Arts Beats & Eats offering to sell indoor spaces?

I just received an e-mail from a Mike Byrne offering to sell spaces inside the theater in Royal Oak for $400.

Connie, are you aware of this?

Larry Berman
http://BermanGraphics.com
412-401-8100

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  • I have never been to Art, Eats, and Beats but I am going this year.  I have wanted to go for years.  I am very excited and can't wait.

     

    Jacki B

  • Whoops!! Nothing like making a comment and not knowing anything about what I was talking about.  Thanks for correcting me.

     

    As for upping your retail price 10% to cover the one charge in ten that you may have to give the 5% to penalizes everyone else and may hurt your sales.  Since I always give a discount if it means making the sale, the 5% doesn't amount to much of the total.  I'd rather make the sale, but, then, I come from a retail background.

  • I guess it would be logical to up the profit by increasing prices by 10% to compensate for the 5% hidden fees for this venue?
  • This is Jon Witz, show producer for Ford Arts, Beats & Eats with a couple of quick answers here. First, on the 5% issue. I am the guy who has been requesting artists support for the 5% discount on Flex Perks Visa Cards. This is not every Visa Card just one type, and there are benefits for both the artists and the show. The benefits for the artists is that the 200,000 specific card members in Metro Detroit receive a specific outreach and invitation to buy art and receive deals, not just on the art fair, but on admission and parking as well. They are advertising to qualified people to come out and buy art. Furtnermore, they also give double points to all people that use the card on art work, which is another incentive. As Barry mentioned below, there were hardly that many chargers for each artist last year, so it was not a big issue, and all artists that participated last year came back. In addition, this card company sponsors our show and the sponsorship allows us to keep the number of artists that exhibit to a lower number. Unlike many shows, we have only 150 artists. Support from the card allows us not to seek covering additional budget expenses by adding more artists so there is another win as well. Again an overwhelming majority of our accepted artists are participating in this program and we are extremely grateful for their support here.

    With regard to the Royal Oak Theatre,  we are supporting the idea of a small additional art experience inside the theatre that will feature royal oak and ferndale artists mostly and is juried by check with only 15 artist spaces available. We are also adding a music stage inside the theatre and just trying to extend the experience of the festival into the theatre to help with another space our large crowds can flow into. I am not as pessimistic as Barry is, however, I also no that will not in any effect our outdoor show on Washington, 7th and Lincoln streets.

    I am available directly by email to discuss these issues at anytime and I appreciate all of the support and interest in Ford Arts, Beats & Eats in our new venue of Royal Oak.

     

    Thanks,

     

    Jon Witz

    • It always strikes me as interesting when a thread on a public forum brings forth more information. If that information was in the e-mail sent out there might have been a more positive discussion. It appeared to be a money grab, similar to Long's Park asking rejected artists to advertise in the program, or Reston asking $100 to request a specific block to be located on. With Reston, a telephone call got the rest of the story like the forum post did here. Long's Park was embarrassed because what they did was outright wrong and no explanation could justify it.

      The initial e-mail was sent to a lot more than local artists. I received it and live in Pittsburgh. Whoever sent the e-mail put all the recipients addresses on the "to" line so everyone got everyone else's e-mail address. So much for privacy.

      Larry Berman
      http://BermanGraphics.com
      412-401-8100
  • Anyone who pays $400 for a space inside that theater, which is outside of the show area, is a sucker who deserves to lose their money.

     

    The 5% discount thing is a promotion offered by the show to stimulate sales.  The artist has to sign on and I think the purchaser has to sign on too.  Then, the purchaser has to mention it when making a purchase.  The program has been in effect for 2 years and I have yet to give anyone a discount.

  • Is Mike the same guy pressuring artists to have patrons use a certain credit card so the patron receives a 5% discount on the art but the artist gets nothing but  5% less profit plus the fee to process the transaction?
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