Hello OF!

I finally found the time to sit down, record, edit, and publish a new show.




It’s early June, the show you’re about to listen to has been sat in various states of draft since the end of March, and we haven’t been on the air since February. (Please forgive me if things are a little bit rusty!)

Today, we’re going to talk about the podcast, the events, how things are funded (hint: it involves me and you), and because this is a show about watch collecting, four new watches that I’ve added to my personal stash.

Listen Now

 

Fantastic - good to have you back podcasting again Chris.

 

I'm hoping to get a group together in the Chicago area or SF Bay area later in the year, so I am interested to know why the group in London sells tickets for get togethers. The establishments would likely pay to get a group of 30 to 50 people spending money on food and drink, so there should be no expense for the venue. Finding a location and telling people to meet there should not involve expense. What am I missing? Do the ticket revenues go to pay for door prizes? Entertainment? I'm sure there's a good reason I'm just missing.

Sorry to include this in a podcast thread vs the get together thread. I confused them as the same.

 

No one that's attended has ever complained @Swissmister - so I must be doing something right.

FYI: London venues do no hand over entire floors with bars in them for free, and running a regular, professional event series costs time, and money.

 

So you actually pay a pub or restaurant to bring them 50 paying customers? I hope that is not the case here. How much should I expect to pay for a good venue? I'm sure you're doing a bang up job. It was in no way meant to cause offense. I just want to make sure I understand how these things work going forward, and you seem to have experience. And I didn't understand that it is a "professional event series" in London. I just wanted to try it once, as an amateur. Like you, I have no intention of putting money in my own pocket to bring together watch lovers for a few drinks.

And I fully believe no one is complaining, or you probably would have had only one such event. It seems to be a success. Keep up the good work, and thanks for the info.

 

I pay a venue hire charge - typically I'm taking over an entire floor of a venue.

Having spent 10+ years hosting live events (mostly in London and the EU), I've yet to meet a venue that will give you the kind of space that I need for free... there's either a flat rental rate, or a minimum spend, and sometimes a combination of the two.

US venues are much more willing to trade space for customers - but only if you can guarantee that they will get the customers - and that's where minimum spend clauses kick in.

In a previous life, I ran tech events in a few US cities where attendance was not as high as expected, and ended up making up the difference with the venue, out of my marketing budgets. Not fun.

A few other folks here have run GTG's in US cities - worth you spinning up a thread to find out who's doing/done, what/where, and how it worked out/what it cost/required to make happen.

 

That's a big help. Thanks. I'll do some checking if there is enough interest. Another benefit of selling tickets would be knowing that ticket buyers are much more likely to attend; whereas, if they have made no investment, they would be more likely to skip and throw off the projected turnout. But if it's just a one-time meeting, that shouldn't really matter.

 

Mine says hello…. Accurist….Watches... for men.... Turned out to be a good investment based on these prices and has aged better than the clothes (although the bikini pages are fun :0)

 

I was chatting to an American in Ibiza last year. He was in real estate / seemed well off and hosted parties for clients stateside. I asked him about staff and he said they often did not need to pay staff / waiters and waitresses etc - they had to make their money on the tips. In Europe you would have upfront costs to hire staff and it is not a tipping culture so things are different by country I guess.

 

We-eeeeeeeeeeeeeelllllll! If it ain’t Marie McDonald McLaughlin McDonald Lawrie herself!

 

She was still rocking at 63...….. :0)

 

In Europe, that would breach various employment laws.

 

Looks like the one I have was £29 18s 3d - which using an imperial to decimal convertor is £29.91.

Assuming this is from around 1970, the Bank of England's inflation calculator is £455.87

I paid considerably less than that.

So I'd say this was about as solid as any "investment" in watches

 

Yes it is a summer 1970 catalogue. A lot of people bought watches on tick (no pun intended) from the club books back then.... Mungo Jerry ''have a drink have a drive'' …. a few pints and a smoke. It is a wonder any of us survived this far.... the fashion also strikes a chord (well corduroy :0)

 

Dapper

 

I have attended one TFP get together. I think a Chi GTG would be great. The issue as I understand it and based on the one I went to, is that attendees can overwhelm the venue, especially if it’s a pub, and the security issue. I can also attest to the nervous feeling I get carrying a watch roll around. Add alcohol and it’s even more unnerving. Tix and private invite are best.

 

Congrats on 50 episodes of the time-4a-pint podcast... what a mile stone !

 

Thanks Philip!