Many IBOs, notably those in the WWDB, will be preparing for a huge function dubbed "family reunion" in the near future. As an IBO, I recollect attending this event, which I still remember. This year's event took place at the Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon. Between 15 and 20 thousand people can be accommodated in the Rose Garden. Despite the fact that the space behind the stage has been closed off, the court area is packed with seats, with the potential to accommodate up to 20,000 IBOs or more. Apologists for Amway frequently disparage critics' experiences, but they conveniently ignore the reality that numerous critics sat in large groups during IBO conventions attended by tens of thousands of people. My sponsor told me about a FED celebration that took place in the (then) Seattle Kingdome when over 50,000 IBOs were in attendance in the years before I became a member.
The family reunion was the most costly event I had ever attended, at least in terms of money. The ticket itself cost $250, and because I was in Hawaii, a round-trip plane ticket was rather pricey due to the high demand in July during this time of year. In addition, we had to pay for hotel rooms, rental vehicles, and food. By the time everything was said and done, I estimate my total expenditure for this function was in excess of $1200. Now, I understand that not all IBOs reside in Hawaii, but even if you reside in California, you most certainly travelled long distances by plane or car to attend this event. I'm not sure where the function is hosted these days because, according to what I've heard, there aren't quite as many IBOs attending as there used to be.
The event was all on building anticipation and enthusiasm. The speakers shared their own stories of overcoming obstacles through perseverance and a never-say-die attitude. I believe that you will succeed one day if you just stick with it and don't give up. The fact remains, however, that in a throng of 15 to 20 thousand IBOs, only a handful of diamonds may be maintained by a group of that size, which goes unnoticed by many. At the time, I didn't take the time to perform the arithmetic myself, or I would have realised that anyone can go diamond if I had taken the effort to do so.
The Saturday evening portion of the event was centred on a display of diamonds displaying their purported financial success. Among the items on exhibit were jewels, luxurious vacations, homes, and sports automobiles. Of course, the diamonds never stated that they were the genuine owners of these items. It makes me question if some of them rented expensive cars to transport themselves to the celebration, given that some of the jewels were presumably unable to buy it. Following the conclusion of the function for the night, our upline anticipated that the group would spend the next few nights trying to "associate" with the diamonds and other pins. We were assured that if we spent enough time with them, their success would somehow trickle down to us. We were sceptical.
Of course, everyone returned home energised, but within a week or two, things had returned to normal, with no discernible growth in any of the groups involved.
To IBOs or information seekers, I have a query. Did you get what you paid for when you purchased these features? Did you install your solar panels in a sustainable manner? Have you noticed an increase in the number of new downline joining you? Is it possible that the money spent on this function was ever repaid through increased business? If you are unable to respond affirmatively to these questions, what was the point of attending? Looking back, I'd have to conclude that the role was a waste of time and money from a business standpoint, which is strangely what most people join the company for, but end up with less of when they become involved with it.
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