Those involved with charity often consider themselves morally superior; after all they donate their time for good causes. They also usually consider themselves immune from criticism, even when they go too far. In a depressed economy, when many are out of work and many more are making far less than they were 2 years ago; at a time when businesses are struggling to keep their doors open, the cost of participating in local "charity" events is moving upwards at a pace that would make Zimbabwe proud.
Last year the Bus Loop event was $15; a fair deal. The Bus Loop in June was $18, and the one planned for Friday is $20, prepaid. This represents a 33% increase in the price in just 1 year. Now if a private business raised its price 33% in one year in a depressed economy, there would only be one word used to describe it: Greed. There would be calls for boycotts. But for charity, well, its all for a good cause.
Now if the events were being improved there might be an argument to be made. But they're not. For this Friday's event, there's only 1 decent place participating: The Blue Martini. Most of the other venues aren't worth going to even for free.
The organizers will argue that you can get 9 or 10 drinks for $20 so its a pretty good deal. Of course most people don't want 9 or 10 drinks, nor do they want to spend the evening waiting for busses and downing cheap alcohol to get their money's worth. Since I can't get the drink I want to drink, it makes it even less valuable. Great, I can get cheap drinks that I normally wouldn't order at places I normally wouldn't go to. Sounds like a great time to me. A real college party for Adults.
To grasp my criticism its important to understand how the bus loop works. You pay your $20. and you get a wristband and a card with the venues participating in the event. Each venue specifies what kind of drink you can get for free at the venue. When you get your drink, they mark off the box.
As you can see from the card this is not a high-end event. Most venues only give you a draft beer or a "well drink". Well drinks, for those of you not up on your bar lingo, are drinks made with the "house" liquor. The cheapest stuff. The stuff that nobody not still in college or on unemployment drinks. This card is from the June 18, 2010 bus loop. Bimini Boatyard actually made fruit punch to give away for the bus loop. Woo-hoo; just like the prom. Only Duffy's let you get whatever you wanted. It was their first event; lets see how generous they are next time.
If you ask why venues only allow you to get cheap drinks; its because they get nothing out of participating in the bus loop. One business owner on Las Olas that chooses not to participate calls the Bus Loop "a giveaway". You don't get any new business, he says, people come for a drink and then move on to the next venue. The charity people come around and "insist" that businesses participate. The truth is that most businesses want no part of the bus loop. They lose money. Good charities shouldn't have to use pressure to get businesses to participate.
This type of event is, for all intents and purposes, a transfer of money from local businesses to local "charities". This can all be justified because the perception is that there are no bounds to charitable contribution. "It's for charity" they'll tell you. No explanation required.
So what you're doing when you participate in the Bus Loop is sucking money from the local businesses by taking free drinks and transferring the money to the named "charities". Personally, I question if that's what I really want to do. I'd rather support local businesses as well as supporting local charities. Why can't these events help out the restaurants also? Why does 100% of the cost of the Bus Loop go to the charities, at the expense of local businesses that employ people and pay taxes?
I might be able to justify participating if all of the so-called "charities" where bonafide worthy causes. But the dominant charities in these events aren't the kind of charities that most people who participate in the events would normally support. The Riverwalk Trust is not really a charity; charities help people. The Riverwalk Trust is a neighborhood advocacy organization. The beautification of the Riverwalk is a nice thing, but its not the sort of "cause" that would normally get donations from people who are having trouble paying their rent. They "partner" with bonafide charities like Jessica June Foundation and Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to add legitimacy to these "charity" events.
So why am I criticizing a charitable event? I must be a bad person. A charity hater. A charityphobe. The truth is that I think they've gotten too greedy and they seem to have lost sight of what's going on in their community. I'm not in favor of forced charity; a good charity can provide value to its sponsors and participants while also helping worthy causes. The argument that putting on an event with cheap drinks that sucks revenue from local businesses is justified because more money goes to charity might have some merit; but the effect is that the charities become parasitic to the community rather than symbiotic. There's no reason for local charities to be viewed as shaking down businesses rather than working with the community to benefit everyone involved in the process.
My solution? Do a better job. Make the charity events more valuable to both the participants and the businesses. Foster positive relationships with local businesses so the charity orgainizers aren't viewed as shakedown crews. Its all very easy to do. Some minor changes can make the events better, help local businesses and perhaps even generate more contributions to charity.
The current Bus Loop event encourages intoxication. Is this a responsible way to run an event? In order to get your money's worth you have to have at least 5 drinks. That means I'm not spending much time at each venue. I'm not buying any drinks or food. So what do the venues get by being charmed by my presence for 15 minutes? Not a damned thing.
I would do the following to restructure the bus loop:
1) Give participants 4 drink tickets and 1 appetizer ticket in addition to the card for $20. One drink ticket is a wild card that can be used for a second drink at any venue. Participants are allowed to have any mixed drink, draft or bottled beer of their choosing at any venue, with only super premium brands excluded. A participant can use 2 tickets for any glass of wine offered by the glass. The appetizer ticket can be used at any venue for $5 appetizer.
2) Each venue can cash in their drink tickets for $1 each. after the event concludes.
3) Get vendors to offer $5 appetizers for an extended period instead of the "free" butler apps.
4) Have the event on Thursday instead of Friday to create traffic when restaurants aren't normally full.
The effect is as follows:
- The event would make at least $16 per participant which is a nice ratio. Some tickets will not be used and some will pay $25, so the take will be higher than that.
- More people will participate in the event. If people can get 2 martinis at their favorite place on the loop its worth it even if they don't want to ride the bus around. The end effect will be just as much money for the charities with higher participation, and happier patrons.
- By having the event on Thursday you can argue that you're creating traffic on an evening when places normally aren't full. A restaurant that is normally busy on a Friday night doesn't want to fill the place up with people getting free or cheap drinks. It just cannibalizes its regular business. People in Fort Lauderdale will go out for a few drinks on Thursday. It provides something to do on an off night as well as making it more attractive for quality businesses to participate.
- Currently, they distribute apps by a butler technique, which means you have to fight people who hang out in front of the entrance waiting for the next tray to be brought out. The effect is that if you're not a greedy cheapskate you're not getting any food. Its just ridiculous. Allow people to get what the want while allowing the venue to make a couple bucks as well. Everyone is happy in the end.
- More venues will participate because they're not losing money giving away free drinks. If a venue gives out 500 free drinks they get $500 to cover the costs. Since people don't have to rush around to 5 or more places to get their money's worth, they're more likely to stay at a place they like longer and order food, shots or other drinks.
- The Charities will be viewed more favorably by businesses and the community.
Charities in Fort Lauderdale can easily change how they're viewed; the question is "Do they really care?". They only seem to be interested in testing the elasticity of demand by raising prices every couple of months while irritating local businesses. They seem completely out of touch with what's going on in the community, viewing patrons as suckers that will pay whatever they charge and the venues as repositories of alcohol to fuel their agenda.
What will I be doing Friday? I'll be mingling at a couple of venues, paying for drinks that I want to drink, and riding the trollies for free. I'll write a check to Jessica June Foundation. I'll feel that I'm helping a bonafide charity without raping local businesses. After all, charity is about doing good; it shouldn't be at the expense of businesses that are struggling to survive in a bad economy.