10,000 dollar BCI question .

Dear bonsai people,
I have a plan to join an exhibition in our country to be sponsored by BCI. But I heard that Bonsai Club International (BCI) will charge our organization with US$ 10,000.00. So this will automatically means that the money will be charge to us members during the show, and it is quite a big money for most of us members. I am just thinking what is the $10,000 for? What will we regular bonsai people who are not rich get from BCI? Where will the money go?

In the previous events of BCI they were not charging an organization with even a single cent. and they even give BCI awards for free. WBFF is not asking for money aren't they? And so are the other International organization.
Is bonsai all about money now?

I hope there are members of the board here in IBC who can shed light on this.

$10,000.00 WOW!

The contact details for the current BCI committee are on their website.   http://www.bonsai-bci.com/index.php/2012-04-10-18-56-53/bci-executive-main

Perhaps if you emailed one or more of them you would get an answer to your question.


Sorry, but there's been an outbreak of "internet assassination" over here this week, and I'm a bit wary of this thread turning into a BCI-bashing session when right now we don't have many, if any, real facts.

So, let's bash the National Football League and other pro leagues who charge the U.S. Military (and us taxpayers) for the pregame show of patriotism $10K or more for their color guards or tossing out the first pitch or singing the national anthem.

JimLewis wrote:So, let's bash the National Football League and other pro leagues who charge the U.S. Military (and us taxpayers) for the pregame show of patriotism $10K or more for their color guards or tossing out the first pitch or singing the national anthem.

actually jim, thats not a bad idea...
pro sports deserved to be bashed

fiona wrote:The contact details for the current BCI committee are on their website.   http://www.bonsai-bci.com/index.php/2012-04-10-18-56-53/bci-executive-main

Perhaps if you emailed one or more of them you would get an answer to your question.


Sorry, but there's been an outbreak of "internet assassination" over here this week, and I'm a bit wary of this thread turning into a BCI-bashing session when right now we don't have many, if any, real facts.

Thank you Miss Fiona for the email address.

One of the real facts about this is that another group from our country had a meeting with an officer of BCI and they were asked the same amount of money if they will do a show with BCI. I saw the minutes of that meeting personally.

I will send them email. 10,000 US$ is just too much. They were not charging even any amount before.

thank you!

And who set that little deal up in the first place? The pentagon.

Another fact- This one from Lithuania a continent away:

BCI cancelled the event by Lithuanian Bonsai Association scheduled for 2016 .

Message from Lithuania..
"The board of BCI has cancelled the BCI Convention 2016 that was scheduled to take place in Lithuania the 2-4 September 2016 hosted by Lithuanian Bonsai Association.

The board of the BCI, led by Budi Sulistyo, has initiated a voting to cancel the event in October. We have not received official information that the voting is taking place and what are the reasons behind it. BCI members including the president Mr Tom Elias remained in secret until the results were announced.

The official documents indicate that the BCI is canceling the event because Lithuania was late to pay the $5,000 fee. It is a half of a $10,000 event organization fee that we committed to pay to the BCI according the agreement signed in 2012. The agreement says that half of the sum must be paid one year before the event. In addition to the fee that had to be payed, Lithuanian Bonsai Association committed to take the full financial and organizational responsibility for the event."

I thought we were the only Organization that got problems with this new policy of BCI. But, apparently not.

Has anyone asked BCI for their thoughts on this?

Despite the closeness in initials, BCI and IBC are two completely separate organisations and as such we have absolutely no influence over what BCI does. The issues highlighted in this thread are, in our opinion, entirely an internal matter between the posters' organisations and BCI.

The moderators don't think that it is in anyone's interests to discuss the issue in a public forum. I for my part have drawn attention to the two posts on IBC to a representative of BCI. If we get a general statement in response from them, we will post it.

And of course any member of the bonsai community is perfectly entitled to ask their questions direct to the committee members of BCI whose names are on the BCI website.