I'm sending out a mass e-mail to our GASP mailing list, and wanted to post the content of the e-mail here as well. We are limited to only sending to 150 e-mail address per hour (or be flagged as SPAM by our hosting service), so you should receive the e-mail by the end of the day. If you don't receive it, IM here and I will add you to the list.
Hello fellow gamers,
It's been a while since my last mass e-mail. It's been a crazy year+ of non Games Days, then back, then cancelled, then back, etc., until we finally had our restart this past summer. I for one was glad to get back to in-person gaming, along with many others.
The reason for my e-mail today is we need to talk about Games Days for 2022 and onward. The main issue we have since restarting this year is lower attendance. This was expected, so we were not completely surprised. The issue though is with lower attendance comes lower money collection and the inability to fully cover our hall rental fee each month. In the short-term this was manageable, but looking forward GASP cannot continue this way. We've always tried to keep our attendance fees low, but for 2022 we are forced to make some changes.
First off, in order to even continue to host Games Days, we'll need a minimum level of commitment in the form of yearly payments. Our yearly rental fee is $3000, and we charged $65 for the yearly payment the last few years. We had 25 people pay for a yearly membership, for ~ $1600. The other $1400 we made up in pay as you go collections. Unfortunately we can no longer count on the pay as you go model, since we don't know if that will cover our fee each month. That means we both need to raise the yearly fee, and set a minimum for the number of people that we need to sign-up for the yearly membership to continue to host Games Days.
The minimum is going to be 20 people at $120 each ($10 per Games Day instead of $5). That will put as at $2400 for the year. That leave $600 to cover over the course of the year, or $50 per Games Day. To make up that amount, we are also raising the pay as you go cost to $15 per person. If we get more yearly payment confirmations above 20, we will lower the yearly cost, to a minimum of $75 for 32+ people ($6.25 per games day). The pay as you go will stay at $15 for the year unless we get to 32+ people on yearly payments, then we'll drop it to $10. If at the end of the 2022 we have a surplus, we will take that into account for the 2023 fee structure.
Please note, to continue to promote new membership, we will still honor anyone's first Games Day for free. After that, they can choose to either pay as you go, or get a pro-rated yearly membership, at whatever level was finalized at the beginning of the year.
I'm going to set-up a Sign-Up Genius for us to track who is committing for the yearly payment in 2022. Sign-ups and payment will be continue through the January 8th Games Day we will collect in Dec and Jan. If we do not get the minimum 20 people signed-up by the end of January, then we may be forced to cancel Games Day for the remainder of 2022 after January. Anyone that paid will get a refund (minus the January Games Day fee).
I hope you understand that GASP isn't a business, we're just people that love games trying to keep these monthly organized events going. The club doesn't generate any other income, and I cannot take on the financial responsibility of each Games Day.
Here's the Sign Up Genius link.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0B49ADA928A5F58-gaspSUMMARY: We need at least 20 people to commit to yearly payments, starting at $120. That price will drop as more people commit. I would prefer to collect payments in January when the number is more accurate, but if you do pay early and it drops you will get a refund of the difference. Pay as you go will be $15/month, with a chance to drop to $10/month.
OPTION: Instead of cancelling 2022 all together, we are also looking at renting the smaller room. This only fits about 20 people so if we are forced to do that, then Games Day will be only open to members that pay for the year, and will have a capped limit on membership. I'll start gathering details around that option as we move into the new year.
