Be Part of the SWAP Solution!

[alrha]

Josh, dont forget WHY it's crowded... because MR runs the best swaps in the region!! if the event is selling out and people are still clamoring to attend, that pretty much tells you how many people LOVE the event.

 

[marrone]

Yes it is unique to my situation, thus I said it costs me 100 to walk in the door, I didn't genralize the comment one bit. I was just making a point, I left many points on another thread about the costs already, and I guess I'm assuming people have read those as well. The comment to go hand in hand with the 100 is that other swaps I have gone to cost 15 per couple or 10 per person if bought in advance. Or 15 per person 20 per couple at the door. I'm not gonna repeat the entire conversation in the other post though.

From all your posts you make on the board I see one thing, it's all about money. It seems that whatever you spend it has to equal out to what you save. What is worth to you to have a good time? $100 doesn't sound like much to me, and from your posts on the board, it should for you either. I'm don't think anyone had a problem with the $25 entrance fee, outside of you, and does saving $10-$15 mean that much, well for some it may, but that basically gets you a cheap frag.

 

[wimby]

What about a grammer school or a high school cafateria? Just a thought I had a great time left with awesome corals and had fun with great people. Thanks for all the hardwork you all put in. Can't wait till the fall swap!!!

 

[Vic8361]

From doing the swap at Johnathans Crib, then a dance studio in Chealsea, I think you guys are doing great job.
However getting a larger space will most likely bring more people and venders being how fast the event was sold out.
You guys have the skills and I know you'll work it out as usual.
My stomach was bumping in to every one but that's my fault not yours LOL!!
BTW I had a great time.
Thanks,
Vic

 

[Sean]

I think you guys are doing a great job. I have seen the progression from the Dance studio to the huge event it is now.

A few suggestions

a P.A. for the speaker

I like the suggestion of no food- reduce the admission to say $20 and have people buy their own food at Pratt. But I would still suggest having coffee and water for people

put vendors in the center or put the MR tables in the center

Can the couches and most of the seating be moved to the cafeteria?

 

[DrAsTiC]

Hello everyone sorry I am new here LOL actually signed onto the site on Friday but I wish I could have went to the swap. I read in a few post that people came and left after an hour without really buying anything.Well if the people at the door stamp everyone's hand that went in and every time 5 people left then they could stamp five more people in and increase revenue just like the fun park Like I said I am a new reefer and would have loved to make it to the swap with my son but the tickets were sold out. I would take a chance standing outside hoping to get in but since there was a limited amount of tickets it is impossible. Just trying to help make the next swap better. I heard that every month at the New York Aquarium they have a swap correct me if I am wrong.

 

[stage3-S4]

I didnt attend but this event should be held in the Pratt gymnasium. I was there on Saturday to take the FE/EIT exam and there were over 500 test takers. It is plenty big. Also They put down this huge rubber tarp over the gym floor to avoid the tables/chairs/people from damaging it. I would seriously consider look into this. If they cover the floor, I wouldn't worry about the floor being damaged.

 

[jaa1456]

OOut of all of my posts only a few were about money, but the bottom line is money makes the world go round. I wrote quite a few suggestions and most had to do with other venues, and by the way why does everyone keep saying I suggested the javitz? That was not me who suggested it I was commenting on someone else's post right before mine. I think we need a course in reading comprehension

 

[NYreefNoob]

dont let the whiners in that will solve alot of problems, sorry just had to put that out there

 

[House of Laughter]

Hello everyone sorry I am new here LOL actually signed onto the site on Friday but I wish I could have went to the swap. I read in a few post that people came and left after an hour without really buying anything.Well if the people at the door stamp everyone's hand that went in and every time 5 people left then they could stamp five more people in and increase revenue just like the fun park Like I said I am a new reefer and would have loved to make it to the swap with my son but the tickets were sold out. I would take a chance standing outside hoping to get in but since there was a limited amount of tickets it is impossible. Just trying to help make the next swap better. I heard that every month at the New York Aquarium they have a swap correct me if I am wrong.

Good idea - I'll add it to the options

House

 

[House of Laughter]

What about a grammer school or a high school cafateria? Just a thought I had a great time left with awesome corals and had fun with great people. Thanks for all the hardwork you all put in. Can't wait till the fall swap!!!

Wimby - I am sure the MR administration will consider all public spaces - including cafeteria's

House

 

[Dace]

Perhaps sell tickets for different time frames. Say a 10am-2pm ticket and a 2pm-6pm ticket (and a full day ticket at a higher price). Might help better limit the amount of people all at once while still allowing for most everyone to come at some point.

great idea,but its has it's good and bad. Most people that go to a swap want to be the first to go in to cherry pick. By having two waves of time frames i would bet the latter would be pretty empty.

 

[alfani]

don't think the $25 is a problem or that big of a deal. if you can't spend $25 dollars on the swap, then you're in the wrong hobby. open up more rooms or use another part of campus with bigger main room or 3-4 smaller rooms for people to move around to meet up and socialize.

Pace is really too small for this event so i would like to see a new place for the Fall Swap.

 

[House of Laughter]

dont let the whiners in that will solve alot of problems, sorry just had to put that out there

Adding that to the list -

However, I am sure amongst the varied personalities and work skills here at MR, someone has to have some connections. Don't get me wrong - I know I love it and Randy loves hosting the event (don't' ever ask that question the day after the event

But if the event has outgrown the spaces, we need options! that's what this is about.

House

 

[House of Laughter]

don't think the $25 is a problem or that big of a deal. if you can't spend $25 dollars on the swap, then you're in the wrong hobby. open up more rooms or use another part of campus with bigger main room or 3-4 smaller rooms for people to move around to meet up and socialize.

Pace is really too small for this event so i would like to see a new place for the Fall Swap.

Alf,

That's an idea, not a solution - not trying to be rude - but what can you bring to the table in ways of making this idea a reality? Do you know if any spaces? we already know we need options for additional space and rooms - quite frankly, most campuses have limited spaces or larger size that will allow us in. Those who were at the dance studio never asked why we're not allowed back in - the reality is because we made a mess - water = mess and since no one volunteers to do clean up (well very few), this is a cost problem - janitors can be hired, but that adds to the cost of the money.

What we need to keep in focus here too is that the event is designed to put money back into the community by ways of features for membership, new web domains that allow us to go global, podcasts, reef apps - this stuff costs tons of cash to make happen.

The pratt gym is not an option because it was recently renovated and they would never allow us to jeapordize damaging the floor. The tarp wouldn't protect it - those tarps are designed for walking and chair/table damage - water finds its way - I know you all know that

House

 

[James]

A large public high or middle school might really be a good idea, could be opened on weekends and there are a lot of them(and they really need money), just need to find someone with some pull who works at one. I work at a large middle school in Brooklyn and it would be perfect except that it is not easily accessible by public transport nor in the best of neighborhoods. Giant cafeteria with access for large deliveries, slop-sinks, and a huge 350+ theater with full sound, projection booth etc for speakers...

 

[alfani]

open up adjacent class rooms, tables and chairs can be move and put back

 

[TRIGGERMAN]

The 2 waves is a bad idea..some people definitely just come to buy some corals and leave which they have every right to do so. They paid their admission they can stay as little or as long as they can/want to. Also like mentioned all the "good" stuff would be gone by the time the afternoon comes. People would all want to come in the morning to cherry pick and as far as the raffle you can't split it up it's not fair to all the attendees. Kathy and the others work very hard especially on the raffle and it takes a while to get through everything and get people to settle down so the numbers can be heard etc. It would also take 3 hours out of the even instead of an hour and a half which is about how long it usually takes for the raffle. Plus then you have the fact that there is usually 1 of every prize so why should 1 person get the option to win something others won't be able to?

Yes it's always a bit crowded and both spaces are too small especially since our community has gotten so huge. I don't personally have a problem with the admission price it is what it is..there is always plenty of food and drinks and of course everything costs money. My #1 solution would be find a bigger venue that's the only real problem with the swap. Everything else is great. I was not able to attend this swap but I have attended the last 4 or 5? I was never upset about the outcome,I was never starved. It's always a good time filled w/ great people and I can't wait til the next one.

 

[House of Laughter]

A large public high or middle school might really be a good idea, could be opened on weekends and there are a lot of them(and they really need money), just need to find someone with some pull who works at one. I work at a large middle school in Brooklyn and it would be perfect except that it is not easily accessible by public transport nor in the best of neighborhoods. Giant cafeteria with access for large deliveries, slop-sinks, and a huge 350+ theater with full sound, projection booth etc for speakers...

James - great idea - i have found many of them are not willing to assume the liability regardless of how much event insurance is purchased - YES people, the event HAS to be insured (read costs here).

this is one of the larger barriers to putting them on in a public space. It takes a good amount of man hours to sniff out that one school who is willing to let us try the event.

It's already in the list (use of public spaces).

Thanks,

House

 

[TRIGGERMAN]

Also if we knew what the budget was for a larger venue that might help find a place. As James mentioned a school would be a good idea and schools especially grammar/middle schools could always use the money. What better solution than helping out our youth as well as our event. Maybe someone could PM me what the budget is and I could check a few things there is a few schools by me I think I could work something out with now that I think about it. I have 1 in particular in mind that has a very big space I did a lot of work with them in the past hosting other events. We have done large pancake breakfasts at one for several hundred people and another we used to do a family bingo night we called supermarket sweepstakes the bingo prizes were bags of groceries to help the families out which was a very big crowd of several hundred also. This venue also has a large auditorium that connects to a large cafeteria I think it could be perfect for our next swap.