Please may I encourage you to read this statement which includes the facts about the events leading up to the present situation with the IMPS Board in connection with their former club show. Every part of this chronology is supported with emails and signed minutes (unless otherwise stated) and gives members an unedited timeline giving them the option to make an informed choice.
But firstly a few background facts:-
1. When the club show was formed by the original team, a one year agreement was drawn up which only allowed for the show in 2009. This agreement does not give either a termination clause nor does it give any exit clauses.
2. No further agreement has been drawn up for the show ever since.
3. In my opinion my role as Show Chairman has been considerably undermined by issues being dealt with without my knowledge or through the club president.
4. The Financial agreement as agreed for the 2015 show was dismissed on the Monday after the show with the owners of Headcorn stating that they wanted a 50/50 agreement and demanding both to Diane Smy, the Show Treasurer and James Gosling the Club Treasurer, that it was going to be that way.
I have consistently informed the board throughout 2015 that the role of Show Chairman was untenable.
This is a full chronology of dialogue and events since the show in August 2015.
21 October 2015 – Debrief Meeting at Headcorn for the 2015 show, most members supported a show in 2016 but some had reservations about volunteering to help with another show. It was also pointed out that a number of Headcorn staff were not doing what they said they would and as a result this was causing issues. The Show Treasurer also officially Resigned as Treasurer.
December 2015 – I spoke with the team to see if they were willing to put on a show, a number (myself included) had issues with some of the Headcorn staff. It was suggested that it was left until after Christmas but all would need a decision early January.
Early January 2016 – I Spoke with most of the team and the general consensus of opinion was that the show was being strangled at Headcorn and that some staff at Headcorn were causing more issues than they were resolving. Therefore I said I would take that back to the Board meeting for further discussion.
25 January 2016 - At the board meeting I raised the issue that a number of team members (including myself) were not happy working with Headcorn. I asked who owned the name “Combined Ops”, The club president felt adamant that IMPS owned the name in its entirety. Therefore I presented the Board with three options in connection with a future club event, which are recorded in the board minutes and they are as follows:
1. Combined Ops stays at Headcorn, but without DK in main co-ordinator role.
2. Give the show to Headcorn to run as sole organiser and for IMPS to just support show.
3. Move Combined Ops to a new venue without Headcorn as a partner.
4. DK takes over the running of Combined Ops as a paid organiser, with show still remaining an IMPS event. IMPS retains % of the profit but would not suffer if the show made a loss. DK is to discuss options with The Hop Farm and Bewl Water as possible alternative venues.
At the meeting it was agreed that I should investigate the venues stated and report back to the board.
4 February 2016 –The Club President called a meeting of the IMPS core organising group for Headcorn & the board, without informing me, but later confirmed that he should have let me know but requested I did not attend (which I would have been happy with). Although I believe no minutes were kept of the meeting in attendance were The President, 4 Board Members & 4 of the Show Team (one of which at the meeting stated she wouldn’t be working with Headcorn). Once member of the Show Team was away on Holiday. The options put to the meeting were:
1. Combined Ops stays at Headcorn, but without DK in main co-ordinator role.
2. Give the show to HEADCORN to run as sole organiser and for IMPS to just support show.
3. Move Combined Ops to a new venue without HEADCORN as a partner.
4. DK takes over the running of Combined Ops as a paid organiser, with show still remaining an IMPS event. IMPS retains % of the profit but would not suffer if the show made a loss. DK is to discuss options with The Hop Farm and Bewel Water as possible alternative venues.
Decision was to go with option 4 but needed to put it to a full board meeting.
9 February 2016 – An extraordinary board meeting again chaired by the President, (The member of the show committee who could not attend the meeting on the 4th, attended this meeting at the request of the club president) was called to discuss this, where I believe, again no minutes were taken, however the outcome was to inform me of the decision from the meeting on the 4th and to get feedback from me as to how the Show was organised. I confirmed that in the time since the last board meeting I had met with the Hop Farm and they were interested in having Combined Ops move there. The outcome of the meeting was that
1. I would continue to organise the show and the board would prepare an agreement for signing where IMPS would have received 20% of the show profit with NO end date thus releasing the club from the financial input and VAT liability.
2. Register the name to protect it.
I requested that this was confirmed in an email.
10 February 2016 – I received an email from The Board confirming the board’s decision to go ahead with operating the IMPS Club show, known as “Combined Ops”, at a new location. In addition the email went on to say that “We further authorise you to register, and use, the name, logo and domain name for Combined Ops in relation to a Military, and/or, aviation show held in Kent, along similar lines to the established show, under that name.” & also authorises me to register the name. (a copy of this email is available)
17 February 2016 – A member of the show team sent an email to the club President and myself in connection with the Launch of the new location (a copy of the email is available)
19 February 2016 – The first Draft of the proposed agreement was forwarded to me. I believe that the board had separate discussions as I voiced my opinion that I should not be involved with discussions on this contract on the clubs behalf as I had a vested interest.
22 February 2016 - An email which was sent to the board letting them know that I felt that:
1. IMPS members needed to be informed of this change
2. Headcorn needed to be informed
3. Stallholders needed to be contacted
4. A Public announcement needed to be made.
23 February 2016 – the final version of the contract was available for signing and subject to all approval it would be signed at the board meeting on 25th.
24 February 2016 - I felt it unwise to sign this agreement without first informing Headcorn therefore I suggested that I would go to Headcorn on behalf of the board and inform them of the Board decision to move the show. I suggested that this was done before the board meeting on 25th and therefore I further suggested that we did this on the morning of 24th (before the board meeting) however no other board member wanted to accompany me to Headcorn. The meeting at Headcorn, lasted 5min 52 seconds. I took the precaution (being that I was on my own) to record the meeting; a transcript is available!
Later that day I forwarded the Transcript of the meeting together with a number of issues to the board members informing them that Headcorn were adamant that they owned part of the show & also raised a number of concerns on this basis. (a copy of the email is available)
25 February 2016 – The Club President (in reply to my email of 24th) confirmed (among other things) that his advice to the board was that the club should still pull out from the show at Headcorn (copy of email available)
Also at the board meeting the subject of the show was discussed and the following is an extract from the Board Minutes:
DK stated that he had been to Headcorn on 25/2/16 to tell Jamie that IMPS were taking Co-Ops elsewhere. After a very short discussion, DK was asked to leave.
IMPS Board is to write to Headcorn to confirm that:
1. Headcorn is to stop selling tickets for Combined Ops immediately.
2. Headcorn is to take Combined Ops off their website.
3. Headcorn is to remove all reference to IMPS with regards to any activity at Headcorn Airfield.
4. Headcorn is to relinquish all claim to the Combined Ops name and logo, or provide proof of ownership.
5. IMPS Ltd will be writing to all stallholders and exhibitors who have pre booked, to offer refunds and we suggest that Headcorn do the same for any pre sold entry tickets.
IMPS Board is to issue the above letter to Headcorn by noon on Friday 26th February and request a reply from Headcorn by no later than noon on Monday 29th February 2016.
DK is to speak to ‘Business names’ to obtain legal advice on our position relating to the Combined Ops name and logo.
26 February 2016 – An internal board email was circulated with a draft email to send to Headcorn. At this point the President (who did not attend that board meeting on 25th), informed the board that he had a message from Jamie Freeman (at Headcorn) threatening an injunction requesting that the board held off on sending the letter/email.
26 February 2016 – It was proposed to have a board phone conference but that was cancelled as not all board members could make it. Therefore it was cancelled by the President and rescheduled
27 February 2016 – It was proposed to have a board phone conference but that was cancelled as not all board members could make it. Therefore it was cancelled by the President and rescheduled
28 February 2016 – Again a board phone conference was cancelled as not everyone could make it. Therefore it was cancelled by the President and rescheduled
29 February 2016 – The Board Held a phone conference, during which it was agreed that three board members should go down to Headcorn and discuss this with them. At this meeting I informed the board that I would still be going ahead with a new show with the people that wanted to staff it on the same weekend at the Hop Farm. I also felt that as a result of the board making such a dramatic U-Turn in their decision that I had effectively been constructively dismissed and as a consequence that left me with no option but to resign from board. This resignation was confirmed via email to the chairman (who was not in attendance at the phone meeting).
7 March 2016 – I believe that the board members met with Headcorn on this evening, however not being privy to any board discussions since my resignation I am not aware of what happened at this meeting.
Since then there have been a number of accusations flying around from both the Board, ex-members of the board & people attached to Headcorn, in connection with both myself and members of my team.
Therefore in short:-
1. The IMPS President confirmed that IMPS were the owners of the show.
2. The President & Board authorised me to put a show on at a new location, knowing full well it would be at the Hop
Farm.
3. Headcorn threatened Legal action as a result of this
4. The Board due to other unknown influences has conducted a U-Turn and sided with Headcorn.
In my opinion, I believe that the Board has had considerable external factors making decisions behind their backs but is using them as cover. To what gain I am not sure however I feel that these matters should be much more transparent as any behind the scenes influences are not conducive to a healthy and happy club. The original setup of the show in 2009 did not lend itself to the show continuing and did not protect IMPS should they ever need to stop running the show.
The IMPS Board at 10:37 today 7th April 2016 agreed to publish a statement similar to this statement together with a retraction of their email dated 2 April 2016. However since agreeing this they have made another U-Turn and decided to terminate my membership.
Obviously everyone is free to attend whichever show they choose to. However I feel that it is of significant importance that all members make this choice having total knowledge of the full chronology of events. It is also important to dispel rumours which may have arisen from only partial knowledge of these events.
In closing I would like to take this opportunity to wish you well at whichever show you choose to attend & look forward to seeing you at a show soon.
David King 07/04/2016
