The idea of paid workshops at shows is an exciting proposition. Many of us have attended events where paid workshops have thrived. During the Lincolnshire Well, Being show our workshop schedule did not fare so well.
Visitors answered the question:
‘Have you attended or do you find the workshops of interest?’
Answer:
‘The cost is a factor.’
We are now at a crossroads: do we continue with the workshops or expand the talks schedule?
Transparency is of paramount importance to LizianEvents. Therefore I’ll give a breakdown of the overheads of the talk schedule:
Room cost 200
Video production 300
We do not count time!
The total cost of the workshop schedule is 500: We charge an administration fee of five pounds per ticket sold and therefore need 100 places to cover the internal costs.
Readers must remember that Community Members fee’s cover the infrastructure of the organisation. Venue rental, advertising. Promotional printing, fuel etc. The LEN and websites are extensive and worked on every day, LizianEvents is a 365 day a year organisation, and we account for every penny spent.
When workshops were considered we realised not every Community Member would be interested or be prepared to give the time to the workshop. Consequently, it would be unfair for the majority of Community Members to contribute to the workshop schedule. So, the administration fee covers the extra expenses involved.
Sometimes we win, and other times the outcome is not as expected. With this in mind, we will run our first poll, and the questionnaire will seal the fate of the workshops for Novembers Lincolnshire Well Being Show.
The poll is straight-forward – click the answer, and the Visitors and Community will decide the outcome. If the survey suggests the workshops should continue, the format will change:
If the workshops are to stay, the promotional cost will have to be lowered. To do this, we have little option but to remove the video aspect of workshop promotion and lower the price paid by attendees. For our part, we can help the tutor by adjusting the administration fee. If the attendance is twenty plus in number delegates; we will charge a fifty pounds administration fee, if the figure falls below twenty there is no charge.
The first hurdle to cross is to find out if The Community and Visitors desire for the workshops to continue:
[Total_Soft_Poll id=”1″]
See You Soon
Any new venture which will help bring footfall to the community should be pursued but after reading the article the vote will show the feelings of the majority personally I feel it should be tried out
The talks have unquestionably been a success and are pivotal in justifying an admission charge, and attracting visitors in the first place. £5 for a day of talks is exceptionally good value, and multiple talk attenders are always in evidence.
A talk takes out 30-55 minutes of a visitors time, in some ways it is an excuse to sit down as much as anything else. A workshop takes out 2 -3 hours. I believe that visitors are less keen to surrender that amount of time when there are talks to attend, and stalls to visit.
The cost of the workshops was consistent with what such workshops normally command. But if you are paying £5 for admission with free talks, £10 for refreshments during the day, £35 for a reading with a reader, £25 for a therapy, ( a typical day) that is £65, and a further £25 can seem a bridge too far. I believe that it may be the wrong opportunity, at the wrong time, in the wrong place.
If the workshops had brought in additional visitors, there would be a case to absorb the costs in the overall show profit – but I do not think that it did.
I do not believe that there is a proven case for multiple workshop provision, although one a day, probably on Mediumship, might work.
Very insightful reply Gary – many, many thanks for your time and opinions – Ian
Just an observation, I’m hoping at your end Ian you can see who actually voted and how many times?
🤔
Of course, we can Dale – The software is very potent and although a click can be made twice, the final results eliminate ‘extra’ votes. We cannot, of course, publish who votes and how they voted. I trust people to be fair and do not concern myself with the few who may attempt to adjust the outcome. Many thanks for your question Dale. Ian
Thought as much, only asked as I accidentally voted again, when trying to view the results.
Ah! Well worth asking as other people may have the same question – Many thanks, Ian
I dont quite understand the difference between talks and work shops as some talks can be interactive. I love learning about new spiritual aspects and one of the main attractions to me is an interesting and informative talk or work shop.
In Reiki Training they teach that you should not give healing away free as people dont always appreciate free things. maybe some people put their name down for a workshop and then get busy and dont turn up. how about a minimal charge like £1 or £2. when booking to secure your place.
Hi Crystal, thank you for your comment. A worshop is a more intense and longer way of providing information. Very often the presenter give a certifiate of attendance. The workshop tutor ofter provodeds notes and tols whihc are part of the session. A talk is a free presenation where the presenter put forward a point of view or talks about their work. We do not charge for talks as the room hire and availible facilities (projector – flip chart etc) are covered in the entry and stall fees. I hope this helps, and many thanks for your time – See You Soon