Once again, the price factor rears it's ugly head. I need to vent to my fellow brethren here, so please bear with me, this is a long post.
Here's the scenario: I was contacted with a lead thru WEDJ.com by a person with Wake Forest University for an outdoor student carnival to be held later this month. Allow me to copy and paste the correspondence as it unfolded.
Prospect name: Sara Elaine Armstrong
Prospect EMAIL: ******@wfu.edu
Prospect Telephone: (910) 890-3925
Event Location: Wake Forest University
A School Event is being planned for 03/27/2007
=================
They also contacted me via telephone.
My first volley:
Good afternoon Sara.
I sent you a return voice mail concerning the event on March 27th. Please give me a call to let me know more details so that I may price the event
accordingly.
===============
The first return email:
Dear Mr. McLeese,
Hello! I hope things are going well. I have just spoken with the
Springfest Carnival Committee from Student Government and they have
decided to procure your services fro the carnival. My chair, Ann Meade
is looking into logistics, how much power will be available, etc. on
Davis Field. Here is her email, *******@wfu.edu if you would like to
contact her. Thanks so much and we are looking forward to working with you!
Sincerely,
Sara Elaine Armstrong
============
My response:
Wonderful!!!
I will email Ms. Meade a contract for services. Please let me know when a good time would be for all of us to meet and do a walk thru of the area. Is there a rain out contingency plan in place for the event and if so what is the date?
==================
And my first volley to her chairperson:
Good morning. I have been contacted by Sara Elaine Armstrong about the event to
be held 03/27/2007 on Davis field. She has informed me that the committee has
decided to hire my services for the event. Please allow me to say Thank you for
the opportunity to serve the Wake Forest students.
Once you have all logistics in hand, please touch base with me so that we can
shore up a time when we can all get together prior to the event and do a basic
walk through of the event, where my location will be, etc.
My home/office phone number is 336-744-1154
In case you need to reach me immediately, my Cingular wireless
number is 336-995-4822.
I look forward to working with you.
Regards,
Greg McLeese
Owner/Operator
Kickit Productions
Mobile Entertainment
==============
Her response:
Greg,
My name is Ann Meade and I am heading up our carnival committee for this
year. I am meeting with Facilities Management on Friday to figure out
what kind of power etc. will be on the field. Any information you can
give me about what you need would be great. Due to university rules, we
are only allowed to play music from 5-8pm. Also, I'm working on
finalizing our budget---how much will you charge? Thank you so much,
I'm really looking forward to working with you!
-Ann
==============
My response:
Hello Ann,
Thanks for your timely and prompt response. After doing some figuring, I find
that I need only one power drop from Facilities. If you can get them to supply me with at least (1) one 20 amp circuit feed (the guys will know what I mean) that will suffice. I am visualizing (and you may correct me if need be) setting up either in that smaller side parking lot next to Scales that faces Davis Field, or if you need the sound to be closer to the field itself, I would
probably want to be set up on a stage out on the field itself.
***This is why I would want to do a walk-through of the area with committee members, so that we make sure that everyone is on the same page.***
In either setting, (field or parking lot) I will want to set up my 10 x 10 Easy-
up Pop up folding vendors tent in order to be shielded from the elements. It is
white in color and goes up in less than 30 minutes time. So, if I am going to
be on a stage type setting on the field, the stage itself would need to be
larger than 10 feet by 10 feet in order to accomodate the tent (and leveled
accordingly of course).
A couple of questions that I have concerning the event itself:
1) Is there a Rain-Out Contingency plan in place in case of inclement weather?
2) Since this is a carnival, will there be any sort of awards given out at the
end of the day for different events? (So that I may provide a wireless mic for
any such presentations)
I am attaching a One Time Only Contract for services to be rendered.
After taking into consideration what your needs will be for this event:
1) Ample sound coverage for the field over any sort of sound producing gas or diesel generators
2) Large enough Speaker array to produce said sound
3) Labor involved for setup
The Fee I would charge for this event is $500.00 and is all-inclusive with set-
up and tear-down included. I am fully insured with Zurich International
Insurance Agency and will be happy to provide proof of insurability if need
be.
If you find that this fee is extreme for your needs, please let me know so that I may direct you to another source for entertainment.
I look forward to serving you.
Sincerely,
Greg McLeese
Owner/Operator
Kickit Productions
Mobile Entertainment
================
Her response:
Greg,
Thanks so much for your prompt e-mail, I am meeting with Jim Coffey, the
Director of Facilities Management, tomorrow afternoon to discuss our
power situation, so your information is very helpful. The fee does fit
in our budget, so as far as I am concerned we would definitely love to
have your services. However, I do have to check with our advisor and
legal department with the contract first. We have Davis Field secured
for March 28-30. The carnival is on the 29th, so we have the day before
and day after to set up and tear down. I would be glad to walk through
with you at any time prior to the event. If you want to wait until the
day before, that is when our ride company is coming in, so you may be
able to visualize a little better. Thank you so much!
-Ann
p.s. If you do not mind, I would like to see a proof of insurance, there
has been a recent incident with an event ran by another group, so this
information would be helpful just for records sake.
=======================
My response:
Ann,
I am attaching 5 pages of Insurance related material from my policy book, as
well as the last payment statement to show present coverage.
The day before when the ride company comes in would be ideal for me to do a walk-thru. That would give me a real view of what I need to supply, sound-wise. Please feel free to call me anytime to talk about details - sometimes I feel that the personal touch gets lost in electronic correspondence.
My numbers:
Home/Office: 336-744-1154
Cingular Wireless: 336-995-4822
I don't know if you are aware of this or not, but I worked for Wake about 2
years ago. My direct supervisor was Jason Helsabeck in Information Systems. I was the multi-media tech for all the classrooms on campus under James
Overstreet.
Just thought you would like to know.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Greg
=============
Her response:
Greg,
The member of my committee who spoke with you mentioned that you had
worked for Wake, and that's the main reason why we chose you. I will be
in touch, hopefully not by e-mail, but I have been working on a weird
schedule lately, hence the e-mails.
-Ann
===================
My response:
On 3/1/2007 7:23 PM, Greg McLeese wrote:
""" However, I do have to check with our advisor and
legal department with the contract first. """
Ann, Allow me to attach copies of my original Legal contract here for you to supply further.
===============
And now I get this today:
Greg,
I am so sorry to do this, however we have found a more economical
student dj for our canival this year. I am really sorry for any
inconveince this causes. I will keep your name on file for next years
carnival which should have a larger budget.
-Ann
===================
I don't know what happened or where the breakdown occurred, but this is what I sent in return. Perhaps it was a futile attempt, and you folks can tear me apart if you want to, but here is what I sent:
Ann,
Allow me to say thank you for your interest. Please keep in mind that it takes
an enormous amount of equipment to produce the kind of sound you are going to need for your event. Unless your student has access to that kind of equipment, I seriously doubt you will be pleased with the performance. An I.B.M. thinkpad with a soundcard hooked up to a couple of amplifiers and a couple of speakers isn't going to produce the kind of results you are searching for. Also ask yourself this question:
Where did the student aquire his music? If it's downloaded from the internet
without being paid for and it is being played back for public consumption, AND
you are paying him a fee for his services, then he, as well as the University,
will be in violation of Federal law unless that student is a member in good
standing with ASCAP and/or BMI. If an agent for either company were to show up at your event and ask to see a license that allows for public performance of pre-recorded music that the student is playing, and he or anyone connected with the event can not produce that license, I would hate to think of what consequences would ensue. Just random thoughts I wanted to pass along...
I wish you great success with your event.
I hope we can do business in the future.
=========
Like I said, I know it was probably a futile attempt in response, but after all the correspondence leading me to believe I had the gig, I guess I broke down. I'll probably wind up being blacklisted by the University or something now....
Oh well.....Que sera, sera.
Here's the scenario: I was contacted with a lead thru WEDJ.com by a person with Wake Forest University for an outdoor student carnival to be held later this month. Allow me to copy and paste the correspondence as it unfolded.
Prospect name: Sara Elaine Armstrong
Prospect EMAIL: ******@wfu.edu
Prospect Telephone: (910) 890-3925
Event Location: Wake Forest University
A School Event is being planned for 03/27/2007
=================
They also contacted me via telephone.
My first volley:
Good afternoon Sara.
I sent you a return voice mail concerning the event on March 27th. Please give me a call to let me know more details so that I may price the event
accordingly.
===============
The first return email:
Dear Mr. McLeese,
Hello! I hope things are going well. I have just spoken with the
Springfest Carnival Committee from Student Government and they have
decided to procure your services fro the carnival. My chair, Ann Meade
is looking into logistics, how much power will be available, etc. on
Davis Field. Here is her email, *******@wfu.edu if you would like to
contact her. Thanks so much and we are looking forward to working with you!
Sincerely,
Sara Elaine Armstrong
============
My response:
Wonderful!!!
I will email Ms. Meade a contract for services. Please let me know when a good time would be for all of us to meet and do a walk thru of the area. Is there a rain out contingency plan in place for the event and if so what is the date?
==================
And my first volley to her chairperson:
Good morning. I have been contacted by Sara Elaine Armstrong about the event to
be held 03/27/2007 on Davis field. She has informed me that the committee has
decided to hire my services for the event. Please allow me to say Thank you for
the opportunity to serve the Wake Forest students.
Once you have all logistics in hand, please touch base with me so that we can
shore up a time when we can all get together prior to the event and do a basic
walk through of the event, where my location will be, etc.
My home/office phone number is 336-744-1154
In case you need to reach me immediately, my Cingular wireless
number is 336-995-4822.
I look forward to working with you.
Regards,
Greg McLeese
Owner/Operator
Kickit Productions
Mobile Entertainment
==============
Her response:
Greg,
My name is Ann Meade and I am heading up our carnival committee for this
year. I am meeting with Facilities Management on Friday to figure out
what kind of power etc. will be on the field. Any information you can
give me about what you need would be great. Due to university rules, we
are only allowed to play music from 5-8pm. Also, I'm working on
finalizing our budget---how much will you charge? Thank you so much,
I'm really looking forward to working with you!
-Ann
==============
My response:
Hello Ann,
Thanks for your timely and prompt response. After doing some figuring, I find
that I need only one power drop from Facilities. If you can get them to supply me with at least (1) one 20 amp circuit feed (the guys will know what I mean) that will suffice. I am visualizing (and you may correct me if need be) setting up either in that smaller side parking lot next to Scales that faces Davis Field, or if you need the sound to be closer to the field itself, I would
probably want to be set up on a stage out on the field itself.
***This is why I would want to do a walk-through of the area with committee members, so that we make sure that everyone is on the same page.***
In either setting, (field or parking lot) I will want to set up my 10 x 10 Easy-
up Pop up folding vendors tent in order to be shielded from the elements. It is
white in color and goes up in less than 30 minutes time. So, if I am going to
be on a stage type setting on the field, the stage itself would need to be
larger than 10 feet by 10 feet in order to accomodate the tent (and leveled
accordingly of course).
A couple of questions that I have concerning the event itself:
1) Is there a Rain-Out Contingency plan in place in case of inclement weather?
2) Since this is a carnival, will there be any sort of awards given out at the
end of the day for different events? (So that I may provide a wireless mic for
any such presentations)
I am attaching a One Time Only Contract for services to be rendered.
After taking into consideration what your needs will be for this event:
1) Ample sound coverage for the field over any sort of sound producing gas or diesel generators
2) Large enough Speaker array to produce said sound
3) Labor involved for setup
The Fee I would charge for this event is $500.00 and is all-inclusive with set-
up and tear-down included. I am fully insured with Zurich International
Insurance Agency and will be happy to provide proof of insurability if need
be.
If you find that this fee is extreme for your needs, please let me know so that I may direct you to another source for entertainment.
I look forward to serving you.
Sincerely,
Greg McLeese
Owner/Operator
Kickit Productions
Mobile Entertainment
================
Her response:
Greg,
Thanks so much for your prompt e-mail, I am meeting with Jim Coffey, the
Director of Facilities Management, tomorrow afternoon to discuss our
power situation, so your information is very helpful. The fee does fit
in our budget, so as far as I am concerned we would definitely love to
have your services. However, I do have to check with our advisor and
legal department with the contract first. We have Davis Field secured
for March 28-30. The carnival is on the 29th, so we have the day before
and day after to set up and tear down. I would be glad to walk through
with you at any time prior to the event. If you want to wait until the
day before, that is when our ride company is coming in, so you may be
able to visualize a little better. Thank you so much!
-Ann
p.s. If you do not mind, I would like to see a proof of insurance, there
has been a recent incident with an event ran by another group, so this
information would be helpful just for records sake.
=======================
My response:
Ann,
I am attaching 5 pages of Insurance related material from my policy book, as
well as the last payment statement to show present coverage.
The day before when the ride company comes in would be ideal for me to do a walk-thru. That would give me a real view of what I need to supply, sound-wise. Please feel free to call me anytime to talk about details - sometimes I feel that the personal touch gets lost in electronic correspondence.
My numbers:
Home/Office: 336-744-1154
Cingular Wireless: 336-995-4822
I don't know if you are aware of this or not, but I worked for Wake about 2
years ago. My direct supervisor was Jason Helsabeck in Information Systems. I was the multi-media tech for all the classrooms on campus under James
Overstreet.
Just thought you would like to know.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Greg
=============
Her response:
Greg,
The member of my committee who spoke with you mentioned that you had
worked for Wake, and that's the main reason why we chose you. I will be
in touch, hopefully not by e-mail, but I have been working on a weird
schedule lately, hence the e-mails.
-Ann
===================
My response:
On 3/1/2007 7:23 PM, Greg McLeese wrote:
""" However, I do have to check with our advisor and
legal department with the contract first. """
Ann, Allow me to attach copies of my original Legal contract here for you to supply further.
===============
And now I get this today:
Greg,
I am so sorry to do this, however we have found a more economical
student dj for our canival this year. I am really sorry for any
inconveince this causes. I will keep your name on file for next years
carnival which should have a larger budget.
-Ann
===================
I don't know what happened or where the breakdown occurred, but this is what I sent in return. Perhaps it was a futile attempt, and you folks can tear me apart if you want to, but here is what I sent:
Ann,
Allow me to say thank you for your interest. Please keep in mind that it takes
an enormous amount of equipment to produce the kind of sound you are going to need for your event. Unless your student has access to that kind of equipment, I seriously doubt you will be pleased with the performance. An I.B.M. thinkpad with a soundcard hooked up to a couple of amplifiers and a couple of speakers isn't going to produce the kind of results you are searching for. Also ask yourself this question:
Where did the student aquire his music? If it's downloaded from the internet
without being paid for and it is being played back for public consumption, AND
you are paying him a fee for his services, then he, as well as the University,
will be in violation of Federal law unless that student is a member in good
standing with ASCAP and/or BMI. If an agent for either company were to show up at your event and ask to see a license that allows for public performance of pre-recorded music that the student is playing, and he or anyone connected with the event can not produce that license, I would hate to think of what consequences would ensue. Just random thoughts I wanted to pass along...
I wish you great success with your event.
I hope we can do business in the future.
=========
Like I said, I know it was probably a futile attempt in response, but after all the correspondence leading me to believe I had the gig, I guess I broke down. I'll probably wind up being blacklisted by the University or something now....
Oh well.....Que sera, sera.
