Quick recap
This meeting was a periodic camp planning session for Sling City, a Burning Man theme camp, where participants discussed logistics and preparations for the upcoming event. The group addressed truck rental needs, with Lisa planning to reduce the truck size from 26 feet to approximately 16 feet, while the team discussed propane tank management and the need to complete fuel application forms. New camp members were introduced, including Ilona, Anar, Artur, CIA, and Joy Bringer, who shared their backgrounds and experiences with Burning Man and regional events. The discussion covered meal planning logistics, with Lisa explaining the camp's meal service including "linner" (3-5 PM meals) and juice bar service, though specific menu details and costs were still being determined. The group also discussed ticket sales deadlines, with April 20th being the final date for steward ticket sales, and addressed the camp's a la carte pricing structure for various amenities including water, shade structures, and required camping equipment.
Next steps
- filchy: Reach out to HealthStation to confirm if it is still possible to submit a fuel application and determine the relevant deadline
- Kyle: Add filchy and Lisa to the relevant hub and art support group chats/WhatsApp groups
- filchy: Send out a survey to the hub regarding meal plan participation numbers for build week (and coordinate with Lisa and Kyle for distribution to leads)
- Lisa: Send filchy a note with the likely size of the truck needed for LA (e.g., 15-16 foot with liftgate)
- filchy: Run the numbers to determine the optimal truck size needed for LA, considering weight and contents
- Lisa: Modify the truck reservation as needed based on final size requirements
- filchy: Coordinate with Lisa and team to determine the best logistics for picking up coolers, refrigerators, and other equipment from the trailer, including timing relative to staging dates
- Kyle: Check with Brian if he has already submitted the fuel application for the kitchen
- filchy: Follow up with Joy Bringer and others about transferring/assigning the low-cost ticket and coordinate with relevant people
- filchy: Fix the third stage of the bio/survey form on the website if it is still glitching
- Lisa: Review and adjust the kitchen schedule seeder on the website to reflect preferred scheduling for this year
- filchy: Follow up with Corey to produce numbers based on previous years for camp fee/cost calculations
- filchy: Schedule next meeting in two weeks and send out meeting notes, recording, and to-do list
- Lisa: Start planning meal plan menu and survey camp members for dietary restrictions when numbers are available
- filchy: Put together and send out a to-do list after the meeting
- Kyle: Discuss with lead artists (Paul and the second lead) to get solid numbers for build week meal plan participation in the next week or two
- filchy: Add Lisa to the hub group chat
- Kyle: Add JD to the relevant art support group chat if not already included
- filchy: Send information to Lisa identifying who the hub leads are for meal plan survey purposes
- Kyle: Reach out to interested parties (e.g., Flaming Carousel) regarding possible sale of excess propane tanks
- filchy: Coordinate with team to determine how many large propane tanks to keep/sell/loan, and plan for kitchen propane usage
- filchy: Send out a note/memo after the meeting with the recording and summary of what was discussed
Summary
Burning Man Team Introduction Meeting
The meeting began with introductions, where participants including Ilona, Anar, Cody, Artur, and Stefan connected with the organizer, filchy. Cody, a friend of Lisa's, was new to Burning Man and expressed interest in helping in the kitchen. Artur shared his first-time experience with Burning Man and his location in Jersey City. Stefan, who was driving, mentioned teaching a class in a week and a half and having limited student interest so far. The group noted that it was early in the season, and the meeting appeared to be a preliminary gathering with low attendance.
Periodic Meeting Introduction and Updates
The meeting began with introductions, including new participants and updates on attendance. Filchy explained the purpose of periodic meetings, emphasizing their role in fostering understanding and communication within the group. The discussion included updates on participant locations, with Kyle mentioning his current location in Hawaii and his inability to attend Burning Man due to palm trees. The meeting was set to begin discussing specific topics, including one involving Devonte, though he was not present.
New Member's Burning Man Experience
Cia, a new member from Michigan who attended Loveburn with Midnight Art Club, joined the group and shared her experience. She explained how she discovered Burning Man through a friend and expressed her excitement about attending her first event. The group discussed their shared experiences at Loveburn and Burning Man, with members sharing stories about how they initially resisted the event before being drawn in by the community. Filchy expressed interest in supporting Cia's connection to Midnight Art Club, noting their focus on art in public spaces.
Event Preparation and Logistics Planning
The meeting discussed preparations for an event, with Cia offering to help create accessible walkways due to her gardening and pond work experience. Lisa joined late from Coachella but confirmed she had spoken with Kat about logistics and setup phases, with Kat planning to present some ideas. The group noted they had reduced the number of trucks needed from three to two, though several participants including Hunter were absent from the meeting.
Truck Size Reduction Planning
The team discussed reducing the size of their truck for an upcoming trip to LA. They agreed to determine the exact truck size needed based on weight capacity rather than just walkway count. Lisa mentioned she could potentially downsize from a 26-foot truck to a 15-16 foot cube truck, depending on food requirements. The group also discussed meal planning for different hub groups, with a suggestion to create a survey to gather input from the hub community within the next week or two.
Build Week Food Logistics Planning
The team discussed logistics for feeding participants during build week, with Kyle clarifying that two art sculptures and one art support camp are planned, pending approval. They agreed to create a survey to determine the number of people who need to be fed under each lead's supervision. Lisa confirmed truck arrangements with Casey as a driver and Cody as a new driver, and discussed modifying the truck size from 16 to 15 cubic feet to reduce fuel costs. The team also noted the need to determine logistics for picking up coolers and refrigerators from Empire due to fuel considerations.
Burning Man Equipment Logistics Planning
The team discussed logistics for retrieving and transporting coolers and equipment to Reno before the August 9th staging deadline for Burning Man. Lisa confirmed a pickup date of August 20th, but noted challenges with renting refrigerated trucks due to Burning Man's impact on availability. The group explored options including potentially storing empty coolers at Kyle's father's house while waiting for the rest of the team to arrive.
Kitchen Equipment and Propane Tanks
The group discussed the location of kitchen equipment in the trailer and the potential sale or retention of propane tanks. Kyle noted that there was interest in selling some of the tanks, and Cia suggested the Flaming Carousel as a potential buyer. The group debated how many tanks to keep for future use versus sell, with a focus on using larger tanks directly for the kitchen rather than filling smaller ones. Kyle agreed to look into the deadline for the fuel application, which affects what they can do with the tanks.
Event Ticket Sales Discussion
The team discussed ticket sales for an event, noting that the steward sale deadline was extended to April 20th. Joy and Lisa mentioned they hadn't yet taken advantage of low-cost ticket options, and filchy agreed to help coordinate transfers. The conversation briefly touched on event preparations, including shade arrangements for a rig, though no specific decisions were made on this topic.
Website and Program Updates Discussion
The team discussed updates to their website and survey system, with filchy announcing the addition of a WhatsApp group link and addressing ongoing issues with the survey's third stage. Kyle shared information about the fuel program and ticket aid program, noting that while the theme camp deadline had passed, the ticket aid program remains open until around gate time. The group also discussed propane needs for Brian's kitchen, with Kyle suggesting they could either use existing tanks or potentially still obtain propane through HealthStation despite the late submission.
Event Ticket and Meal Planning
The group discussed low-income ticket options for an upcoming event, with Joy sharing her positive experience applying for these tickets through online platforms. Lisa provided an update on the meal plan, explaining that while details are still being finalized, everyone will be fed and there will be separate meetings for new and returning participants. The kitchen meetings are scheduled to begin a month before departure, and participants on the meal plan will need to commit to two shifts, with access to a 24-hour canteen for all camp members.
Camp Meal Plan Details Discussion
Lisa explained the meal plan details, including a "linner" from 3-5 PM and access to a canteen with snacks and beverages. She mentioned plans to revamp the morning offerings and discussed dietary restrictions, noting that while the camp food is substantial, participants should still bring their own food due to individual needs. Lisa agreed to discuss kitchen scheduling concerns with filchy separately and to review and adjust the replicated schedule from last year.
Burning Man Camp Fee Planning
The team discussed camp fees and costs for Burning Man, with filchy explaining that while they don't have final numbers yet, they expect the camp build fee to be around $400 or more. Lisa outlined the a la carte system for additional camp services including water, shade structures, and required equipment like lag screws. The group agreed to reconvene in two weeks once Corey provides cost estimates based on previous years, and filchy committed to sending out meeting notes and a to-do list afterward.