[Kde-events] BootKit Accounting [was KDE in top 1.5%]

[Mark Bucciarelli]

On Wednesday 20 February 2002 21:44, Andreas Pour wrote:

> > On Wednesday 20 February 2002 19:30, Andreas Pour wrote:
> > >  As a general rule, the
> > > problem with merchandise like t-shirts and CDs is ensuring the money
> > > and left-overs end up where they should.  This problem will also
> > > confront "booth kit" items such as brochures, laptops, displays or
> > > anything else of value.

It seems this question should be answered before we go to much further.

[snip]

On Wednesday 20 February 2002 21:44, Andreas Pour wrote:
> Let's see if we can get some sort of consensus for this idea here.

Ok, let's.

First, is the list of candidates below complete?   If not, suggest an 
alternative.  Monday evening I'll send out the final slate, and people can 
vote for ONE candidate as their favorite.  

I'm not thinking about laptops here.  I am thinking about cd's, t-shirts, 
buttons, etc. that can be sold as well as brochures to give away.

1. Exhibitors pay a security deposit equal of 25% of the value (cost, not 
sale price) of the goods they request in their BoothKit.  This is refunded 
when they return the money and surplus inventory.

2. Exhibitors pay the full value (cost, not retail) of the goods.  This is 
refunded when they return stuff properly.

3.  Set up a trust-network system for volunteers (ala Advogato?).  Dre is 
trusted, so he doesn't have to pay a deposit.  Dre trusts Eva.  Now Eva 
can get a boothkit without a deposit.  Eva sees Dre taking five shirts 
home for his cousins--she demotes him and now he must pay a 25% deposit.  
;-)

This is really only two options, the first two vary only by the percentage.

Dre mentioned (in the snipped part above), that from his experience, 
giving out boothkit materials without requiring a deposit does not work, 
so I did not include that as an option.

Any other ideas?

Random Notes: 

1.  Postage and any transaction charges associated with refunds are paid 
by the boothkit distributor, and figured into the pricing of items.

2.  Sales should be tracked.  The sale quantities will inform pricing and 
can help determine how many to send in a booth kit. 

3.  A goal would be to set up one distributer in each country where KDE 
goes to exhibits.

4. We need to decide who handles the $$.  I'm not totally comfortable 
KDE-League or KDE e.V., but I'm open to it.  My main reservation is that 
when companies fund something they expect a return, otherwise their 
capital goes elsewhere.  I don't see (on this list--I haven't looked 
anywhere else!)  any documentation about what return the companies expect. 
 Maybe the return is a happy and very productive employee.  Maybe the 
return is an energized set of volunteers attenting every Linux exhibit 
with nice glossy brochures.  Maybe the return is recruiting one new 
developer, a developer who cranks out good kOffice filters in a month.  
But if I'm going to pay some deposit, shill t-shirts, then send the 
earnings back to KDE e.V., I really want them to be open about finances, 
expectations and governance.  A good first step is telling the what, 
without telling the why.  If people want the why, then let them get 
involved!  It could be as simple as setting up a wiki that grows over time.

Mark