Date: Fri, 12 Nov 2004 11:42:27 -0500
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>
From: Elspeth Kovar <ekovar at worldnet.att.net>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Minutes of the November 5 etc.; shifting to
  finances
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>

At 09:00 AM 11/12/04, Rich Lynch wrote:

>--- Elspeth Kovar <ekovar at worldnet.att.net> wrote:
>
> > At 06:05 PM 11/11/04, Keith F. Lynch wrote:
> > >The minutes of the November 5th meeting are online at
> > >http://www.wsfa.org/minutes.htm
> > >
> > >Please email me any additions or corrections before the
> > next meeting,
> > >which will be at the Madigans' in eight days.  Thank
> > you.
> >
>
>Just now reading the minutes, and I see that "Madigans'" is
>mis-spelled.  I should also note that what I actually said
>was that since we magnanimously spent $1,000 to sponsor a
>WFC event, could we expect Leprecon to spend a similar
>amount on CapClave?  What you have in the minutes is a
>somewhat distorted oversimplification.

For that matter, I was sufficiently croggled by the question that I
answered in the reverse order from what I should have: It was an
advertising expense, but also our choosing to 'pay it forward'.  (And, for
that matter, I think that the money didn't come from WSFA but was advanced
to the '05 Capclave.)

As said later, WFC is an independent convention which is sometimes but not
always hosted by groups.  In '03 it was hosted by WSFA, in '04 it was
hosted by Leprecon, one of their local conventions.  'Pay it forward'
financially is not a WFC tradition as it now is for Worldcons but would not
be a bad tradition to have started.  In a larger sense, 'pay it forward' is
also a fannish tradition of long standing.  Because of the success of the
WFC that we hosted WSFA is now in a position to do some of this.

But it was the advertising expense that was most important and the primary
reason for sponsoring an event at the '04 WFC.  Capclave needs roughly 200
paying members to be financially viable.  The $1,000 was an investment with
the intent of attracting publishers, editors, authors and artists as
members.  Some might wind up being comped, if we put them on programming,
but overall becoming known as a convention where they congregate would be a
useful thing and make us more attractive.

(This is a part of the discussion of what we want Capclave to grow
into.  The overall impression that I've gotten is that people feel that
there is already a 'big tent' convention in the area and that we should
continue carving out the niche that we started with when we focused on
short stories.  Which is *not* to say that Capclave shouldn't include other
things.  In any event, that's another discussion.)

WFC has a very high percentage of those, giving Capclave more bang for the
buck.  Consider it targeted advertising.  It was done in such a way to
associate the brand name, if you will, of 'Capclave' with a successful and
much enjoyed convention that they'd already experienced, the WFC that we
hosted.  Because our underwriting was used specifically for drink chits
rather than generally it stood out more -- and remember that at WFC anyone
who wants to can participate in the autographing, and they all got drink
chits.  Who are your going to recall better, someone who underwrote a
banquet, for example, or someone who bought you a drink?  The name of one
of next year's Guests of Honor was worked into the thank you speech, and
the whole thing was done with humor that raised laughter and a cheer.

The poster, which had been at the front of that room, was then moved to the
psychological entrance -- autographing was actually done in a courtyard --
of the autographing session where everyone could easily see it, not just
the people signing autographs.

Michael, someone known to most of the folks not only as last year's WFC
chair, wound up being one of the people holding open the doors for the
flood of people exiting the pre-autographing.  The number of them who
called out, "Hey, Mike!  Thanks for the drinks!" provided feedback that at
least some impression had been made.  How that will translate into
memberships is unknown, and will depend in part on what sort of follow up
work is done.  All in all though, while I'm biased from having been
involved, I think that the investment was worthwhile.

The major failing in 'marketing' was in presenting the idea to WSFA.  To
the best of my recollection the club only heard about the things that
Leprecon was tossing in, the poster and the flyers in the book bags, which
was at the end of the discussions with them.  Which I only realized when
someone mentioned it to me near the end of Capclave '04.  People didn't
hear until afterwards that the money was going to underwrite the
autographing session.  So it *sounded* like we were paying $1,000 for a
poster and flyers.  Argh, and sorry!

Elspeth