Question: What is the TOTAL consumer spending for BM?

[flashdance]

I'm unsure if there's a precise economic term for total consumer spending for an event, but how much money in total gets spent due to Burning Man existing? (Like the way they measure consumer spending over the christmas.) How would one measure this number? I've seen a few things here and there, like $35m in hotels and $10m in the airport in upper Nevada, but nothing for the entire event. Mostly just curious if anyone has tried to calculate the number. If not, maybe I'll try to start tackling that number. Does the census ever ask how much people spent on BM?

[trilobyte]

The first thing I'd say in response is... it's not about the money. If you've worked on a project or built a camp or created something for the desert, you probably know that aside from whatever money gets spent to make it happen, the time and the effort and the care and the attention to detail and the artistry (as well as debauchery and twisted thinking) that goes into it is far, far greater.

I don't know that you could really come up with anything other than a wild guess, at best. Camps and individuals don't generally walk around bragging about their budgets or spending (thankfully), the only reason some budgets are somewhat public is because they're seeking public assistance to raise funds. The same holds true for art installations and mutant vehicles. The logistics of people coming from all over the world means that they're spending money all over, too - it's probably difficult if not impossible to calculate how many people fly from Japan, and then repeat the process for 40+ countries... just for the overseas burners. That kind of accounting gets to be infinitely complex...how much money is spent in total because football/soccer/olympics/rock music exists? I won't say it's unknowable, but I imagine that even if everyone wanted to cooperate with you it would more time than you have left in this life to tally things up (and even if you had the time to do it, is that really how you'd want to spend your time?). The numbers that get tossed around in the press (spending in the state and airport revenues) are numbers that can more easily be tallied. Probably not 'more easily tallied' like pressing a key, but more easily like done over the course of months of work by groups of people.

[gaminwench]

Yes, the census has total expenditure, local spending and other related questions in their survey.

[tatonka]

Ive spent about 500.00 so far, will buy food , beer, and gas , also still need new tire for my trailer. So in total will be about 800.00 for this year.

[Captain Goddammit]

I believe if you are bringing a big art piece, substantial theme camp, or mutant vehicle, generally you don't even know the real total. There are tons of unaccounted-for nickels & dimes (usually lots of dollars really). And there are hard to define expenditures. Would I have bought the truck I did? Maybe, maybe not. Tools? Etc.
Whether the question is on the census or not, the Big Total number is unknown.

[tamarakay]

Enough that Harry Reid did the smack down on the blm

[lucky420]

its been reported in the RGJ that it is something like 30 million to the Reno/Northern Nevada region.

Cant remember when I read this, sometime in the last year

[FIGJAM]

Everything and everybody all in, I would guess $100M!!!

[Bless]

The Atlantic ran an interesting piece on the subject: http://www.theatlantic.com/business/arc ... an/376108/

[dragonpilot]

Any surprise that the Nevada State Legislature wants a piece of the action within their borders?

[Bless]

Any surprise that the Nevada State Legislature wants a piece of the action within their borders?

Like Willie Sutton said, I rob banks because that's where the money is.

[lucky420]

Any surprise that the Nevada State Legislature wants a piece of the action within their borders?

What State wouldn't?

[flashdance]

I'm only asking out of curiosity btw. I have no judgement about the amount of money being spent for the event. Burning man is great. Money being spent making things that make burning man more awesome is great. I'm all on board.

I saw the Atlantic article, which is what got me thinking about it in the first place. (http://www.theatlantic.com/business/arc ... an/376108/).

I've seen total consumer spending numbers for holidays, and I feel like some events try to take a stab at those numbers as well. I'm just wondering if there's just some key metrics/areas that are good to look at for making those estimates.

I guess the census is probably the best place to start for it.

[flashdance]

Btw some of the numbers I've thought about

70k attendees x $400~ (approx price of ticket in individual sale--don't know about others) = 28m
70k attendees x $1500 (guesstimate of avg amount spent per person--could be wildly incorrect) = 105m
mutant vehicles + projects = ?
things i'm not considering = ?

So I'm guessing $150-250 million gets spent due to burning man. Those figures are super rough obviously. I know the reported amount spent per person is lower than that but I think people tend to estimate they spent less than they actually did. (Also there are more attendees than I listed.)

I really have no idea how much gets spent on vehicles and projects. I'm guessing it's rather nontrivial though.

[Lonesomebri]

I say we all post here what we spent, and then flashdance can just add it all up.

Ticket, vehicle pass, gas, food, water, booze, booze, booze, shelter, bike inner tubes, lag screws, impact driver, string lights, hookers, blow....
A couple grand from me without batting an eye lash.

[Lonesomebri]

The census
https://blackrockcitycensus.wordpress.c ... rning-man/

[Captain Goddammit]

Well fuck, I'm in it the usual several grand, unless you count being able to transport everything.
Then it's into five figures, and the first one is a "2".

[Jackass]

Damn Captain, if I had your money, I'd burn all of mine...

[flashdance]

So if we update the avg price per person using the census data for the weights, then we end up with something like

(.023*125+0.108*375+0.288*759+0.389*1750+0.145*3775+.048*10000) weighted spending * 70k no of attendees = $138m

hot damn.

So that's starting to push closer to the 200m mark.

[flashdance]

Dayumm Ca-pee-tan ....

.... I guess if I had that much cash to burn, I'd spend it on BM too.

Last year was my virgin burn and friends and I dropped some money on an old ford cargo van with a lot of character. I considered that a one-time investment, but I suspect Dan The Van (as we call him) is going to slowly get more investments over time to convert it into an MV.

[Raoul]

I come in from the east coast and have most of my stuff shipped on a shared container truck out of Boston. This year, I and my traveling compatriots will fly into Portland and pickup our rental RV for the drive down the BRC. Between Burning Man tickets, plane tickets, pre and post Burn hotel stays, RV rental, gas, supplies, etc., the four of us will probably be into it for a good $4,000 each...give or take. And that's traveling light. Mind you, this is only my second burn, so I am still collecting the occasional "infrastructure" type item, but I wouldn't imagine my total expenditure decreasing much.

[FIGJAM]

I created most of my infrastructure by upcycling.

There was a few hundred for "must have" stuff.

Now that that is taken care of, it cost about $1000 a year including my ticket!

[AntiM]

Infrastructure is basically paid for, consumables don't cost much more than groceries if we spread it out, gas is a chunk of change which we'd spend on any driving vacation (~$500+). Costumes are on hand, I try not to spend any more on that. Art and gifting ... holy fuck, I don't want to know. But it is spread out over the year, a grand or two easy.

I can't afford to stay home.

[Captain Goddammit]

I'm just a crane truck driver.
What I mean is, I've got a few grand into BM this year, (roughly 3k I think, if it's more than that I don't wanna know) but I needed a bigger truck so I bought one. It's hard to categorize that expense; is that truck only for Burning Man? No. But would I have bought it if it weren't for the Burning Man trip? No. So does it count? I dunno.
By next time I'll probably have a better camper on that truck, which wouldn't happen if it weren't for the BM trip.
At this point, attending since 2000, I'm on my fifth truck, second camper, and third trailer, and a total of seven Honda generators.

[Lonesomebri]

...What I mean is...

Hey buddy,
No need to backpedal now. Your largess isn't going to change how any of us feel about you.

So.... I was thinking of stopping by early in the week...we could just hang out and stuff....

...maybe sip some Courvoisier while chilling and chatting.

Have I ever told you how much I admire your boat?

[The Rod]

The first year I went I spent under $800, including ticket and all my provisions.

Last year, the GF and I spent about $3000 including fuel, food, booze, infrastructure, costumes, blinkies and other 'stuff'. And similar to Captain G, two years ago I spent five figures on a big ass truck to haul all the crap to the playa. I would not have bought the truck I did if it wasn't for my obsession with BM.

I am not attending this year, but a couple months ago I did buy a 16 ft flatbed trailer pretty much for Burning Man and a new transmission for said big ass truck. So yeah, I spend a shitload of money on BM...

And if everything goes well for the rest of the year I hope to set aside a rather large chunk for next year (~$10k) to finally build my art car...



Fucking A.

[AntiM]

I'm just a crane truck driver.
What I mean is, I've got a few grand into BM this year, (roughly 3k I think, if it's more than that I don't wanna know) but I needed a bigger truck so I bought one. It's hard to categorize that expense; is that truck only for Burning Man? No. But would I have bought it if it weren't for the Burning Man trip? No. So does it count? I dunno.
By next time I'll probably have a better camper on that truck, which wouldn't happen if it weren't for the BM trip.
At this point, attending since 2000, I'm on my fifth truck, second camper, and third trailer, and a total of seven Honda generators.

There's a reason we bought a beefier trailer with two axles, then a beefier pickup truck, and this year it gets a topper.

[pink]

I created most of my infrastructure by upcycling.

There was a few hundred for "must have" stuff.

Now that that is taken care of, it cost about $1000 a year including my ticket!

Me too. Now care of the camper van is usually pretty minimal, but the years I've had to buy tires...not so much. This year so far a new coach battery and replacement legs for my fold out couch/bed. Cost $123. I'm pretty set for gear.

But now that I posted about my Moon Pie score at Grocery Outlet on my camps board, I apparently need to pick up more vanilla ones!

[some seeing eye]

The time off from work at pay/salary rates would dwarf that estimate.