Here is a draft budget for input, revisions and adjustments. Please record all assumptions underlying any figures you add or change.
Two items of housekeeping:
- Our goal is for registration to be free. A charge of $5 may be worthwhile as a way of ensuring an accurate count, but that shouldn't be factored in as a significant source of revenue. Option lunch can be an add-on.
- Web hosting and domain registry is not included in the budget, since Lorenz Technology has graciously taken care of it already.
Revenue
|
Amount |
Assumptions |
VIP Registrations |
625 |
25 registrants donate at "Supporter" level @$25 each |
Sponsorships |
1,000 |
Around 4 sponsors @ $250 each |
Lunch fee |
480 |
40 participants @ $12 each |
|
|
|
Total Revenue
|
2,105 |
|
|
|
|
Expense |
Amount |
Assumptions |
Facility Fee |
500 |
Reasonable for using a facility - though we should shoot for a more affordable venue. |
Lunch |
480 |
A simple lunch @ $12/person for 40 people (lunch would be optional--participants will be welcome to go elsewhere for lunch) |
Refreshments |
150 |
Coffee & snacks in the a.m. and p.m. This could be provided as an in-kind contribution, in which case it is covered under the "sponsorships" revenue line item. |
Printing & Supplies |
200 |
Print programs, nametags, signs, etc. |
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|
|
|
|
|
Total Expense |
1,330 |
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|
|
|
Revenue Over (Under) Expense |
775
|
|
We will also need to figure out how to handle the finances on a legal level. It may work best to have a sponsoring company handle the finances--with the assumption that expenses will match revenue, so they would simply be helping us out on an accounting/tax level.
Comments (18)
Aaron said
at 4:10 pm on Oct 21, 2008
I think the $50 VIP is a little too steep...
Josh Karns said
at 4:31 pm on Oct 21, 2008
It depends on what you get for $50. That is pretty reasonable to me if it included a perk like a reception or something.
Josh Karns said
at 4:32 pm on Oct 21, 2008
We're going to have a free event AND give people food? I think the event should be free with an add-on cost for lunch.
Rob Blatt said
at 4:36 pm on Oct 21, 2008
Why is lunch provided? It doesn't have to be. If you can't find a lunch sponsor, I would leave it to the participants to find their own. while it's a nice gesture to cater lunch, it's not a necessity. You can highlight the town by making your participants either order in pizza or go out and find their food.
Also, speaker fees are a no-no in PodCamp. This is a user generated conference that is bar-camp style, which means the participants are the same people as the speakers. If you can find companies that want to sponsor specific people's trips, that's probably a different scenario. But I've never seen a Podcamp pay for someone to come speak. Make sure to okay with with the people who own the word PodCamp because they can revoke usage of the word for an event.
KathleenLD said
at 6:22 pm on Oct 21, 2008
I, personally, would like to veto the keynote speaker idea. If there's a lot of disagreement we can talk about it, but I think the cost is unnecessary and as Rob said it doesn't quite jibe w/ the Podcamp spirit. The idea is that we as a community have a lot of social media knowledge (and I can vouch that we do!) and we have plenty that we can learn from each other w/out having to pay for someone else.
$25 was the VIP price for Pittsburgh, and I felt good about that... some of us are cash strapped college students and I think we'll get more VIPs (and more cash inflow) if we keep the VIP price low.
Josh: a reception is a cool idea, but I think we'd incur way more cost securing a venue etc. for that than we'd make up in VIP registrants.
Lunch: if possible, I'd like to cater lunch. I understand it might not be a possibility, but it also doesn't have to be that elaborate. Also, when I say "cater" i mean I'd like to provide lunch--- so pizza or the makings for sandwiches... something simple like that.
Podcamps are NOT an elitist kind of event. They are casual and about the community way more than about the event themselves... I'm
Ken Mueller said
at 9:10 pm on Oct 21, 2008
I've never been to a podcamp so I defer to the experiences of the rest of you. But in my book, cheaper the better. Free is the best.
I might have some connections on the food side. Also, we need to get Jersey involved in this. I think he knows the venues and eateries of HBG as well as anyone and has lots of connections.
Also, we might want to reach out to some other groups, for instance, Harrisburg Young Professionals. I know a few people there and they might be interested in becoming a co-sponsor (added publicity/may help cut expenses).
Also, we have Daniel Klotz on here. He's well connected in the Lancaster area which is why I told him about this. I think we should open it up to Central PA, even if it is called Podcamp Harrisburg. Of all the markets in Central PA, Lancaster has the most well connected and active network of people who would be interested in this. I'm thinking particularly of an organization that Daniel is involved with called the Creative House of Lancaster. I'm somewhat involved, but I could see some of those folks eating this up. And that group is filled with graphic designers, etc. I think a lot of the activities they plan, like their recent Creative Riot, are the types of things that are similar to what our group is trying.
Daniel, you were the first Lancaster person to jump on board. Could you send out feelers and invite more Lancaster folks? Anne, etc.
Robert Rowe said
at 9:39 pm on Oct 21, 2008
What about the local restaurants? Maybe they can donate coffee/donuts, then "advertise" as an option for lunch? (People get to see Harrisburg, and enjoy the great food).
Speakers getting "sponsorship" sounds much more like "Podcamp" to me.
bpolensky said
at 9:46 pm on Oct 21, 2008
Speakers aren't allowed to (and it's against the rules I think) to get paid...
Sara said
at 10:22 pm on Oct 21, 2008
I also have extensive Harrisburg bar/restaurant/food connections. I'm happy to explore them as far as a lunch or even a venue goes.
bpolensky said
at 10:44 pm on Oct 21, 2008
Tshirts too?
Rob Blatt said
at 12:41 am on Oct 22, 2008
I think tshirts should be something that a sponsor flat out pays for. If they want shirts, then it's their deal to pay for them.
Kathleen, please contact me, there are sponsorship ideas that have not been addressed in the past that are a bit much for leaving comments.
Ken Mueller said
at 9:59 am on Oct 22, 2008
For sponsorships, we should also be open to in-kind sponsorships (which I assume is what our web sponsor is) particularly in the area of media in return for publicity. I can always approach XPN about this, but not sure they'll go for it since its a new event. But it could be cool to have XPN as a radio sponsor. Also check with Patriot-News, Central PA Business Journal, etc. Some well-placed in kind ads might help get the word out.
KathleenLD said
at 6:16 pm on Oct 22, 2008
Ken, For those of us who don't know what " in-kind" sponsorship is...?
Rob, did you get my DM? I sent you the PCHBG email address which is podcampharrisburg@gmail
Ken Mueller said
at 6:54 pm on Oct 22, 2008
sorry again. In-kind sponsorship is a sponsorship where no money changes hands. Case in point, the Gallery Walk in Hbg. with the Art Association. XPN came on board as an in-kind sponsor. I think some other media did as well, billboard co. , tv station, prob. patriot news. For our part, we gave them X amount of recorded on-air spots, and they attached our name to the event. the billboard company gave them free billboards around the area in return for their name attached to it. Its great for publicity or other things you want to get for free that might normally cost money.
i.e. a restaurant to donate food in return for a "sponsorship" mention
venue donate space, etc.
obviously you can't get everything in-king, and there will be some real expenses. but it helps keep costs down. From my standpoint in marketing at XPN, it attaches our name to cool events, helps us reach people who are in our audience (or would be if they knew about us), while giving the event much needed publicity. everyone wins!
Ken Mueller said
at 6:56 pm on Oct 22, 2008
and yeah, I would imagine Sara's connections in HBG are much better than mine. I would say that most of us in this group have our own little niche areas of expertise that we can use to put this thing together, esp. in terms of connections.
Dani_PA said
at 12:10 pm on Nov 3, 2008
I know that my employer would probably be interested in sponsoring - besides $ perhaps a welcome rooftop happy hour if the weather is nice???
I bet DOIT would be interested in providing something, and the convention and visitors' bureau would be happy to arrange a blogger's tour of the HBG like they did for PGH (probably not as on a grand scale)
PPRS, PRSA central PA and HYP would all, at the very least, pimp to their members.
Will the aloft be built? Anyone know Alex Hartzler? He'd probably be interested.
I don't think that providing a lunch is necessary - except maybe Sunday bc downtown is abandoned that day.
Sara said
at 1:08 pm on Nov 3, 2008
I know Alex. I could contact him if need be.
Josh Karns said
at 2:23 pm on Nov 3, 2008
Will the aloft EVER be built??
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