First day event attendance

Hi all,
I got a ? regarding how many peeps out of the total number expected for a 7 day event will show up each consecutive day. I am doing my first event in January and have asked for these numbers from the event coordinator to help me figger supplies but I have not heard back.  It stands to reason that more will show up on the first day than on the last and there is weather to factor in but is there a rule of thumb on this? This event is supposed to be a big one and since I am jumping in with both feet the first time out I would like to be as prepared as possible. I have much food/restaurant experience but am a virgin in the event/concession business. Any and all help/comments would be helpful. 

figure how much food you can cook, prepare, serve,  for that period of time and thats what you bring. keep the cold, cold, and the hot, hot, thats the max you'll do.............. p.s. theres a reason the coordinator dont get back to you, you know that right?

If indeed the event coordinator does get back to you, the attendance figures will most likely be over-inflated. 9 out of 10 coordinators are liars, and I`m not real sure about the other 10%. You may have illusions of doing thouands a day, but if you can only cook hundreds a day, thats your max. Take Bucks advice.

I know the event Birddoggy's talking about and it's a long 10 day running event that's been around for years and the Attendance exceeds 200,000 for the event. It draws people from all over the world. It's well respected and I'm sure their attendance figures are valid. The trick is to figure what the daily figures are, 1st day attendance etc.

Buck & Fried Tater have it right. You can only push out what you can push out. IF you think you can run at your Max, then it matters not how many attend.  Just make sure you keep every thing at or near freezing (meats). So that you can thaw out as the event goes on.

Foodbme
I know the event Birddoggy's talking about and it's a long 10 day running event that's been around for years and the Attendance exceeds 200,000 for the event. It draws people from all over the world. It's well respected and I'm sure their attendance figures are valid. The trick is to figure what the daily figures are, 1st day attendance etc.

 
If That's true you had better have your "A" Game packed and ready. And the thing that really will turn into a problem is you and your help will be worn down after 3 or 4 days  and you need to be able to inspire them to pull that extra effort from somewhere to complete the event. It will be a major drag on everyone unless you run two complete shifts with different people, so you don't end up with people (staff) doing battle with each other half way through the event. But if you can put your "A" game together from day one until the end you'll make great money.
Whishing you the best
Jack

Dr of BBQ

Foodbme
I know the event Birddoggy's talking about and it's a long 10 day running event that's been around for years and the Attendance exceeds 200,000 for the event. It draws people from all over the world. It's well respected and I'm sure their attendance figures are valid. The trick is to figure what the daily figures are, 1st day attendance etc.

If That's true you had better have your "A" Game packed and ready. And the thing that really will turn into a problem is you and your help will be worn down after 3 or 4 days  and you need to be able to inspire them to pull that extra effort from somewhere to complete the event. It will be a major drag on everyone unless you run two complete shifts with different people, so you don't end up with people (staff) doing battle with each other half way through the event. But if you can put your "A" game together from day one until the end you'll make great money.
Whishing you the best
Jack

EXCELLENT points Dr. There will be some long days for sure.

Foodbme

Dr of BBQ

Foodbme
I know the event Birddoggy's talking about and it's a long 10 day running event that's been around for years and the Attendance exceeds 200,000 for the event. It draws people from all over the world. It's well respected and I'm sure their attendance figures are valid. The trick is to figure what the daily figures are, 1st day attendance etc.

If That's true you had better have your "A" Game packed and ready. And the thing that really will turn into a problem is you and your help will be worn down after 3 or 4 days  and you need to be able to inspire them to pull that extra effort from somewhere to complete the event. It will be a major drag on everyone unless you run two complete shifts with different people, so you don't end up with people (staff) doing battle with each other half way through the event. But if you can put your "A" game together from day one until the end you'll make great money.
Whishing you the best
Jack

EXCELLENT points Dr. There will be some long days for sure.

they are excellent points!we have to do just that at the 24 hr. paint ball gig we do..luckily I have relation that all help out what we do is this....... my wife and I always take the first shift, (my kids are not early risers) we are prepping at 6 a.m. breakfast is usually over by 8:00 then most are playing the game so we have a little prep time for the lunch break, thats where the kids come in they will prep and get ready for lunch at 12 when they break for lunch i will take 3 with me and start the lunch crowd, one @ the window, 1 @ grill,, 1 putting burgers, dogs, steaks etc together and hand. to customer,( we do the number system everyone gets a number thats how we keep everybody straight) 1 to take up any slack like getting extra drinks, fries, etc. then after about an hr my wife comes in with her team and they do the exct same thing, after that we get ready for dinner and do the same thing over again, and the drinks we have a seperate table with coolers under them and the grand kids divy out them to the customers.everybody makes a little cash it comes in handy as this event is just before christams too!

Thanks Buck, Fried Tater, Foodbme, lornaschinske, and the Dr for all the input. I have come to the conclusion that what lornaschinske says is  the right answer and what I had been thinking. I can only put out what I can put out in any given hour/day. I dont have the luxury of having a second crew so I am planning on being on site every minute. I am no stranger to 15-18 hour days for 4 months at a time so hopefully I can make it through 10 days. The trailer is small and my crew is 2-3 peeps including me. I have strong organizational skills honed from my innkeeping gig and know they will serve me well for this venture. That is not to say that I am not scared @#$%-less to be in front of thousands with an untried product, but as the saying goes-nothing ventured, nothing gained. Hopefully I wont have my butt handed to me!

Why does it stand to reason that more will show up the first day, the multi day events we do are slowest the first day.

KurtSara


Why does it stand to reason that more will show up the first day, the multi day events we do are slowest the first day.

It stands to reason because this is a very, very popular and exciting event and the first day is on a Sunday when the General Public is available to attend.

Is this the auction? I have gone in the past with a friend. Will have to look for vendors from here, well there..lol.
 
Good Luck.

Why is everyone so secretive about the event name? What's the deal?

Dr of BBQ


Why is everyone so secretive about the event name? What's the deal?

Doc, sorry to say, it seems down in these parts of the woods thats one of them unwritten rules food vendors abide by. Eleven years ago when I started out everything was so secretive, ask people about an event, or ask where your going next, you got the cold shoulder. Still happens. I have a long list of food vendor friends, yet to this day 90% of them wouldn`t tell me a good event to go to. I did the same thing for a few years, but finally thought it I could help someone get started faster and easiler than what I had to go thru, then let them know the facts.
I`ve never done anything in Az. don`t plan too, but it does sound like the car sale. Also, understand there is some hugh rock hound event once a year someplace, never looked into it.
 
 
 

FriedTater - "I have a long list of food vendor friends, yet to this day 90% of them wouldn`t tell me a good event to go to."
 
That's so silly, and I like you don't understand it.
 
But come to think of it that's why the vendors will never have any equal footing/power in any negotiations with the event coordinators/promoters.
 
If we fight each other we are to busy and involved in that, to do ourselves and the group as a whole justice. That's sad. If this thread were that way we'd have only questions and no answers. LOL

Dr of BBQ

Why is everyone so secretive about the event name? What's the deal?

You're right. It's silly. The only reason I didn't mention it is because I'm not the one actually operating at the event. So I didn't think it was my place to identify it if the actual vendor didn't mention it.

Dr of BBQ

FrideTater - "I have a long list of food vendor friends, yet to this day 90% of them wouldn't`t tell me a good event to go to."
That's so silly, and I like you don't understand it.
But come to think of it that's why the vendors will never have any equal footing/power in any negotiations with the event coordinators/promoters.
If we fight each other we are to busy and involved in that, to do ourselves and the group as a whole justice. That's sad. If this thread were that way we'd have only questions and no answers. LOL

The guys that have figured out that "More is better" are the Food Truck Guys. They have formed Coalitions and are doing things to get cities to change the rules regarding street vending. They have web sites and magazines and other communication tools to get the word out.
The Marketing concept is the same employed when regional malls came on stream. Bringing multiple vendors together under one roof would have a synergistic effect that would benefit all.

FriedTater

... 90% of them wouldn't tell me a good event to go to.. .

 
If I knew I would tell. Nothing worse to me than to spend the $$ and time to go to an event and it not work out. I have told folks how we have done at a few events. And I appreciate the heads up when told to us.  I do understand that there is some nasty competition out there. I think a great deal of it has to do with the limited menus that many seem to have. It's why we changed our menu so much. It just seemed that every place we worked or attended had other food vendors selling the same thing as we did (hot dogs, sausages & BBQ). I think that is what frees up the food trucks. They have less competition between themselves because they have widely differing menus.  When we started in NC, we had to have a commissary. We got a local BBQ joint for that. The guy told David he didn't care if David parked right next to him. He said that his customers wanted BBQ not hot dogs & sausages, David's customers wanted hot dogs, not BBQ (we didn't sell BBQ at the time). Since neither one served was was on the opposing menu, he saw no problem. He was right. When I want BBQ, that is what I want and all I want. If I wanted a Kielbasa, I certainly wouldn't go to a BBQ joint for it.

The guys that have figured out that "More is better" are the Food Truck Guys.
 
 
I won`t argue with that. Mentioned it here with food truck operators, trailers, tents, if their not exclusive, heck with you.  Was wanting to put together a "food court" event in downtown area with music and food vendors, no one interested. 

We are all off topic a little bit but let me air my pet peeve, and that is that at some events I'm most likely the only one with insurance. And I hate that the others who vend only one or two events a year don't carry insurance. 

Doc, too bad all events don`t require vendors to have insurance. That would weed out a lot of folks. I do an event in Texas 3 times a year, have to have insurance, and they let me know when my insurance/health permits expires before I show up. Yuuuup, we got off topic!