[hackpgh-party] Re: Initial wiki page up!
- From: gwen <gwenix@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: hackpgh-party@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 18 Nov 2010 16:10:50 -0500
I am OK with axing drink tickets, but I'd like to point out some
misunderstandings here:
1) it's not up to us to track the tickets, it's up to OTB. As far as
I'm concerned, they could just toss the tickets into a bowl, and we'll
count them up at the end of the night. that's a physical marker of
what is "spent", so I'm not worried about us having to count that up
too.
2) the equipment we're being lent at OTB is worth more than a few drink tickets.
3) not everyone uses a drink ticket, so we'd actually gain the money
back for what is unused.
4) as for drink specials, perhaps that'll get used for the $5 drinks,
and if we get a drink special, people will spend on that later. We
aren't requiring what the tickets are spent on.
5) If we do drink tickets, we charge $10. If we don't do drink
tickets, we charge $5. The tickets are covering themselves, so it's
not like it's something that should ever be a net negative. It
doesn't matter what people use them for ($2 drink? whatever, so the
bar makes some money... we're still covered by the same $5 we put into
it.)
Plus, I haven't actually asked specifics about what OTB would do --
for all I know they'll just add whatever's put on a ticket onto a tab,
at which point we pick up the profit for someone putting a $2 drink on
a $5 ticket. The reason I haven't asked is because I don't care. I'm
OK with the bar profiting from us as well, because if this works out
well, I'd like for us to have a good working relationship for the
future.
I just want to make sure the facts are straight here... because I see
it as potentially a gain for the shop with little effort from us, and
a good bone to throw to the venue for hosting us.
Now, the $10 being steep during the holidays, that's also something we
should discuss regardless of the drink tickets. I don't have a good
feel for that, because so many of the fundraising events I go to are
in the $50+ range. Our demographic is our members and our friends...
would they more likely to come at what ticket price?
I think we need a vote of some sort about what is reasonable here.
Should I ask on the main list for a show of hands? I'd phrase the
question like this:
Do you think you and your friends are likely to attend the holiday
party if the ticket price is:
1) $5
2) $10 and includes a drink ticket
Or should I set up a doodle poll with that?
On Thu, Nov 18, 2010 at 3:47 PM, Mandy <steelgreypittsburgh@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Hi!
>
> So for party times, I'll just run with a start time for our graphic.
> They're not closing the bar for us anyway, so if people want to stay and
> hang that won't matter. I'll use 7pm as I'm working on the graphic, but if
> discussions go on and we decide on a different time I'll just swap it out,
> no biggie. People can find out more on the website later anyway.
>
> Awesome on the baskets being donations only, I think better to not dip into
> any shop funds, since we're trying to make a little $. How to get this on
> member's radar for earlier gathering?
> For the drink tickets - I did a little digging, and many nights (seems
> especially weeknights) OTB has drink specials for $2. I'm super disinclined
> to pay $5 for one drink when I can potentially get two for less. Also, it's
> been a while since I've been there, but I don't remember their
> drafts being that expensive even for the fancy pulls. Mixed drinks, sure...
> but I think we're more of a beer crowd. If OTB is just going to collect
> drink tickets and charge us $5 per ticket at the end of the night, somebody
> has to wrangle those tickets, keep track of how many we have *actually*
> given out (or come up with a non-easily-reproduced something), and pay the
> bill at the end of the night. And anyone turning in a drink ticket
> will pull $5 out of the shop's made funds for every drink when said drink
> may have cost less than half that. Same with running a tab... to be very
> very blunt, that scares the crap out of me and opens up potential loss for
> the shop. If it were only paid ticket holders in the bar, not so much of a
> worry, but that's not the case here (not saying that should be the case, I
> think the more we can introduce to the group, the merrier).
>
> I understand about throwing the bar a bone, but the way I see it, we're
> already throwing them a huge one by doing publicity for this and driving a
> whole crowd of people into their bar (ideally) on a night that wouldn't see
> that much activity normally. Plus, they're not closing it for us or keeping
> out anyone else that shows up and just wants to visit the bar. People will
> drink, people will order food, people will tip, and they will make
> more money from that activity that normally wouldn't be there. We didn't
> pay the Brillobox anything - and as a matter of fact, they gave US a handful
> of drink tickets for free to combo with the party prizes since we were
> driving so many people there on a random night that would be otherwise slow.
>
> I like your idea of tickets being a little cheaper in advance - but there
> are some logistics involved... like do we give out actual "tickets" that
> those people have to bring in? Do we put them on a list we keep at the
> party?
>
> And good point on "who" for "what price". I do think we need to be aware of
> that. It's right in mad-shopping and budget-crunching time - so $10 might
> be a little steep. And I totally understand re: getting something in
> return. I think a raffle ticket should stay with admission. Maybe there's
> something else we could do very very cost efficiently in addition? A
> throwie "pin" or something like that?
>
> So all my rambling aside...
>
> I'm only one voice in many, but personally I'm against the drink tickets.
> It's more work for the shop, with zero gain for the shop.
>
> I'll be working on the graphic the next couple nights and hope to have some
> time to make a final for send-around thoughts Friday night at the shop.
>
> *m
> On Thu, Nov 18, 2010 at 12:47 PM, gwen <gwenix@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>
>> I was given no deadlines for time, though they close at 2am. I'd need
>> time to set up, so I'd be happier if we started 7 or 8pm. I assume
>> we'll want to wrap up officially around midnight so that working
>> people can go home.
>>
>> As for the baskets: I was under the assumption we'd all be donating
>> things to it, I didn't expect shop to pay for any aspect of that. If
>> we'd like to ask about a contribution from the shop for the party,
>> perhaps that's a nice idea, but that should be a fixed budget that we
>> get to cover whatever details we need it for. But I was hoping we
>> could manage this without having to get into shop funds.
>>
>> As for the drink tickets: people who don't drink can give them away,
>> or use them for non-alcoholic drinks. Yes, they're worth a drink "up
>> to" $5, I don't know if OTB would just stash the $5 into a jar and
>> charge us $5 for each ticket turned in, or if they'd run a tab we'd
>> pay later. I'm personally OK either way: we need to throw money back
>> to the bar for hosting us somehow, as they're being very generous in
>> allowing us use of not only the space, but equipment.
>>
>> As for non-drinkers, they could arrange to give away their drink
>> tickets if they'd like, or perhaps we could arrange for a ticket
>> becoming unlimited soda for non-drinkers. Many bars already have this
>> set up anyway... I'll inquire about that.
>>
>> I was also thinking: perhaps if people buy tickets over a week in
>> advance, we could have ticket prices set to $8 instead of $10?
>>
>> They really base question is: Are our members going to come to this
>> party for what price? And would that price be good for their friends?
>> We need to set a price based on what people can spend on this party,
>> not sell it as "a bargain". Now, that being said, I do find that
>> people are more comfortable paying if they get something in return...
>> but the ticket is for funds for the club fundamentally speaking, and
>> we can't lose sight of that.
>>
>> Really, clearly, we need to discuss what the ticket price should be
>> and whether there are drink tickets some more.
>>
>> On Thu, Nov 18, 2010 at 10:43 AM, Mandy <steelgreypittsburgh@xxxxxxxxx>
>> wrote:
>> > Aaaaaaaand a couple more questions.
>> >
>> > * Sorry if I missed this, but what time do we start the party at OTB,
>> > and
>> > what time do we have to wrap up?
>> > * Can someone with access to the web site make me a URL to put into the
>> > graphic? Even if it's just holding "stay tuned" copy for now. (Doug
>> > maybe?)
>> >
>> > Thanks!!!
>> >
>> > *m
>> >
>> > On Thu, Nov 18, 2010 at 10:35 AM, Mandy <steelgreypittsburgh@xxxxxxxxx>
>> > wrote:
>> >>
>> >> Hi party people!
>> >>
>> >> Just reading through the notes and I have a couple callouts... things
>> >> to
>> >> think about / discuss.
>> >>
>> >> * I like the raffle basket idea - it seemed to be a hit at the
>> >> Halloween
>> >> party. I do want to callout, though, that all of the contents and
>> >> containers for this for the Halloween party were donated by members or
>> >> purchased out of pocket by Amy, Matthew and myself. The shop didn't
>> >> pay for
>> >> any of that... and I don't know if there are shop funds to pay for any
>> >> of
>> >> that for this party either... but that's a question for higher-up on
>> >> the
>> >> chain.
>> >>
>> >> * Sorry I can't get off of this one - but a drink ticket included in
>> >> the
>> >> price of entry is throwing me off. I'm still thinking of those who
>> >> don't
>> >> drink at all and those who choose to be designated drivers. Many of us
>> >> live
>> >> a ways away from the South Side, and we all know what a total pain it
>> >> is to
>> >> get a cab anywhere in this town - so I think we need to be cognizant of
>> >> those that have made life choices and those that are awesome enough
>> >> to volunteer to haul the rest of our tipsy butts around :) Why make
>> >> them
>> >> pay for something they can't/won't use? A $10 party might also scare
>> >> off
>> >> the locals.
>> >>
>> >> *** I'm also curious how this would even work with OTB? Are they
>> >> providing the tickets? Do they give them to us up front for
>> >> distribution
>> >> with tickets or at the door? How do they get paid for the tickets?
>> >> Who
>> >> makes the profit (because many beverages aren't going to cost $5, what
>> >> happens to the leftovers)?
>> >>
>> >> *m
>> >>
>> >> On Thu, Nov 18, 2010 at 9:32 AM, Doug Philips
>> >> <douglas.philips@xxxxxxxxx>
>> >> wrote:
>> >>>
>> >>> I've started a wiki page (as per the -discuss email):
>> >>>
>> >>> http://www.hackpittsburgh.com/wiki/index.php?title=2010_Holiday_Party
>> >>>
>> >>> This is just what I can remember from last night.
>> >>> Consider it draft -1 and correct, update, etc. mercilessly!!
>> >>>
>> >>> -D
>> >>>
>> >>
>> >
>> >
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Gwendolyn R. Schmidt
>>
>
>
--
Gwendolyn R. Schmidt
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