Event Production questions

[drummer_jay]

I've got most bases covered... but being a guy from a small town living in a big city putting on mid sized events in a small community... I still need help

 

TWO questions...

 

Does anyone have experiance with "mobile atm's" My events are 1 mile outside of town and involve alcohol... Last thing I want is someone making a cash run for more beer! Also, I'm looking to maximize profits. I see some US companies provide this service for free.. However, I wonder if that's only to LARGE festivals?

 

Secondly... Anyone know if it's possible to rent POP machines? Point of Purchase cash registers with touch screens? This would help me keep my beer ticket sales people honest and an over all better track of inventory!

[lifeloverwg]

You can rent just about anything. What it costs is another matter, not to mention the training required.

 

All the festivals around here run things the same way as the state controls liquor sales and imposes set requirements. Beer booths have a controlled entrance maze with one person checking IDs and issuing wrist bands before you get to the counter where they use a cash box system. But they have only one or two people responsible for the charging for the beer while others fill their called out orders and hand them out at the pick up table. That way you only need to find a couple of honest cash handlers per booth. Next step is to inventory cups and have some one check up on how things are matching up during the shifts. No refilling of cups! This bugs me, but they do have recycle bins which helps. Each cup used should match a cash sale. The single most important step in keeping people honest is to demonstrate that there are at least some controls in place.

 

Beer booths bring in lots of profit and one of the organizers I know pays her liquor sales people an end of event bonus based on how close their sales match their cups used and makes sure they all know about it in advance. She thinks that encourages the honest ones to keep an eye on the not so honest. Slippage is a fact of life in sales, but you can minimize it.

 

Crooks will be crooks no matter what you do, while the average Joe will often just take as much advantage as they think they can get away with.

 

Winston

[Gordon Sound]

Most festivals around here use a script or ticket system. You can either do 1 ticket 1 beer or 1 dollar per ticket and each type costs x. The best thing to do is figure out how many cups of beer per Keg depending on (16 or 12 oZ cups)and subtract 10% for spillage. No matter what you do a couple of free beers are going to walk.

Also on the last day or hour of a event be carefull of taping new kegs, a buddy of mine ended up with 4 kegs with just a few cups out of them and you can return untapped kegs, unless its a special order.

Some banks have mobile ATM's, call up some local banks.

If you use a script system its also eiseir to take credit cards ( separate credit and cash lines) The risq of charge backs in a beer garden is pretty low, since script has no value exept in the beer garden.

 

If you have any more logiststics questions i am involved beyond a "sound" capacity in several festivals

[Coaster]

i ran a till for four days this last fall and never once was i dead on in terms of numbers. one day i had about $2200 in sales and at the end of the day i was off by $90. i was pissed and didnt understand how that happened but my employer didn't care, they know i am honest.

 

i have actually been long a few times too, but usually only $20 or so. i cant explain it except sh** happens in the heat of battle.

[Shaster]

I'm involved in a small community festival every year (5,000 +/- people). No booze, but for all the food and rides we use tickets that you must purchase from one central location.

 

All the other festivals I attend have booze tickets, and wristbands, unless there is a designated beer garden. In which case they don't use wristbands, and just ID you at the gate/door.

 

With open access booze festivals (ie. you can drink anywhere) there is usually a two drink at a time maximum, and someone checking the feeder line for wristbands, and if necessary ID.

 

As mentioned some sort of maze or feeder line for lineups is the norm. Also as mentioned there are usually folks that take the drink tickets, and other folks that are pouring (or pre-pouring if there's anticipated demand).

 

Watch your last call. You might consider having last call before your license expires. This can be a bit of a powder keg, depending on what type of event it is. People can either complain that they didn't know about last call (well they'll do that no matter what I guess), or possibly worse, stock up on way too much booze. Either way it pays to have a plan.

 

Besides having general security, and security for the patrons who are consuming booze, you should also have a plan for moving your cash. I knew a restaurant owner that was robbed and killed, ostensibly because his cash out and banking routine became public knowledge. Not trying to scare you, it's just something to consider.

[drummer_jay]

Last year was my first year... But being around festivals and concerts so much... I had it pretty well laid out. I'm one of those people that are ALWAYS learning and taking in the surroundings.

 

I had a beer tent... Redundant ID checking system.. Police on hand to show thier presence...

 

Also, I make LESS profit, but we sell CANS. We can carry a much larger variety of beer and it's easier to keep final count. Keg beer is fine, but lots of people don't like the taste. ALso, there's no good way to measure output. Unless you invest in expensive pour measuring devices!

 

BIGGEST downside of last year was I did NOT have my liqour license yet. So I had to ask for help from the local bar owner. I knew she wouldn't be making any money at her bar that night.... so why not come make some at my event. She agreed. I made two mistakes. You purchased your beer with Cash at the counter... then got your beer. Took too long and too much cash flying around.

 

Secondly, I trusted her to round up the expenses and profits and cut me my half. I got 500 dollars from her. I know I got screwed!

 

SO, if I use her again this year... Profit split will be different and I want her to be aware of my efforts to keep track of inventory.

 

Beer "tickets" would solve this. Not to mention the large amount of people who buy ten beer tickets and only use 8. More profit!

 

I would just really like a point of sale machine for ticket and merch sellers! So helpful!

[Gordon Sound]

Funny most people complain about can beer around here. The differance on profit Wholesale keg beer Vs cans or bottles is so huge I couldnt even imagine doing that.

A regular Keg is 15.5 gallons contains 124 16-oz. servings or 165 12 oz servings. if you sell beer @ $4 a cup @ 16 oz servings You gross around $450 per keg even taking in to consideration a aprox 10% loss.

 

High retail on a Domestic keg is $89. $0.72 a 16 oz glass

high retail on import/Micro is around $129. a $1.04 per 16 oz glass

I assume you are buying wholesale from a distributer So your keg cost would be significantly cheaper, certainly cheap enough to cover any Tap or cup costs.

 

So if you sell 15 kegs of domestic beer Profit should be around $5K min.

 

I would look @ partnering with a non-profit Service club (lions, eagles, VFW)

and do a 50% split with them. Generally service clubs are much more above board than bar owners. Also there members would be the Servers and no costs would be associated with labor.

 

Its important to watch the Wholesale purchase VS the actual claimed revenue.

A festival around here actually has a on site food wholesler available you dont have to buy from them but they make it easy (delivery)

And come by every nite and 2x a day to take orders, also they give copies to the fest to look over when receiving percentages. It was found that even with a till system one christian youth organization was buying almost 2x the product they were claiming sold.

Nothing was "proven" but they were not asked back.

[agedhorse]

Cans? Taste better?

 

Sounds like some heavy justifying going on here.

[oldschooler]

 

Cans? Taste better? Sounds like some heavy justifying going on here.

 

 

Either from a nice tap with a cold mug or bottle please.

[drummer_jay]

 

Cans? Taste better? Sounds like some heavy justifying going on here.

 

 

Well, there's no need to justify anything. I'll make almost the same amount of profit no matter what I go with.. Keg or Can.

 

Taste is the least of my concerns. In a small community in the midwest, tap or keg beer isn't as popular as your bigger cities. Bars can't sell it fast enough and end u spoiling kegs. People often claim a bigger hangover off keg beer.. (I think that's because ya drink it faster) I like cans because it's easy, allows me to have a wide variety of beer. I can take back unopened cases. Also, we pay the local HS basketball team to come pick up the cans, they then go recycle the cans to make money.

 

We're talking about bud light, miller light, budwiser etc... We're not talking good beer that I much prefer from the tap as well... Like Blue Moon, Boulavard and Fat Tire! mmm

[agedhorse]

I guess if the volume is not very high, there might not be much cost savings, but generally the cost difference is about 3:1 between cans and kegs.

[drummer_jay]

 

I guess if the volume is not very high, there might not be much cost savings, but generally the cost difference is about 3:1 between cans and kegs.

 

 

Not when you're selling cans for two dollars each. Not to mention, we're talking a 12 oz can vs 16 oz keg cup. When you break down the cost, it looks like I would actually make the same...or almost.

 

Keg= approx 72 cents/per 16 ounce cup.

Keg= approx 61 cents/per 12 ounce cup.

Can=approx 63 cents/per 12 ounce can.

 

I allowed 10 cups of spilage... I also can't control "free" passing out of beer as much as I can with cans. I can keep an EXACT count of cans with simple math. Not so much with kegs.

 

I'm sure if you minimize spilage and waste... kegs can pay off in a venue/bar type setting. For a festival in the midwest, it's not the case.

[agedhorse]

Using a 12 oz cup, you might check your math with the cost of a keg. Seems that you are paying more thannecessary. 150/$70 is less than $0.50/cup. That's also a pretty high retail price.

[drummer_jay]

 

Using a 12 oz cup, you might check your math with the cost of a keg. Seems that you are paying more thannecessary. 150/$70 is less than $0.50/cup. That's also a pretty high retail price.

 

 

Last year, a 1/2 keg costs a little less than 100 dollars. My bar owner friends tell me prices just went up again. Even if I sell every single cup, that's 165 cups... at approx 61 cents per cup.

 

How much does a 1/2 keg cost in your area? Also, the local distributor will work with us... but we still have to use thier keg trailer.. which only has 2 or 4 taps on it. Just too much of a hassle for a one day event? Maybe in the future I can go to Kegs.

[Scodiddly]

Cans would simplify a lot of the equation - no kegging gear, no foam problems that the bartender has to deal with, etc. Rent a big chiller and you're good to go.

 

I won't even get into the taste question - let's just say that I'm a serious beer snob, and brew my own as well. The average punter will be plenty happy with cans, as long as the price is right.

[agedhorse]

Maybe the retail cost is higher for you, IIRC for commercial users it's in the $70 range after deducting the deposits on the bbls.