Quick recap
The Swing City camp meeting focused on planning for this year's Burning Man attendance, with discussions about ticketing status, meal plans, and camp logistics. Several participants, including Gigi and Ryan, reported on their ticket application statuses, with some approvals received while others were denied. The group decided to implement separate meeting structures going forward, with bi-weekly meetings for the full camp and additional core crew meetings on alternating weeks. Key topics included the need for dietary preference surveys for hub partners, pricing structures for meal plans including potential "golden tickets" for non-camp members, and water management solutions including greywater evaporation systems. The meeting also addressed website access issues where some participants were unable to complete their profiles on the new platform, and welcomed new member Orkan who was referred through the New York symposium.
Next steps
Cody
- Text contact about the missing Justin Bieber/see-through bag and report back to Lisa
Cori
- Prepare and send draft financials (including camp fees and meal plan costs) to Lisa and filchy within two weeks
Cori, Lisa, filchy
- Finalize pricing tiers (early bird, regular, late, oh-shit) for camp fees and meal plan by next meeting (in two weeks)
- Develop and document rules and pricing for "golden ticket" meal plan passes (including eligibility and fee structure) by next meeting
GIGIđź’•
- Forward the ticket aid denial email to Lisa for review and potential appeal support
Kyle
- Communicate new meeting structure (biweekly general meetings, offset biweekly core/organizer meetings) via WhatsApp and direct outreach
- Share greywater evaporation system link with relevant team members and consider assigning someone to take on this project
Lisa
- Review GIGIđź’•'s ticket aid denial and consider submitting an appeal or supporting documentation
- Schedule and announce a Virgin/Burner Orientation meeting for June 1st, and notify relevant participants
- Consider assigning GIGIđź’• (if attending) or another suitable person as kitchen volunteer coordinator for meal shifts
- Pull in Liz to discuss dishwashing/scrub room logistics and potential collaboration on greywater evap system
Ryin
- Schedule and conduct a meeting with their art group to clarify their participation and present their plan
- Bring new group to the Virgin meeting and coordinate with filchy for further onboarding
filchy
- Update the website to ensure old website login redirects to new website (swingcity.online)
- Address website access issues (e.g., 403 errors) for onboarding and survey sections
Collaboration
- All members: Complete/update their profiles and onboarding steps on the new website
- Kyle/Lisa/Cori: Send out meeting links/announcements earlier (e.g., Tuesday for following Monday) to improve attendance
Summary
Casual Team Check-in Meeting
The meeting began with Cori and Kyle having a casual conversation about cooking dinner and Kyle's recent trip to Hawaii. Cody then joined, mentioning he had just returned from working at Coachella and shared his experience working in the merch tab, noting they nearly sold out of merchandise. The conversation was informal and casual, with participants joining and leaving the call throughout.
Event Planning and Participation Discussion
Orkhan joined the meeting and expressed interest in joining this year's event after completing surveys and meeting Ilona, who knows Josh well. Cody, who is new to the event, mentioned being introduced by Lisa, who runs the kitchen and has been involved with the camp. The group discussed the amount of work involved in the event, with Cori noting it's a lot of work but fun. Kyle inquired about attendance, and it was mentioned that Lisa was planning to join. There was also a brief mention of some people not receiving emails.
Event Ticket Sales Discussion
The team discussed ticket sales and attendance for an upcoming event, with Kyle noting low expected attendance due to limited participants. Several members, including Ryin and Gigi, discussed their ticket status, with Ryin recently getting approved for the ticket aid program while Gigi's application was denied without explanation. Cody mentioned attending a recent event and working at Sick New World next weekend.
Burning Man Ticketing Discussion
The group discussed ticketing issues for Burning Man, with Gigi reporting that her application was denied while Ryan received a low-income ticket. Kyle noted that while it's still early to know who has tickets, this year may be busier than expected, with extended deadlines for art camps and geopolitical factors affecting attendance decisions. The group agreed to be more proactive about securing tickets for core camp members, particularly those involved in building and crew roles.
Meeting Schedule Restructuring Plan
The team discussed restructuring their meeting schedule to better accommodate both new members ("virgins") and core organizers. They agreed to hold separate meetings for new members on alternating Mondays, while core team meetings would focus on logistics and building activities. Lisa proposed holding an all-hands meeting closer to the launch date for final updates and Q&A, rather than having frequent meetings with mixed audiences. The group identified specific dates in June for core meetings (1st, 15th, and 29th), with plans to schedule the new member meeting for one of those off-weeks.
Virgin Meeting Planning Discussion
The team scheduled a Virgin meeting for June 1st to discuss planning and logistics. They discussed the need to review the Dietary Preferences service survey for both hub teams and camp participants, with Kyle noting he would communicate with hub teams about meal plan interests and restrictions. Lisa emphasized the importance of gathering numbers for build week regarding participant count and dietary needs, as well as starting to price meal plans and camp fees, while Cori mentioned having most financial information ready pending input from Filchy.
Meal Plan Pricing Model Discussion
Cori agreed to prepare a mathematical model for pricing meal plans and camp fees by the next meeting in two weeks, taking into account inflation and current market variables. The team discussed implementing a tiered pricing structure with early bird, regular, and late fees, as well as the possibility of introducing golden tickets for non-camp members who want to access the meal plan. Lisa suggested designating a point person, potentially Gigi, to manage volunteers and meal plan logistics, though this role is still to be confirmed.
Meal Plan System Planning Discussion
The team discussed plans for a meal plan system, including golden tickets for non-camp members and potential fees for hub participants. Cori agreed to handle financial planning and finalize details within two weeks to set up the store. The group also explained their hub arrangement with New York Deli camp, which provides shared resources like water and power, and discussed support for three art sculpture projects involving multiple team members.
City Block Takeover Logistics Planning
Kyle discussed the logistics of taking over a city block for themed camps and art projects, including a 60-foot scaffolding project that requires specific skills. He shared information about a greywater evaporation solution from a neighboring art project called The Gothics, which could be implemented at Swing City to reduce pumping costs and unify greywater management. Lisa mentioned that Liz wants to continue managing the scrub room and dishwashing areas, and the group briefly discussed the absence of Megan and Jeremiah from this year's event.
Burning Man Attendance and Planning
The group discussed attendance updates for Burning Man, with Daddy and Vi confirming they will attend, while Megan and Jeremiah declined. Ryin announced plans to bring a group of 12 acrobats, DJs, and artists who want to create experiential activities at the event. Orkhan offered his electrical engineering skills to help with the camp's needs, though he noted he hasn't had professional experience in the field. Lisa mentioned that several software engineers including Daddy and Casey would be attending, and planned to address questions from new attendees, including those with specific skills, at upcoming Virgin meetings.
Ticketing and Meeting Process Updates
The team discussed ticketing processes and website access, with Kyle noting that the current system looks different from previous years and requiring profile completion. They agreed to hold bi-weekly meetings for the entire camp and separate meetings for core crew members. The group decided to communicate these updates through WhatsApp and ensure meeting recordings are shared, with Kyle suggesting to send out meeting links earlier in the week for better coordination.
SwingCity Website Access Issues
The team discussed issues with accessing and completing profiles on the new SwingCity website. Orkhan encountered 403 errors when trying to access certain surveys and onboarding sections, while others experienced similar access problems. The group identified that people were still using the old website (SCBRC.us) and needed to be redirected to the new one (SwingCity.online). They agreed to give website engineer Filchy time to resolve the technical issues before scheduling core team meetings and planning for camp logistics, including ticket purchases and profile completion.