AIKEN NEWS NETWORK AUGUST 18

[outthereforclay]

I'm not covering for Clay, because ultimately, whether he knew about it or not, he is responsible for the actions of his own employees. He pays them to keep up with this stuff. However, why does anyone need to be blamed?

Well, I don't know that anyone needs to be blamed...but in my opinion, I think it would be appropriate for Clay or Nick or his manager or somebody to make some sort of statement. Regardless of "blame", damage was done and a simple addressing of the white elephant could sooth the situation rather simply, I would think.

"It was a security issue because it was never confirmed with his management or booking agency," Roger Widynowski, Aiken's publicist, said Tuesday. "They never knew about it until they showed up at the fairgrounds."

In an e-mailed timeline of events, Tim Klasinski, director of marketing for WRSP, said a meet-and-greet proposal was faxed June 14th to CAA Management, Aiken's booking agency in Hollywood, California. He later received confirmation of the the event.

Klasinski said he believes the meet-and-greet was canceled because of miscommunication between CAA and Aiken's tour management.

(bolding mine)...Hmmm...as an event manager by profession (currently) I know that if these two statements were issued by people involved with an event I was in charge of, I would be called upon to produce documentation to back up the claim that "He later received confirmation of the event." How? Phone confirmation? Who at CAA gave the verbal confirmation? What day, what time? Why didn't WRSP ask for a faxed or email confirmation? I always do.

I have a hard time believing Clay knew about this party and just didn't do it at the last minute without some sort of statement of apology or explanation. The man LOVES his fans; in fact, Jerome often has to rein him back from contact from them--he usually doesn't do it on his own!

[ANGELA]

outthereforclay wrote:

I have a hard time believing Clay knew about this party and just didn't do it at the last minute without some sort of statement of apology or explanation. The man LOVES his fans; in fact, Jerome often has to rein him back from contact from them--he usually doesn't do it on his own!

HE DOES LOVE ALL HIS FANS,  BIG TIME---SO TRUE!

ANGELA

[InAweOfClay]

"OutthereforClay" is 100% correct. In my working days, I was a meeting planner who worked with the event managers. Clay may have thrown a fit and hollered at whoever screwed up  : , but it seems unlikely he would disappoint the fans. However.......if it has happened many times, maybe he would NOT bail out the radio station that particular day.

[lorraine]

ANGELA I AGREE.  CLAY WOULD NEVER EVER DISAPPOINT HIS FANS AND I THINK IF WE KNOW CLAY HE WILL DO EVERYTHING IN HIS POWER TO MAKE THIS UP.


LORRAINE

[mrs. c.]

Lorraine, I couldn't agree more!!!

[ClayBuf]

If this really played out the way it is described in the article, then it is more than likely the promoter's fault for dropping the ball. They would be the one to work out the logistics with the marketing departments of the radio and TV stations. All plans would have then been coordinated with the venue. But, the TV/radio stations screwed up too, if they waited until the day of the show to confirm all the details. By then it seems it was too late to work Clay into the mix.

In the meantime it seems no one notified Clay's Tour Manager of this meet-and-greet. She's the one responsible for getting Clay where he needs to be and when. Can't deliver the star if you don't know he's supposed to be somewhere. She is suppose to know these things well in advance so the logistics of time, place and security can be set and in place for when they get to town, so she can get him in and out.

I said this on a different thread in GOT CLAY. If Clay's tour manager didn't know about this little get together, then Clay didn't know about it either. More times than not he probably doesn't know much of anything until the time comes that he has to show up. Such is the life of a touring star. He probably has to be told from day to day exactly what city he is in.

If Clay's people are responsible for this mishap, then he should be kicking some butt, because he is paying them to do a job. But, if, as I suspect it was the promoter - that is out of his hands. (but his management can be making some waves)

Unfortunately, some people will try to blame Clay in spite of whose fault it is. But, I can't imagine that he won't try to do something to make it up to all those people who were so disappointed. That's just the way he is.

~Buffi

[ACcountryFan]

If Clay's people are responsible for this mishap, then he should be kicking some butt, because he is paying them to do a job. But, if, as I suspect it was the promoter - that is out of his hands. (but his management can be making some waves)

Unfortunately, some people will try to blame Clay in spite of whose fault it is

 
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i don't particularly care for the heading "Snub by Aiken hurt" because to me it implies Clay cancelled the thing without care about who was there to meet him. i'm not saying Clay can't cancel such an event, but don't make it out to be he snubbed people. Like the article stated, there are things that go on behind the scenes that typical fans have no clue about and to echo the thoughts of ClayBuf, those people are gonna blame Clay...and seeing that happen, i wouldn't mind it at all if Clay knocked a few people's heads together if they're inept and can't do their job.

Pamela, you probably know that i'd LOVE to believe FOX is behind this mess and had no confirmation from Clay's people at all...but continued to score ratings points with their Clay contests or whatever they did up to the last minute. However, IF Clay and his people knew about the meet and greet and they had their reasons for cancelling it, that in no way makes it his fault either...MY OPINION.

take a look at this self-absorbed quote:

"Fair security and Ill. State Police surrounded us. What could he [Aiken] be scared of? A couple of 6-year olds, an 8-year old, a 13-year old, an elderly couple, and a woman in a wheelchair?"

that quote tells it all in my view point. there are other factors at play. You are free to think Clay cancelled on all of you if you want but without solid proof showing he knew long in advance of this and waited until the last minute to cancel it, i don't think you should assume he doesn't care for his fans, which is how i took your statement!  

in reference to the "snub" writer, suppose the President of the US made plans to do something and people were all waiting to meet him but something came up and it was cancelled. Would you think the President intentionally "snubbed" people? If you do, in my opinion, you're nuts.

there was no snub if you have no real proof Clay knew of this long in advance and waited until "the last minute" to not appear. even then, who's to say he didn't have his reasons for not doing the meet and greet ased on last minute decisions?

in my opinion, they should do away with the traditional meet and greet altogether and have a new meet and greet.

the new meet and greet would work like this: the fans "meet" Clay with their eyes when he's on stage and they "greet" him with screams and cheers. That's it. That's my idea of a meet and greet.

chances are everyone has participated in that kind of meet and greet and everyone's happy for it and nobody feels "snubbed" or "hurt" and they're not "ticked off" for some reason or another.

[ClayBuf]

the new meet and greet would work like this: the fans "meet" Clay with their eyes when he's on stage and they "greet" him with screams and cheers. That's it. That's my idea of a meet and greet

Sounds good to me, AC. From everything I've heard and read, most of Clay's M&G's are more cattle calls than anything, and a group photo if they're lucky. Someone always comes away disappointed because it's not what they expected or they wanted more out of it (or Clay). And, having set these things up before, I can tell you they are a PAIN. I like your version a lot better.

~Buffi

[heater]

This was a great news day!  Thanks so much Ros-de-anna and Pamela!!  I hadn't seen the video of Gus from Des Moines!  That was very, very creative...I loved it!  I said it last night and I will say it again that the In-Style poll only tells the rest of the world what we already knew!  I am thrilled by that!   :D

[STEPHANIE1130]

Thanks for all the news & articles!You guys are great! :D  :D  :D  :D  :D

[Shakin4Aiken]

in my opinion, they should do away with the traditional meet and greet altogether and have a new meet and greet.

the new meet and greet would work like this: the fans "meet" Clay with their eyes when he's on stage and they "greet" him with screams and cheers. That's it. That's my idea of a meet and greet.

Wow, now that there is a great meet and greet! Honestly, that would be so much better because, hey everyone can see him without worrying about getting "snubbed" or whatnot.

I think this whole thing probably just got thrown way out of proportion.