Family fun day without the remortgage?

casbah

Hey people

I have this crazy idea, I want to organise a family fun day the old fashioned way, whereby people don't have to pay an absolute fortune to go out for a day, I, for one, os absolutely fed up with paying through the nose just to get in the door at some of these events.

My idea is as follows; a combination of retail and entertainment. Having weekly themes, i.e a football tournament, a baby show, a wedding show, but thrown into the mix would be good old fashioned Fair games, hoop the duck, coconut shy.
All the retail units would be classy gazebos ( all matching) and I want to invite local, small businesses to rent these gazebos. I have done a few events in my time and the only thing in abundance is the complaints from the stall holders about lack of customers. Hence the themed idea, I am looking at 100 gazebos, some selling clothes, some food and some offering services ( nails, hair extensions etc sorry guys I haven't thought about you lot yet).
The rates for the Gazebos would be reasonable, and I'd offer good freshly prepared food, i.e a picnic area with blankets not cheap white plastic chairs that break easily.

OK now I am the type of person that doesn't take criticism easily, but I've taken a few deep breaths, puffed my chest up and am ready for some home truths. Any pitfalls waiting for me that you can see?
Cas

Pennywise

casbah wrote: »

Any pitfalls waiting for me that you can see?
Cas

Do your costings first. You need to find out how much it will cost you in terms of field rent, portaloos, security, staffing, advertising, insurance, power, bank charges, professional fees, etc. Then you need to add your profit, and you come to a figure you need to receive. Divide that figure over your paying trade stands to see how much you're going to have to charge them. Then find out what other similar venues charge for trade stalls. If you're similarly priced, then it's a potential go-er. If you'd have to charge more than other venues, you'd have to forget it. Remember that trade stalls won't pay top whack for an unproved event - you'll have to charge competitively/lowly at first to prove the model works and then you can ramp up the prices when your events prove themselves to bring in vast quantities of the paying public. The more time and energy you devote to planning will pay dividends in this kind of thing - completely pointless to go head-long into it only to find that something like insurance costs are prohibitive and you've wasted your time. You also need to think carefully about dates - avoid weekends where there are already other events within an hour's driving distance, and also look at historical weather patterns - July/August aren't good times for outdoor events because they're statistically more likely to have rain, than say May or June which may be cooler and less likely to have wall to wall sunshine but more likely to be dry! You need a big "rainy day" fund to cover your costs if the weather's a wash out and no-one turns up!

casbah

Thanks Penny

I know what other organisers charge, I have done a few. One charges £141+vat per metre and a minimum of 2 metres, works out an expensive days work, I wouldn't be any where near that. I agree with your weather warning, and so have my beady little eye on a farmers barn.

The insurance bit is a tadge worrying, obviously the traders would have their own public liability etc insurance. Thats something I need to research.
Regards
Cas

paddyrg

You would need your own PL, but it's not that expensive - a few hundred quid. Look at easy-to-secure sites with loos to reduce your costs. Give the police plenty of notice, invite them to send a couple of PCSO's if they'll do it as a freebie for you.

I would start off so cheap for the traders that you are guaranteed a full house - ~£20/metre maybe? Plus then you can charge a premium for anyone wanting electricity/extra services.

Also you can invite local ride owners to come along for (say) £50/pitch for teacup rides, and upwards from there.

I love the idea of a cheap day out for families - something along the lines of the old Butlins activities maybe? You're right that Tussauds/Merlin group do not add up to a cheap day!

Edit - can you get services/emotional support from the council (if not financial)? They'll be a good ally if you're making something for local residents that costs them nothing but they can be proud of.

casbah

Thanks Paddy,
Local support; As I said in my original posting they would be themed events, I'm wondering if one date could be a childrens day. I.E Entrance for children under 12 £1 parents go free, then have 75% of the stalls for businesses, like baby gym equipment and the other 25% for Mums and toddlers groups, nurseries etc. Fill the day with treasure hunts, egg and spoon races etc.
Then the other extreme would be The twilight years era.............tea dances etc. Equestrian day, armed forces day etc etc
As you can see a million things going through my mind.

I did speak to someone from my local council a few months back, and in principal they loved it, just need to work out the nitty gritty parts.
Thanks for your info, it has been noted and anything else you can think of I'd love to hear.
Cas

casbah

Just re-read your posts and something else has come to mind. I'd want a 'first aid' post, is this something I could ask St Johns to do for me, would they be qualified enough in the eyes of the law?

Savvy_Sue

You could ask St Johns but they charge, I believe, plus they may not commit to providing volunteers until quite close to your date, and then if they can't come you're a bit stuffed.

I'm just going to ask if you've considered why things like County Shows are closing around us? I know there were a few 'bad' years where Foot and Mouth / the weather caused them to have massive losses, but AFAIK not all have recovered.

And also why other events charge so much per metre / so much for admission: is it possible that that's what they need to turn a profit?

Also if you let the rides in, they'll charge what they're going to charge, and that still makes it an expensive family day out.

I agree that paying massive entrance fees is off putting, but sometimes there's a reason for it.

casbah

I can only answer your questions from my own personal experiences.
1) when I have done a show be it craft or a fun show, I have heard exhibitors moan about not even breaking even and customers complaining about the high entrance fee.
In my own opinion, other event organisers charge so much because the exhibitors are paying for the reputation. One VERY well known one charge £2K + vat for a pitch, I know they have overheards, but when you multiply that by 100 stall holders, the sums speak for themselves. Another I've worked on charges almost £150+vat per metre and then charges you for hire of the table and electricity.
My idea was for SMALL local businesses, I live in Kent and recently came across a Black smith, then found another, these guys are doing a labour of love, and I can identify with them. The frustrating thing for me is, we all do our weekly shopping, most of us buy teabags add the cost of the milk and the sugar and you are talking maybe 1.5p per cup, yet these people charge £1.20+ for a cup that to me is just pure greed, the same with some of these event organisers (IMO). I saw a lady yesterday, she had a little bric-a-brac shop in a tiny village, the shop was a converted house,(probably hundreds of years old by the look of it) She was holding a 'closing down' sale, now either she was a fantastic actress or there truely was pain in her eyes, and I can't help thinking that we shouldn't let things like that go, hence the idea. I'd hate for my grand daughter to see things from my childhood only in books or videos.

Sorry rant over

Cas

casbah

Also most county shows have live stock, I did ponder the idea of an equestrian event, but that maybe a bit of a hornets nest.
I'm mulling over your comment about the rides Sue, that may have to take some serious negotiations, I've seen a few websites whereby they hire the equipment + operator, so a wrist band idea may work.
Thank you Sue, you like the others have given more to think about.

paulwf

casbah wrote: »

The frustrating thing for me is, we all do our weekly shopping, most of us buy teabags add the cost of the milk and the sugar and you are talking maybe 1.5p per cup, yet these people charge £1.20+ for a cup that to me is just pure greed,

Until you get out of that way of thinking it will be hard to make your business profitable. You need to be thinking "they can make a £1.20 product for 1.5p, great now how can I add value and sell the same for £1.30".

My key concern is that with all the different themed events you might end up spending one working month (but spread out over time) on each event and making a few hundred pounds net profit...which means it isn't worth doing. Unless you have a way of replicating it easily and rolling it out you'll struggle to make a living from it or indeed making it worthwhile even as a labour of love.

Good luck with it though, it sounds like a good idea.

casbah

hey Paul
Thanks for your post, the teabag thing was just an example of how they inflate the prices etc. I don't see the need to charge an 8,000% mark up.
Here's a horror story for you, a certain,very well known, country fair sells trade space at £18.50 per square metre and a minimum of 6m2 m. tatal £112.00
A certain event organiser sells trade space at that very event at £185.43+ vat minimum 2 metres.
is there really a need for that?
cas