Hukilau vs tiki kon - Other Events

PP Prikli Pear Tiki Socialite New Braunfels, Texas Joined: Jan 04, 2017 Posts: 981	PP Prikli Pear Posted posted on Wed, Mar 28, 2018 11:13 AM On 2018-03-28 09:43, santa wrote: What are keys to success? Sales? General marketing? The field interests me if the risks can be made lower. Thanks for the great posts! Yes to the above. The big expense, though, is the venue. I've never been involved directly with negotiations, but I know folks who are. Events guarantee a certain number of booked room nights in the contract in order to have access to the event rooms for panels, seminars, vendors, etc. If bookings fall short by even just a few rooms, the event organizers are on the hook for all rental fees. That can be devastating. I know once convention a few years ago that got the deadline for room bookings extended, then actually offered to subsidize attendees' lodging because they were so far short on contracted rooms. They were looking at outright bankruptcy otherwise. People who haven't been involved in organizing conventions and conferences grossly underestimate the expense that goes into these thing. It's not just Spanky, Darla and Alfalfa "putting on a show." Marketing, in particular, is often overlooked. I was involved with a science fiction convention decades ago that blew its entire budget on some Star Trek actors. They slashed the P.R. budget, reasoning "These folks are so famous people will flock to see them regardless of what we do!" Um, no. It was a complete disaster. At the same time, marketing doesn't mean just throw money at the problem. I've seen other local conventions blow the entire marketing budget by taking out ad space in national publications. It's nice that people in New York and LA are aware of your event, but exactly zero booked flights and hotels to come visit Houston in July. "Fiscally conservative and strategically smart" is the best approach, but even the folks behind the disasters think that's what they're doing until it's too late.

On 2018-03-28 09:43, santa wrote:
What are keys to success? Sales? General marketing? The field interests me if the risks can be made lower. Thanks for the great posts!

Yes to the above. The big expense, though, is the venue. I've never been involved directly with negotiations, but I know folks who are. Events guarantee a certain number of booked room nights in the contract in order to have access to the event rooms for panels, seminars, vendors, etc. If bookings fall short by even just a few rooms, the event organizers are on the hook for all rental fees. That can be devastating. I know once convention a few years ago that got the deadline for room bookings extended, then actually offered to subsidize attendees' lodging because they were so far short on contracted rooms. They were looking at outright bankruptcy otherwise.

People who haven't been involved in organizing conventions and conferences grossly underestimate the expense that goes into these thing. It's not just Spanky, Darla and Alfalfa "putting on a show." Marketing, in particular, is often overlooked. I was involved with a science fiction convention decades ago that blew its entire budget on some Star Trek actors. They slashed the P.R. budget, reasoning "These folks are so famous people will flock to see them regardless of what we do!" Um, no. It was a complete disaster. At the same time, marketing doesn't mean just throw money at the problem. I've seen other local conventions blow the entire marketing budget by taking out ad space in national publications. It's nice that people in New York and LA are aware of your event, but exactly zero booked flights and hotels to come visit Houston in July. "Fiscally conservative and strategically smart" is the best approach, but even the folks behind the disasters think that's what they're doing until it's too late.

Post #785429 by Prikli Pear on Wed, Mar 28, 2018 11:13 AM