This started out as an item on Facebook but then it got very long so I figured this would be a better place to put it! Feel free to link to it, argue with me or otherwise engage
( Read more... )
I went to Whitby once, which means we were close, physically, once, Go us. I am, kinda, around professional events organisers so, FWIW:
1. KILL CLASHING FRINGE EVENTS. Supportive events, embrace, that Microsoft thing.
but none of them offer discounts or benefits to people who hold WGW tickets.
Why would they?
The Spa has WGW over a barrel - they’re the only large venue in town,
Assuming a good relationship, WGW has the Spa over a barrel. A relaiable booking? Twice a year? With solid bar takings?
The other reason is that Jo Hampshire, the organiser, now draws her sole income from the running of WGW, so she needs to get enough in from ticket sales to live on as well as cover running costs.
Sheeeeeee what? Madness. No one would do that. Surely? In conference terms, or not, WGW is spatters of piss on the urinal of... I lost my metaphor. No one is living off that. Surely?
However, Jo herself admits that WGW has made a loss for the past couple of years, and that she has been reliant on investment from elsewhere (though not
( ... )
Jo can't 'kill' clashing fringe events. They have every right to be there - she doesn't own the town. She needs to either get them on board the WGW train, or if that's not possible, strive to make WGW so good that nobody will bother going to the other events. As far as I can tell she's doing neither
( ... )
A multi-venue event on a single wristband has one obvious problem. What happens when everyone wants to be in the same place at the same time? The Big name comes on and everyone heads for the Spa. Either you sell no more wristbands than would fill the Spa to capacity (Already the case or it has been a couple of times in the last few years) or you have a lot of pissed off goths cueing outside in a force ten storm waiting for their turn on the one out one in merry go round with certain knowledge that nobody will be out before the band they want to see is done (And a lot of goths remember what that feels like
( ... )
As long as it's well-publicised in advance and there's plenty of choice (real choice, as in not just having one 'big name' or having different genres in different venues) for them as can't make it into the Spa, it shouldn't be a problem - the ticket fiasco was when something went wrong and people who had paid for tickets couldn't get in, and the Spa was the only game in town.
DV8Fest manages it fine with three venues - two decent-sized ones (though still smaller than the Spa) and a backroom of a pub (a bit smaller than the upstairs in the Res).
Hamster handles it by having a comprehensive warning that the owners of venues will reserve their right to turn away punters if their venues are full. Plus he puts on different types of music in each venue, so the people who buy wristbands are more likely to be in one venue over any other during most of the weekend. No reason Jo couldn't do something similar.
Spa has WGW over a barrel when Halloween is close to a particular weekend When it's more in the middle the reverse may be true. Whitby looses out big time if it gets only one out of the WGW and the Dracula weekend. But now Spa management is in private hands I don't know if this counts so much and it wouldn't be the first time the Dracula weekend got Halloween over WGW and that did not go well for WGW. There is much here of Geese and golden eggs but do Scarborough understand this and do they have enough swing over the spa if they do?
No idea. I know SBC used to keep wanting WGW to move to Scarborough where they have bigger venues that they have more trouble getting bookings for in the off-season. I think they've realised that's never gonna happen though!
I remember when when rumours of that first leaked out on to UKPG. Oh how we laughed ...well, screamed in incredulity and vowed never to leave Whitby ever.
It must bring a pile of money into wherever it is held, and I would expect the lucky town to be giving it some financial and other support. Does it matter if it's Whitby or Scarborough or any other off-season resort?
Well, for one thing, it's Whitby Goth Weekend and has run in Whitby since it started - moving away would potentially alienate a lot of the regular attendees. For another, Whitby has the Dracula/Bram Stoker connection as well as the gothic ruined abbey, which makes it altogether a more atmospheric setting than the bright lights of a typical seaside resort. Thirdly, many people fear that a move to Scarborough (or similar larger resort town) would put attendees at risk of hate crime - Whitby as a town has got very used to the costumes, outlandish hair and makeup, and to the number of trans* and androgynous-looking people the event attracts.
I have been told by WGW organisers that Scarborough won't let them run as multi-venue on a single wristband.
ok, I'm confused. For years, there were bands at the Metropole on the Friday and Saturday nights that anyone with a wristband could go see. I remember people complaining that they had to walk from one site to the other to see the bands they wanted to see (and, if weather was bad, getting wet). This was an official WGW venue. So, the council has changed their minds about allowing this?
I have heard from many sources (various locals, mainly) that the Scarborough Council has been jealous of Whitby getting all these lucrative weekends and has done various things to try to get the big weekends moved to their venue. I heard this from cabbies, pub staff, B&B owners, Spa staff as well as Jo (who lives locally).
Apparently so. I remember the bands being on at the Met, though I don't think I ever went. Unfortunately I think that happened in the wake of the ticket overselling drama, so people were perhaps feeling a bit less charitable?
I really do despair if able-bodied people think walking from the Spa to the Met (which is what, less than half a mile?) is too far!
Actually, the Metropole was used way before the ticket overselling. A lot of the time it was for lesser known bands to see how many people would come see them. Quite a few ended up asked to play the Spa at a future WGW.
i think it was more of a "I'm in my best clothes and make-up and don't want to get wet/have silly heeled shoes" than being lazy.
I seem to recall that the overspill bands at the Metropole was a separate ticketed event, with discounted tickets for wristband holders.
And as it was (some of) the same bands as at the Spa, there wasn't much point for a wristband holder in going to the Metropole unless you wanted to see a band twice...
Exactly this. If you're a DJ or a band putting a gig on, and you're not that well known but you want to get paid, making the gig £4 for Joe Schmoe and £2 for wristband holders means you're more likely to get people through the door as they'll perceive they're getting a bargain.
Go us.
I am, kinda, around professional events organisers so, FWIW:
1. KILL CLASHING FRINGE EVENTS. Supportive events, embrace, that Microsoft thing.
but none of them offer discounts or benefits to people who hold WGW tickets.
Why would they?
The Spa has WGW over a barrel - they’re the only large venue in town,
Assuming a good relationship, WGW has the Spa over a barrel. A relaiable booking? Twice a year? With solid bar takings?
The other reason is that Jo Hampshire, the organiser, now draws her sole income from the running of WGW, so she needs to get enough in from ticket sales to live on as well as cover running costs.
Sheeeeeee what? Madness. No one would do that. Surely? In conference terms, or not, WGW is spatters of piss on the urinal of...
I lost my metaphor.
No one is living off that. Surely?
However, Jo herself admits that WGW has made a loss for the past couple of years, and that she has been reliant on investment from elsewhere (though not ( ... )
Reply
Reply
Reply
DV8Fest manages it fine with three venues - two decent-sized ones (though still smaller than the Spa) and a backroom of a pub (a bit smaller than the upstairs in the Res).
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
It must bring a pile of money into wherever it is held, and I would expect the lucky town to be giving it some financial and other support. Does it matter if it's Whitby or Scarborough or any other off-season resort?
Reply
Reply
ok, I'm confused. For years, there were bands at the Metropole on the Friday and Saturday nights that anyone with a wristband could go see. I remember people complaining that they had to walk from one site to the other to see the bands they wanted to see (and, if weather was bad, getting wet). This was an official WGW venue. So, the council has changed their minds about allowing this?
I have heard from many sources (various locals, mainly) that the Scarborough Council has been jealous of Whitby getting all these lucrative weekends and has done various things to try to get the big weekends moved to their venue. I heard this from cabbies, pub staff, B&B owners, Spa staff as well as Jo (who lives locally).
Reply
I really do despair if able-bodied people think walking from the Spa to the Met (which is what, less than half a mile?) is too far!
Reply
i think it was more of a "I'm in my best clothes and make-up and don't want to get wet/have silly heeled shoes" than being lazy.
Reply
And as it was (some of) the same bands as at the Spa, there wasn't much point for a wristband holder in going to the Metropole unless you wanted to see a band twice...
Reply
Reply
Reply
Leave a comment