[Reclaimmayday] Mayday event's broader appeal (we hope), T-shirts and collectives etc display

[anna at phonecoop.coop]

Morning.

The more I think about it the more I think Jules and Protag are right that it would be good if we sold the Mayday T-shirts from "my" stall (during the daytime, and with lidderally one or two on display behind the bar: two locations means more visibility). In case anyone is in any doubt, that doesn't mean that I'd be trying to keep any of the money!!!

If (a) we were just putting on a boozy punk gig,
(b) there was very little T-shirt choice and
(c) they were all black and therefore fairly stain resistant
then I'd think think that the bar was the obvious place for them,

but (a) This is supposed to be an event for everyone and a significant percentage of the population aren't going to feel comfortable going into a bar (plus some people just wouldn't happen to go in there, particularly if they didn't like the music in that tent, and would there also be an underageness issue?)

(b) The general feeling amongst the planners was that we should provide as wide a choice of T-shirts as feasible given the smallness of our order, so I've arranged for about a dozen different colour, size and style combinations, which would be quite a headache for the bar staff, particularly during busy times. (What am I saying? It will be wonderfully busy all the time, of course.)

Mr Punter: I'll have a medium white one for me and a small black one for the missus, love.
[Bar person spends a couple of minutes rummaging while a queue forms. Bar person hands over T-shirts. Mrs Punter holds T-shirt up to self.]
Mrs P: Hmmmmmmmmm......Have you got that in a "ladies'" fit, please?
[Bar person has another rummage. Colleagues get stressed and queue starts to tut.]
Bar person: Sorry. No.
[Only one is sold. Punters are disappointed. Later on bar person discovers that the shapely garment was available after all.]
[etc]

Obviously a stock control system could be put in place to avoid confusion, but it'd only work if everyone stuck to it rigidly and it's probably unrealistic to expect that to happen in the circumstances. (No personal slight of anyone intended.) I could hang up all the varieties in the stall and people could browse, while the bar staff were free to serve drinks and didn't have to sidle round cardboard boxes of T-shirts.

(c) Beer/cider spillages speak for themselves!


We could reassess the situation when the stalls were being packed away, and if there were some T-shirts left but not enough to be burdensome for the bar workers and they weren't at too much risk of staining then they could go behind the bar (which would fit better as the evening wore on than it would earlier, as there'd be more of a gig emphasis). Alternatively, if there were too many left for that I'd be happy to (wo)man the rail in some suitable corner for the rest of the evening, having arranged provisional cover for if I had to disappear briefly to return my own stock to the shop. 

Am sending this to the bar list as well as this obviously affects its members. Bar people, what do you think?

Lukas - I like the idea of a display about the 1in12 and its collectives. I realise that we don't have unlimited space, but should we bear in mind some of the things above re who wants to go into a bar and try to keep it a bit away from the full-on bar bit of the tent? Or is it less of an issue if the display's so club-specific as we have bars in our building anyway? 

There's another way we could do things, but it would depend on us having sufficient personnel and weather-resistant accommodation: info, displays, T-shirts and badges or whatever other merch Irena is making could share a dedicated tentlet or something.

Anyway, apologies for my verbosity. Please don't let it put you off reading and replying.

Anna








  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Lukas Hornby 
  To: List for organising Bradford May Day 2012 
  Sent: Friday, April 20, 2012 7:28 PM
  Subject: Re: [Reclaimmayday] Meeting and T-shirts


  Absolutely. Makes a lot of sense to have them behind the bar.


  I see the 'bar tent' as a hub for the festival. I intend to put a display up based on the collectives reports, with a photo board and some pamphlets.


  Sols, Lukas
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