ORIGINAL: Ed Smith
Most of the pre-event paper work is handled by the AMA office but the actual event is run by the Special Interest Group of the event or, in the case of Pylon Racing, one individual as the CD. Pylon Racing ran for the whole week. Apart from the AMA people moving some of the AMA equipment the race workers were all volunteers. They did recieve a small payment for their efforts. There were no AMA employees working the event.
Ed, the important thing that the AMA staff have taken over is the logistics involved with venues, registrations and everything that makes a nats a NATS. I am sure that if it were just a matter of showing up and running your own discipline's event, we'd have volunteers whereever the nats are held ... it is the overall event organisation that is (next to) impossible to find. The AMA does have the luxury of knowing the venue is suitable ... but that's another topic all together.
Also, Ed, you're right. The board is not following its own direction with respect to requiring full proposals at the previous year's AGM. BC did express interest and desire to host the 2006 nats during the AGM this year, but certainly there wasn't a 'proposal' beyond saying that much of the 2000 Nats committee was on board again.
Expecting proper proposals with venues, budgets and committees in place a year and a half ahead of time would likely be the nail in the coffin of the nats. (even Gerry Shaw wasn't prepared to commit to 2006 until 2005 was history)