Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site wlcrjs.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!wlcrjs!lazeldes From: lazeldes@wlcrjs.UUCP (Leah A Zeldes) Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers Subject: Re: Boskone 22 Message-ID: <633@wlcrjs.UUCP> Date: Fri, 15-Mar-85 22:59:44 EST Article-I.D.: wlcrjs.633 Posted: Fri Mar 15 22:59:44 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 16-Mar-85 06:02:16 EST References: <331@panda.UUCP> Reply-To: lazeldes@wlcrjs.UUCP (Leah A Zeldes) Distribution: net Organization: chi-net, Public Access UN*X, Chicago IL Lines: 191 Keywords: big fat smoffy greedy coastal corporate fandom Summary: Response to defensive NESFAn (long quotes) In article <331@panda.UUCP> mjn@panda.UUCP (Mark J. Norton) writes: > >Running a Con Year after Year: >----------------------------- > Based on several things both of you said it is fairly clear >that you have not helped to run or organize a convention.... Don't >you thing that it might be a little tough to be original and different >year after year? Having been on the committee of several regionals (most notably AutoClave and ConFusion in Michigan), I can say, yes, it's a little tough -- but it certainly isn't impossible. Partly it involves saying no to some of the "easy" regulars and putting some new people on the panels. But mostly it needs fresh ideas from the committee, people who are doing the programming job because they're interested in programming *not* because it's prestigious to be on the committee. I did not attend this year's Boskone, so I can't say if this really was a problem. But I *have* heard this flame a lot, and from people who know about conventions. > You also mentioned being jaded with program material. That happens, >but I think difference lies in your change attitudes and perceptions, >rather than quality of programming slipping. I've become very tired of >listening to the same old panels every year. As a result, I don't >attend them anymore. Yes, but that's a problem with the con, not you -- the programming should be interesting to the old-fans-and-tired as well as the neos; if it's not, than the con hasn't done a good job. If you program every year with "Oh, the regulars won't go to the programming anyway" in mind, you're going to have the same old stuff, and too many cons do this. If you're only going to provide it for the neos, why bother to have programming at all, especially when you're trying to keep the "riff raff" out? So the pros can have a tax deduction? > ...A con is what you make of it. Work at it some. That's true. But a bad con can make it hard... >Resistration Fee (How can they be so greedy?): >--------------------------------------------- > [As for] $22 being steep for registration. How many other >conventions do you attend. I'm not talking about Star Trek cons in >Portland, Maine, but big regionals: Disclave, Westercon, Maplecon, etc. >I think you'd find that they run about the same or more for the weekend. >(This doesn't even come close to $50 for a worldcon!) Yes, but that doesn't mean it isn't steep. The cost of convention memberships has escalated far beyond the rate of inflation, mostly starting from MAC's "keep the riff raff out" $50 policy in '76. Average membership prices have more than quadrupled since then. > Were does all the money go? This year it seems to have generated a tidy profit of $30K for NESFA (Per NESFA's clubzine, Instant Message, 2/28). > NESFA is a non-profit organization. The budget for Boskone every year >is designed to break even. Blew it, this year, didn't you? And last year, too. And the year before that.... > On the other hand, if fewer than predicted show up, it looses money. >NESFA has been concerned about the later for years. Part of the >profits (if any) from previous cons goes towards an insurance fund >to help bail out the eventual Big Money Loser. After 22 years, you'd think there'd be enough socked away that NESFA could lay off a little. At last count, you had more than $90K, not counting profits from this year's con. A big loss might delay the clubhouse a little, that's all. >Weekend vs Daily Rates: >---------------------- > ...its too much work to try and organize and check for >one day badges. Consider: four different kinds of badges are needed. Oh, it's not that much trouble. You get a bunch of stick-on labels (The "Hi, my name is" type will do, but you can have them printed with "Boskone #whatever" if you're fussy) and three different colored magic markers. On Friday, you mark "FRI" in big, red letters on the stickers; on Saturday, you mark "SAT" in green, and so on... If you use Hilighter-type markers the people will be able to write their names over the lettering, but it isn't necessary. When you're running a circus as big as Boskone, who cares what anybody's name is? (At Minicon last year, registration made you write your name on your badge in front of them, as if it would make any difference -- if the gofer watching the con suite doesn't know me, how's he going to know that somebody else is wearing my nametag?) >Keeping out the Riff Raff: >------------------------- Ah, now we come down to it! > For the past several years NESFA has been trying various ways to >keep the number of people attending a Boskone to a reasonable number. >...One way to cut numbers is to not have daily rates. Its some >what unfortunately that this cuts out people who cannot afford full >weekend rates, but it helps. Yes, but did you advertise that you weren't going to have one-days? If you did, and people didn't buy memberships at the pre-con rate, then it's their own fault, but if you didn't, then people have a right to be annoyed. >NESFA's Clubhouse Search: >------------------------ > > Where does the money for such an acquisition come from? Money for >the NESFA clubhouse is being gathered from donations to a building >fund and a realty trust fund. Donations (and proceeds from auctions, >etc) have come to about 12K. Add in sale of bonds (mostly to members) >and the total comes to about 60K. That's interesting. Instant Message reports more than $52K in the building fund and $40K in the trust. How did that get there? > Wait a minute! What about all those profits from Boskone?!? As >far as I know, none of the money generated by previous Boskones is >put into the building fund. NONE! No, but discussion in Instant Message of the building purchase seemed to indicated the club was perfectly willing to spend it on the clubhouse anyway. How else could NESFA plan to put $100,000 down, when at the time they only had about $80,900 between the fund and the trust? "...NESFA's current income [is in] three categories: Boskone, interest, and everything else....Boskone makes about $20k a year. After purchasing the building most of the interest income would go away....Worst case yearly operating figures after purchasing the building [$19,500]...is about the amount Boskone now brings in." [Instant Message, 2/7, p. 15] > Profits (what there is) does go towards operating expenses of NESFA. >Some of it goes towards purchase of equipment to run future Boskones >and some of it is donated to SF related causes (TAFF, club membership >in worldcon, Reading for the Blind, etc.) This really uses up $20K a year?! >Where is all of this NESFA greed of which you speak? Well, there is the matter of -- why does NESFA need a clubouse, anyway? To keep up with LASFS? > = Mark J. Norton [ decvax!genrad!{panda | teddy}!mjn] --------------------------------------------------------- | ONLY SLIGHTLY COMMERCIAL PLUG | | | | If you're interested in this sort of smoffery, | | you should know about UNCLE DICK'S: The | | Gossipzine, which regularly features smoffish | | discussion along with fannish news and gossip. | | | | UNCLE DICK'S 10 features L.A.con II finances, | | ConStellation updates, a new fan cult, | | Worldcon bidding news, fans' mundane lives, | | and other information no trufan should be | | without. [Note: This is a fanzine about | | fandom; science fiction books and other pro | | news subjects are not covered.] | | | | Sample issue: $1 Five issues: $3.95 | | | | Write: UNCLE DICK'S, Richard H.E. Smith II, | | 2007 W. Howard St., Evanston, IL 60202-3656. | --------------------------------------------------------- -- Leah A Zeldes ...ihnp4!wlcrjs!lazeldes [Note: Chi-net is about to go off-line for an unknown amount of time. Please send responses by regular mail to 2007 W. Howard, Evanston, IL 60202] -- Leah A Zeldes ...ihnp4!wlcrjs!lazeldes [Note: Chi-net is about to go off-line for an unknown amount of time. Please send responses by regular mail to 2007 W. Howard, Evanston, IL 60202]