Hi everyone
Sadly, we have now reached a position where we believe there is no option other than to cancel Army of Guests 4.
We could blame so many different things for this.
We could probably blame the fact that we've effectively only had three months to promote this year's event, against our usual run-up time of nine months, due to delays in locating a suitable venue and booking the best guests for our starting line-up.
We could definitely blame the fact that we simply underestimated the number of people who have previously supported us, and who we know from their kind words would join us for another one day event in a heartbeat, but who quite simply cannot take part in a two day event at the moment, no matter how good the guest list, whether for financial reasons or other pressures on their free time.
We could also blame a prevailing "I'll just buy on the very last day of advance orders" or, even worse, "at the door on the day" attitude with which most organisers are no doubt familiar. Basically, events like ours live or die on the strength of advance sales and, sadly, we haven't sold the number of tickets we feel we need to at this point in proceedings for an event of this scale. (BTW, if you're an "on the day" kinda guy yourself, please bear in mind that it only takes a shortfall of 12 tickets on a 2 day event like this to leave the organisers themselves picking up a thousand pound tab. And even if those 12 people do turn up on the day, buying in advance could have put an extra guest on the bill. So advance sales are not only vital to give the organisers the confidence to keep going but they can actually improve the event as well. And an early sell-out is even better!)
We could certainly blame the very real threat that both British Airways and Network Rail may well call renewed industrial action over the dates of the event, leaving us in the impossible situation of having no means of getting our guests here.
We could oh so easily blame the fact that there are an incredible EIGHT other Doctor Who events happening up and down the country in the month of May. Or the fact that a staggering THREE of those events are taking place just on "our" weekend. Or the fact that one of those events on "our" weekend is the largest signing session in the UK, down in Milton Keynes, which has effectively taken the majority of our previous support from "dahn sarf."
Or we could simply blame the general mess in which the country's economy finds itself.
Yes, we could easily blame any or all of those things, and they certainly all have their part to play in the unenviable situation in which we find ourselves.
However, when it comes right down to it, it's our job to manage all those variables as well as we can. And we just haven't been able to. For which we're sorry. For whatever reason or combination of reasons you like, despite our best efforts, at the end of the day we simply haven't sold enough tickets in advance to justify the risk of continuing beyond this point.
Because this week is a truly pivotal point in those proceedings - the point of no return, as it were. This is the point at which we either become so financially committed to the event that there really is no turning back whatever happens... or we can walk away now with our personal losses substantial but still manageable.
If we could give the event another couple of weeks to see whether sales turned around then rest assured we most certainly would - we have well over a thousand flyers in circulation, posters in high street retailers, weblinks on dozens of Who related websites, press interviews coming up left right and center, Tom Baker himself giving a "big shout out to the Glasgow massive." (Sorry, I don't know what came over me.)
And our total target for the guest list to date is just 150. Hardly an over-ambitious number but it should hopefully put our decision into perspective.
But this week is the point at which all those expenses start to "get real," as I believe the modern parlance would have it. It's this week that everything starts to become non-refundable. Where whether we go ahead or not we still have to pay substantial fees to our venue. And our hotels. And our travel suppliers.
Not in a couple of weeks. Right here, right now.
And that's one of the many reasons advance sales are important to an event of any kind, and absolutely vital to an event of this scale. Because to go forward without them would not be based on facts but on a leap of faith that "if you book them, they will come."
And not only is it "getting real" time for us - it is for some of our ticket-buyers, too.
Because even if we were willing to batton down the hatches and take our chances, and possibly end up cancelling the event a few weeks down the line anyway, it wouldn't be fair to those of you who are also travelling to the
event and staying overnight to lose your own ability to claim refunds on your own travel and accommodation before entering "the penalty zone."
So we have chosen to cancel the event for all of these reasons and more.
We hope you understand and we hope that you won't hold this cancellation against any future events that we at The Glasgow Doctor Who Society or other fan groups may hold.
Because we may be back. Oh, yes. We may be back. Until then, there must be no tears, no...
Well. I suspect you know the rest.
A full refund will be issued to all current ticket holders within the next two weeks.
Cheers!
Al.
Sadly, we have now reached a position where we believe there is no option other than to cancel Army of Guests 4.
We could blame so many different things for this.
We could probably blame the fact that we've effectively only had three months to promote this year's event, against our usual run-up time of nine months, due to delays in locating a suitable venue and booking the best guests for our starting line-up.
We could definitely blame the fact that we simply underestimated the number of people who have previously supported us, and who we know from their kind words would join us for another one day event in a heartbeat, but who quite simply cannot take part in a two day event at the moment, no matter how good the guest list, whether for financial reasons or other pressures on their free time.
We could also blame a prevailing "I'll just buy on the very last day of advance orders" or, even worse, "at the door on the day" attitude with which most organisers are no doubt familiar. Basically, events like ours live or die on the strength of advance sales and, sadly, we haven't sold the number of tickets we feel we need to at this point in proceedings for an event of this scale. (BTW, if you're an "on the day" kinda guy yourself, please bear in mind that it only takes a shortfall of 12 tickets on a 2 day event like this to leave the organisers themselves picking up a thousand pound tab. And even if those 12 people do turn up on the day, buying in advance could have put an extra guest on the bill. So advance sales are not only vital to give the organisers the confidence to keep going but they can actually improve the event as well. And an early sell-out is even better!)
We could certainly blame the very real threat that both British Airways and Network Rail may well call renewed industrial action over the dates of the event, leaving us in the impossible situation of having no means of getting our guests here.
We could oh so easily blame the fact that there are an incredible EIGHT other Doctor Who events happening up and down the country in the month of May. Or the fact that a staggering THREE of those events are taking place just on "our" weekend. Or the fact that one of those events on "our" weekend is the largest signing session in the UK, down in Milton Keynes, which has effectively taken the majority of our previous support from "dahn sarf."
Or we could simply blame the general mess in which the country's economy finds itself.
Yes, we could easily blame any or all of those things, and they certainly all have their part to play in the unenviable situation in which we find ourselves.
However, when it comes right down to it, it's our job to manage all those variables as well as we can. And we just haven't been able to. For which we're sorry. For whatever reason or combination of reasons you like, despite our best efforts, at the end of the day we simply haven't sold enough tickets in advance to justify the risk of continuing beyond this point.
Because this week is a truly pivotal point in those proceedings - the point of no return, as it were. This is the point at which we either become so financially committed to the event that there really is no turning back whatever happens... or we can walk away now with our personal losses substantial but still manageable.
If we could give the event another couple of weeks to see whether sales turned around then rest assured we most certainly would - we have well over a thousand flyers in circulation, posters in high street retailers, weblinks on dozens of Who related websites, press interviews coming up left right and center, Tom Baker himself giving a "big shout out to the Glasgow massive." (Sorry, I don't know what came over me.)
And our total target for the guest list to date is just 150. Hardly an over-ambitious number but it should hopefully put our decision into perspective.
But this week is the point at which all those expenses start to "get real," as I believe the modern parlance would have it. It's this week that everything starts to become non-refundable. Where whether we go ahead or not we still have to pay substantial fees to our venue. And our hotels. And our travel suppliers.
Not in a couple of weeks. Right here, right now.
And that's one of the many reasons advance sales are important to an event of any kind, and absolutely vital to an event of this scale. Because to go forward without them would not be based on facts but on a leap of faith that "if you book them, they will come."
And not only is it "getting real" time for us - it is for some of our ticket-buyers, too.
Because even if we were willing to batton down the hatches and take our chances, and possibly end up cancelling the event a few weeks down the line anyway, it wouldn't be fair to those of you who are also travelling to the
event and staying overnight to lose your own ability to claim refunds on your own travel and accommodation before entering "the penalty zone."
So we have chosen to cancel the event for all of these reasons and more.
We hope you understand and we hope that you won't hold this cancellation against any future events that we at The Glasgow Doctor Who Society or other fan groups may hold.
Because we may be back. Oh, yes. We may be back. Until then, there must be no tears, no...
Well. I suspect you know the rest.
A full refund will be issued to all current ticket holders within the next two weeks.
Cheers!
Al.
