ePlaya

hi everyone!

i was busy running for congress (seriously!) and i mistakenly removed myself from all BM placement emails. i missed filling out the questionaire. i am wondering if anyone has extra space for our court (we can camp elsewhere). we just got a new metal truss court and i'd hate to have it go to waste this year. we need 40x60' for the court. i'd love to then put the event in the book w/ your camp name.

we also received direct tickets and kind of owe the playa dodgeball... hoping to make something happen. if you can help or know anyone who might have a creative solution to my predicament, i'd love the help!

thank you,
freeman

How are you getting the court to the playa?
Does anyone with your camp have EA?
If you get in early there will be room in the suburbs, you don't need to be placed.

we have trailer & such, it's just a lot of work to not be placed and not be in a decent position. we either need the book or placement to make dodgeball work...

we can get EA i'm sure, but just seeing what options are now. i've tried to contact placement a couple times... they busy...

Popeye wrote:How are you getting the court to the playa?
Does anyone with your camp have EA?
If you get in early there will be room in the suburbs, you don't need to be placed.

Anywhere in BRC is a decent position.

40x60 plus a perimeter needed is a massive amount of ground space required for your set-up. Will you need space for the keepers of the game to camp as well? Are you planning on bringing any of your own infrastructure of camp that you could possibly add to a camp?

it is a lot of space, yes. our camp is normally 100x100 to do everything. we can do 40x60 for just the court, minimal bike parking, lines, etc... i suppose we could make the court smaller, but that isn't as much fun... but an option!

Sham wrote:40x60 plus a perimeter needed is a massive amount of ground space required for your set-up. Will you need space for the keepers of the game to camp as well? Are you planning on bringing any of your own infrastructure of camp that you could possibly add to a camp?

Sounds like fun. Where were you placed last year?

we are usually 7&[a~d] but we were 9&G last year. i accidentally checked "amplified sound".

Ratty wrote:Sounds like fun. Where were you placed last year?

I found your camp last year at 9:30 and G. Wow. You guys didn't do so great on the Moop map.

"Dodgeball Addiction".

we've always just been a small camp (less than 14 people) and no village. but definitely open to alternatives now!

Ratty wrote:What was the name of your camp last year? Were you in a village?

i saw the the moop map. i don't want to say it wasn't us, but it wasn't. we clean everything perfectly. but we leave before the temple burns and we had corner spot.

the camps next to us partied pretty hard and one camp had about 8" of water in their evap pond when i left. i don't think they were able to really clean up everything in a few days. i was definitely bummed we got the yellow mark. something similar happened a few years before where we got a red dot for an oil deposit. but my camp didn't even use the oil that was left... but yeah, we got that yellow mark. not sure what we can do differently other than stay later...

Ratty wrote:I found your camp last year at 9:30 and G. Wow. You guys didn't do so great on the Moop map.

Wow. Sorry that happened to you. It's kind of weird that your entire camp is yellow yet everything around you is green. Even the street was clean. Oh well. It's burning Man. Anything's possible.

it does, especially when your entire camp takes pride in leaving it clean, but ... like you wrote, it *is* burning man. so you make do.

Ratty wrote:Wow. Sorry that happened to you. It's kind of weird that your entire camp is yellow yet everything around you is green. Even the street was clean. Oh well. It's burning Man. Anything's possible.

i think the plug & play camp across the street was clean though! honestly, we just need someone to stay later and not let people park RVs there that show up on the last day looking for parking. we've been screwed more than once...

but no complaints! we make do. we love it.

publicfreeman wrote:it does, especially when your entire camp takes pride in leaving it clean, but ... like you wrote, it *is* burning man. so you make do.

Ratty wrote:Wow. Sorry that happened to you. It's kind of weird that your entire camp is yellow yet everything around you is green. Even the street was clean. Oh well. It's burning Man. Anything's possible.

wait, the map i saw said we were surrounded by red?
not that it changes how we cleaned, but that would be curious...

Ratty wrote:Wow. Sorry that happened to you. It's kind of weird that your entire camp is yellow yet everything around you is green. Even the street was clean. Oh well. It's burning Man. Anything's possible.

thank you! that makes us look so bad! ugh.... such a bummer....

i'm impressed with filament then! they were a freakin disaster when i left... lol

Ratty wrote:https://bm-phoenix.s3.amazonaws.com/lar ... ForWeb.jpg

Here is a creative solution:

Renegade

Do something different, build it on the airport road or in deep playa.

Or even better, just have an off year where you just go and have fun without the theme camp.

yeah, we thought about just going where we can find. but we need to be in the book or high traffic to get enough attention. and we would go just enjoy, but we received direct tickets and kind of owe it to the playa to bring what we were expected too...

i have faith something will work out and we'll make the best of it!

thanks for the great suggestions!

Token wrote:Here is a creative solution:

Renegade

Do something different, build it on the airport road or in deep playa.

Or even better, just have an off year where you just go and have fun without the theme camp.

Advertise on BMIR and ask people to bring a group so people show up with enough people for a game. Encourage camp rivalries and all star teams formed from different parts of the city.

I say do an old school but legit land grab where you or members of camp get in early working on art or city. Snag a piece of land that wont have a whole lot of population pressure at gate open and go for it.

Maybe get permission to put it just outside of the city off of the sound camps on 10 or 2. Lots of foot traffic there.

Can a non-placed camp get EA? If so, you could still show up as early as possible and get a decent spot in open area.

Dodgeball at the airport just sounds loads of fun.

Token wrote:Dodgeball at the airport just sounds loads of fun.

motskyroonmatick wrote:just outside of the city off of the sound camps on 10 or 2. Lots of foot traffic there.

i'm in agreement actually. my campmate is pretty pissed at me (rightfully so) and doesn't want to go through all the effort if we can't get listed in the book or get a spot we know works. we were at a new spot last year and not in the book and it killed the attendance & vibe...
we can definitely get it out there, but we want to make it rock... it's possible to do it elsewhere, but my camp also wants to experience BM as opposed to recruit for dodgeball...

where this is a will, there is a way for sure. i'm trying not to sacrifice others burns b/c of my mess up...

Token wrote:Here is a creative solution:

Renegade

Do something different, build it on the airport road or in deep playa.

Or even better, just have an off year where you just go and have fun without the theme camp.

Exactly. You and your setup being there will make anyplace be a great place.

Huuummmm..... ok, I'm an ADMIN for the fb group "Theme Camp Organizers" join this group and post this request. I'm pretty sure you'll find a solution there.....

Capt. RON wrote:Huuummmm..... ok, I'm an ADMIN for the fb group "Theme Camp Organizers" join this group and post this request. I'm pretty sure you'll find a solution there.....

Thank you! I will definitely check this out!

It's also worth noting that on the off chance you don't find the right fit, you can set up and have Dodge Ball at your camp regardless of whether you get placement or not.

IMO, the best way to plan for this would look something like this:

• Ahead of the event, if you don't already have them look at picking up a couple LED work lights.
• Ahead of the event, figure out what part of the city you want to aim for and tell people you will be aiming for X intersection - tell them to go to that intersection and you'll have the exact camp location posted at the intersection.
• Ahead of the event, if you don't already have a large, easy to spot sign for your camp... make one.
• Ahead of the event, if you don't already have a smaller 'intersection sign' with the camp name and a blank space to write in the camp's actual location... make one.
• The last couple years, the gates have opened at 12:00 midnight Saturday (technically 12:00am Sunday). Plan for your core build crew to arrive at the time the gates open, and for everyone else to arrive around sunrise on Sunday. Staggering arrival not only makes traffic a little less painful, but it gives a backup team in case the strike team realizes they've forgotten something, and it provides a relief crew that will be fresh and can get cracking on setup tasks in the morning, hopefully getting key things done before it gets hot.
• The strike team heads for the target intersection that you decided in advance. From there, find an open spot large enough for your group, say hello to adjacent neighbors (and to make sure that's not space they're holding for arriving campmates), and get to your spot.
• Have a campmate put the exact location on that 'intersection sign' you made and then send that campmate back to your target intersection to put the sign up.
• Get those working and get started. If the weather is not cooperating, just try and get out some of the bigger truss pieces to be able to outline the court. Use the strike team's vehicle(s) to help establish the camp's boundaries (if you have a neighbor on one side, you only need to worry about the other side). Get that big, easy to read camp sign up and out front so that when campmates arrive in the morning, they can find you easily.
• When that relief crew comes in at sunrise, make sure to designate somebody (or a pair of somebodies) to make a bee line to Playa Information when they open in the morning. There, they will enter the camp's specific information into the directory there.

I know, that list got a little long, but I figured it was best to cover all the bases. Another thing to consider is to make a few extra intersection signs. Once you're settled, as you get to know your neighborhood and where there may be more traffic, connect with people, tell them your story, and ask if they would consider letting you put a sign up at their bar (or wherever). If they say no, don't worry about it - there are other camps, and you can always just put them at other nearby intersections.

An intersection sign can be done as simply as cardboard, markers, and zip ties (though those are more likely to become MOOP)... or they can be works of art in their own right. I recommend taking a small board, then drilling a couple holes for rope or zip ties to go through, then give it a couple coats with a chalkboard material spray paint. Next, have someone paint "CAMP NAME is located at:" in white or fluorescent colors, leaving the bottom half wide open. Pick up some stuff called 'liquid chalk' from an art supply joint - that stuff is great, works like Sharpies but for chalkboard surfaces. Doesn't wipe off easily, either (we use a wet washcloth). Be sure to grab those intersection signs towards the end of the event, aside from not wanting to leave anything behind it's a resource you can use in future years (they come in handy for placed camps, too).

That said, good luck! Ideally you find a camp or village who may have the kind of space you're looking for, but if that doesn't happen... don't be deterred!