2 Aug
2005
2 Aug
'05
4:06 p.m.
On Tuesday 02 August 2005 16:36, Julian Wolfe wrote:
I actually have a few problems with how the show was
run, speaking
mainly as an exhibitor, I think it was run quite backwards. To
charge to exhibit, then not charge for admission, is a slap in the
face to the individuals who hauled their stuff out to show. This
wouldn't be so bad, except that the promised T-shirts were never
delivered, and without notice to anyone. It may only be ten dollars,
T-shirts? Ask Sellam about that. I never promised T-shirts to
anyone. ;) That was probably a side-effect of some website content
that didn't get updated properly. There was at least one other
inconsistency there which caused problems.
It's really hard to run a show correctly the first time, and the one
reason we "didn't charge admission"[1] was because we didn't have the
manpower to enforce it.
but it's a matter of principal. Way to show
appreciation for your
exhibitors by ripping us off.
The amount of money it cost to run the show was nearly equal to the
$10/exhibitor fee. I don't see how I ripped you off. Other than
vendors and consignment sales, no person got paid for the event. In
fact, people who ended up with >1 table paid *less* than what it cost.
If you want, I can send you a receipt for your $10 fee and you can write
it off as a tax deduction, as you were paying a Purdue student club,
which amounts to a non-profit organization...
Because of my oversight, we didn't even have prizes for exhibitors until
Hans stepped forward and donated some (Thanks Hans!).
I may attend next year, but I certainly won't
exhibit - you know the
old saying...screw me once, shame on you, screw me twice, shame on
me.
I'm sorry but I don't think that you were screwed (except maybe for not
getting a t-shirt, which wasn't done on purpose). Charging more for
exhibitors than attendees is the standard in conferences. I had no
manpower to enforce collecting admission fees (the only people there
working were me and about 2-3 other people), and I was trying to do
attendees a favor.
I guess if you try to help someone out (increase attendance), someone
else just feels like you were trying to screw them. :(
Anyhow, Julian, if you (or anyone else in attendance) felt mistreated or
wronged by me, please let me know. I really would like to make the 2nd
Midwest VCF a better event than this was. I know there were some
problems, and not being able to reliably collect admission may have
been one of them. I would have appreciated it if you had told me
during or during the cleanup or something.
To respond to your other post...
On Tuesday 02 August 2005 17:27, Julian Wolfe wrote:
I think the line between exhibitor and vendor is being
blurred here.
The vendor tables were $50, and the exhibitor tables were $10, plus
you were supposed to get a free T-shirt.
Actually, $40 vs $10, not that it makes much difference. Again, the
T-shirt thing was completely accidental. I haven't heard this
complaint from anyone else.
Why not only charge those that are making money?
That's not how it's usually done. I was copying (as much as possible)
how Sellam has done VCF (west) and VCF/Easts in the past.
This is what makes no sense to me...and the
whole lack of a T-shirt thing for the people displaying just puts the
nails in the lid of the "screwjob" coffin in my opinion.
I'm sorry that you feel that way, Julian, I never intended to screw
anyone over.
Hell, I'd return your $10 exhibiting fee out of my own pocket if it'd
make you feel better about being an exhibitor next year.[2]
[1] We instead asked for a $5 donation from each attendee, most of whom
paid it. As Evan noted, that's how we got the number "70 paid
attendees". I know that the attendance was higher than that, as others
have pointed out.
[2] My pocket is not to be used as a get-rich scheme. Don't expect to
get a response or refund from me if you haven't alread expressed
dissatisfaction with the event.
Pat
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