<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; ">This is pretty standard even for workshops which require that you pay. I've done a few in the past, and typically nobody signs up until the last minute.<DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>It's very discouraging. Personally, I'd probably do something like make them pay a refundable deposit. If they show up then refund the money, otherwise in this case donate it to Open Source.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>dave<BR><DIV><DIV>On 29-Oct-06, at 10:52 AM, Daniel Gardiner wrote:</DIV><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- <BR> Hash: SHA1 <BR> <BR> I agree with the need for a sign-up list. For some expressing<BR> interest is not the same as a commitment, and can change once the<BR> details become available. That is to say, someone could express their<BR> interest and then find out that they can't make it to an event.<BR> <BR> <BR> Daniel<BR> <BR> <BR> <A class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:phiscock-g851W1bGYuGnS0EtXVNi6w@public.gmane.org">phiscock-g851W1bGYuGnS0EtXVNi6w@public.gmane.org</A> wrote:<BR> <SPAN style="white-space: pre;">> That sort of thing is very discouraging. Unfortunately, any event<BR> > in Toronto has huge competition for attention.<BR> > <BR> > I'd suggest<BR> > <BR> > (a) email reminders on the Day Before and possibly the Day Of.<BR> > Personally, I find such reminders often are the key to my attending<BR> > some event.<BR> > <BR> > (b) some sort of sign-up list, which includes an email address and<BR> > phone number. That way, if people do sign up, they have really made<BR> > a committment to attend. That can be part of the signup process:<BR> > signatories have to indicate that they are serious about attending.<BR> > Notice that restaurents often get a phone number when taking a<BR> > reservation. I don't know what they do with this (phone you at 2AM<BR> > if you're a no-show at the restaurent?), but it does act as a<BR> > gentle warning that they could get back to you to complain if you<BR> > don't follow through.<BR> > <BR> > The number of sign-ups is also an indication of how much real<BR> > interest there is in the event.<BR> > <BR> > P.<BR> > <BR> >> Yesterday, Matvey Kippershtein came in to linuxcaffe to host his <BR> >> "Wellness workshop for IT workers. The workshop had been posted<BR> >> on our site, the notice went out to several lugs and some light<BR> >> postering was done. A handful of people expressed active interest<BR> >> in attending, the general reaction was positive; good idea, but<BR> >> NOBODY showed up ! This is the second time we have had a total<BR> >> no-show for a workshop. The first one was a linux audio workshop,<BR> >> with Sam and Dave.<BR> >> <BR> >> My question to you, good Toronto Linux Enthusiasts is; why ?<BR> >> <BR> >> wrong topics? wrong venue? wrong timeslot ? wrong promo ?<BR> >> <BR> >> I'm sure that the fourth (promo) could be vastly improved, but in<BR> >> the case of the wellness workshop, I was confident the the folks<BR> >> we DID reach were local and well targeted.<BR> >> <BR> >> Does anybody want to see events where knowledge is shared ? <BR> >> Should we keep trying ? Is there a combination that would be more<BR> >> effective ? Do you suppose anyone will attend the proposed MythTV<BR> >> workshop, next week ? Any thoughts ?<BR> >> <BR> >> djp<BR> >> <BR> >> -- <A class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:djp-tnsZcVQxgqO2dHQpreyxbg@public.gmane.org">djp-tnsZcVQxgqO2dHQpreyxbg@public.gmane.org</A> <A class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.linuxcaffe.ca">www.linuxcaffe.ca</A> geek chic and caffe cachet<BR> >> 326 Harbord Street, Toronto, M6G 3A5, (416) 534-2116 -- The<BR> >> Toronto Linux Users Group. Meetings: <A class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://gtalug.org/">http://gtalug.org/</A> TLUG<BR> >> requests: Linux topics, No HTML, wrap text below 80 columns How<BR> >> to UNSUBSCRIBE: <A class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://gtalug.org/wiki/Mailing_lists">http://gtalug.org/wiki/Mailing_lists</A><BR> >> <BR> > <BR> > </SPAN><BR> <BR> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- <BR> Version: GnuPG v1.4.5 (MingW32) <BR> Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - <A class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://enigmail.mozdev.org">http://enigmail.mozdev.org</A> <BR> <BR> iD8DBQFFRM5JMkKsJUJU3poRAu+GAJ9maXlitTCKH8kmuKeW4bmRYXwNhQCfalhk <BR> vPvI/F/5w4SqDDC44/tMhlI= <BR> =vqhI <BR> -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- <BR> <BR> </BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><BR></DIV></BODY></HTML>