I feel like our UK brothers/sisters (perhaps due to the prevalence of splosh/gunge, perhaps because of the size of the country) have trumped the US in terms of meet-ups (and, much to my dismay, ability to do pie/mess sessions in-person with models, escorts, producers, fetishists, etc.).

I know there was at least one if not two semi-regular meet ups in the UK, and although like I've said, have not been around much in the last year or two, doesn't appear there's been a lot of group activity here in North America.

On the one hand, I'm surprised after all these years that the UMD hasn't gotten together to do an annual event. On the other, last few years have obviously been economically difficult for so many, the cost of flying cross-country for such a thing and hotel stays, etc., I suppose I'm not surprised.

I started thinking about this mainly because I find when I have met people IRL that I "know" from online, it's always an interesting experience. At first, often a little awkward (and i'd imagine a bit more so, given that we've all "met" on a fetish site). But on the other, I've had really great chats and times with people I first met on-line, and it's also interesting to me how the people are or are not like their online presences.

I started wondering if Devo would just be really pleasantly thankful, Happy Camper and MapWhap and a couple of the other acerbic folks would be just as acerbic and wry in person; if Ariel would be as down to earth and chill; Jayce would be as crazy-fun (funny you mentioned a southern-accented post the other day, Jayce, you are the "I can stay atop this mechanical bull longer than any of y'all" of the UMD and i mean that affectionately xo), and so on and so on...

I tend to be in life much as I am on here and pretty much any other online forum, although we're talking about fetishes, and sensuality, etc. and I tend to be one of those "get a couple drinks in me to loosen up" sorts.

Plus, I suppose you'd have some folks who'd just like to hang out, chat, laugh, have fun, trade stories, get to know each other in person, and then others who'd want to do this strictly/only if it were a meet-up to engage in messy play.

Anyway, I'd be curious if/when these things have been attempted (Particularly in N. America, though UK and elsewhere folks, please feel free to share your experiences, especially with long-running/standing meet-ups), and what the experience ultimately was like.

JY

Rest assured, I'm the same jackass in person.

As you have said - the ability to get almost anywhere in our country within a few hours probably helps (unless you try taking the motor ways anyhow )

^^ Basically this. There are certain cities in my home state more miles away from me than ANY city in the UK is from any other.

Map -- well now i am curious to know what your job is? Bartender? Bouncer? Prison Guard? Stand up Comic?

Happy -- this place needs jokers, sassers, jesters, tell-it-like-it-is-ers, etc., else it wouldn't feel complete.

Re: the general responses -- 'bout what i assumed. I think it's interesting we're in clusters: the West Coast contingent (but even that is divided into various Cali locations), the southern one (also kind of divided all the way between Texas, Florida and everything in between), New York/Boston/Conn. there's quite a surprising number of WAMmers (where were you all when i was growing up and needed to hide/discuss my pie/slime interests?!?).

Map, you (via Hurley) make a very good point and one I sort of had assumed/anticipated -- i've met people as I say from online, mainly from forums devoted to various shows or movies; the people who used to argue and thrash me like crazy were neutral or totally nice when I met them in person, while the people I was "friendly" with, it feels weird when you finally meet. (I once went to an OK Cupid local meet-up which was one of the most traumatic experiences of my life.)

On the one hand, i feel like someone a la Rob Blaine or Bill Shipton -- big hearts, open arms, kind of these impresarios who seemed to embody the spirit of the community -- they could've been the King/Guest of Honor at one of these things, or even hosted it. But as they've passed on, I feel like it's a bit of an end of an era.

(And I don't say that as a bad thing, it's just a different time, but there are as many cool/personable folks as there ever was -- Rich has always been one of the most cordial, honest, down-to-earth dudes I've ever dealt with in the inter web universe, Ariel is a sweetheart, Messmaster is as genial and helpful now as day one, etc.)

The more I think about it, I feel like it could/would perhaps be best if one of the Grand Dames, Queens, Kings, etc. of the UMD were hosting, but that's a huge onus on them. (C'mon, Messygirl, you've got plenty of room down in Texas to host us all, don't ya? xo)

Plus, what happens when that one dude nobody likes shows up.

JY

Yeah, my only fear about attending something like this would be that it ends up a sausage party...

makes total sense.

How about having something like this during fetishcon?

FetishCon is in Florida in August, which ends the discussion for me right there. Actually, you lost me just at Florida.

I think the key words here are "awkward" and "sausage party." I'm anti-social to begin with and I would be, at best, ambivalent about hanging out with a bunch of people with whom I have in common nothing except the knowledge that we all fap to the same stuff.

The only thing that would ever entice me to attend a meet would be if it were built around a wam event of some duration, like a mud wrestling tournament. In other words, the attraction would be the opportunity to watch or participate, and socializing would be secondary (and optional).

Can you imagine any hotel agreeing to host this? And you thought rock bands had a reputation for trashing hotel rooms...

This is going back a decade ago now but Messmaster used to extend open invitations to meet up when he went clubbing in Philly (think he was still living in Deleware at the time). I went a few times with my girlfriend. It was fun just putting a face to the screen name, hanging out, and having a good time; nothing overtly wam related happened. Alas, I fear that he has grown old like me and no longer hits the clubs as often...

-JD

I'd be down for a gathering (or at least a couple beers at a bar), were it not for the logistics of the thing. I don't know too many members even close to KC. I doubt it'd be too awkward, though--I've read enough posts from Ariel/Jayce/Rich/HappyCamper/Noise et al to where I bet they'd seem familiar in real life. I'd be more interested in talking the ears off a producer, though. The behind the scenes stuff I find really interesting.

I think virtually everything that's been said here is likely right on the money:

What MM used to do makes sense -- anyone who wants to can meet up, in public, get to know one another, etc. But even then, it's almost more about couples, or about people who are already kind of tight/friendly/chatty on UMD.

And then what Regis and some of the others have said -- i get that, too. A good chunk of us are lurkers, some just come here to get content (free or download); while it's sheer fun for some, others it's hard to separate from the fact that it's a fetish, it's sexual, it's something we do in the privacy of our own homes. I STILL debate about writing something sexual in re: to a clip or photo with certain folks, because it's like "I'm admiring them and their work -- but now am I just being crude? Taking it too far?"

I appreciate your bluntness/frankness, Regis; likely many others feel similar or some stripe of what you've said.

Plus, there is that horrible image of the "Furries"-in-the-Vegas-hotel episode of CSI (one of its very first episodes) that looms whenever I think about an en masse gathering of this kind.

The best bets are probably likely small contingents meeting up here and there or, as someone suggested, doing something within or nearabouts Fetish Con.

(Although even then, I've been to one Adult Con show here in LA, and beyond the kick of meeting a few porn lovelies and guys, was kind of one of the more awkward/sad events I've ever attended. It was also late on a Sunday afternoon and probably dying down by then, but still.....)

@HappyCamper,

Since you're a girl, wouldn't you love 'sausage-parties'???

As the lone girl at a sausage-party, you'd get to pick whichever sausage(s) you want

You could even channel Catherine the Great and make men line up for inspection so that you could truly pick the sausage(s) of your choosing...

We could always tell the hotel an untruth (aka. LIE) and claim to be beanie-baby collectors when booking the conference hall...

I don't know what Mapwhap1 does, but as a "disabled" Marine (which means that I'm still better then anyone who's not a Marine) and "doorman" (bouncer) in NYC, I can back up what comes out of my mouth. The real key to doing this is to have no fear (have no-fear, NOT show no fear) when you open your mouth. If you do this, regardless of your size, people who can won't physically challenge you.

BTW; If anyone wants to say 'hi' to me on Tuesday, I'll be at Hurley's on 48th (NYC) from 14:00-midnight

If you aren't joking, you may want to read his profile
"The gal in my profile pic is kaydens666. She lets me use her pic. Although I am flattered that you'd send me your inspired pudpulling fantasies, you should know that I'm a dude with a mohawk, not a sweet little hottie from Kentucky."

-JD

Ooops...


Though that's the risk you run when you use the picture of a hottie from Kentucky when you are, in fact a dude with a Mohawk....

I'm not in my profile picture either, but it should be fairly obvious that I choose a funny picture, as opposed to a picture of a fellow WAMer...

You can still feel free to send him all your dude with a mohawk pudpulling fantasies

-JD

Bingo... Also doubt there would be any females under the age 30

What's wrong with women over the age of 30!?!?!?!?!?!?!

Once (most) women pass 30 they actually become MORE fun because;

a.) They know what they like and usually have no problem telling you.

b.) Like you (the guy) they're no longer seeking commitment and just want to have a good time.

Plus;

https://whinwhin.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/demotivational-posters-curves.jpg

I don't need the fan fiction!

I knew someone here would chew me out for that. It's nothing against women over 30...im 24 and would just like to meet with people in WAM community around my age. Problem is so many creeps have deterred younger women from our fetish so it makes the whole thing impractical to me...

Just closing the hanging bold tag someone left.

To get a sense of perspective, the UK has 60+ million people (that's about 1/4 of the population of the entire USA) in something not much bigger than the State of Wisconsin. You can get from any major city here to any other major city in at most four hours by train (and our idea of a good inter-city service is at least two trains an hour from 6am till midnight). And all domestic train travel is turn-up-and-go, no security theatre or advance check-in. Or just drive, though that's slower and you can't surf the UMD while doing it.

I wouldn't say any of the splunches I've been to were awkward, while the thing we all have in common might be a bit unusual, by and large it was just a genial social gathering of guys (and a very few girls) with a specific interest, but we tended to chat about all kinds of other stuff - especially beer! I had the great honour of actually meeting the late Bill Shipton at the Birmingham one a few years back, and spoke to a whole bunch of people. I've met Mike Nomic at a few of them.

Girls do sometimes come but forget any thought of it being a dating meet. It is a good place to pick up tips on wamming ideas though - it was at the first ever Leeds one that we picked up the idea of pouring cola over people, after one of Andy's models described how it had felt having some poured into her dress on a shoot, "fizzed in places I didn't know I had places".

No, idea I have not been to one before, but a few producers have.

From it's name, it is a fetish convention, where you have different booths showcasing different fetishes. There also seems to be networking for the adult entertainment industry.

Alternatively, if we could find a place that holds WAM-like events, like a mud wrestling bar that could work as well, especially if it's in a reasonably accessible location.

Another option would be to meet up at public "WAM" activities like mud run and the sorts.

This was great! Appreciate sharing your experiences, exactly what i was hoping to find out and, yes, i couldn't remember what they were called ("splunches").

I love that bit about the Cola!

Gracias,

JY

PS, apparently the turn-off-bold didn't work, but i couldn't figure out for the life of me how to do it

Fuck u, I just turned 40, but I still be shakin my ass!

We still go out, but it's usually just in random spots around the city. I'd be down to have a beer and some shots with anybody who wants to join me. UMD's 17th is coming up in May. I'll probably be getting fucked up....

I owe you a drink after all the trouble I've caused around here

Hay Messmaster,

I've mentioned this on the forum before, but LifeInColor ('LIC') is having a 'paint party' concert in Phili on 04/11/15...

At this point, it would be pretty 'last minute'. but would you want to organize an event around this???