I'll say this about that too... sigh...
My wife and I have pretty much given up on trying to 'help' the tickle community get "with it". We don't really think its going to happen anytime soon (like for another decade or two). As a matter of fact, the gains made regionally, nationally, and internationally as far as social organizing and supporting real time tickle folk seem to be retreating rather than gaining.
In the Washington DC area (including nearby Virginia and Maryland) we were planning to hold a large convention style party in late July. We had the support (financial and logistical) of a one thousand member alt.-SM group (Black Rose), and a location that could easily hold 1,500 people. I was seriously hoping and anticipating attracting 100 to 120 avid tickle fans from all over.
My wife and I sent notices to over 45 forums, lists, and tickle and foot fetish websites. Less than one week before the party we decided to cancel as we found out there were only 14 people reserved. The hotel offered to refund the three thousand $dollar site reservation fee that the Black Rose Society was "ready, willing and prepared to lose, even if the party did not go forward"!
I simply don't know what more any of us out there can do for "the community". So M and I are sorta out of the (formal) tickle party hosting and promoting biz.
On the other hand... We've held two spanking society parties at our house this year. Each time we had 50 RSVPs within one week. In February we had ovr 25 people show up even in an ice storm; one couple driving down from Pennsylvania to our house in Maryland to attend! Over 35 showed up at our second party in April, over half of them women.
In mid-October M and I are going to host another house-party, and we'll be cutting off reservations at 50. We are going to invite both spankers and ticklers, and we do hope one or two tickle folks show up (we do know all the local DC-MD-VA and most of the Northeast USA ticklers anyway). But we're not going to promote it on this forum. Folks will just have to find out when and where by their own best investigative devices.
Oh yes, the best and biggest tickle fest in the world is still the best and biggest. I'm proud to have attended several of these and bless those who've created the Magic. The last one had people flying into Philadelpha from Minnesota, Alaska, and England. And I'm pretty sure that at least a couple of delightfully kinky tickling relationships have developed through that great big party.
So, my best guess is, for all of you who (and I fear that's almost all of the tickling "community") don't get to many gatherings for whatever reasons, or can't create munches or parties .... you're .. on your own from now on.
Spenser, returning my energies back in the direction of those other kinksters who have the more active real time fetish gatherings and parties