Subject:
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Re: BrickFest registration fees (was: LEGO Adult Fan Convention at Legoland California?)
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.events, lugnet.events.brickfest
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Date:
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Sun, 10 Sep 2006 04:00:35 GMT
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Viewed:
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6007 times
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In lugnet.events, Kelly McKiernan wrote:
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In lugnet.events, Jeff Stembel wrote:
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In lugnet.events, Kelly McKiernan wrote:
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In lugnet.events, Anthony Sava wrote:
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I’m sorry but the minute an organizer of Brickfest starts making money off
of the event itself, compensation or not, I’m not going. If this was the
case this year, I’m glad I didn’t go.
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If you feel you got your money’s worth (~$20/day) from the privilege of
attending and participating, does it really matter where the money goes?
Unless the event is stated as a charity event (which I don’t recall
BrickFest ever being billed as), I’m not concerned with the final
destination of registration fees. Just as long as the bottom line’s enough
to keep it happening year after year.
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Yes, it absolutely does. I expect every cent I put in to go back to the
event itself, and not the people running it.
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That’s an unrealistic expectation.
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It’s not THAT unrealistic, as Jeff mentioned that he attends other fan events
where the organizers work on a volunteer basis.
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The only compensation I expect
any staffers to recieve is free entry to the event (since it is more work
than play for most of them) and maybe a free hotel room (nothing fancy and
probably with other staffmembers) if they want it. As long as the event is
a fan event, run *by* fans, *for* fans, I think this is the way it should
be. All other fan events I am inclined to attend work this way, and I see no
reason a Lego fan event should be different.
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I look forward to your announcement of your own LEGO-related event, I’d like
to see how that works for you. Good luck with that.
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In my opinion, any monetary compensation for staffmembers is akin to
embezzlement (especially if it is not made known) and any money going from
the event to another organization (again, especially if it is not announced
beforehand) is very unethical.
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Tommy said it well... how can you embezzle your own money? Christina (or Joe
this year) were the ones whose names were on the legal documents, and were
the ones responsible for the event. No matter how much you feel it unethical,
legally and morally whatever funds collected at a fan event are the
ultimate property of the person or organization whose name is on the bottom
line.
Now, if you are interested in seeing the events continue, I would expect any
“leftover” funds would help jumpstart the next event, or at least entice the
coordinators into repeating their participation. But to be blunt, I don’t
know of any laws or regulations that a private individual or solely-owned
company is required to divulge financial data to its customers. You may
want to know where the money goes, you may prefer excess funds be used
for the furtherance of the next event... but I don’t see where any BrickFest
attendee or volunteer has the right to demand or expect that information or
that promise. If I were to demand that of my boss at work, or at a fast-food
restaurant where I’d just ordered a burger, I’d be told point-blank it was
none of my flippin’ business. And rightfully so.
Oh, and from what I understand... the more $$$ available from BF, the better
the volunteers are treated.
If, as an attendee, paying your registration fee and getting value for your
fee isn’t enough... you are of course free to not attend. I’ve never
understood why it makes a difference what Christina does with her money
after the event is over. Same for Joe for ‘06.
One final thought... a public that holds unrealistic expectations of those
organizing events like this could create conditions that discourage
coordinators and volunteers from putting events together. Wouldn’t that be
the ultimate irony?
Kelly
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You’re right - Christina/Joe/whoever could take the accumulated funds from BF
and write themselves a check for the full amount - totally legally. It would be
great if the profits were plowed into the next fest, but if someone wants to
cash out at any time, that would be their right. And that’s probably why some
people are uneasy about BF being run by a for profit enterprise.
Obviously, people who work for non-profits get paid. But they can’t liquidate
the assets of the organization and pocket the money. There’s a board, and tax
requirements and so on. I think people would feel much more comfortable handing
over their time and money if BF were run as a non-profit, with open books and a
requirement to provide a public service instead of financial gain.
Speaking as a potential attendee, I’m not terribly concerned about whether BF is
run for profit or not. If the benefits of seeing MOCs, hanging out with other
LEGO nerds, and getting a discount on stuff outweigh the cost of registration,
then great.
I can even see the good side of BF being run as an openly for-profit enterprise.
If there is money being made on BF, than I would feel comfortable asking to be
compensated for bringing MOCs for display. If
my MOCs are
helping to move the turnstiles (big pic - sorry), why should I pay the same
registration fees as someone who doesn’t bring anything to BF?
But speaking as a volunteer, there is no way I’m working for free (and paying
for the privilege) just to put money in someone’s pocket.
Marc Nelson Jr.
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