Ruleryak wrote:I understand collecting dues for a theme camp where a few folks are personally funding things until the event or for groups that can't do a fundraiser for any of a number of reasons. A camp with dues or fees is still (in most cases) going to expect its members to bring their own living setup and (in most cases) bring their own food, water, shower, etc. Shared shade space, community gear, and whatnot makes sense as a group collaboration though of course.
That being said I don't understand how these pay to play camps are getting away with what they're doing. Essentially they're creating a paid-stay resort within Black Rock City which could only possibly cater to the chiefest and most ultimate of spectators. The people willing to shell out $5000+ for accommodations at Burning Man are not going to be the people bringing something of value, they're going to be the people that see it as an oddity that must be experienced at some point in their lives. Going to BRC and not lifting a finger just doesn't mesh in my head. For me, and for tens of thousands of burners out there over the years, going home means intentionally going through a very difficult, exhausting and rewarding undertaking. I know there are folks out there that just see it as a huge party where they don't have to work to enjoy it and personally I'd like to see fewer of those people attending down the road. Proving that a camp is selling pay to play style services should be added as a reason the BLM will pull your ticket in future years in my oh so important opinion
Scalpers for the most part are nameless, faceless entities that are done with Burning Man for the year the moment they part with the last ticket. These resort creators are a far worse animal. They make their money on the ideas and work of others and then have the audacity to live among us during the event.
Well said Ruleyak and Trilobytes post above is helpful too. I should mention the 3% fee should be more like 100%!! or triple or more...
I recently had a conversation with a plug and play (braggart) type of "has been" burner, wow did he spill his guts, he told me he makes $10,000.00 for planning a 48 RV plug and play camp (his boss makes more) plus another $5,000.00 to $10,000.00 MORE on top of his $10,000.00, all for slapping together all the "workers" for this massive plug and play camp (he doesn't lift a finger, the workers do it all, been this way for 5+ years now). I didn't tell him I was a burner (until the end of his brag-fest) so he gushed on and on...thier mutant vehicles are 100% private or extremely selective if they give you a ride, camp(s) 100% private and guarded and never interact or contribute much except maybe throw money at this or that. He wouldn' tell me the name of the camp(s) only that they were extremely wealthy (most from NY) fly in to Reno, then fly to BRC in a jet/small plane and waltz on in to the burn...la tee dah. Apparently money is no object and they plan to do whatever it takes to keep on doing whatever it is they damned well please. Maybe they'll hire entertainers someday? The P&P set up guy I spoke with gave me a wry, snide, shit eating grin when I told him what I knew and thought about P&P camps, he said he nor his clients give a shit and burning man is being overrun by the extremely wealthy, so what deal with it bla bla bla...my clients are so rich nothing will stop them. He wasn't joking, I could sense this! I'd hate to run into him or his clients out there, they are wolves in sheeps clothing.
I didn't enjoy posting the above information, but is has to be said, and put down on record for the history books. Plug and Play here to stay, I say make them pay 100 fold and see if they can swallow that, or 1000 or 10,000 fold...how much money do these super rich "entitlements" have? I have nothing against being succesful but they're taking our event, the whole thing!! So can we take your thing, your money, all of it? Seems a fair trade...all for all.
I am fortunate I connected with the burn when I did. Now it seems scaricty of tickets/desert road, competing with big big money plug & play campers, well where do the real burners fit once the super rich buy it all out? Maybe they'll hire us? LMFAO! I didn't post this to start going round and round endlessly, just wanted to validate it and say Wow! The P&P'rs have NO PLANS to slow down. Plenty or burners/locals/people in general earn some money from the burn during THE OTHER 51 weeks, this is known by most. Now with scarcity of tickets, we seem to be facing a big negative shift, unless something is done about this buy out and hopefully the ticket scaricty situation. What could the burn evolve into next? Hmmm....
I'm the MAN in a truck, burner who is stuck, you're in luck! I'll whip out my BIG tow chain and not charge you, not even one lousy buck!
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