Re: Let's talk about booth and goodies

On Mon, Aug 27, 2012 at 06:12:37PM +0200, Jean-Paul Argudo wrote:
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> Dear members,
>
>
> So I've settled the context. Now my own toughts.
>
> Once again, this is my own toughts and comments. It has nothing to
> do with the PostgreSQL Europe Board, wich I am a member of since the
> beggining.
>
> > As today's revenues of PostgreSQL Europe mostly comes from
> > sponsorship, specialy from the PostgreSQL Europe Conference.
>
> That's the first argument I want you to consider. Sponsorship brings
> us much more money than anything else.

That's true, but people getting out in front of the booth and helping
materially has a real impact. One of the ways is engaging the crowd
by conversation, and another important one is bringing in money, even
if it's not *the* most efficient way to do it. Discovering what it's
like to get €1000 with pens and fluffy elephants is an important
thing, as I see it, for our community members to experience,
especially the new ones on which our long-term existence depends.

> > I was just wondering if we could do that different about goodies
> > on booths, because, IMHO, selling goodies on booths have advantages
> > but also disadvantages.
>
> Also, bringing goodies to booths is most often an hard and costly
> task. If you ever organised a PostgreSQL booth, you know what is all
> about: boxes, boxes, some heavy boxes, some roll'ups, some heavy boxes
> again for flyers, because paper is heavy, etc...

Logistics is an annoyance, but precisely because it is difficult and
happens under extreme time pressure, it directly teaches on-the-ground
teamwork in a way that merely discussing things on a mailing list does
not.

> So, my proposal is quite simple here, and resides in 3 complemetary
> things to do:
>
> 1/ we'd just drop the selling activity of our booth for, let's say
> "superior goodies" (those generaly sold more than 2 or 3 euro each)

+1

> 2/ we'd send the visitors that want absolutely a mug or a tshirt to
> buy it on our online store at http://postgresqleu.spreadshirt.net/

+1

> 3/ we'd replace the selling activity with a GIVE AWAY for small
> goodies. That's something you may already do (as I do), like giving
> away stickers, pens, pins... Those are SMALL and LIGHT. Everyone can
> bring some hundreds really easilly. The way goodies are given and
> spread is booth's volunteers' choice, off course.

-1 These become garbage within seconds.

I'd like to propose instead that booth gear come in two varieties:

1. Items which will be re-used (displays, cash boxes, etc.) and
2. Things intended to be sold.

I'd also like to propose that we figure out some way to replace the
paper people don't read with electronic information people might, and
at least won't add to the waste stream when they don't.

> This would have a lot of advantages, like:
>
> * no more dealing with cash on a PostgreSQL booth

Has there been a problem here? If so, what?

> * not having someone going with lots of cash in the pocket at the
> end of the exhibit

Has there been a problem here? If so, what?

> What do you think about this proposal ?

Feedback and proposed changes above :)

Cheers,
David.
--
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