Events, Prizes and Payment

I'm looking for some contructive feedback. To save cross posting, you can find the article here.

Thanks

Hi there

Have you charged for events then? If so what sort of turnout do you get? I have been thinking about this but as of yet haven't ever charged.

I have. It didn't affect the turnout much, but people complained that the cost was too high and the prize too low... I gave out well over 100% of the fees back as prizes. (I added to the prize fund in fact, so as host, I paid double what the contestants did).

The thing is, you need a big turnout to be able to guarantee a big prize. At $50 per contestant, 5 people only makes for a prize fund of $250. You need 10 people just to match the old Linden supplied fund. Any more than 10 and your prizes can start to beat even sponsored events, but getting 10 or more people for something that isn't bingo is hard.

I'm responding here because A) I visit these forums and B) lilac on periwinkle is hard for me to see.



I'm sorry... what? Intro to classes aren't educational enough for the Lindens? Since when?

(Way) back when I was a newbie, I found the intro-to classes to be very educational!

If it's because anyone could do an intro course, and supporting them would result in contests of today being replaced by intros of tomorrow, then THAT I can understand...



I propose two solutions for you outside the ones you list.

1. Wait.
   
2. Offer less.

The first I offer because the perception of the economy hasn't adjusted yet, plus, as you say, others offer "better" contests.If you wait, those that offer "better" contests will either run out of money like you're risking, or end up breaking dead even by sucking money out of their other sources of income. In addition, if you wait, the perception of the economy will have changed (finally) and what seemed like paltry offerings will actually hold some decent meaning. Once the prices come down, that is.

The second I offer because quite frankly, you're going to have to do that eventually ANYWAY, once the economy adjusts, so figure out how much money you ARE getting, figure out what percentage of that you want to put towards events, and do so. Budget. Don't reduce the frequency of your events or anything like that in order to get the prizes back up to what they were pre-1.5.13. People will simply have to get used to the idea of smaller prizes. Smaller prizes, prices, and profits are ahead for us all because the L$ is worth more. We'll all see it eventually.

Whatever you do, DON'T raise your rents. Under the "new economy", raising your rents would put them in the "a bit too expensive" category, most likely. Perhaps not at first, but once people start figuring out that the L$ is worth more, L$30-L$50 is going to seem like much more than it is now.



If people are showing up still, then don't change anything yet, unless it's to reduce what you're adding. You'll know that there's actually something to be worried about when the turnout starts being affected. If people still come, they still think it's worth it. (People always complain about money.)

Thanks for the response, Moleculor...



Actually, I don't actually KNOW this. It's something I half remember reading, so I may be wrong about that bit.

Like I said though, I don't mind doing classes free. Half the time I did anyway since I didn't have enough students to make it worth my while writing up a report for the Lindens, and sometimes I just didn't bother.

Anyway, thanks for your comments. I agree about the rents, as it happens. I don't want to raise them, I was just wondering what other people think.

I don't know how I feel yet.

On one hand, I agree with it being a pay to participate event.

On the other hand I disagree with it.

Here is why.

I agree with it because it would keep events around and supported by the players instead of Linden Labs. If you want to participate and possibly win you should put something into it, not accept a 'free handout' as was done with events in the past. I think it would also raise the level of the event as everyone who is there is paying to participate. There would not be a half a dozen naked AFK avies dancing around. Everyone would be actively participating because they are paying to participate which would be nice.

I disagree with it because it eliminates the basic users (who only get 50 a week) from participating in a lot of the events. Events like dances, and sexy avatar events, and best in <color> or best in <style>, while yes, they are stupid a lot of the time, gives SL residents something social to participate in. I often think the events are stupid as hell, but I go because of other people that are there, it lets me meet new people and socialize with them. I have made TONS of friends at some of the stupidest contests, because they go for the same reason. It's not the contest that matters, it's the people that go. If people have to pay to go, a lot of them won't.

So it depends on how you look at it.
If your running the contest for the sake of the contest itself, charging is definately the way to go.

If your running the contest for the sake of giving a bunch of SL residents somewhere to meet and socialize, then paying is probably not the way to go.

OOOOOO I got it!

Do Both!

Run some events with the focus being the contest and charge linden's. Have it be prize based, pay to enter.

Run some events with NO PRIZE, No Cost, just for social players.

Run both events back to back with the free 'social' one first.

But, in the second event, if they don't want to participate, and they don't want to vote, don't make them pay anything at all. That is to much like paying to socialize.

That might really work out well.

Jess

OK, apologies for my error, I hust have misread the guidelines. it seems 'Intro to ...' classes are still supported.

The only problem with no cost events is that it means the events host is not able to get compensated for his or her time. Because the events host is providing content, I think that all events that aren't supported by private industry or donors should be paid for by charging at the door. Otherwise, there is a whole class of people who have provided content who now are expected to do that work for free. I suggest $20 door for events with cash prizes and $10 door for events without them. $10-20 isn't too much and people definitely get their Linden's worth since most events run for an hour or longer. (Mine usually run between 1.5 and 3 hours).

You know, people, there's a reason why basic accounts are called "Basic".