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... )
*nods* "You're a business, start behaving like one rather than complaining when things don't go your way" is basically the thrust of this whole rant.
I don't have a problem with WGW being run as a money-making enterprise or Jo earning a living from it. But the corollary of that is that there is work that needs to be done that is above and beyond what you'd expect of volunteers.
I agree, but I think if the festival isn't making money, it's hard to insist on paying the crew more! So let's focus on getting it actually solvent first.
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).
You might say that. I couldn't possibly comment... *grins*
Yeah, the ticketfail a few years ago really put a lot of people's backs up, and I think it's one of the things that's damaged ticket sales ever since - a lot of regulars swore they'd never go back because of it.
It's just another reason why WGW really needs to up its game - to win back the customers it lost, and to try to prevent itself being out-competed by fringe events that deliver better value for money.
Because the place I normally work at was built in the (desolate) north-east Wallsend Shipyard, approx 1/3rd of my colleagues know Whitby well as a quaint and pleasant sea-side town doing good fish and chips a car drive from home - and doing the Goth Weekend. It is easy to underestimate how many folk drop into Whitby when the weekend is on and various tourist portals promote this as part of sightseeing.
There's no easy answer, but the vague cycles of scene fatigue, inept organising and promotion at times leave the WGW lacking sometimes, especially if bands aren't quite to folks tastes. No easy answer, but we should appreciate what we have, but an avenue for constructive criticism and potential collaboration on fringe events should be explored...
various tourist portals promote [the goths] as part of sightseeing.
EXACTLY! So why can't we turn this to our advantage by putting on some daytime events that goths and tourists/dress-ups would all like? How many of the people who come along 'just to have a look' might be interested in stopping in to a talk about Victorian Whitby, or a sewing workshop to make a velvet bag to take home as a souvenir? And you can bet plenty of the goths would love it too!
Puts me in mind of the Fursuit walks that are an expected part of every Furry convention (And there are many) It's basically the organised moment for all the costumers to parade in front of all the photographers. How this could be modernised and weather you'd make the posers or the photographers pay I don't know.
A giant goth pose off?
You mentioned the Fancy dress contest at your first WGW I'm pretty sure 98 was my first WGW as well.
I'm definitely NOT saying turn the goths into a tourist attraction - I don't think most people would go for that, and it seems patronising and freakshow-ish. What I'm suggesting is that WGW should find a way to use the tourists by putting on events that appeal to them as well as the festival regulars, during the day at low cost. Rather than just complaining about how 'they' take up all the accommodation and get in the way and shouldn't be there.
Comments 56
Reply
Reply
Reply
"You're a business, start behaving like one rather than complaining when things don't go your way" is basically the thrust of this whole rant.
I don't have a problem with WGW being run as a money-making enterprise or Jo earning a living from it. But the corollary of that is that there is work that needs to be done that is above and beyond what you'd expect of volunteers.
Reply
Reply
Reply
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
(The comment has been removed)
Yeah, the ticketfail a few years ago really put a lot of people's backs up, and I think it's one of the things that's damaged ticket sales ever since - a lot of regulars swore they'd never go back because of it.
It's just another reason why WGW really needs to up its game - to win back the customers it lost, and to try to prevent itself being out-competed by fringe events that deliver better value for money.
Reply
There's no easy answer, but the vague cycles of scene fatigue, inept organising and promotion at times leave the WGW lacking sometimes, especially if bands aren't quite to folks tastes.
No easy answer, but we should appreciate what we have, but an avenue for constructive criticism and potential collaboration on fringe events should be explored...
Reply
EXACTLY! So why can't we turn this to our advantage by putting on some daytime events that goths and tourists/dress-ups would all like? How many of the people who come along 'just to have a look' might be interested in stopping in to a talk about Victorian Whitby, or a sewing workshop to make a velvet bag to take home as a souvenir? And you can bet plenty of the goths would love it too!
Reply
A giant goth pose off?
You mentioned the Fancy dress contest at your first WGW I'm pretty sure 98 was my first WGW as well.
Reply
Reply
Leave a comment