BROOKINGS '78

BUDGET N LOGISTICS INFO

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Hi '78BHS Classmate/s

Here is some background information that might help clarify questions about the financials and related matters that have affected choices and decisions for the reunion.
 
Our Survey last winter (February) indicated the following:

               -we want Mike’s Barn, Kosta’s Pig, Picnic-style, some Other food and soft Beverages, Cash-type Bar.

This is great and, so far, we are getting a positive response.
BUT, we also know/discover that we have to absorb costs and labor that would normally be included in a “one person/one price” gig at the Holiday Inn or Elks, which would also include a cash bar, paying for soft drinks, and free water.
 
Factors:
-We have fixed costs, regardless of how many people show up. (Barn, Pig, Website, Bar/Delivery Labor, and other incidentals.)
-The non-Kosta food, dishes, non-liquor bevs, Liquor bevs, ice can slide up and down some depending on attendance.
-In order to plan properly, it’s best for us to know as much as we can about how many people will attend, and how they will partake, especially in Liquor.  Or not partake.
-In ’08, just over 100 people attended the dinner and etc. We paid $30 per head, and all bought drinks at the bar.
-We’re working with 100 as the projected number this time for budgeting purposes.
-While we aren’t trying to make money, we are also taking care that we don’t lose money—as with most non-profits, if we lose money on the event, we’ll all have to figure out how to make it up.  With that in mind, we shoot a little high with expense calculations and a little low with income calcs.
-We have about $800 in the bank right now.  We want to carry some forward for future projects, death remembrances, etc.   Hopefully at least $800
 
Non-Liquor Costs:
-Using the fixed costs we know, and making a pretty close guess on the adjustables.
-As we get registrations, we will adjust the adjustable costs as needed.
-Our current food plan includes:  Pig w/ beans, Add’l sides (Cole slaw, fresh fruit), Cookies, Lemonade, Water, included in the ticket price.
-Again, other fixed/necessary costs have to be covered by the food ticket.
 
Income:
--Prepaid Tickets with registration on the website.
--Inviting “Underwriters” to provide additional support to offset costs.  Last time we had several hundred dollars worth of these.  
 
 Liquor Costs:
-as we’ve noted before, we enter a new existence when we sign on for providing our own “cash” bar.  It’s not a bad thing, just different!
-Bar Businesses purchase much of their stuff in bulk and/or at wholesale-ish pricing.  We will get closer to wholesale by getting some at Sam’s Club, but we will also be paying retail on some things.
-There is a standard-liquor-calculation for this type of event.  We have used it to determine working numbers for costs-per-person, per-drink, and guesstimates for how much of which kind of drinks people will want to have.  The typical average liquor consumption rate in the US for an event like this is about 1-1.5 drinks per hour.
-We are working with Beer, Red Wine, White Wine, Liquor (Vodka, Bourbon/whiskey, gin, Rum.  Maybe one more…) 
-The event registration page includes questions for our attendees about what kinds of things each person is most likely to drink, so we can plan and purchase accordingly.
-We will try to engage merchants/suppliers who will take returns of these items if they are not opened.
 
Liquor Income:
-Because of things like wide-ranging pricing, movement away from checks and cash in favor of payment cards, increasing “we’ll buy our own” models for such events, there is a new and wise strategy growing in Event Industries—a PREPAID DRINK TICKET.
-People will be able to (and need to) purchase this ticket when registering on the website.  Not available on the ground at the event.
-In addition to the planning aid, this also makes it possible to capture a good bit of cash ahead of time dedicated to liquor.  This avoids the necessity for someone to have to float out 2000+$ on liquor prior, etc.
-Current calculations suggest the following:  a $20-$23 ticket pre-paid will be good for either 5 or 6 drinks or wine/liquor or 8-ish beers; a $12-ish ticket for 3-ish drinks or 5-ish beers.
-Purchaser will receive a punch card for said number of drinks.  Bartenders will punch each time it’s used.
-People can also use CASH ONLY (no checks, no credit cards) onsite the night of the event, including anyone who doesn’t purchase a drink-ticket, and anyone who wants/needs more than the what the ticket includes.
-Cash price onsite:  $5.  Probably for anything.  Remembering that a] we aren’t a business, and b] our bar-staff will be friendly-and-good amateurs….the LESS we have to handle money, the better.  Especially $1 bills.
-The hope is that many/most people will buy these tix, even if one might not drink all the drinks, b/c it helps defray event costs and allows the person to not worry about cash!!
-We hope that people will not ‘game the system’…manipulating the pre-pay cards for more gain is only at the expense of the Class of ’78.  No one is making money on this; but we have to break even.  
 
If your eyes start to cross and such with those things, here is the bare-bones summary:

 

Based on 100 paying attendees:

 

Item

Debit/Cost (Totals)

Per-person cost

Credit/Income

Per Person Payment

Dinner + non-Liquor

4090

40

 

 

Registration

 

 

4000

40

 

 

 

 

 

Liquor (70 of 100)

2010

29

 

 

Prepaid Cards

 

 

1610

23  (Optional)

Cash onsite for bar

 

 

250

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current in Bank

 

 

800

 

Totals

6100

 

6660

 

 

 

For the ’78 Planning Team,

Tom Woldt      

Wanna see the details?
click HERE 4 overall budget
click HERE 4 liquor numbers
1978 Graduates of Brookings High School in South Dakota​
FACEBOOK GROUP (pvt)--HERE
Web-manager--Tom Woldt  HERE
WE'RE COOL.  WE'RE GREAT.
WE'RE THE CLASS OF '78
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