National Scrapbook Day Advice - What would you want?

[Miss Kelly]

My mom is a CMC. She knows I frequent this board and would like me to ask for your opinions for her National Scrapbook Day Event coming up in May. We would really appreciate it if you could respond.

1. How long would you like to attend a crop/workshop during a one day period? The whole day, half a day, etc?

2. What incentives would you like to receive for attending a crop/workshop event?

3. Do you enjoy participating in contests (ie. Best Page Layout) during the crop/workshop event or would you rather just work on your albums?

4. How much space do you need on a table to work? Is 2 to a table sufficient?

5. What kinds of treats would you like to be offered during the event? Would you like full gourmet meals?

6. How much are you willing to pay to attend a crop/workshop event?

7. Would you me willing to attend an event if free child care was provided and/or included?

8. What do you enjoy most attending crops/workshops in your area?

9. Additional comments, suggestions, ideas?


Thank you very much! We really appreciate your time and responses.

 

[ToDisney]

I'll just tell you what I love about our all day crops here. My LSS has them once or twice a month (going to twice a month because of high demand).

We pay $30 and we each get our own 6 foot table. (For Friday night crops, we only pay $5 and it runs from like 6 to midnight... snacks provided, no meals and drinks are extra... 1/2 of a 6 foot table.) Anyway, the Super Saturday crops run from 9 am to midnight. We get breakfast (muffins, donuts, juice, coffee, hot cocoa), lunch (Subway) and dinner (either brought by a staff member or catered by a local restaurant). We get snacks all day... chocolate, nuts, pretzels, soda and bottled water. We get a little goodie bag (usually with some stickers and candy) and prizes throughout the day including a layout contest at the end.

Like I said, these Super Saturday crops are so popular, they are starting to have them twice a month AND since space is limited, they sell out EARLY (like two months in advance)!! We are required to put down a $15 deposit and that is forfeited if you don't attend and don't cancel 48 hours in advance.

 

[Spinning]

This is what I think makes a great crop:

1. Space...I would love at least 4 feet of space, 2 per table so that way everyone has an end.
2. good lighting
3. some type of die cutting system and tools to play with
4. I love door prizes (even it is just sticker packs, paper etc...)
5. coffee and beverages through the day
6. Make and takes offered but not madatory...that was the one problem I had with one CM all day event she did crop talks...very interesting but too long and too many...She wanted everyone to stop and come to this one table...it would have been better if she did it through out the day and you could go over when you wanted to take a break
7. 10-10 is a wonderful amount of time! (at least for me)
8. Snacks...not picky
9. Lunch/dinner anything is fine. I dont' usually look at crops for fantastic food! Deli sandwhices are great.
10. I also don't like assigned seats! Many of the big crops around here do that the first one I went to my friends and I didn't know and we ended up not sitting together...

I love punch cards too! You know...attend so many crops get one free, spend this much get this for free or reduced...I am a sucker for that!

 

[FantasticDisFamily]

Ok here are my thoughts and I will be watching this thread with great eagerness (explain why at the end)

1. How long would you like to attend a crop/workshop during a one day period?

The whole day, half a day, etc? - with two busy teenagers (and you can't put teenagers with a sitter and you can only leave them alone for so long!) trying to do an early morning to late night isn't feasible. And I admit I've only gone to one formal crop it ran from 9 am - 4 pm and that seemed just about right. Another hour or two might have been fine, but beyond that I think I may have burned out.

2. What incentives would you like to receive for attending a crop/workshop event?

This particular crop was a fundraiser for PTO so didn't expect much but there were some door prizes - stickers, etc - at each place and then drawings. Every attendee had tickets they could place in baskets at about 10 or 11 choices. Then there were additional raffles you could participate in - again this was a school fundraiser so it fit. Not sure I'd do the raffle if it were a "for profit" event so to speak.

3. Do you enjoy participating in contests (ie. Best Page Layout) during the crop/workshop event or would you rather just work on your albums?

Just work on albums

4. How much space do you need on a table to work? Is 2 to a table sufficient?

We had 8 foot tables with 4 at a table - that seemed to work pretty well.

5. What kinds of treats would you like to be offered during the event? Would you like full gourmet meals?

Food is not the point, in fact I really didn't like the bowls of candy, etc. that were placed on the table. My girlfriend and I removed them from ours - too tempting but also I don't eat when I crop - want to keep hands clean. It was nice to have snacks, light breakfast, and a simple lunch - coffee, tea, juice available all day and then there was pop and bottled water available for purchase. As a fundraiser that was fine.

6. How much are you willing to pay to attend a crop/workshop event?

Base cost was $20 and the additional raffles saw each of spend about $10 more. $20-$25 seems about the going rate in our area for a crop of about this length.

7. Would you me willing to attend an event if free child care was provided and/or included?

Wouldn't impact me as my kids are older.

8. What do you enjoy most attending crops/workshops in your area?

9. Additional comments, suggestions, ideas?

Ok ladies - my additional comment is this: as long as Spinning has started this thread I'd also like to hear your thoughts. My GS troop is working on fund raising for a trip to Europe in 2007 and after the crop we attended the end of Jan my co-leader and I have been kicking something of this nature around as a fundraiser. So any different thoughts if this were a fundraiser?

Just thought I'd tack on the thread - hope it doesn't hijack it!

Thanks!
Deb

 

[WDWMom]

Deb,

Our church has done a crop as a fundraiser and it was pretty simple. You paid for a table to sit at, snacks, there were drink for sale. A CMC was there with products if you needed anything. She donated her proceeds to the cause, too.

Don't remember the cost, but it was full in two weeks. I think it would be a great idea. Our GS are going to Europe in 2005, but DD is not going. DH is not ready for DD to leave the continent on her own just yet.

 

[bananiem]

My CMC (before she quit and moved) used to have us put our name in a basket every time we completed a page and then she would draw a name every half hour or so and you could win a small prize. I'm not comfortable having my stuff "judged" but I like the possibility of getting a prize!

 

[Spinning]

Hi Deb,
Wasn't me that started the thread...but the idea for a fund raiser is great! We have a few around here that have raised several $1000 for a good cause...
some of the things they did to really rake in the money....
1.Find out if there is a local or state scrapper board...join and make sure to post the crop...
2. raffles....they did a button one which was fun and cute...you guess how many buttons are in the jar the person who wins gets the jar
3. Also if you want good raffles contact many of the makers of products. They love to donate
4. Do a fiber raffle. Ask all your friends who scrap to cut off 3 yards of fiber. Have it wrapped and then get a case to put it in..
5.. Donation baskets...put the feelers out...we all extra stuff that we dont' use but love...such as extra brads, eyelets, stickers...you could make up small embellishment kids...
6. Have the girls create pages and raffle them off say a do the tops of a calendars...very cute and the money would go to a good cause so it doesn't have to be perfect.

Have fun!

 

[FantasticDisFamily]

I noticed that after I posted! Sorry Miss Kelly.

Thanks for the thoughts for BOTH parts of this thread.

Deb

 

[paulinewdw]

Well...while we are on the subject.....

I have been kicking around an idea....

Crop spot...

If I can find a place to lease(cheaply) I would like to run crops on weekends(not full weekends) but Friday evenings, Saturdays and Sundays. I have ton's of tools, lots of ideas and there seems to
be a need!

What do you all think of this idea of mine!

 

[WDWMom]

Pauline,

Try your church or local school. Our school will rent you a room for $15/hour. I think that is for the gym but may be more or less for the library or multipurpose room with tables. Most churches have plenty of tables and will rent for not a lot of $$$ if it is not for profit activity.

 

[Miss Kelly]

I just want to thank everyone for their responses. We are getting a lot of great ideas. We just want to make this a memorable customer appreciation event.

Thanks again!

 

[Alice28]

Thanks for posting this question Miss Kelly. I am a CMC as well and this gives me some insight.

What I have planned so far is a Saturday evening (this fits most of my clients schedule well). I am going to charge $25 (I think....once I get the food price I will know for sure...might be $20). Everyone will get 5 hours of crop time; I have room for 6; everyone will get the free gifts CM puts out-crop talks will be handed out but not really presented- just part of the gift. Everyone will get food catered by Baja Fresh- burritos, chips and salsa and salad to be consumed probably first (or later, just away from the scrappin area! ). And, everyone will get to choose a prize- I haven't quite decided how to do this yet. Maybe just every half hour or hour, I will draw someone's name out of a hat and they can pick a postcard with a prize written on it. For Croptoberfest I had the prizes be all the stuff that had recently come out or had to do with the fall season. Fall sticker packs, the new Donewithone die cuts sheets, a Vintage pen set, etc. And then I had a deal where if you completed 20 pages, you got 20% off one item. Each prize was valued at $4-$10, depending on the prize. I also did just a "parade of pages" where halfway through we opened our albums to our favorite layout we had done, and then everyone walked around and checked out each other's work. Gave everyone a chance to see new ideas and admire one another's hard work. I make sure I don't really make a profit on these events, cause $20 or $25 seems like a lot to shell out just to scrap---but if everyone walks away with 3-5 prizes or giveaways & has a great meal, I think people feel good about the money spent.

 

[JulianneP]

You can never have to many door prizes or frebbies. When I was a CMC I did door prizes every hour during my crops. And then prizes at the end for who did the most, who in corporated the crop talk etc...I never got to host a National Scrapbook day My son was born the day before and I had to cancel All my customers had planned a surprise shower for me during it too.

 

[ToDisney]

Just wanted to clarify my post... food is never placed on the cropping tables unless the scrappers themselves put them there... the snacks (food and drinks) are all placed on it's own table. I've never been to a crop or even a home party where they put food on the actual work space.

 

[pattyT]

1. How long would you like to attend a crop/workshop during a one day period? The whole day, half a day, etc?

Whole Day

2. What incentives would you like to receive for attending a crop/workshop event?

New product - paper, embellishments etc

3. Do you enjoy participating in contests (ie. Best Page Layout) during the crop/workshop event or would you rather just work on your albums?

love contests

4. How much space do you need on a table to work? Is 2 to a table sufficient?

would work for me (they usually have 4 and it is squishy)

5. What kinds of treats would you like to be offered during the event? Would you like full gourmet meals?

Buffet style - so you can munch when you feel like it

6. How much are you willing to pay to attend a crop/workshop event?

I have paid up to $40 - depends on what comes with it

7. Would you me willing to attend an event if free child care was provided and/or included?

Depends on how it was set up and who was watching them- but it would be a HUGE benefit!

8. What do you enjoy most attending crops/workshops in your area?

seeing other peoples work Socializing, getting pages done!

9. Additional comments, suggestions, ideas
HTH you

 

[Miss Kelly]

Thanks again for the input.

 

[Lyndarella]

My CMC has "Bingo" cards prepared, with goals written on each square. Some of the goals are: complete a page, use a journal box, put 10 photos on a page, etc. Some of the goals benefit the CMC, such as "use a gold pen, plaid paper, flower sticker," or even "purchase a ____." Other goals are "talk to someone you don't know, show your neighbor your page," etc. When you complete a row, you win a small prize. I like GOALS better than JUDGING.

I also appreciate lots of space (1/2 of a 6' table) and need a full day if I am going to get anythilng done. I don't like to spend much $ just to attend -- I'd rather use it to buy supplies.

 

[Roachie-Mouse]

i am a big time scarpper. our all day crop are 50$. we get to scrap from 9-12a.m. we get lots of freebies and an ok breakfast, a great lunch and awesome dinner.I love when my cmc has lots of stickers and other supplies there so if i need something its there for me. Crop talks are fine but our groups has been doing it for years and all we want to do is our albums so we can ge tcaught up

 

[Maritime Girl]

I love the idea of daycare being provided. With a husband that works Saturdays, it would give me a chance to attend more crops!