Post
by trilobyte » Wed Dec 17, 2014 11:44 am
Speaking personally... Burning Man's emphasis on regional groups has been growing since the regional network was formed, and seems to be growing almost as fast as some of the regionals themselves. I don't think that's a bad thing at all. That added emphasis on the regionals doesn't appear to be coming at the expense of the event, though. Ticket sales, attendance/participation, posts about Burning Man (the event in the desert) are all up from years past.
I've long believed that growing the event (and the culture) involves expanding beyond the black rock desert. Sure it's a big desert, but that road isn't getting any bigger and the capacity/logistics can only be pushed so far. I think it should be done carefully - you want growth that translates into amazing stuff like Flipside, AfrikaBurn, KiwiBurn, BEquinox and the like, not growth like Starbucks. I actually really like that each of these events has kind of grown and evolved and taken its own form. It also feels like they've been growing organically, as opposed to through some aggressive marketing campaign or membership drive. Personally, I don't think Burning Man is for everybody.... and that's okay. The culture and regional happenings should be within reach (but still involve some kind of reach) for those who are interested. Since BMP was first announced I've felt that it could provide a great service by way of logistics support for regional groups, so I'm in favor of it doing that kind of thing.
Promoting the culture and sharing some of the things we've learned from being nitwits who build things in the desert is a good thing, IMO. I like that Burning Man Project is working to try and do that. I think the world could be a better place if certain elements were more like Burning Man, BMP feels to me like an actual effort to do that, rather than just a few clever signs about taking it off the playa in the exodus line.
I think that BMP having a board that's made up of a mix of founders, philanthropists (people with experience in that background), and those familiar with navigating the waters of being a 501(c)3 entity is a good thing. Balanced is a good approach, in my opinion. The board doesn't do the day-to-day work of the organization (just like the board of any other company), but if it helps them to promote the culture, expand the regionals, and do a better job of fundraising and connecting with organizations to help them support themselves, then huzzah.
I understand the need for separation. I'm no accountant or tax lawyer, but I get it. The tax benefit is useful two-fold. One because it saves them directly on taxes, and two because it enables and encourages others to donate to them (for their own tax benefit). And you have to have some kind of separation between the non-profit and the for-profit business.
On a side note, the only people I usually hear referring to Burning Man as the Nevada regional are the Nevada burners who are too lazy to organize their own regional.