[Lnc-business] 2020 Convention comment Re: Jul Membership Report
Wes Benedict
wes.benedict at lp.org
Fri Aug 11 17:07:36 EDT 2017
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
> <mailto: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
> <mailto: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
>> <https://libertarianconvention.org/>and register today.
>>
>> ===================
>>
>> Wes Benedict, Executive Director
>> Libertarian National Committee, Inc.
>> 1444 Duke St., Alexandria, VA 22314
>> (202) 333-0008 ext. 232 <tel:%28202%29%20333-0008>,wes.benedict at lp.org <mailto:wes.benedict at lp.org>
>> facebook.com/libertarians <http://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 <https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986>
>>> for Windows 10
>>>
>>> *From: *Daniel Hayes <mailto:danielehayes at icloud.com>
>>> *Sent: *Friday, August 11, 2017 11:57 AM
>>> *To: *lnc-business at hq.lp.org <mailto: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 <mailto: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 <mailto: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 <mailto: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 <tel:%28202%29%20333-0008>,wes.benedict at lp.org <mailto:wes.benedict at lp.org>
>>>
>>> facebook.com/libertarians <http://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
>>> <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 <tel:%28202%29%20333-0008>,wes.benedict at lp.org <mailto:wes.benedict at lp.org>
>>>
>>> facebook.com/libertarians
>>> <http://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
>>> <mailto: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 <mailto:Operations at LP.org>
>>> Libertarian National Committee
>>> Ph: 202.333.0008 x 231
>>> <tel:%28202%29%20333-0008>
>>>
>>> Join today: https://www.lp.org/membership
>>>
>>> LP FB Page:
>>> https://www.facebook.com/libertarians
>>> <https://www.facebook.com/libertarians>
>>>
>>> size=3 width="100%" align=center tabindex=-1>
>>>
>>> *From:*Lnc-business
>>> [mailto:lnc-business-bounces at hq.lp.org
>>> <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
>>> <mailto:lnc-business at hq.lp.org>;
>>> lnc-business at lp.org
>>> <mailto:lnc-business at lp.org>; 'LP-State
>>> Chairs'; staff at lp.org <mailto: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 <tel:%28805%29%20583-3308> Home
>>>
>>> (805) 404-8693 <tel:%28805%29%20404-8693> Mobile
>>>
>>> starrcpa at gmail.com <mailto:starrcpa at gmail.com>
>>>
>>> *From:*Lnc-business
>>> [mailto:lnc-business-bounces at hq.lp.org
>>> <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
>>> <mailto:lnc-business at lp.org>; 'LP-State
>>> Chairs'; staff at lp.org <mailto: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 10^th !
>>>
>>> Live Free!
>>>
>>> /*Robert*/*/
>>>
>>> /*Robert S. Kraus - Dir of Operations
>>> Operations at LP.org <mailto:Operations at LP.org>
>>> Libertarian National Committee, Inc.
>>>
>>> 1444 Duke Street
>>>
>>> Alexandria, VA 22314
>>> Ph: 202.333.0008 x 231
>>> <tel:%28202%29%20333-0008>
>>>
>>> Join today: https://www.lp.org/membership
>>>
>>> LP FB Page:
>>> https://www.facebook.com/libertarians
>>> <https://www.facebook.com/libertarians>
>>>
>>>
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