[hitwestival] Venue

[Ryan Ozawa]

Okay, the two most important parts of getting an event started is a
where and when. Thanks to the fact that Twestival is global, the
'when' is settled for us. But we still need a 'where'!

Kelly, there were nods of approval for 'The Venue'. Would you be able
to make the contact and ask for whatever requirements they might have,
if March 24 is available?

If there are any other possibilities, please speak up, all! Meanwhile,
I'll check with Fresh Cafe on Queen Street, which has also been
suggested as a potential space. At this late date, it may come down to
whomever can accommodate us with the least complications!

Ryan

On Thu, Jan 20, 2011 at 12:45 PM, Kelly A. Mitchell
<honolul...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Also just did an event at 'The Venue' great sound system, stage AND you can
> bring in food from wherever!;)

[Kelly A. Mitchell]

Happy to check with Venue ... Have we determined hours?

Mahalo!

Kelly

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[Ryan Ozawa]

Not to make a unilateral declaration, but I think we can use past
years as a guide, with Twestival being a pau-hana weekday event --
5:30 to 9 p.m. or something like that?

Ryan

[Lika]

Sounds good to me. School night. ;^D

Ryan

--

[Ryan Ozawa]

Four weeks out today, basically a month. A venue is pretty critical to
take any additional steps. Kelly was calling on The Venue, I'll check
back with Fresh Cafe again... but does anyone have any other
suggestions?

Ryan

[Ryan Ozawa]

Fresh Cafe has an event already scheduled on the night of Twestival,
its "Art & Flea" event. So, unless we want to combine events, we'll
need someplace else. Hoping for news on The Venue? :)

Ryan

[Kelly A. Mitchell]

Okay just heard back from the Venue...

these events cost everyone something. Here's what they can do... We can have the space if we can guarantee $500 in bar sales. They will let us bring in food from ANYWHERE so our ticket sales could be increased a bit by that. Also if we have banners etc, need Mic's, stage for bands ... all that is already there. Nice big bar, plenty of seating etc etc... Think: JJ Dolan's pizza brought over and re-sold for $5.00 a slice and have a small concession... just a random thought.

They need to know ASAP so they can hold the date.

please advise.

Mahalo!

PS apologies for delay. I was off island.

Do we think we can guarantee that much in drink sales?

[Kelly A. Mitchell]

The Venue is available and they are interested. The only thing they are concerned about is bar sales. They need to generate X to be able to give us everything... Waiting to hear what that number is. They really do want to help.

How many people are we expecting this year? How do you think we can help them make some $$ on the bar?

I am going to check with some promoter friends and see if they can help as well.

Any updates on music?

Mahalo!

On Feb 25, 2011, at 1:26 PM, Ryan Ozawa wrote:

[Ryan Ozawa]

If the concern is raising $500 in bar sales, I'd look toward just
handing them a $500 check and not sweating it. Or putting $300 down to
narrow the gap. Indeed, there are fair questions to be raised about
the wisdom of pushing alcohol sales at an event to benefit a blood
bank. :)

We already have a couple of good leads on sponsors, and I think one of
them would gladly cover the expected bar tab loss just to have the
space. We can then still look to fundraise with food sales separately.

As for entertainment, we had a gracious offer from a local indie
singer songwriter to bring some friends... until we realized that she
and those friends are the entertainment at Art & Flea, happening the
same night at Fresh Cafe. So we may be back to square one on that
front.

Ryan

[Ryan Ozawa]

Just heard from Kelly, we're on for the venue.

Bruce, could you give us an update on your work to date on
entertainment and potential other sponsors? I know you've provided
updates here and there and when we've crossed paths, but I'd like
everyone to hear how much you've been able to do this week.

With a where and when, we can start a solid push. We'll announce and
start saying tickets are available, and I think it's safe there will
be live entertainment (right, Bruce?). Meanwhile, we can lock down and
promote individual acts.

The other main to-do items are pupus and food, and of course corporate sponsors.

Farmers Hawaii has said they'd like to return. Bruce's company is also
on board. If you have any other possible leads, folks, please speak up
-- and if possible, reach out on our behalf to get the conversation
started.

THREE WEEKS!

Ryan

[Bruce Fisher]

Aloha, mahalo to Kelly for getting the Venue nailed down. I have been working on the entertainment and have confirmed 3 acts, Jason Tom, Willow Chang and  Kamuela Kahoano.  If we can offer an honorarium to them that would be  great but they all are in for free for the cause. We are also awaiting word from Freelance clothing who has expressed an interest in sponsoring. 

Kelly - do you know if the Venue has any sound/lights available? I thought I saw a grid the last time I was there?

Food - I called Sakara from DH catering and she needs me deets to give us an idea on cost, I was thinking just heavy pupu's

Can someone else step up and handle the catering for part? I can help with contacts but cannot be doing the logistics for the show and the catering.


Lets start promoting this thing like crazy already!!

Mahalo

Bruce

[Ryan Ozawa]

Thanks so much, Bruce. The lineup sounds solid already! It'll pre-load
a great cycle of announcements, one act every couple of days, starting
next week. That's AFTER the big push to just say, "We're on!"

Tomorrow morning I'll post a blog post, post it to Twitter, and post
it to Facebook. Basically it's just word that we have a home, and
talking about how awesome the venue is. We'll talk about "live
entertainment," details to follow, but in the immediate term, we'll
push people to buy tickets and help spread the word. The message over
the weekend and Monday will be, "We have a place and time, all we need
is you!"

I've got feelers out to possible sponsors and prize donors, those will
also be announced as they get solidified.

I also echo Bruce's call... we'd love someone to take charge of the
food and beverage stuff. We'll probably want heavy pupus, but as
noted, The Venue wants us for the bar sales. We can buy some credit
with the bar for some cash amount to give each attendee a ticket for
one "free" drink. But this is the sort of detail that needs someone
focused on it. Anyone?

Ryan

[Kelly A. Mitchell]

Hi Ryan, Bruce

I've hired DH catering recently (awesome food!) and as the contact for Venue have no problem helping out there with food and the "free" drink tickets.

Do we have a budget set and I will work on the details with Sakara.

Thanks,

K

[Ryan Ozawa]

Aloha e Kelly,

We have no real sense of turnout, but let's plan for 80-100 as a
starting point. I'd rather revise upward than downward.

We'd like to coordinate one or two drink tickets from The Venue bar,
plus a decent pupus spread. I think what we had at the last two
Twestivals was reasonable.

Can't say what the budget is until we know what our sponsors can offer
overall. But if DH can provide an idea of whether we're talking $400
or $800 or whatever, we'll definitely need to know what we need to
chase down in terms of sponsorships.

Thanks!

Ryan

[Kelly A. Mitchell]

Bruce, will check on the sound lights.  As I recall they have everything. It was set up for performances. Just want to double check.

Thanks,

K

[Ryan Ozawa]

Blog post up, announcement made! Help retweeting and spreading the
word greatly appreciated!

http://twitter.com/#!/hitwestival/status/43755075348332546

On Facebook, you can post and invite your friends to this event:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=183163711716466

But it's important to note that in addition to RSVPing, you still have
to buy a ticket. $20 online, $25 at the door!

Live music, good food and drink, great people for a great cause... here we go!

Ryan

[Kelly A. Mitchell]

Bruce,

Okay we'll need to pay a tech guy $15/hr to run the equipment but are good to go. Please let me know what time you would like the artists to set up and I will schedule the tech guy according to your schedule.

Ryan, we have set up scheduled for 3:30pm. My husband has a digital sign on the building next to the entrance. As soon as we can get the event info, logo into a nice jpeg. format The Venue will have our event up on the screen. We can do this immediately. Think Valentino can throw something together?

Also they are requesting the bar guarantee of $500 in advance. To hold the date. They will refund any overages 2-3 days after event is pau. Sending me the contract shortly. Please let me know how to handle the $$ side.

Mahalo!

K

[Lika]

You all rock!!! So impressed with how you pull everything together so fast.

I can front the $500 to Venue for the bar thingy. Just give me details for where to mail (deliver?) a check (cash?). :^D

[Ryan Ozawa]

Lika, you rock. You sent a check before anyone even knew this was
happening! And now this. So sweet!

I'm hoping one of our sponsors can basically pay direct to The Venue,
perhaps in cash (since they otherwise want a credit card), so don't
sweat it for now. :)

It's getting the word out and getting people there that always remains
our biggest objective, and challenge. Mahalo for your help there, too!

Ryan

[Lika]

Sponsors paying would be cool though use of my credit card is ok, too, if it frees up your time to do your magic in those organizing areas in which I'm clueless.

Will, as always, work to get the word out.

Was wondering if anyone asked Farmers if their new spokesman might drop by and play a tune or two. ;^D

Ryan

--

[Ryan Ozawa]

Heh. I can tell you we're 99 percent locked on having Farmers return
as a sponsor. Their musical spokesman, that's probably a conversation
higher up the food chain. But you never know!

Ryan

[Lika]

Cause, yeah. Ya neva know. And everybody has a loved one who has been helped by the Blood Bank.

Ryan

--

[Kelly A. Mitchell]

Hi Ryan,

I am signing contract today.... Got them to waive the credit card thing and the check or cash deposit. If we're short we need to be prepared to make up difference before we close out. Currently we have the place from 5-8pm. If we run over, the bar costs are $200/hr or the same in cocktails so minimum increases.

We are also getting a person to check ID's per Ryan's request at $15/hr.

I think that is it. Just waiting on budget numbers for food...

Lika you are awesome for going so far above and beyond. Thanks for your offer to help with the deposits.

Aloha,

Kelly

[J. Clark]

Kelly, Ryan,

I can check IDs at the door.

judi

[Kelly A. Mitchell]

Hi Ms Judi,

Thank you so much for offering to help. Can you do check in? They want their own people checking ID's because of the liability.

What do you think? ;)

K

[J. Clark]

Sure!
Although I don't have an iPhone to do the supposedly fantastic
eventbrite-enabled version, I can do analog or other version check-ins.

j.

[Lika]

Least I could do, Kelly. You rocking planners are just wonderful in your know-how and your collaboration. Gonna be a big success again. :^D

[Lika]

I looked at App for EventBrite but my iPhone's too old to support it.

Happy to, otherwise, help someone at door/check-in as I do that for Peoples Fund dinner every year.

Plus, I have that Middle School History teacher *look* that can be used to instantly settle any misbehavior. Hahahah!

On Mar 6, 2011, at 10:34 AM, "J. Clark" <loose...@gmail.com> wrote:

Sure!
Although I don't have an iPhone to do the supposedly fantastic
eventbrite-enabled version, I can do analog or other version check-ins.

j.

On 3/6/11 10:31 AM, Kelly A. Mitchell wrote:
Hi Ms Judi,

Thank you so much for offering to help. Can you do check in? They want their own people checking ID's because of the liability.

What do you think? ;)

K
On Mar 6, 2011, at 10:27 AM, J. Clark wrote:

Kelly, Ryan,

I can check IDs at the door.

judi

[J. Clark]

Lika,

That's delightful--I'd be tickled if you'd join me in welcoming everyone
at the door!

judi

[Lika]

Would love to do that, Judi. Will be there with bells on. At your service. :^D

Lika,

judi

j.

Kelly, Ryan,

judi

Aloha,

Kelly

Ryan

--

[Ryan Ozawa]

Thanks, Kelly, for signing. It's great that The Venue will waive the
advance deposit, and yes, we'll be prepared to pay the difference if
it comes to that. Actually, we may still want to pay some in advance
in order to secure drink tickets as part of admission -- past
Twestivals offered two drink tickets for each attendee. Can this be
accommodated, and at what arrangement or cost?

Judi, Lika, sounds like you've got the check-ins covered. For all the
whiz-bang goodness the Eventbrite app may offer, in years past we've
done just fine with a printout and some highlighters. :)

News on musical acts to be released periodically this week. Stay
tuned, and as always, please help get the word out to your networks!
Thanks again to Bruce for work on this front, including perhaps one
more addition!

Ryan