Should we run a kickstarter for this event?
We certainly need funding in order to get this thing off the ground. Not only are there costs associated with the five or so days we’re running the event, but there’s all sorts of ancillary costs associated with operating the 501c3 ranging from lawyer fees to management software and website costs.
We have to consider what our revenue streams will be. If we expect the event itsself to cost $100,000 how are we recouping that cost in order to ensure we remain solvent and can put on another event in the future. We have four main methods here: donations, charging for booth space, charging entry fees (tickets), and charging commission for anything sold at the event.
Certainly a combination of all three fees in small amounts would probably be the best way to attract both artists and the general public but direct donations and sponsorships might very well make up the lions share of our revenue. One way to ensure that businesses get a return on their donation investment is to demonstrate that we have an active and interested group willing to participate. I think that Kickstarter is the best way to do this.
One of the primary issues with Kickstarter is that backers expect to be given something more than tickets for offering money prior to the event. While they aren’t charged until the goal is met, it is effectively the same as spending it immediately, and people want to know they’re getting something out of it.
I have cooked up several ideas for this phase of the event.
The most obvious rewards are for participating in the event itsself: discounts on tickets, booth spaces, and seats at seminars and workshops. Those are the easy ones though, and I want to provide specific rewards for people who entrust us with their hard earned money to put on a good show. I want merch!
There are numerous options for merch we can pursue, and being an art show means we have access to resources most kickstarters don’t: actual artists. We can get special made designs for clothing, posters (both commemorative and for posting advertisements), postcards (to invite others and/or thank you notes), stickers, and a full event program to be produced closer to the event date.
For the highest level backers we have more expensive options. We can commission local artists to paint or draw unique art for the backers. We can also offer to cover travel and hotel stay with a portion of their backing money and hopefully draw enough people that hotels and airlines will offer discounts for us to ensure there is money left over to fund the actual event. The last thing I want is to offer something and not be able to provide it.
If you have any suggestions or ideas please feel free to pass them along to us by emailing Nick@toledoartshow.org.