[Artemisia] Event Thoughts

Fri Dec 10 21:16:34 CST 2004

Quick chime in here,

Have to say I disagree. People will either travel, or they won't. Many times folks don't travel because of mundane scheduling issues, transportation issues, fiscal issues, health issues or time issues. Reducing the number of local events only serves to reduce the number of events that these very same people could attend, while having little impact on those that do travel. 

In support of my statement, I offer the following. 

This same argument was made before, and we bought into it. Event frequency was reduced. Traveling to distant events did not increase. Event attendence did however, decrease, when looked at in terms of total gate fees paid in a given year.  

People will either travel or they won't. 

If someone is not going to travel 16 hours for a one day event, with 4 local events a year in their area, they are not going to be anymore likely to travel 16 hours for a one day event, with 3 local events a year.

In the south of the Kingdom, there is a average travel time of 3 1/2 hours (1 for some, 3 for others and 5 for still others), so we are more likely to attend each others events, independant of how many events are held a year in any one group. 

In the north of the Kingdom, travel times are much greater between groups, but the reality remains the same. People will either travel, or they won't. Reducing the number of events held in the north won't help event attendance, it will only serve to alienate those who are unable to travel.

I believe that reducing the number of potential events held in a given region will only serve to reduce the number of events a large portion of our Kingdom can attend. Personally, I think there are better ways to encourage and increase event attendance. For example, to encourage merchants to travel to our events, Gryphon's Lair has adopted a policy of never charging merchants a merchanting fee, and site fee for up to two in the merchants group are gratis. To encourage travelers from distant groups, we are currently discussing the idea of offering 'travelers rates', or a reduced entry fee for those traveling more than X miles from their home group to attend one of our events. We may or may not adopt that idea, but we are looking for progressive ways to encourage inter-region travel, not regressive techniques that inadvertantly penalize folks who don't travel.

When the same argument to reduce the number of events a year that a group holds in order to force people to travel, I find myself frustrated that there are still people who point fingers about poor attendance, intead of simply enjoying the company of our "regionally locked/traveling restricted" folks at local events, and then traveling to additional events themselves. Event fluctuation has a fairly large amplitude when plotted over time, with sizable swings between high attendance and low attendance, however the percentage of folks who do not travel remains fairly constant, partially because, while they do not travel, they do tend to stay involved in their local groups for long periods of time. It's not that those that travel tend to be short term players, only that non-travelers do not deserve to be seen as 'second-class scadians' and are not truly at the root of poor event attendance.

OK, stepping off soapbox and going back to studying for finals now. 

Yes, I will be traveling to Sostice tomorrow, not a big jump, I know, but traveling none the less.

And, yes, I will be nose deep in a Chemisty textbook most of the event, but at least I'll be there. *grin*

Isabeau

Redhawk <sca_redhawk at yahoo.com> wrote:
I have to agree with Morgan here. we really do need to reduce the amount of events. i know some of the MT shires are down to two. I really feel each shire should have an A&S event and then possibly one or two other events. I don't like to have to pick and chose either, which ones to attend. and if it involves a montain pass in the winter, or a big pass, yikes.
in looking at the 2005 calender, i am amazed at how many events there are. feb almost has none. i feel volunteerinly giving up an event, would bring more folks to the events each group has and two, cost each group less money to have so many events.
red's 2 cents

Morgan Wolf wrote:

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "caointiarn" 
To: "Kingdom of Artemisia mailing list" 
> It strikes me as "odd" that people want more events, when the ones
> already scheduled are sparsely attended. The Kingdom Arts & Sciences
> Exhibition did not break even because the gate was less than 75 people.
> Yet here was a good opportunity for talking, catching up with old friends
&
> smoozing the day away. Unless you were pressed into service to judge,
the
> whole day was there. {Sister Mary Pelican says: if everyone did one small
> task, then everyone could spend the majority of the day in play}
>
> Crown Tournaments have been just as woefully neglected. 32 entrants?
> There are many more knights than that in Artemisia! And many many more
> squires and hopefuls.
> More events may be better for the higher populated areas, and I understand
> the mileage can seem so isolating, but that is not the best solution for
us
> smaller branches.
>
> Stirring the Pot once again,
> Caointairn

Let me preface this by saying this is MY PERSONAL OPINION, and does not
reflect either of my offices or the opinions of my Baron and Baroness.

Having said that, the lovely and talented Maistresse brings up a very valid
point, one I have been mulling for some months. Quite simply, the mundane
facts of travel, at least in Northern Artemisia ( I still like "Via
Prolissima") mean that having 3 or 4 events in one month in this area
require us to pick and choose, which really restricts our opportunities to
go South. In fact, I am at this point (and please understand that I once
again stress this is just my opinion) *considering* recommending at the next
convocation that all of the Northern groups (it just rolls so nicely off the
tongue- Via Prolissima) *voluntarily* reduce the number of events we're
holding, to encourage more travel.

Once again, just my own, humble, personal opinion.

Morgan

p.s. Baron Niccolo, thanks for the vote of confidence, but I am landlocked,
no ship here.

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