[Lnc-business] 2020 Convention comment Re: Jul Membership Report

Fri Aug 11 18:22:07 EDT 2017

If we received a solid av bid at anywhere around 20 k that actually covered all of our needs I would be beyond shocked. That is an area where prices are always climbing. 20k might get us a bed sheet screen and two mikes run thru someone’s guitar amp, If we were really lucky. But I digress, the point is prices from 2010 have almost no bearing on todays market. I can assure everyone here that the cost of av is something the committee has looked closely at, as is overall sq footage, f&b miniums, meal prices, ease of travel into a location , availability of overflow locations, ceiling height (yea, that matters too) and a plethora of other variables and metrics that I would guess would simply be overlooked by many. 

Sent from Mail for Windows 10

From: Wes Benedict
Sent: Friday, August 11, 2017 4:45 PM
To: lnc-business at hq.lp.org
Subject: Re: [Lnc-business] 2020 Convention comment Re: Jul Membership Report

Sam, regarding how to cover the cost of a convention without a floor fee, here's what I think we did for 2010 St. Louis.
We kept our A/V costs low, like around $20,000 if I remember correctly. We kept our meal prices relatively low.
Also, in my sales pitches, I focused on explaining how the costs of the conventions are covered.
I didn't call people free loaders or insult them for not wanting to pay for a package (at least not within earshot of anyone besides maybe Robert).
Instead, I explained to them that the only reason we were able to let get the convention hall space for free was if enough people purchased packages and rented rooms at the hotel. 
My mindset was to thank them for purchasing packages, rather than shame them for not.
See the actual emails here:
https://www.lp.org/blogs-staff-lp-monday-message-2010-st-louis-convention-website-live/
https://www.lp.org/blogs-staff-please-reserve-hotel-by-may-6-for-2010-st-louis-convention/
The 2010 Convention was quite successful financially and attendance-wise. 
Personally, I'd recommend spending more on A/V than we did in St. Louis. In any case, low cost options in boring places like St. Louis can work out well and have very high attendance (especially if there's a few very active contentious candidates for leadership positions).

Wes Benedict, Executive Director
Libertarian National Committee, Inc.
1444 Duke St., Alexandria, VA 22314
(202) 333-0008 ext. 232, wes.benedict at lp.org
facebook.com/libertarians @LPNational
Join the Libertarian Party at: http://lp.org/membership
On 8/11/2017 5:29 PM, Sam Goldstein wrote:
Wes, 

Alicia Mattson probably has much of the statistical information you asked about as to F&B minimums
and how we have met them over the years.  You are correct that our single biggest expense for NOLA
will be AV and it really drives the price of tickets for those attending.  

However, another major factor driving up ticket prices is that around 25-30% of delegates pay nothing to attend the business meetings
while still enjoying a chair under their butts, the ability to see and hear speakers through the AV system
and a clean, dry and air conditioned environment.  I would like to hear your ideas on how to mitigate this situation without having to 
institute a "floor fee".

Live Free,

Sam Goldstein 
Libertarian National Committee
Member at Large
8925 N Meridian St, Ste 101
Indianapolis IN 46260
317-850-0726 Phone
317-582-1773 Fax

On Fri, Aug 11, 2017 at 5:07 PM, Wes Benedict <wes.benedict at lp.org> wrote:
Sam, that's great to hear. I didn't know how much information on those topics had already been collected.
One favor I'd like to ask of you when the Convention gets discussed at the upcoming LNC meeting.
I'd appreciate it if you or someone on the LNC could call on me to give a quick update on how the Food and Beverage costs impact our pricing and profitability.
I think sometimes we focus too much on the total Food and Beverage minimums, as in are they $50,000 or $70,000 or $90,000?  Sometimes those numbers matter, but the number that always matters is how much will the hotel charge us per dinner, per lunch, and per breakfast. 
When hotels charge us $100 for dinners, and $60 for lunches, we have to set our Gold Packages very high, like in the $600 range. When we use hotels that charge us less for meals, we're able to offer Gold Packages closer to the $400 range.
Often we have no trouble hitting Food and Beverage minimums, and so what I consider more important is the prices we have to charge our attendees (or the profit we can make on the packages to help cover other costs of the convention).
The other think I think we don't focus on enough upfront is A/V costs. Often, we pick a city and hotel, sign a contract, and then find out how expensive the A/V costs. 
The exact same A/V options could cost $30,000 at one hotel, but $60,000 at another. 
Anyway, I just wanted to get that info out there. I think it's good to discuss these things prior to an LNC meeting at least to some degree, because our meetings move pretty fast and there's usually lots on the agendas. 
2016 Orlando had a huge turnout. I think we make the assumption it was significantly because we think people wanted to go to Orlando. I think that's true. What I don't know have an idea of is how many of those same people would have gone if the convention had been in Kansas City. Perhaps it was more the Johnson, Petersen, McAfee, etc. fans, than the fact it was in Orlando. 
I don't know how many people would prefer to go to New Orleans versus Phoenix. Personally, I much prefer New Orleans. 
Now that I've shared my thoughts, I think you may not need to call on me at the LNC meeting after all. 
Thanks for all of your great work on the national convention. New Orleans is going to be epic!

Wes Benedict, Executive Director
Libertarian National Committee, Inc.
1444 Duke St., Alexandria, VA 22314
(202) 333-0008 ext. 232, wes.benedict at lp.org
facebook.com/libertarians @LPNational
Join the Libertarian Party at: http://lp.org/membership
On 8/11/2017 3:54 PM, Sam Goldstein wrote:
No, I object to such a survey because the COC has already done this work on behalf 
of the membership.  The members have no idea of what goes into site selection and 
planning of a national convention.

Sam

Sam Goldstein 
Libertarian National Committee
Member at Large
8925 N Meridian St, Ste 101
Indianapolis IN 46260
317-850-0726 Phone
317-582-1773 Fax

On Fri, Aug 11, 2017 at 3:27 PM, Daniel Hayes <danielehayes at icloud.com> wrote:
Hey Wes,

No.

Daniel Hayes

Sent from my iPhone

On Aug 11, 2017, at 1:08 PM, Wes Benedict <wes.benedict at lp.org> wrote:
Here's the survey I would recommend the Convention Committee request the LNC request staff to send: 
The Libertarian Party is already busy working to select the location for our 2020 National Presidential Nominating Convention. To help us make an informed choice, we'd like some feedback from members like you.
1. Please rate the following cities regarding how desirable a location they would be for a national convention, with 5 being desirable, and 1 being undesirable. These are not rankings, in other words, if you love all of these options, you could rate them all 5's.
[   ] Chicago
[   ] Austin
[   ] Ft. Lauderdale
[   ] Phoenix
[   ] Reno
[   ] Atlanta
[   ] Birmingham
[   ] Manchester
(Note, this is not the actual list of cities being considered, though some are and some aren't--it's just for example)
2. Hotel prices vary greatly depending on quality and location. "You get what you pay for. " Assuming the party negotiates a good price at all locations being considered, yet some locations are higher because they are in a more expensive city or are a nicer hotel, how desirable would the following prices be to you. Put a "5" for the price ranges you would be comfortable paying. Put a "1" for the price ranges you feel are too high, or too low.
[   ] $80-$99 per night (does not include taxes)
[   ] $100-$119 per night (does not include taxes)
[   ] $120-$139 per night (does not include taxes)
[   ] $140-$159 per night (does not include taxes)
[   ] $160-$179 per night (does not include taxes)
3. Please rate the following 5 potential dates for a convention. Put a "5" if the date is especially desirable to you, and "1" if the date is particularly undesirable to you.
[   ] Thursday, April 9 - Sunday, April 12
[   ] Thursday, May 7 - Sunday, May 10
[   ] Friday, May 22 - Monday, May 5 (Memorial Weekend)
[   ] Thursday, June 11 - Sunday, June 14
4. Critical events and decisions are made at our national conventions. However, we try to balance the time given to various activities with the burden of the time and cost to our members and delegates. Please indicate your desirability for the following convention durations, putting a "5" for the the time spans you find desirable, and lower numbers for the time spans you find too long or too short.
[   ] 1 night and 2 days
[   ] 2 nights and 3 days
[   ] 3 nights and 4 days
[   ] 4 nights and 5 days
[   ] 5 nights and 6 days
[   ] 6 nights and 7 days
Thanks for your feedback. There are many factors that determine where and when we have our national conventions. Not all locations are available at all dates, and not all venues are the right size or configuration for our national conventions. However, the information above will help our hardworking group of Convention Committee members pick the best location available.
Thanks for your interest in the 2020 Convention.
Now that we've got the 2020 survey out of the way, take a sneak peak at our 2018 convention website and register today.
===================
Wes Benedict, Executive Director
Libertarian National Committee, Inc.
1444 Duke St., Alexandria, VA 22314
(202) 333-0008 ext. 232, wes.benedict at lp.org
facebook.com/libertarians @LPNational
Join the Libertarian Party at: http://lp.org/membership
On 8/11/2017 1:02 PM, Erin Adams wrote:
There are many metrics to consider when choosing a venue. I am not sure that most members have a clear picture of all of those. I know that I did not before participating on this committee. I am not speaking for nor against this proposal at this time, merely attempting to point out that there are many things to consider. 

Sent from Mail for Windows 10

From: Daniel Hayes
Sent: Friday, August 11, 2017 11:57 AM
To: lnc-business at hq.lp.org
Subject: Re: [Lnc-business] 2020 Convention comment Re: Jul Membership Report

Should I tender my resignation from the convention committee and we do this from a strictly democratic basis?

Daniel Hayes
LNC At Large Member

Sent from my iPhone

On Aug 11, 2017, at 11:17 AM, Brett Bittner <brett.bittner at lp.org> wrote:
Wes, 

That's a great idea. We are frequently insulated from the opinions of those we serve and represent, except when motivated by one side of a discussion. This may give us some insight into how our members wish we conduct business. 

Brett C. Bittner 

Region 3 Representative 
Libertarian National Committee 

brett.bittner at lp.org 
**This message sent from my phone. Please excuse any typos.

On Aug 11, 2017 11:53 AM, "Wes Benedict" <wes.benedict at lp.org> wrote:
Speaking of surveys, I'd also like to see a survey to help the LNC and Convention Committee choose the 2020 convention location. 
The Convention Committee has done a great job gathering lots of locations to consider. They have collected a wide range of options and have narrowed it down. 
I'd like to see if our members would prefer a more expensive location with hotel prices in the $149 per night range and dinners that cost the LP $100 per meal (and lunches $59), or if they'd prefer a location where hotel prices were around $119 per night, and dinners cost the LP closer to $59 per meal (and lunches $39). The package prices we set, and profit or loss the LP makes on conventions, is highly dependent upon the prices hotels charge for meals. 

Wes Benedict, Executive Director
Libertarian National Committee, Inc.
1444 Duke St., Alexandria, VA 22314
(202) 333-0008 ext. 232, wes.benedict at lp.org
facebook.com/libertarians @LPNational
Join the Libertarian Party at: http://lp.org/membership
On 8/11/2017 11:16 AM, Wes Benedict wrote:
Patrick, I share your concern regarding our dues-paying membership decline and think a survey would be worthwhile.
I have done some surveys in the past by snail mail, but it's been a while. I think it's time to do another set. 
See attached survey mailings.
See some survey results on page 7 of LP News: http://www.lp.org/wp-content/uploads/2011-4_LP_News.pdf
I found the two responses regarding the Tea Party questions to be especially illustrative. 
I will plan to do another survey this Fall. 
I'll also be asking for a budget increase at this LNC meeting to pay for prospecting for new donors/members to lists that have routinely been our best performers. 

Wes Benedict, Executive Director
Libertarian National Committee, Inc.
1444 Duke St., Alexandria, VA 22314
(202) 333-0008 ext. 232, wes.benedict at lp.org
facebook.com/libertarians @LPNational
Join the Libertarian Party at: http://lp.org/membership
On 8/11/2017 8:20 AM, Patrick McKnight wrote:
All, 

I don't understand why our declining membership isn't our number one priority as an organization. These reports come out showing we have a real problem and no one seems to notice. Too often the LNC is too busy having pointless philosophical debates amongst ourselves while people are voting with their feet and leaving the party.

I would like us to do an email survey of our membership to determine what people like and don't like about the party. I don't accept this culture of failure that since our numbers went up last year they have to go down this year. 

I don't pretend to have all the answers to this problem. But I think a good place to start is simply asking our membership. It would be free and we might learn something. 

Interest in liberty is exploding, if our numbers don't reflect that we are doing something wrong. 

Thanks,
Patrick McKnight
LNC Region 8 Rep
Chair, New Jersey Libertarian Party

On Fri, Aug 4, 2017 at 10:13 AM, Robert Kraus <robert.kraus at lp.org> wrote:
Attached thank you for pointing that out! 

Live Free!

Robert
Robert S. Kraus - Dir of Operations
Operations at LP.org
Libertarian National Committee
Ph: 202.333.0008 x 231

Join today: https://www.lp.org/membership
LP FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/libertarians 
size=3 width="100%" align=center tabindex=-1> 
From: Lnc-business [mailto:lnc-business-bounces at hq.lp.org] On Behalf Of Aaron Starr
Sent: Thursday, August 03, 2017 4:32 PM
To: lnc-business at hq.lp.org; lnc-business at lp.org; 'LP-State Chairs'; staff at lp.org
Subject: Re: [Lnc-business] Jul Membership Report

Robert,

For some reason the report compares July 2017 with June 2016, so the prior year data point did not get updated from last month’s report.

Can you revise this report to compare July 2017 with July 2016? 

Aaron Starr
(805) 583-3308 Home
(805) 404-8693 Mobile
starrcpa at gmail.com

From: Lnc-business [mailto:lnc-business-bounces at hq.lp.org] On Behalf Of Robert Kraus
Sent: Thursday, August 03, 2017 9:32 AM
To: lnc-business at lp.org; 'LP-State Chairs'; staff at lp.org
Subject: [Lnc-business] Jul Membership Report

Jul Membership Report is attached. Open to find out who is no longer tied for 10th!

Live Free!

Robert

Robert S. Kraus - Dir of Operations
Operations at LP.org
Libertarian National Committee, Inc.
1444 Duke Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
Ph: 202.333.0008 x 231

Join today: https://www.lp.org/membership
LP FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/libertarians 

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