[Lnc-business] 2020 Convention comment Re: Jul Membership Report
Wes Benedict
wes.benedict at lp.org
Fri Aug 11 17:45:08 EDT 2017
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
> <mailto: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 <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 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 <tel:%28317%29%20850-0726> Phone
>> 317-582-1773 <tel:%28317%29%20582-1773> 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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>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>
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>>>>
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>>>>
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>>
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