This is a rough guide - if you fall behind it's not the end of the world, but certainly good to be on top of things sooner rather than later!
- 6 months out: confirm a venue
- 4 months out: release tickets
- 1 month out: close registrations
- 2 weeks out: confirm numbers with the venue and caterers
- Monday evening after the camp: collapse into bed after a job well done.
The deadlines to confirm numbers with the venue and the caterers are worth confirming - it's good to know the very latest numbers can be updated, in case of late registrations.
Camp budget templates can be supplied by previous organisers, which will provide a good starting point.
Income will likely come from two sources:
- Tickets
- Sponsorship
Expenses will include some/most of the following:
- Venue
- Catering
- Transport
All of these items are discussed in their respective sections of this guide.
Get some numbers into a spreadsheet (perhaps copied off a previous camp's budget), and spend some time understanding the amount of funds required for such an event, and especially what the minimum numbers are to break even.
Having conversations with the Ruby Australia treasurer regularly is recommended, to ensure things are tracking along at a healthy level. If it turns out that despite best intentions (and all the plans you've made and followed) you do make a small loss, this is not the end of the world. Ruby Australia does allow for these situations and can cover the shortfall. That said, do your very best to make a small profit.
You will also have the assistance of the Ruby Australia treasurer for issuing and paying any invoices required for the event.
Numbers vary for camps for a variety of reasons - the location, the dates, people's interests changing, etc. It's not unexpected for a camp to have 100+ attendees, but excellent camps have been run with 50 attendees. It's recommended you opt for a modest number as part of your planning for breaking even (and previous organisers can help suggest what that might be).