Clairvoyant evening please help!

julie8314dave

Hi
i have a very old quaint and creaky Tea rooms in sussex, business not to bad at the moment but i am thinking of other ideas to bring in a little extra and also to have a bit of fun.

I have always been into clairvoyants, and would probably ring two of them up to attend the afternoon evening whichever suits.

Does any one have any experience of these evenings, and also any ideas as the best ways to run this evening, do i charge entrance fees? do i do a raffle, food or drink, should i have a guest speaker, how long should the time be. women only or mixed, how should i advertise.

I obviously have some ideas of how i would like to do it but merely asking for any suggestions ideas.
Thanks in advance.
Julie.

Gigglepig

Beware that this may also put off current and potential customers. Personally I am extremely put off by clairvoyant services and other forms of quackery where people charge for their "services" without any quality assurance and scientific proof whatsoever. Maybe it is a lark to some, but think of all the people who spend money on this industry who really need their money for other things. Vulnerable people are exploited too.

I would not wish to support this business or people associated with it, so I would avoid your tea room if you ran this type of event.

Nicki

You might find that you are a topic of conversation in the local churches too, with people there deciding not to give you custom, and to pass on the word to others to avoid you.

It is quite a divisive thing to decide to do!

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

You'd lose my business.

Evil people, preying on the weak and vulnerable.


Mind you, if you held Christian prayer groups on the Tuesdays and Thursdays, then outreach sessions by the nearest mosque on Fridays, making sure they don't meet with the Jewish group coming in after sundown, plus the odd Hindu or Pagan meeting, I'd avoid you because of them, too.

You might even end up with a evangelical Christian church protesting outside your shop about communing with the devil, cue lots of negative press - some for the cold reading sessions, some for having rabid Christians waving placards outside, etc.



Religion and Victoria Sandwiches do not go together outside jumble sales.

rachbc

i'm with the others - I think these people are cynically manipulators of vulnerable peopl and would not go to a teashop that had such events

BitterAndTwisted

I agree, although it might sound like just a bit of fun at the planning stage in reality these things aren't fun at all. In my opinion these self-proclaimed "clairvoyants" are charlatans (charitable) or cynical exploiters of the innocent (less so).

I'd try and devise something a tiny bit less controversial and a tad more inclusive.

chalkiesalem_2

I personaly dont believe in clairvoyants, but just because you had them in you tea shop one evening it does not mean i would boycott your shop at other times. To do so would be petty, we all have our own beliefs.

Personally i would charge an entrance fee but include a free hot drink with it. Not sure about the raffle as it seems a bit off the subject. Definatly mixed. What would the guest speaker talk about?

Tropez

If you charge an entrance fee, what about people who just want a cup of tea and sandwich and don't wish to take part in whatever "entertainment" the alleged-clairvoyant has in store?

My own feelings about clairvoyancy aside, the whole thing strikes me as a rather cheesy gimmick than anything else. When I think of such things, I tend to immediately think of these run-down, ill-kept hotels that only turn a trade because they claim to be haunted.

I think it would help to get an idea of the local feeling about it. Some areas of the country and more open to such ideas than others.

Spendless

chalkiesalem wrote: »

I personaly dont believe in clairvoyants, but just because you had them in you tea shop one evening it does not mean i would boycott your shop at other times. To do so would be petty, we all have our own beliefs.

Personally i would charge an entrance fee but include a free hot drink with it. Not sure about the raffle as it seems a bit off the subject. Definatly mixed. What would the guest speaker talk about?

Me neither. My local pub has hosted them, as well as shopping events where the stall holders work on commissions, slimming groups and so on. I don't not go down the local cos they held an event I didn't agree with 3 weeks last wednesday.

The ones I've seen advertised have had an entrance fee, but they ahve been more of a stalls first eg you can buy crystals etc, whatever floats your boat, followed by a show, which is what the entrance fee pays for and then you would have private readings at an additional charge for anyone who wished to.

julie8314dave

Hi
thanks for all your comments as to which i have taken on board
it was actually a couple of my customers who suggested that we might run one of these fun evenings.

On talking to a lot of people they all seem very interested in what i am proposing to do.

The two people that i was thinking of using are very good and accurate in what they do and both have been for the past 30 years plus. i let the tea rooms out for other events race nights, murder mystery nights etc but just thought of doing something else.

i am sure that there will be other people along that think that this will be a good fun evening and surely those that believe that these are charlatans and can not afford it will not come anyway so there will be more room for those of us that believe.

People may like to come along for the event then it is up to them if they want to pay for a private reading or not.
There are a lot of people that like this sort of thing and many that are maybe to scared worried etc to accept that there is something different out there, but just because you do not believe in it remember that others do.
thanks again.

ailuro2

Why not do a pensioners' evening, and a young ones' evening, with themed music and costumes?
give out money off vouchers to the people who come into the cafe already...

have a different menu - burgers / pizza for the young ones, good old fashioned high tea for the oldies....

give them big portions to begin with, word will soon get round.

No crystal ball required to see what profits could do...:p