LM'08, DfH's Friday night party - question for all...

[Paddy_NL]

Hi to all,

We're having thoughts on covering some costs for the Friday night party at Le Mans next year, and we would like to know your opinion on this matter.

At the 2007 edition we gave you guys the opportunity to sponsor a barrel of beer for the Friday evening, as result of an idea from one of the CA'ers. This was a big success, but did turn into an administrational mess. We never kept track of who gave what when at Le Mans, and so it could have well been that we had more barrels sponsored than we used on the Friday night.

For the next edition, we would like to do this more honestly. After all, there were people who paid way too much for what they comsumed - and there were people who didn't pay anything. This can be done more sufficiently, and we're thinking about selling wrist bands for a minimum amount of money to cover our costs a little. The check for wrist bands should be more easy for next year too, as we will have designated spaces - so we basically have those spaces rented for a week, they will be our spots.

Question is: would you agree on buying wrist bands for the Friday night?

The amount we're thinking of is € 6.00 for just covering the costs including postage - or € 10.00 for cover costs and postage, plus an additional amount for charity. These amounts work out £ 4.10 and £ 6.85 in Sterling.
We realize this is next to nothing for a grand night out, but you guys all know the price we pay for our beer barrels by now. Besides, we are not at Le Mans to make a profit. Any overflow on our account will also go to charity.

The way the plans for the Friday night at the moment are: opening act by the Flying Baguettes, followed by a small gig by the JPC Band. Then the auction, and from 11-ish Vinnies Vice will be back on stage.

I'm early with this, but there's a reason for that. New wrist bands will have to be made, CA'ers will have to be given an opportunity to order and pay - and we have to send the things to your homes.
The reason for selling wrist bands up front is because we want as less money as possible changing hands at Le Mans itself. There will come a day when the people from the ACO wearing ties will come around the corner at exactly the wrong moment, and we haven't got a clue what they will say - but fear the worst.

So please give your own opinion on our proposal, good or bad. Poll will run untill the first of November. We will figure out something else if you all disagree...


Thanks,
Max, Roy, Dirk, Marius and Patrick
Drinking for Holland

[Werner]

Hi DFH-Team

good idea to collect the money up-front - keep it simple, also for yourself, you have been doing a wonderful job organizing these parties. Looking forward to the LM 2008 DfH Friday nite

Cheers

Werner

[Bob U]

I'm all for paying for a wristband for admission to the party.

 The only thing I would say is .... This year I saw a lot of people without wristbands at your bar taking drinks.This was not possible to police due to the general melee at the bar and the speed at which the bartenders were passing out the glasses. Afterwards I read on another forum of people openly bragging that they had drunk free beer all night and were not part of a group that had sponsored a barrel.

 As you have reserved numbered spaces for next year will it be possible to stop free access and keep the freeloaders out?

[Piglet]

IIRC the firelane was a problem this year as it wasn't possible to put up a barrier to stop people coming through it so it left the bar area open to those who wanted to take the piss. 

It was also quite dark - I think someone explained that there had been some kind of lighting problem but this coupled with the weather (more people wearing long sleeves and coats than usual!) meant that it was easy for people to slink around without being seen without a wristband. 

[Paddy_NL]

Bob,
I don't think we can ever stop people coming over to try and have a free drink. After all, we do give it away on all other days (even though our policy with unknown people is one, maybe two beers maximum).
Problem with the wrist bands is that they were easily covered up by jackets at the last edition, so it wasn't easy for the -very busy- bar people to see.
Exclusive shirts are already proposed, but that has down sides too (rain, cold after dusk, fancy dress).

Maybe we should try to come up with something obvious which doesn't get in the way, like a fingerless orange righthand glove for everyone

[mgmark]

You guys do a superb job of putting on a fantastic Friday night, which has grown and grown in popularity (and no doubt cost to you) over the last few years, and you have been gracious to open it up to CAers and others, and you put a considerable amount of effort into planning, organising and running the party.  In short, it is your party and you can make the rules!

I have no difficulty at all with buying a wristband for the Friday night and adding an amount for charity.  Keeping the physical handling of cash at Le Mans to a minimum by up-front payment is very sensible, because it would reduce the cash you have to keep safe there, which is important with the theft issues at Le Mans.  If people are paying for the do, then it makes sense to police it to keep the freeloaders out as far as is possible (and I agree with Bob, there were noticeably more of them hanging around this year) and marked spaces might make that easier, notwithstanding the firelanes.  

However, if you do work out a way of successfully policing it, you might want to think about whether you open it up more towards the end of the evening to attract more people in for the actual auction, perhaps by charging a lesser entrance fee in cash at that point?  Almost like having a two-stage event.

MG Mark

[hgb]

I'm happy to pay for the party... if I can make it. 

[Piglet]

However, if you do work out a way of successfully policing it, you might want to think about whether you open it up more towards the end of the evening to attract more people in for the actual auction, perhaps by charging a lesser entrance fee in cash at that point?  Almost like having a two-stage event.

This is going off track a bit but this might be worth reviewing at some point?  Whilst the auction raised good money last year there weren't really enough people buying to get good prices for the items. 

Given we'll have more time for next year, I wonder if, especially for some of the bigger items we run a list of them before LM and give the chance of "internet bidding" where those who won't be there can put a price that they would be prepared to pay and if it's not beaten they get it?   

[JDS]

I think it's perfectly reasonable to cover your costs (a little bit or in full) and I would be happy to contribute to the cost of a wristband with an additional charity donation included too. The only thing I would offer as advice is that perhaps you could collect the cost through the Paypal 'Donation' scheme, then, if anone from the ACO reads this (or similar threads) thay can see that it's obvious that there is no 'commercial enterprise' being undertaked in their camp-sites. This would also give you the option of creating three Paypal donate buttons, one for €6.00, one for €10.00 (inc. the charity donation) and a blank one where people could donate more if they wished (allowing you to distribute it between costs and charity appropriately) .... ? Just a thought and would save you handling heaps of cash too.

[Paddy_NL]

Thanks all for your kind answers and suggestions, keep 'em coming!

However, if you do work out a way of successfully policing it, you might want to think about whether you open it up more towards the end of the evening to attract more people in for the actual auction, perhaps by charging a lesser entrance fee in cash at that point?  Almost like having a two-stage event.

This is going off track a bit but this might be worth reviewing at some point?  Whilst the auction raised good money last year there weren't really enough people buying to get good prices for the items.   

This is why we want the auction to be after the three-hour gig by Flying Baguettes and JPC Band. Over the last two years the peak has been between 10.30 and 12.00, so if we start the auction about 10.30 we should have plenty of people. Also, both bands could remove their gear to make space for Vinnies Vice in the back ground. Might even be an idea to give the aution a 10 minute break for Vinnies Vice to do their sound check, to come back with the most valuable items before VV's gig starts...

This would also give you the option of creating three Paypal donate buttons, one for €6.00, one for €10.00 (inc. the charity donation) and a blank one where people could donate more if they wished (allowing you to distribute it between costs and charity appropriately) .... ?

Great idea, I presume Marius can look into this.

[DelBoy]

I think it's perfectly reasonable to cover your costs (a little bit or in full) and I would be happy to contribute to the cost of a wristband with an additional charity donation included too. The only thing I would offer as advice is that perhaps you could collect the cost through the Paypal 'Donation' scheme, then, if anone from the ACO reads this (or similar threads) thay can see that it's obvious that there is no 'commercial enterprise' being undertaked in their camp-sites. This would also give you the option of creating three Paypal donate buttons, one for €6.00, one for €10.00 (inc. the charity donation) and a blank one where people could donate more if they wished (allowing you to distribute it between costs and charity appropriately) .... ? Just a thought and would save you handling heaps of cash too.

I think the problem with this would be How would DfH get their cut?  If the Paypal 'donation' scheme is similar to the 'Just Giving' one, the mone would go directly to the named charity(ies).

Whatever, I am OK for the purchase of the wrist bands with the extra for charity.  My group sponsored a couple of barrells this year, so the cost is similar.

One question - why post them??  Money could be collected up front, and the bands handed out at LM.  All this would need is a list of people who have paid, and their name crossed off when handed a band.  This would save a lot of time, effort and cash!

Del

[knetter]

Thanks for all the suggestions so far.

I think that the most important thing we need to do is to make it visible to outsiders that we are having a private party. Best way to do this is with T-shirts specially made. However, as Paddy said, if mother nature puts on a tantrum again, people start wearing other items of clothing, hiding the shirt from view. If everyone weares the same shirt, it becomes obvious to outsiders (freeloaders) that it is a private party and then everyone wearing shirts can tell people without shirts to sod off, in the best way possible of course

Another downside, shirts would be more expensive to produce and thus purchase. Maybe Hats are an idea?

[Jason]

Unfortunately I'm not coming next year but I will be back for '09 (Stop groaning you lot!!).

I am happy to pay towards attending the party/drinking of beer, for everything that is arranged for the friday a contribution is such a small thing to ask.

I also like Piglets idea of pre-listing what is available for the auction, this may not stop last minute additions, but for next year I would like to enter a sealed bid for an item or 2.

[Fran]

More than happy to buy a wristband or whatever method is easiest for DfH to administer.  

I suppose there will always be people dropping by for a free beer and it would be a shame to have too much in the way of "security" checking who is in and who is out.  Apart from anything else no fun for the people who are having to try to check who is coming in.

Shutting the bar for a while seems the easiest way to clear out the chancers - and it doesnt do any harm to give everyone including the barmen a break - tho not sure how this would work if people have bought a wristband they might think they are entitled to keep drinking!  

I did over hear someone (a CA member too!) last year saying to a group of his mates not to worry that they didnt have wristbands because he had sponsored a barrel so they could all comes as his "guests" and drink free anyway.  Prob not exactly what was intended!   .

Its a tricky one eh!

F

[Piglet]

Another downside, shirts would be more expensive to produce and thus purchase. Maybe Hats are an idea?

I wondered about hats but they are pretty transferable - so if a group have bought one they could swap it between them whereas it's trickier to do that with shirts.

Being a nightclubber of the 80's what about using an old fashioned hand stamp?