Trade Show Fee

["guest@endurance.net" <guest@endurance.net>]

Karen Nelson knelson@thegrid.net
At this point, there is more that I agree with than I disagree with in the prior posts.  The job of the BOD is tough, and there are lots of expenses that you absorb when in that position, which is why I have not run even when I was requested to do so.  I just couldn't afford it, time or money. I know that time was short at the mid-year meeting, but I think they could have proposed this fee for next year, and put it in front of the membership.  I realize most of the members do not attend the convention for a variety of reasons.  The plain math that has been written here tells me that the rent of the "hall" by AERC for $2500 and then "sublet" by AERC to the 137 booth vendors brings in a handsome profit.  Turning $2500 into $38,000 in just 3 days or so is too big a percentage for me to calculate.  (Shades of Hillary and cattle futures)  The efforts of prior treasurers and others in getting a correct and decent bookkeeping system in place to eliminate the rumors of missing funds, (which insurance didn't cover because of late notification) and the abruptness of other actions which produced law suits from disgruntled office staff has left us a legacy of a rocky road to overcome.  I do believe that Doyle has a better level of experience and the overall responses from the office when I have questions in the near past are far better than prior attitudes.                                                                        I do have problems with Doyle reffering to the Horse Expo as a comparison to the AERC trade show.  The Expo event was widely advertised, radio- TV-  discount coupons at every feed and tack shop I go into, and an agressive effort to draw the everyday public into the Expo.  The promoters did the up-front expense and the income was rightly theirs- profit or not.  This is a trade show attached to an annual convention, promoted within the organization itself, with some emphasis on the idea of bringing an equestrian friend who perhaps isn't now doing endurance.  Since most horse owners are women and we are thought to be lovers of shopping, what better way to get them interested?  Lots of neat stuff to look at and perhaps buy, and sometimes things that their show and dressage catalogs don't even pretend exist!!!   But, working hard to get the booths sold to the vendors and then deciding to have a trade show fee for an event that is posted in the EN only about  90 days ahead of the event is a bad deal.  The vendors have to feel back-stabbed and rightly so.  I would be furious if I were a vendor. I think their foot traffic will be down if this fee stays.  The published attendance at the Expo was 25,000.  A booth cost $1,000 according to vendors I talked to.  That works out to 4 cents per exposure, as the advertising industry call it.  If a booth at the trade show is $395 and there are even 1000 persons attending(high, I believe), that works out to almost 40 cents per exposure.  Lots different.  The wording of a mandatory donation is self-cancelling. Sorta like a pregnant barren mare.  Can't be.  There is one other thing that came to mind while reading other posts.  I remember picking up my yearbook at the trade show- when they were printed in time- and the postage, envelope,labels, and office labor has to exceed or match the $5.00 donation.  Are we stumbling over the dollars to find the pennies?  Also- I am a fairly experienced  full charge bookkeeper.  What kind ofcost will it take to staff someone writing out receipts for the $5.00 "donations" and then the reconciling of the actual cash to the receipt book back at the office?  If there is just a box for donations with flyers for more info about what we can all do to help the trail situation, that seems much more cost efficient to me. Speaking of that- get busy and answer the U S Forest service query by Monday the 20th about "roadless" U S Forests.  In short- I will not go to Reno-that saves me gas, possibly one night in the hotel, 3-5 meals and constant snacks, and I will not be doing any impulse buying.  I will get busy back in the catalogs and the websites.  Just mail me my yearbook.  I applaud Garrett and Teddy and others for coming forward and giving back the $5.00, but I don't think it should have been there in the first place.  I also was even more amazed when just a few paragraphs past the mid year BOD discussion of the $5.00 fee, there was a treasurer's report stating that we are in the black about $76,000 for only 10 months of the year.  That is to be commended.  Don't insult my intelligence with "Only" a $5.00 fee.  BTW- I offerred to work 2-4 days a month at the AERC office when they were crying for help.  I was royally turned down by the office manager at the time.  I have solid references to verify I made this offer and that it was turned down.  AERC was in the red at the time, and I was offering my time free.    Karen Nelson


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