Organizing a Fundraising Crop--was table space at a crop

[lovetoscrap]

*I changed the title to reflect the direction the discussion has taken now.*


Had a whole explanation typed out but I think I will just start with the simple question.


How would you feel about going to a (paid) Crop that has round tables? The tables seat about 4-6 for eating so there would probably be 2 scrapbookers per table, unless registration is low, in which case everyone could probably have their own table.


I am interested to hear opinions.

 

[believen]

I attend crops regularly that have round tables. Doesn't bother me at all. I have one friend that complains when she reads that it will be round tables, but it doesn't stop her from signing up! Most of the church crops I attend have round tables (and sometimes there is a fee), and the GASC (Arlington, Texas), has round tables and is always packed! 4 scrappers to a large round table.
I think round tables make chatting easier-lol. I would not want to be at my own table, but maybe that is just me. Usually, I will pull an extra chair up beside me, as additional, reachable space.

 

[LindaBabe]

Yes, I agree with believen - it's annoying to not have a square edge, but on the other hand, conversation is much easier, as is sharing, as is getting in and out of your seat. CKC crops are usually at round tables, 4 to a table. I had plenty of space.

 

[morgansmom2000]

I've been to several crops with round tables. No problem for me, but more than 3 people at one round table is too many!

 

[morgansmom2000]

Oh, and I use a chair at square or rectangular tables too.

 

[ddavis860]

CKC Valley Forge has big round tables and they have 6 chairs at each. I think it's too many, but 4 would be perfect.

 

[pjlla]

I've never really given it much thought. I have only ever been to one or two crops in my entire life, so I don't have much to compare it to. I am attending CKC in Manchester this April and I have heard those tables are round.

I would be much less concerned about the shape of the table and MORE concerned about my amount of space. I use TWO tables at home when I am doing a full day of scrapping.... They make kind of a "V" and I sit in the inside bottom of the "V" and I can turn back and forth. I keep my page I am working on on my left and my extras (supplies, sketch, tools,) to my right.

Anyhow.... two scrappers per round table sounds like PLENTY of room. I think it would be just fine!................P

 

[PaulaSue]

Honestly I wouldn't go and ask for my $ back unless I had the whole table and it was a fundraiser for a kid.

 

[bearbear]

I haven't been to a crop with round tables. I have only been with rectangle tables. I know that I wouldn't want to be at a table by myself because I usually go with my friend and that is when we catch up on things. I don't think I would mind a round table as long as I had enough room. I don't like being squished. I need my space especially since I am left handed.

 

[lovetoscrap]

Honestly I wouldn't go and ask for my $ back unless I had the whole table and it was a fundraiser for a kid.

Is this supposed to be "would"?



I think these tables could only comfortably hold 2 scrapbookers.

 

[mantaz]

We used round tables at one of our larger crops. The tables are HUGE. They seat like 6-8 for dinner but we just put 2-3 at a table but then had them in a club shape with 3 tables. Worked great and everybody loved the room they had.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

How much is the crop and for how long, that may change my answer.

LindaBabe, Morgansmom and I all got the same crop on occasion that has round tables. Most of the time they get up on the lido deck (platform in the room) so they get rectangular tables but I sit at a round with one other person. I don't mind at all. I use the chairs to hold my boxes and stuff and use the table surface for the project and tools. I like the round tables, and have never had a problem. I've sat with 3 to a table and while tight, it wasn't unbearable.
The tables we have probably seat 4-6 to eat comfortably.

At the crop at WDW we get 2 to an 8x4 table, blocked into pods with 12 people to a pod.

 

[bigbabyblues]

I've been to a crop with round tables before. It isn't a problem for me at all. I tend to spread some of my stuff out, and I pull up an extra chair if needed. However, I usually share a table with a good friend, and we share tools and things to save space (only one set of cutters, trimmer, etc).

 

[lovetoscrap]

The crop is a fundraiser for kids--for the school PTA. It will be $30-$35 for about 6 hours of scrap time on a Saturday, box lunch, drinks and snacks included.

We only have round tables to work with. They are the elementary school cafeteria tables. They are not banquet table sized as you probably use at a convention center/hotel space. They are much smaller so I can only see putting 2 at a table. And I can't remember if they fold up, but I think they do. So then we absolutely can only put 2 at them because there is the groove where they fold in the middle.

I was at a similar crop yesterday where we had 4ft of linear table space per person and everyone there was using every inch of it! And most of us had a chair pulled up next to us. I talked with several people and they said they won't come to this one because of the round tables. Partly because of the lack of work space and partly because then it harder to be social while working.


I have only scrapped at a round table years ago and I recall feeling cramped and frustrated-- and I owned a lot less stuff back then! My biggest problem was not having things within arms reach since it had to go back toward the center of the table, instead of to the sides where it was easy to reach.

But this is all we have to work with. I was wondering if putting them in groups of 2 or 3 in a line together [ ooo ] would be better so that you still have 4-6 to a group? The distance will still make socializing difficult.

I am just not convinced this is going to work. I already know of about 8 people that won't come just because of the tables. I would hate to spend the day with ticked off scrapbookers complaining about the available space!

But from all of your thoughts here I guess we will give it a try and see how it goes.

 

[MazdaUK]

Groups of 3 in a club shape might work - you'd only get three to a group but there would be plenty of space and sociability.

But the only crops I know are me and my two friends round my 8-seat dining table, so what do I know

 

[morgansmom2000]

If you make people aware of the fact that the tables are round and they get half of one each, I'm sure there won't be lots of complaining (at least to you ).

Sounds like a great fundraiser. I would come!

 

[LindaBabe]

The crop is a fundraiser for kids--for the school PTA. It will be $30-$35 for about 6 hours of scrap time on a Saturday, box lunch, drinks and snacks included.

We only have round tables to work with. They are the elementary school cafeteria tables. They are not banquet table sized as you probably use at a convention center/hotel space. They are much smaller so I can only see putting 2 at a table. And I can't remember if they fold up, but I think they do. So then we absolutely can only put 2 at them because there is the groove where they fold in the middle.

I was at a similar crop yesterday where we had 4ft of linear table space per person and everyone there was using every inch of it! And most of us had a chair pulled up next to us. I talked with several people and they said they won't come to this one because of the round tables. Partly because of the lack of work space and partly because then it harder to be social while working.


I have only scrapped at a round table years ago and I recall feeling cramped and frustrated-- and I owned a lot less stuff back then! My biggest problem was not having things within arms reach since it had to go back toward the center of the table, instead of to the sides where it was easy to reach.

But this is all we have to work with. I was wondering if putting them in groups of 2 or 3 in a line together [ ooo ] would be better so that you still have 4-6 to a group? The distance will still make socializing difficult.

I am just not convinced this is going to work. I already know of about 8 people that won't come just because of the tables. I would hate to spend the day with ticked off scrapbookers complaining about the available space!

But from all of your thoughts here I guess we will give it a try and see how it goes.

I would go to that crop - $30 including lunch isn't bad, especially for a fund raiser. If the tables do fold, there's a natural dividing line to keep one's table mate from encroaching. And, since they're not banquet tables, you'll have smooth tops instead of table cloths, which is a plus.

 

[lovetoscrap]

If you make people aware of the fact that the tables are round and they get half of one each, I'm sure there won't be lots of complaining (at least to you ).

Sounds like a great fundraiser. I would come!

I just passed on that this needs to be included in the registration. I have to say I am a bit skeptical about how this entire event will turn out. I am actually not sure how much I will be involved in the actual implementation of the event.

The ones planning it DON'T scrapbook! They just heard that another school did it, made a good amount of money, and decided it sounded like a great idea. One of them then asked me for some advice and help, but I am getting the impression that some aren't really interested in my suggestions. (PTA politics-- if you have been there you understand. . .) I would really like to see it very successful to raise the money we need and so it can be continued in the future. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[PinballFamily]

The round tables wouldn't bother me - especially if they are as you described, two to a table, with access to extra chairs to hold stuff nearby, etc. Access to power strips/outlets is important to some scrappers, too, but wouldn't think that would be a problem in a school.

I hear you about the PTA folks - some are REAL doozies, aren't they? You'd think they'd be grateful for feedback from folks who know what potential customers/attendees would want, huh?

Perhaps I'm cheap or spoiled (or both! ), but I'm used to a $30 crop fee including more scrapping time, in addition to the amenities you've listed. Not sure how others feel, but is six hours "enough" for this fee? Would people prefer eight or so? (Z2H and I are used to cropping for 10-12 hours at a crack, but we're probably the weird ones! ) I'm also a big fan of hourly door prizes - they can be pretty small scrappy items, but do add a very fun aspect to the day, IMHO.

Hope the event goes well - and that it raises the funds needed!

 

[lovetoscrap]

. Access to power strips/outlets is important to some scrappers, too, but wouldn't think that would be a problem in a school.

I hear you about the PTA folks - some are REAL doozies, aren't they? You'd think they'd be grateful for feedback from folks who know what potential customers/attendees would want, huh?

Perhaps I'm cheap or spoiled (or both! ), but I'm used to a $30 crop fee including more scrapping time, in addition to the amenities you've listed. Not sure how others feel, but is six hours "enough" for this fee? Would people prefer eight or so? (Z2H and I are used to cropping for 10-12 hours at a crack, but we're probably the weird ones! ) I'm also a big fan of hourly door prizes - they can be pretty small scrappy items, but do add a very fun aspect to the day, IMHO.

Hope the event goes well - and that it raises the funds needed!

The one that I went to yesterday-- fundraiser for High School Prom-- was from 9:30-7:00 for $35--4ft of table space, box lunch, sodas/water, cookies, make and takes, and prizes. Originally my school PTA told me they were going to do 10-5 for $35 I told them no way-- it had to be more time or less money. Frankly if I am packing up my stuff for an "all day" crop, I want to be there all day! So now they are saying it may be 10-5 for $30 or 9:30-6:30 for $35. I know that I don't mind paying a little more since I know that it is going for a fundraiser, as opposed to paying it for someone to just make a profit from -- KWIM?

Prizes are one of the things I told them they needed which of course was a shock to them. I told them at least one per hour. I suggested seeking donations from our CMC and Stampin Up parents, the LSS, and a few of the restaurants for gift cards. I offered to talk to the LSS for them but never really got a response.

I also told them it should have a theme just to make it fun (another shock)-- they decided on Mardi Gras. And that they need goodies at each seat--chocolate is mandatory (I don't think they are convinced on that one either). If I am paying that for an all day crop that is a "special event" I want to have a fun theme that is carried through the decor and tables and paper goods etc... I want prizes and little extras. The one yesterday had a sharpened pencil at each place-- not necessary but a nice thoughtful extra.

There are also some other things that they need to know but I was hoping we would have a meeting to discuss things in detail. Things like needing separate tables for people to eat at, covering the cropping tables in paper, not keeping canned drinks cold in a bucket of ice water so they drip and sweat at the tables, etc etc. All those things that really only scrapbookers know about.

There are some power outlets on the walls of the cafeteria-- but not really anywhere to set stuff-- the tables are all in the middle. I will check that out. My other huge concern is for the lighting. I think that there is enough light in there but I want to be sure. I actually would like to do this for our middle school where I am on the PTA but we have no space that is large enough with good lighting-- in fact our lighting stinks!

Any other feed back from anyone is great. A friend and I are probably going to set this up for our Swim Team this summer also. In fact we are kicking ourselves that we never thought of this! She and I actually bring our SB stuff to work on during practices and have invited others to join us, but never thought about turning it into a fundraiser. We also talked to the organizer of the one yesterday about maybe running them jointly next year-- their school has a great space and we can share the work and cost and money raised.

If anyone here is interested in this for a sport team, school, church or other organization let me know if you want more details of our plans. Yesterday they spent around $100 and made around $700. Easy money and the organizer got to scrap with her friends all day!