If you like/want good events, why do you not support them?

I guess it is just your destiny, Khamon! lol I guess I implied that you said that, but I'm really talking in general, and I apologize for that. Certainly, though, there are those who would like to see the events list gone, and I disagree with that.

coco

Well, I'm sorry to be blunt here, but I indeed wouldn't attend most of the events listed. Sorry. But not because I don't like them. Because:

Live Music - actually just listening to live radio, which I can do outside SL. Now, if they made instruments that were played in SL by clicking on them THEN I might get interested but the latency would be a nightmare.

Dancing - clicking on a dance pad and choosing a renamed Sit option. Nothing like actually dancing. Again, if I could actually dance in SL in the expressive sense you can in RL I'd be right there, but unless we get better script control of armatures I doubt that'll be possible.

Trivia Quiz - depends on how it's run but probably not so much fun except for the contestants, again I can watch quiz shows on RL TV for effectively free. Okay there is the digital TV subscription but I would be paying that anyway for news etc. whereas I am not paying anyway for SL events.

Basically offering events that are just scaled down versions of RL stuff doesn't have so much appeal to me, for one...

After watching how the Linden's respond to other monitoring-intensive systems, I'm guessing the event list is going to go the way of the dodo at some point. Especially if a number of event websites get set up. LL seems to want to shift those type of activities to the residents.

Phobos Design has sponsored a number of events ranging from fashion shows to the Tiny Critters Expo (which included a dance). Doing events ourselves is a matter of how much time we have available.

Sponsoring an event that someone else does becomes a matter of metrics: a business decision (ROI) in other words, since our business has to support it. Questions I ask include: What is the target audience. What is the usual attendance. Who is the target audience. What kind of visibility do we get in return for our sponsorship. Extra points for approaching me with a well thought out request. (hasn't happened yet).

The FFRC sounds great. RL has been kicking my ass lately or I would check it out.

As for events I would attend. I would have supported them with a fee if I had been asked. The last one was titled something like Applying RW Marketing Techniques to SL. I would have happily forked out a couple of hundred $L for that one.

... and I hit reply before I finished my thought.

I am not familiar with the spa that you talking about, but I'm notorious for not getting out enough. But I would have this suggestion for funding it. (I expect dwell to disappear too after reading Robin's post)

1. Pick out 20 content creators who you think have products that go well with your customers. If they do different kinds of stuff, bonus!!
2. Prepare a pitch explaining your business, who/how many your customers are, and what would be the benefit of sponsorship. I would suggest asking for a mix of products/$L. Be knowledgable about what they create. Put it all in a notecard.
3. IM them and let them know you are sending a notecard. Include an invitation to talk to you.
4. If they bite, arrange for them to come to an event, etc.

Do the next 20.

I bet you could get a stable set of sponsors if you have a good event product. Advertising in world is the biggest single biz obstacle IMO.

You may have already thought of all this, but perhaps others haven't.

The Events are no longer just Events.....they are now also classifieds. And that blows.
I say to each his own...if u like club events great, if U wanna *ingo, more power to U. But now having to wade through ads for stores and products is the real kick in the pants.

A problem I have with supporting events is that something needs to hit me in the head repeatedly with a big hammer to get my attention.

There have been numerous times when I have read about something I might or definitely would enjoy but I don't remember it when the critical time comes.

Trimming Hedges does the Captions game, and he does send out notices in advance, multiple notices, and that still isn't adequate to get me to them on time.

Flip's event listing is a good thing, but I still have to remember to go to it. If I see something that looks good the next day, well, when the next day comes, most likely I won't remember till 5 minutes before the event ends. That sort of remembering right when it is too late happens to me far too often.

Then I am left twiddling my thumbs in Help Island while 25 n00bs are on the O.I.s, but I am not supposed to go say hello to them because saying Hi would bother them . So what I actually end up doing is running a static avatar on one computer and endlessly looking at the forums on the other.

Hell. If wasn't notified in IM about the Pirate Lessons (Re: Yarrr) I wouldn't have gone.
Of course, I showed up in hackerwear and carrying a laptop, so I didn't know what kind of 'pirate' they ment.

Damn. Brought plenty of blank CDs too...

The Events list in SL sucked long before LL pulled the plug on the monetary support. 90% of the events listed were fake contests so they would qualify for the event support. Pulling support that was heavily gamed can't be blamed for the events sucking. They sucked just as much then, only it was Sexy in (Basic Color) Contests instead of 0% Off Sales.

I also think the basis of this whole thread is flawed. What makes you think people aren't supporting the events that appeal to them? Check out Captions some night. When the event was Linden supported, the prize for each round was L$50. Now that it's donation supported, it hovers around L$700 by the last couple rounds. And people are also tipping the DJ. But why is this so willingly supported by its attendees when other events are not? Because it's worth it. It's well done. It's funny. It's a quality event that Trimming put some thought and effort into, and it shows.

I'll gladly pay for quality events, but that is subjective to what I think is quality. And that's as it should be. I shouldn't have to pay for things other people may want to do in SL any more than I should have to send them tickets to movies in RL. It's their entertainment, let them pay their own way, and I'll pay for mine. If my entertainment dollar is really that important, you'll have to earn it.

I donate to Zonax's Show and Tell whenever I can, its on every Sunday I think, probably taking a break for the holidays

Thanks Zap Yes, I'm lucky to have many generous donors on my event, with donations ranging from L$ 500-1500 usually. I don't pocket a penny of that, I give it out as prizes. I could pocket some of it as 'fee for hosting', but altogether, it would be pennies compared to my RL work wages, so I keep hosting as a hobby and enjoyment.

I am taking a break now, planning to be back on February. However, I'm not sure... If the calendar remains the same as now (all classified, totally unusable), that does make me think negatively...

If noone gets word from my event, how will people find it? Oh, I can be sure of many regulars, yes, but it's always nice to see new talents, builders, etc.

So LL's solution to people gaming the events list was to abandon it? How'd that work out?

It's a good point you make...the events infrastructure has always been problematic to an extent. However, I think the events list sucks harder these days, in that it actively discourages potential event hosts from even bothering.

I think it WAS always the same percentage, but after we got more and more and more residents, it got harder to find "real" events.. And so a lot of people gave up, and a lot of events that needed prize money went without, and stopped..

As the world grew I knew we were going to need some kind of new innovative events calender, I just didn't think/know someone wouldn't have come up with one by now

Using the events calendar as classified advertising alternative is a relatively recent phenomenon. While events were being gamed and overshadowed by the *ingo, it was nowhere near as bad as this current state. A major difference is that there was no announcement that while we will provide some guidelines, we just don't have the time to followup up on any abuse of the system.

As bad as these forums can get, can you imagine if LL announced that it's just too time consuming to moderate them so they aren't even going to try?

*salivates at the thought*

For an event that entertains or educates me, my tips/donations typically start at L$500. Compared to a RL bar, movie theatre, restaurant, or concert, US$2 is pretty damn cheap for an hour's diversion.

I recently discovered TeaZers that seems to hold a pretty frequent set of SL educational classes. The one I sat in on (particles) was easily on par with some of the best taught classes I've seen in-game. And yes, I tipped the teacher well.

I expect this will happen, but I hope not

I disagree that the events list is worse now. For me, it's about the same. Seeing a classified in there is no more or less annoying than seeing a hot wet thong contest, which was just a gaming of the system. They both suck equally, but at least the Lindens aren't handing that classified ad poster $750 Lindens for the trouble of gaming the system.

Nor is that person handing LL $250 for posting their classified ad.

It's the quantity added to the event list by classified ads which is the basis for my opinion that the situation is worse.

I advertise my radio show days in the events list - just to say 'hey it's going down' - money/dwell/ all that crap doesn't enter into it really.

I do my sunday show because its fun - couldn't really give a rats arse about anything else.. I guess thats why I'm never dissapointed.

I don't know. What the hell is an "event" anyway?

I plead not-guilty, because I've never heard about an event I think I'd have liked, could have gone to, but didn't. In fact I've very rarely heard of an event that I think I'd have liked, period.

Tell me, what "events" are you thinking of?
Yes, but I can't get live music from Second Life, can I? All I can get is the streaming music I can get for free from Last.FM or Pandora, and I get better music there.
No.
No.
No. Sorry. Try again.
Somehow I don't think popping by in a ridable Pony avatar from Extrovirtual Island is what you mean. I support the alternative, I donate hundreds of Lindens at a pop to places that I like. But they're none of them "events". Give me an "event" worth paying for, and maybe I'll change my mind.

About as well as LL's solution to people gaming the reputation bonus, or people gaming the developer's incentive, or people gaming the telehubs.

Give me a good event and perhaps I'll support it.

It's the exact same thing as making and selling something - it's not 'give me money I and I will make something good'

It's if I make something good - you might give me money for it.

I don't see why events shouldn't be the same way. The few events I went to I went to because I enjoyed, and I donated heavily both with money and prizes to each one I went to - even when there WAS event funding.