Well, I have been advocating (gently) the creation of an Ethnographic Edged Weapons Research Society, since we already have an annual meeting, and publish the proceedings. Something like this could be a part of that.
It sounds like a nice idea, though of course logistics are always a huge issue. For example, who is "in charge?" Who decides who is on the committee? Who collects and send the money? Who makes sure that the invitees can, and do, come? If a co-sponsor is necessary, who (museum? university? company?)? I expect they will want a lot, if not all, of the control.
Though we are an informal group, we are definitely both dedicated and tightly-knit, so it could be something that can work even if done informally, assuming we go about it right (for example, why would someone need more than just a tourist visa?).
