WABC 2007
Statement
The purpose of this statement is to
clarify a number of issues surrounding the World Aquatic Babies Congress
2007 being held 6 – 8th October 2007 in Wellington, New Zealand.
The New Zealand organising group for
WABC 2007 (New Zealand) were not able to reach an agreement with Steve
Graves and his organisation, World Aquatic Babies & Children, regarding
the event. There has been some confusion about whether WABC 2007 (New
Zealand) is an official WABC event or not. The information provided here
will provide some background and explanation.
History Leading up to the Current Situation
To fully understand the current
situation, it is helpful to know some of the history involved.
In 1990, an international conference
focused on infant aquatics was held in Tokyo, Japan. This event was a
collaborative effort between Yumiko Hayashi (Japan), Diny Van Dyk
(Australia) and Virginia Hunt Newman (USA).
Inspired by the Tokyo gathering, in
1993 Virginia Hunt Newman organised another event in Los Angeles,
calling it the World Aquatic Babies Congress (WABC). Around the same
time, Virginia founded an organization aimed at providing information
and organising future conferences, also calling it the World Aquatic
Babies Congress (WABC).
The organisation continued to operate
and oversee subsequent WABC conferences, which were held in Melbourne,
Australia (1995), Oaxaca, Mexico (1997), Toulouse, France (1999) and
Buenos Aires, Argentina (2001). While the organisation was privately
owned by Virginia Hunt Newman, many from around the world looked upon
her WABC as a central point for communication and a facilitator for
providing a bi-annual conference. During the latter part of this period
Virginia appointed Steve Graves to lead the organisation.
In 2003, due to legal concerns
associated with Virginia Hunt Newman’s poor health, the WABC was
dissolved as an organisation. The WABC 2003 conference did go ahead in
Honolulu, Hawaii that year. It was determined that another conference
would be held two years later in Malmo, Sweden (WABC 2005), though that
event was arranged independently and took place with no involvement from
the then disbanded WABC organisation. During this period there were no
public announcements or information provided about the status of the
organisation, so many assumed it was still in operation. In fact, the
organisation’s website site was sporadically maintained to keep some
information in the pipeline, at least about Virginia and her health
issues. Although this was done with the best of intentions, it also
served to add some confusion to the situation as many who saw there was
still a website assumed the organisation still existed as well.
The WABC 2005 in Malmo, Sweden was well
organised and enjoyed by all those who attended. Concerned participants
also discussed the status of the organisation and what the future might
hold. Many were still slow to recognise that the organisation itself did
not exist at that time. Once that became clear, it was established that
the group was interested in seeing the organisation resurrected. It was
also clear that another conference in two years time would provide
another meeting, which everyone wanted, and allow the process of getting
the WABC reorganised to get off the ground in the meantime. Offers to
host the next event were presented with the Swedish organising group
passing the torch onto the group from New Zealand.
At that point, WABC 2007 was initiated
with the sponsorship and support of Water Safety New Zealand, who agreed
to underwrite the event independently. An organising committee was
formed and planning began immediately, involving representatives from
Swimming Coaches and Teachers New Zealand, New Zealand Recreation
Association and AUSTSWIM. A venue was secured and planning continued
with promotion of the event starting officially in May 2006 at the
Australian Swimming Coaches and Teachers Association & Swim Australia
conference, as well as at conferences in New Zealand.
Jackie Young, an attendee at the WABC
2005 event in Malmo, took the initiative to announce a meeting in
Portland, Oregon that would be held in October of 2006. The purpose was
to discuss the future of the WABC organisation and a number of industry
leaders from around the world were invited.
In June 2006, while the Portland
meeting was being planned, Steve Graves announced that he was starting a
new version of the organisation and calling it World Aquatic Babies &
Children. This version of the organisation would be privately owned and
operated by Steve and aim to “inspire & inform people working with
babies & children in the water.”
The event in Portland was then
refocused on supporting this new direction and allowing Steve an
opportunity to explain what he was planning to do and listen to the
needs of those attending. There were also plans to have Virginia Hunt
Newman, whose health had improved, attend the event and bestow her
official blessing on the new direction Steve had initiated.
In June, Steve Graves also initiated
discussions with the organising group of WABC 2007 (New Zealand),
suggesting the two might work together in some way to make the event
successful. This eventually progressed to the stage where Steve put
forward a list of requirements, including a licensing fee and
substantial support for him to attend and promote himself at the New
Zealand event. The New Zealand group was asked to meet these
requirements before the meeting in Portland in order for Steve’s new
group to support the New Zealand event and deem it an “official” WABC
event. The New Zealand group felt that any agreement would need to take
place after the event in Portland, to help gage what level of acceptance
the newly launched version of the organisation was going to have.
At this point the organising group of
WABC 2007 (New Zealand) was very cautious toward Steve’s new direction
and his version of the WABC. When the original incarnation of the WABC
was dissolved in 2003, Steve provided no public communication about what
had transpired and left things in a confused state. This was poor
stewardship at best. Although the dissolution itself was beyond Steve’s
control and there were personal issues taxing his resources at the time,
at some point there needed to be communication about what was going on,
at least with a website posting. There never was. Add to this the self
appointed manner in which the new direction was initiated and some
hesitation on the part of the New Zealand group was understandable.
In addition to being a bit cautious,
there were also concerns about the timing of these requests. The WABC
2007 (New Zealand) event was taken on by Water Safety New Zealand,
including all financial risk and underwriting, in the absence of any
WABC leadership or organisation. In the seven months following the WABC
2005 (Malmo), planning commenced, venues were arranged and budgets were
set for WABC 2007, all in the absence of any WABC organisation. This was
done in the truest spirit of Virgina Hunt Newman’s original vision, to
make sure there was another event for people to gather at, share, learn,
network and celebrate all that infant swimming is. There is little or no
financial gain to be had by hosting such an event. In fact, the risk of
financial loss is quite great. Whomever takes on the organising of such
an event also assumes this risk. Water Safety New Zealand stepped up and
took on this risk and also helped to keep the WABC alive in the void
that existed.
For Steve to start up World Aquatic
Babies and Children in June 2006 and later approach the New Zealand
organising group with “requirements” about what they needed to do to
proceed as an “official” WABC event was questionable at best. Just as
the organising group in Malmo proceeded with their event in the absence
of any WABC organisation, so did the New Zealand group, only to be
approached after the fact. In this regard, it seems unfair that any
compensation was “required” in order for the event to be deemed
“official”.
With these issues aside, the Portland
event took place in October 2006. Steve Graves presented some of his
ideas of what World Aquatic Babies & Children might be in the future and
solicited feedback from those attending. The organising group for WABC
2007 (New Zealand) were represented at the Portland event by Dave DuBois.
After discussions with the group there in Portland and determining there
was some support for the general direction Steve was heading in, Dave’s
intention was to encourage the New Zealand organising group to support
World Aquatic Babies and Children as being a part of WABC 2007 (New
Zealand) and to do this by meeting the original terms set out by Steve.
The next meeting of the New Zealand
organising group was December 1, 2006. One communication from Steve in
the interim about how things were proceeding was answered by saying the
group would be meeting soon and needed time to get things sorted out. It
was stated that the intention was to proceed and that it was looking
positive. There was one other response from Steve which served to
address items in an administrative proposal given to him at the Portland
event, but not to discuss the 2007 event specifically.
The New Zealand organising group met on
December 1st and, as a measure of good will and in an effort to support
the new organisation, agreed to meet the terms of Steve’s original
proposal. Two members of the group agreed to meet over the following two
weeks to get the official agreement drafted and sent to Steve Graves.
On December 11, 2006, Steve informed
the New Zealand organising group that “… Today we clear the way … for
you to hold your event as you wish...and without the endorsement or
participation of WABC organisation,” effectively ending talks between
the two groups.
The New Zealand group was surprised by
this message and the associated public announcement that “talks had
ended.” Of course there is always two sides to every story … While one
perspective can see the New Zealand organising group moving forward in a
timely fashion when everything is taken into account, another one can
see that Steve felt he had been waiting long enough and was frustrated
in not reaching the agreement he was after, requiring him to go forward
on his own.
The irony is that things were moving
forward, to the point that when Steve finally called off the talks, the
New Zealand group was less than a week away from sending him the
agreement to review. In addition, there was no indication Steve was
preparing to end talks with the New Zealand group. Specific notification
of such would have seemed appropriate before the decision and public
announcement.
At that time the New Zealand group made
it clear they were interested in moving ahead together, regardless of
what had been announced. It was emphasised that if Steve were to proceed
in doing an event of his own, which he had indicated, organising two
separate events, in the same month, aimed at the same audience would
only serve to detract from the success of both events.
In retrospect, the New Zealand
organising group could have been more specific about what was going on
behind the scenes. However, no one thought things were as desperate as
they were, or anywhere near the point of ending the talks. Especially
once returning from the Portland meeting, things were progressing, but
were going to take time and that's exactly what was said. It also seemed
most appropriate to send the official agreement when it was ready as
that would be the best way to make a “formal” statement about what was
intended.
An official agreement was sent to Steve
before Christmas 2006. It was made clear that the door was still open to
move ahead together and join for WABC 2007 (New Zealand). However, Steve
replied on January 5, 2007 by confirming “WABC will go another direction
- which will best for us.”
While at each stage since he became
involved Steve has been pleasant and encouraging about an event in New
Zealand, though this meant going ahead as an independent event with no
affiliation or connection to WABC if he was not involved. As a result,
the WABC 2007 (New Zealand) that was taken on and committed to in Malmo
by Water Safety New Zealand would not be an “officially sanctioned”
event now that Steve had chosen to end talks with the New Zealand
organising group.
Current Status
WABC 2007 (New Zealand) is going
forward and promises to be a fantastic event.
The event is not endorsed by Steve
Graves or World Aquatic Babies & Children.
Steve does hold rights to the names
World Aquatic Babies Congress and World Aquatic Babies and Children, so
it created quite a dilemma as to how to proceed with the WABC 2007 (New
Zealand) event once he ended talks with the New Zealand organising
group.
While Steve is not endorsing the event,
there was a mandate from the group attending the WABC 2005 (Malmo)
conference and that commitment deserves to be honored as well. Because
the New Zealand event is connected directly to the 2005 conference in
Malmo, was initiated with the best of intentions and in absence of any
WABC organisation, the New Zealand organising group plans to continue to
using the name World Aquatic Babies Congress 2007. The “2007”
qualification is important as it limits the name and only relates to the
2007 conference in New Zealand. There is no intention to use that name
beyond the 2007 event or form any competing organisation whatsoever. It
will also be made clear that the event and name are “not affiliated with
World Aquatic Babies & Children.”
In regards to the use of the name,
Steve Graves offered to the New Zealand group, “Though I imagine that
you will continue to lay claim and keep the name of the event as stated
... understand that we would therefore not be listing it in our calendar
of Coming Events - unless by chance you do rename it without WABC
reference.”
On that basis, we go forward as the
World Aquatic Babies Congress 2007 - Disappointed we aren’t able to do
so with Steve’s group, still willing to find a way to make that happen
and understanding he will not list our event on his calendar or promote
the event.
World Aquatic Babies Congress 2007 (New
Zealand) wishes Steve Graves and World Aquatic Babies and Children all
the best for the future.
The WABC 2007 in Wellington will be a
fantastic event. It is an opportunity to further the traditions and
relationships forged at previous WABC conferences along with developing,
inspiring, showcasing and enhancing the world’s best programmes,
theories, research and ideas. It’s frustrating that the WABC
organisation won’t benefit from that and take the momentum from the
event into the future … That was always the original intention.
Steve Graves and World Aquatic Babies &
Children plan to organise an event in October 2007, which will surely be
a worthwhile event as well. Each individual will need to make their own
decision about which event to support in 2007, but all are welcome to
attend the WABC 2007 (New Zealand) and contribute to what promises to be
a world class event
Kia Kaha
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