captain Tony's, Durty Harry's, The Tiki House, Hog's Breath, Sunset Pier, Blue Heaven, Ram's Head, Dante's, Island Dogs, Sloppy Joe's, Sunset Tiki, Willie T's, sails on the water... the list goes on and on, they all had events going on with artists not on the PHIP/MOTM roster. It got to the point that artists who were on the Casa Marina stage, in their contract with PHIP, it retained the performers from playing anywhere but the Casa Marina for the MOTM week.
As it's not connected business wise with MOTM, it remains to be seen how the outside music will evolve, if at all, in the location PHIP settle on?
Over the years, these independent events have grown exponentially. Today, on it's own merit, they draw a larger crowd than the MOTM event at Casa Marina. In addition, almost all of the MOTM fans at the Casa' leave and go to the independent events around town. Who can blame them? There's a ton of fabulous music to be heard, not to mention the town itself offers so much to do and explore!
To be chained to a single resort for five days sounds like a trip to Purgatory. In Key West, you can go to dozens and dozens of locations all around town. Additionally, these facilities do this 365 days a year and are licensed with BMI, ASCAP, and SEASAC (known as the PROS) to do so. Understand, you can't just walk into a bar, set up, and start playing music. The bar/restaurant has to be licensed. Additionally, if you are a songwriter and affiliated with any of the three PROS (who isn't?), you cannot play cover songs, or your own songs in an unlicensed bar. Fines to the bars in violation have run as high as $400,000.00. plus court and attorney fees. The PROs always win. The annual rate for a bar to run music is based on seating. In the past they ran between about $5000 - $10,000 per year.
All bars in Key West that have live music are fully licensed.
Reason 3
PHIP does have a very good point in that hotel rates have risen substantially since COVID. There's no arguing that. However, it really isn't a plus to hold the MOTM event annually where it's been, sandwiched between the two biggest money making festivals in Key West.
Fantasy Fest, runs the week before MOTM, is far and away the largest Key West festival of the year. Money flows and hotels are at capacity. Then there are The Boat Races, where entrants spend $3M- $10M a year... on a hobby. The money flows like wine when they come to town.
I think MOTM would have always been more wise if they held their event in late September, where rates are much more attractive.
Checking at 24 North for rates between September 21 – 27, six days, this year for two adults is $1,066, or $177 a night. Right next door is The Gates Hotel with rates of $1,100, or $183 a night for the same six days. With an event package maybe even these rates could be made more attractive?
The two hotels share the same ownership, share the same property, and additionally have the gorgeous Sunset Green Event Lawn, where major music acts play.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhyAroHziiw
(Allman Betts Band ,,, and friends, playing Sunset Green, Key West)
Going back to PHOP's statement of
"...“The Committee has researched other potential venues and determined that no other venue in Key West is suitable for producing Meeting of the Minds...”
I'd be curious what obstacles stand in the way for PHIP/MOTM with Sunset Green, The Gates, and 24 North which make them unsuitable?
The Casa is rated at 4 1/2 stars, while The Gates and 24 North are 4 star hotels, so it's not like they'd be going from an opulent setting to a flop house. The Gates and 24 North are only a half a star off of The Casa's rating.
Another thing worth looking at is that PHIP stands for Parrot Heads In Paradise.
Parrot Heads are Jimmy Buffett fans. What's happening in the outside events are an off shoot of Buffett. While you will hear Buffett songs at these gigs, overwhelmingly you will hear actual artists playing their own music, inspired by the tropical theme. This type of music has been labeled “Trop Rock” or “Coastal Americana”. There are a few who don't feel that Parrot Heads and Trop Rock/Coastal Americana should mix. I know one Parrot Head group head who actually hates Trop Rock/Coastal Americana music.
A couple of years ago, Bill Brehm was elected president of PHIP. He contacted me about assisting him with the organization of MOTM here in Key West. It made sense as I live in Key West and I'm well known on the island. Bill had some very good and progressive ideas at that time, tying in the outside events around town with PHIP/MOTM.
Regretfully, Bill was unseated via some kind of Coup d'etat internal upheaval at PHIP. Then, I'm guessing about six to eight months later Bill was re-instated as president, however, I never heard anything from Bill after that.
PHIP = “Parrot Heads in Paradise”.
Is Key West “Paradise”?
Oh, hell yeah!
Is Gulf Shores, “Paradise”? No. Gulf Shores is listed, along with Gulf Port, Biloxi, Pensacola Beach, Panama City Beach, and a few more, as The Redneck Riviera. Nice places, but “Paradise”? Well, not my idea of Paradise.
How about Punta Gorda, or Ft. Myers? Nice areas indeed, but “Paradise”? I think nice suburban coastal towns is a better description. Wonderful places to live. A great shoreline as well. Not a paradise excursion, however.
Everyone is different, but speaking for myself, if I were sequestered in a resort for the better part of a week, I would feel like I was in prison. Actually, if I were shackled in a resort for over four hours, I'd go stark raving mad! No thanks. Not for me, anyway. I'd love to go and explore the area beyond the venue.
Exploration! How many times have I been speaking to a visitor here in Key West who said “We were walking up a side street in Old Town and suddenly there was this fabulous, quaint little restaurant in the middle of an Old Town neighborhood!” All the nooks and crannies Key West has to offer is nothing short of amazing. Be it stumbling across Cafe Soliel, or Cafe Azur, or just a stroll down a one way quaint little lane, armed with a camera. I've lived here for over fourteen years and I'm still discovering things!
Additionally, Key West is safe. It's not as though you run the risk of being held up, beat up, or murdered in Key West. The #1 crime here is bicycle theft.
I used to work with a very beautiful woman who bartended at The Cork and Stogie. She was petite, under 100 lbs. and came to Key West after living eight years in New Orleans. At this point she was living in Key West about six years. When asked what she liked better, Key West or New Orleans, her reply was “Unquestionably Key West!
#1) It's clean.
#2) I can walk down any street of this town, day or night, at any hour, and I don't have a fear in the world”
That's Key West.
For virtually everyone attending past MOTM events, it's not just a music event, it's a Key West Adventure!
The word started getting around around the beginning of the year that PHIP was thinking of pulling out with the Casa Marina renovations. On the street here in Key West word was getting around that The Casa Marina is not sheading any tears...inside word from someone at the Casa who asked not to be identified, said the Casa makes more money on weddings and there could be more to that when you reread PHIP's statement about the unsuitability after the renovations are completed. Regardless of the reasoning, PHIP themselves stated the Casa is done and as they feel there is no place in Key West that fits their plan, Key West is done.
PHIP/MOTM are going to do what they want to do and despite the fact that the Gates Hotel and 24 North Hotel have a fantastic facility, complete with the Sunset Green Concert area, they are going elsewhere. So, we wish you a bon voyage.
NOW FOR THE GOOD NEWS!
For starters, lets recall that all of the outside events are independent of PHIP/MOTM. This means they have no allegiance to PHIP.
At another event earlier this year a broadcaster was asked “Will you be at the new MOTM at the new location?”
The answer he received was “No. In 2023 we'll be in Key West!”
Tiki Man Radio's Danny Lynn announced on August 7th that they will be in Key West in 2023 with their Songwriters Showcase - Key West Bound, again being held at Rick's/Durty Harry's Stage!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDewlcZeYIw
Check out the video!
Co-Host, Brian Fields posted that they will continue with the Key West Bound Tiki Man Radio Songwriters Showcase in 2023 on his Facebook page, and the response was overwhelmingly positive. As a matter of fact, there were posts saying that others were in progress of working out deals for events at other venues around Key West for 2023 and beyond.
This is a great thing for everyone! The fact is, whatever PHIP do, they have a select group of musicians they'll do it with. That's not going to change. With them pulling out and a completely new facelift, it frees up the awareness and exposure of the many other musicians to finally get the recognition they truly deserve!
How does this effect me? For starters, it goes without saying that my interests are in Key West. I play between 300 and 400 gigs a year in Key West, so I have a vested interest in my little island home. Mind you, it's not taking sides, it's just my choice as to where I'll be in 2023. I have no desire to be a captive customer at a resort on the Redneck Riviera. That's just not my cup of tea. On the flip side, I'm sure there will be those folks who like it.
I'm not leaving Key West, regretfully PHIP is. I wish them all the best and thank them for their previous 25 years of participation in Key West.
I'm already looking forward to Key West 2023 and all who come to visit and enjoy!
I'm sticking with Key West, my little island town!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOhCByREaxc
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I absolutely agree with you Chris, They are making a serious mistake.
ReplyDeleteAnd they will have to change the name....
PHI ?
Just doesnt have the same ring....
I am Sure all of us Real Parrot Heads in Paradise will continue with a better event !
The Big Question is what should we call it?
Delete"Thank God M.O.T.M. is OVER" ?
I always felt that MOTM was an odd name. When people from the outside inquired what it stood for, the name spelled out "Meeting Of The Minds" never was well understood. To them it sounded like a group of highly intellectual individuals with I.Q.s hovering around 200, a lot like Mr. Spock, getting together to solve the worlds problems, However, what they saw was a bunch of music lovers, with a penchant for alcohol. The name of what will continue should be more accurate.
Delete