Date: Wed, 14 Mar 2001 08:07:43 -0500 (EST)
From: Larry Moss <moss@balloonhq.com>
To: Balloon Twister List <balloon@balloonhq.com>
Subject: Re: IBAC and twisters again

In private mail, I received this:

> Larry, I don't mean to sound ignorant, and perhaps I am with regard to this 
> issue. 
> It seems to me that the problem on the part of the twisters is limited 
> classes as well as severe expenses.  The problem for the producers is 
> finding  twisters willing to work the festival at all, much less all day 
> Sunday. 

My point is that it isn't any more expensive for a twister than it is for
decorators.  Sure there are severe expenses.  I'm not saying at all that
it's the right place for anyone to spend their money.  Some decorators can
afford/justify it.  Some twisters can afford/justify it.  It's that simple.
I like going.  Others don't.  All Star Revue, T&Jam, Twist & Shout all
address the cost issue for those that don't wish to spend as much. 

On the class issue, they offered more twister oriented classes this year.
And I expect they'll do it again next year.  If they didn't offer classes
you wanted to take, write to them and tell them what you do want to take
and which instructors you'd pay to see.  That goes for the other
conventions as well.  They'll hire the people you say you'll pay to see.

> Perhaps I am oversimplifying it, but isn't it possible that if a serious 
> discount were offered in exchange for a guarantee to attend at least 75 % of 
> the festival to work it, both problems could be solved?

So what you're saying is that the twisters that work for the public should
get paid.  I agree.  Twisters want to be paid.  The producers don't want to
pay what it would end up costing.  Result: the producers listened to us and
stopped asking us to work for free.  What they brought in from selling
twister talent is far less than most of us would charge.  They had to make
a business decision.  They could charge the public more and pay people or
they could do away with it and avoid the expense.  Seems to me they made a
reasonable *business* decision.  


On Mon, 12 Mar 2001, Chris Hayes wrote:

> Another issue is, "why should the twisters work for free at the
> festival"?  I attended the festival in Vegas last year and there were
> twisters, paid registrants, working the whole time.  However, the
> biggest complaint that I heard later was that once in that area of
> the festival, attendees had to then again put out money for "balloon
> bucks" to "buy the balloons", but did any of the entertainers get any
> compensation?  HELL NO!  All that money went right back to IBAC!

Frankly, I was more insulted by what they charged for my stuff than the
fact that they asked me to work for free.  If you're going to teach
business classes and explain how to price your work, you should be able to
figure out that any twister selling stuff for what they were charging is
going to be out of business rather quickly.  But, they listened when we
said that.  They had to balance raising prices so they could pay twisters
with how much money it would end up bringing in.  Their decision was to do
away with the twisting.  They can attract a crowd without offering
twisting.  See folks, we're all expendable.  I'm not insulted.  There's
other work out there for me.

I wasn't trying to start up the debate again.  I was just trying to answer
the question that was asked about why twisters weren't at the festival.

> But as long as the
> price/class ratio isn't in sync like it is for decorators, IBAC won't
> get the participation it would like to have from the twisters.

Until there are enough twisters attending to fill those classes, that isn't
going to happen.  Believe me, I'm all for seeing more twister classes.  For
now I'm just thrilled by how far we've come in the last few years.

> I guess
> they'll just have to attend All-Star Revue where it is not only more
> economical for EVERYONE, but allows you more freedom in the products
> you use.  Why?  I just have to assume because All-Star cares more
> about including everyone and making their convention more accessible
> to everyone.  

Yes.  that is what ASR is all about.  But I don't blame IBAC for any
one-sidedness.  Pioneer is the major sponsor for IBAC.  When I attend IBAC,
I know I'm attending a Pioneer sponsored event and I play by their rules.
That only seems fair.  When I attend ASR, I know that there are many
sponsors and everyone is more flexible.  It's not like Pioneer is big and
nasty and only supports things that are restricted to their product.  They
are one of the sponsors of ASR and one of the sponsors of BHQ (the biggest
sponsor we have actually) and allow people to use/talk about other products
in these forums.  If they want to have one event a year that focuses on
their products that they can use to promote themselves and convince the
world that they have the most to offer us, that should be fine.  Maybe one
day they'll have me convinced to use their balloons exclusively.  I'm open
to that option.  Maybe Betallic will one day sponsor a convention and try
to convince me to use their balloons exclusively.  I'm open to that also.
(I don't see either one gettign me completely over to their side.  As an
editor, I try to remain neutral.  As a consumer, I use what's best fo rme
to use at any given time.)

I don't want Chris to think I'm tearing apart his comments.  I actually
thought they were reasonably well balanced.  I just wanted to address a
couple of points.

I look forward to seeing many of you next year at IBAC, ASR, and Twist &
Shout.

Larry Moss
BalloonHQ.com