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General Discussion / Re: Your new PSi Executive Director
« on: December 23, 2010, 12:53:05 PM »
Re:
I'm not dead yet.
Quote
the recently departed Steve Marsh.
I'm not dead yet.
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32
General Discussion / Re: NPS 2010 Recap
« on: September 19, 2010, 11:36:51 AM »
Casandra, I agree with you. BUT there is no EARLY registration. There is registration and there is LATE registration. It's semantic but it is an important distinction for us to embrace as a community.
33
General Discussion / Re: Yet another question about iWPS
« on: September 08, 2010, 07:52:47 AM »
Always go to poetryslam.com first.
34
General Discussion / Re: Membership Retention
« on: September 03, 2010, 05:44:19 PM »
Almost all members come in at $20 level. Only about half of slammasters come in at the associate level. Some good donors come in at $35, a couple at $50 and one member renews at $100 every year. That $35 assumption is just about 35% too high. Show me how to get to that $31,500 membership level first, then we'll have the rest of the discussion.
35
General Discussion / Re: Membership Retention
« on: September 02, 2010, 07:22:24 PM »
Bob, if I accepted your numbers I'd have to agree with you when you say:
But in fact PSi has had only about 2500 members in its history and we have never had more than about 900 active at any one time.
As far as your other point, about outreach, you are right, the title of Exec Director has always been "do-it-all" and so decisions and priorities had to be established. Only now, by moving the financial and store responsibilities off the Exec Director (and splitting the old salary between two people) are we able to get in a position where ED can actually do some more "directing" and less "managing."
We aren't arguing. Mostly we are agreeing, but the bottom line is a real line. All the committee work in the world won't make two salaries out of 1. That will come out of "management." And now that I'm not doing the "directing," I hope to do a better job promoting items in our income stream.
But, that doesn't mean I'd turn down a check for a thousand dollar membership. I'd cash it.
Quote
You're right, it doesn't change your financial well being THAT DAY. But as an investment in the future of the organization to leverage 10,000 or 20,000 (or more) person contact lists to promote events, purchase additional products, see a poet on tour, etc.
But in fact PSi has had only about 2500 members in its history and we have never had more than about 900 active at any one time.
As far as your other point, about outreach, you are right, the title of Exec Director has always been "do-it-all" and so decisions and priorities had to be established. Only now, by moving the financial and store responsibilities off the Exec Director (and splitting the old salary between two people) are we able to get in a position where ED can actually do some more "directing" and less "managing."
We aren't arguing. Mostly we are agreeing, but the bottom line is a real line. All the committee work in the world won't make two salaries out of 1. That will come out of "management." And now that I'm not doing the "directing," I hope to do a better job promoting items in our income stream.
But, that doesn't mean I'd turn down a check for a thousand dollar membership. I'd cash it.
36
General Discussion / Re: Membership Retention
« on: September 02, 2010, 09:32:11 AM »
Amy, for the record, getting more members and losing revenue from tickets and store sales is kind of taking cash from one pocket and putting it in the other. Doesn't change your financial well-being.
And your membership is completely deductible already. You get a receipt (actually you get two) and you can write this off your federal taxes each year. If you are the person who is a member at a level higher than $250, you need a special receipt, but that too happens automatically at that level.
We tried a member rate at the last one. Only two people took us up on it. It was not a big discount.
I love the idea of a members-only reading at NPS that is free.
And your membership is completely deductible already. You get a receipt (actually you get two) and you can write this off your federal taxes each year. If you are the person who is a member at a level higher than $250, you need a special receipt, but that too happens automatically at that level.
We tried a member rate at the last one. Only two people took us up on it. It was not a big discount.
I love the idea of a members-only reading at NPS that is free.
37
General Discussion / Re: NPS 2010 Recap
« on: August 16, 2010, 10:40:31 AM »
Actually, we have a far better first day arrival rate when we are on either coast. When we go back to the middle of country everyone seems to think they can show up for late registration.
38
General Discussion / Re: NPS 2010 Recap
« on: August 16, 2010, 08:13:42 AM »
Two lines means two registration teams. Logistics.
39
General Discussion / Re: NPS 2010 Recap
« on: August 12, 2010, 07:32:25 AM »
It is certainly worth thinking about. I'll pass it on to the folks who make those arrangements.
40
General Discussion / Re: NPS 2010 Recap
« on: August 11, 2010, 05:16:18 PM »
Amy, it isn't your paperwork that slows us down. It is the fact that despite emails, and forums and downloadable forms, and multiple reminders, many, many people show up without the forms filled out and without even memberships completed on the day of registration. We processed about 45 memberships on Monday and about 70 on Tuesday. That is all work that the website will do for us if people would just do it 48 hours earlier.
41
General Discussion / Re: NPS 2010 Recap
« on: August 11, 2010, 05:13:22 PM »
Jesse, it depends on where we are. Makes a difference if we are west coast, east coast, midwest, etc. If folks just planned for registration, it wouldn't be as painful.
But, if you want to run a registration in the evening, that would work. The folks who don't get breakfast because they are preparing and don't get lunch because they are doing registration, probably don't want to skip dinner too. You can't abuse that crew.
But, if you want to run a registration in the evening, that would work. The folks who don't get breakfast because they are preparing and don't get lunch because they are doing registration, probably don't want to skip dinner too. You can't abuse that crew.
42
General Discussion / Re: NPS 2010 Recap
« on: August 11, 2010, 10:12:38 AM »
Matthew, if providing the wrong live music at the after party is the biggest flaw of NPS 2010, YOU DID AN AWESOME JOB! Many, many thanks.
43
General Discussion / Re: NPS 2010 Recap
« on: August 10, 2010, 08:00:15 PM »
Come to REGISTRATION on Monday or suffer at LATE REGISTRATION on Tuesday. It doesn't matter who had paperwork done.
44
General Discussion / Re: Question about purchasing passes for NPS...
« on: July 30, 2010, 09:24:18 AM »
Dave, the other item is basic math. We charge $500 to get into the contest. We give back $25 to anyone staying in the official hotel as an incentive to stay there. That means $475 to get into the contest. That number is arrived at by inputting all costs associated with the tournament. It comes down to this: we can hold the line on the $475 for a couple more years by controlling costs where we can OR we can raise the entry fee. The decision was based on economics. Because St. Paul did a great job of raising support capital (far better than anyone in a decade) for the event, PSi was able to delay the decision to hold down costs. That's why you get a break this year too.
Look at this way. This year an all events pass is $75. Six of those would cost you $450. Tee shirts are likely to be $15 each and bags are $10. Six each of those comes to $150. Even if you get nothing else for the registration fee, a six person team reaps $600 in direct retail benefit from the event. A five person team gets $500. On that level, it's still a pretty good bargain. And you get a reduced rate in the hotel too.
Look at this way. This year an all events pass is $75. Six of those would cost you $450. Tee shirts are likely to be $15 each and bags are $10. Six each of those comes to $150. Even if you get nothing else for the registration fee, a six person team reaps $600 in direct retail benefit from the event. A five person team gets $500. On that level, it's still a pretty good bargain. And you get a reduced rate in the hotel too.
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General Discussion / Re: Trouble ordering passes online...?
« on: July 27, 2010, 11:00:00 AM »
There is no $50 pass online. I don't know of any plans for a $50 pass. As for the cookies, I'll bet your browser allows them but they are set to block them in your preferences.