[MR] The importance of pre-reg

[Siegfried]

Gorm, an excellent reply, but there seems to be some issues with your 
logic, at least given how every event I have been involved with (extreme 
northern atlantia & AEthelmearc (way back when)) are run

> Perhaps my experience as an autocrat is unusual (although I doubt it), but...

Well, it may be, or we may be running into local differences:

> 1.  By not having an adequate estimate of how many fighters will show
> up, the MiC of the event does not know if it's worth their time to
> devise Melee scenarios, if their planned field is too large (or too
> small), or even if they have enough Marshallate support for their
> event.

Unless you are going to require pre-registrations to happen with a 
cut-off 2 months before the event ... then pre-regs don't help you here.

Scenarios are planned at LEAST 2 months in advance, and if structures 
need built, hay bales need ordered, etc, those also have to happen at 
least 2 months (if not earlier) in advance.

> 2.  By not having an adequate estimate of how many people in general
> will show up, the Autocrat doesn't know how many people are necessary
> to support for essential site services such as changing areas, hall
> seating (not just for feast,for A&S, Court, or just socializing),
> bathroom facilities, site tokens, and 100 other "little touches" that
> make an event more than just "Meh, it was another event".

Unless this is a 'first time ever' event for a group, groups typically 
have a decent idea of how many people are going to show up anyway.  At 
least in Northern Atlantia, pretty much every weekend at this point on 
the calendar has 'traditional events'.  Highland Foorde for example has 
hosted 2-4 traditional-ish events, and we know based upon the event the 
bare minimum that will show.

We plan budgets to break even if the bare minimum shows up, if more do, 
GREAT!

> Porta-potties need to be pre-reserved and generally pre-paid, and at
> $75 (or more) each, they're sometimes the 2nd largest expense in an
> event budget.  Having too few leads to...unpleasant times...having too
> many leads to the event losing hundreds of dollars, so that money
> isn't available to host the next event.

And again, porta-potties in my experience need reserved months before 
the event, so again, unless you require reservations THAT early.

> 3.  The Cooks of an event risk either woefully undersizing their feast
> or woefully overbuying for it and crushing the budget.

Again, usually feast size is set when the event announcement goes into 
the Acorn.  It's based upon previous events, and sized at a maximum that 
is reasonable to actually fill up, or at least hit 75%, no matter what.

Then much food is bought, pre-prep on food is done that is needed, but 
alot of stuff can be returned, if day-of it turns out that a number of 
people didn't show up.  But if budgetted at 75% 'minimum' anyway, that's 
usually not a big problem.

> 4.  The local Baronage and Kingdom Royals (if it's a Progress event)
> have no way to know if someone who they wish to give an award to may
> or may not be there, which leads to "quick and dirty" award giving
> rather than having scrolls prepared, knowing who will provide the
> Order Medallion, etc.

I've never known pre-registration sheets to be checked for Barony/Royals 
to actually decide who was getting an award.

Instead, again, those things are planned well in advance (or always last 
minute) ... and are arranged privately with friends, or via the 'Events 
person will be at' when using the online award recommendation thing.

> When I proposed the first Siege of the Black Tower to Rivers Point,
> our Senechal and Exchequer were rightly very, very scared that I was
> risking the group's entire checking account on an untried concept.

I will add, I've never been in that situation, every group I have been 
in, from checking accounts of $5000 to $500, has never taken on an event 
that would risk more than 1/2 of it's bank account.  And even then, you 
aren't going to lose ALL the money in worst case.   So there is always 
room to have more events later to build the coffers more.

I wouldn't ever, IMO, in any group I'm involved with, want to see us 
undertake an event we weren't financially prepared for.  I'd want to see 
us do smaller events, building up to the big ones.

So, just pointing out some differences.

Siegfried