Re: Door Prize "Fairness"
Re: Door Prize "Fairness"
- Subject: Re: Door Prize "Fairness"
- From: Deborah Shadovitz <email@hidden>
- Date: Tue, 12 Oct 2004 14:19:54 -0700
On 10/12/04 1:21 PM, "Elsa Travisano" <email@hidden> wrote:
> Here's a question about door prizes from a member of my group's board. I'd
> appreciate ideas.
>
> We award door prizes on a "first drawn, first choice" basis, with each
> winner choosing from the prize table (one free ticket per membership per
> meeting). Someone staffs the table to answer questions about software
> compatibility, which prizes are most suitable for "newbie" members, etc.
>
> I guess it's human nature, but people sometimes go for software that they
> will never use, because of its perceived "dollar value." Meanwhile, there
> are other members would be able to put that prize to good use.
>
> Is there any good way to help get door prizes into the hands of those
> members most likely to want/need them, while keeping things fair?
Elsa, you've hit upon an issue close to my heart since 1993. I pretty much
only provide prizes for drawings that are "first drawn, first choice." My
reason is fully that I respect the vendors and choose to do all that I can
to maximize their support.
The LAMG, which was going strong before I came into it, picked and announced
the prize, then drew. They saved the best for last to keep the people in the
room. (There were 300-600 people most of the time, btw.)
I hated this system because:
a) It killed me to see a company donate a costly prize, then learn that it
was fully wasted. For example, a newbie won Photoshop in the 90s and a full
year later asked me what she should do with it. Or a $700 item would be sold
on our BBS for $100. The other board members argued that this was good
because someone made $100 while another person got a deal. But I feel it
devalued the donation.
b) Prizes were wasted. That person who got Photoshop never used it. Maybe
she really would have used one of the other prizes.
c) People spend their hard-earned money on tickets. Then they'd pray not to
have their ticket called for a tee-shirt or 'small' prize and be sorry when
it was called on the lesser prize. I feel a person should be happy for
supporting the group and happy with the prize. (I know those are separate
issues but they tie in hand in hand.)
d I respect vendors. Whatever the product, it's their product and they are
generous to give it. I have some $15 items I own that I love (for example,
my TrendyGeek.com Pod Shield) and some $600 items as well as many things in
between. I want the people who win these vendor's items to love what they
win. When a user gets to choose, there is a far greater likelihood of this.
e) Fun prizes like a tee shirt cease to be fun when the ticket could have
won a $600 prize or even a mouse.
This all fails to address the question of a person choosing a prize for the
monetary resale value. I'd say they have that right.
Another variation of the "pick the prize, then call the ticket" method is to
do the big prize first, so all people get a chance. Or to do something Roger
Kroll and I started in our Long Beach group: silly things first, then those
tickets went back in the bowl for the 'real' prizes. I liked this method. We
had fun with it. We made a show of holding the tickets and putting them
back. Sometimes we let attendees vote by yells as to whether a prize was a
'put back' prize or not.
To the issue of people leaving early, I say, let them. People at the LAMG
left after 'winning' a tee shirt with their one ticket anyway, then the rest
stormed out en masse after the last prize was drawn. Or save something cool
for the very end of the meeting.
Fun as an element:
It was also interesting to me that at the LAMG no one cheered when they won.
No big, "that's me!" came out. I even once got on stage and said, "it IS ok
to get excited when you win." It did not help. The raffle drawing was like a
machine. To the president it was a part of the business. To me it was no fun
and I like meetings to be fun. That's something we group leaders set the
tone for. Either we can cause pressure or we can enjoy. With raffles at the
end of a meeting and the pressure on to get out of the room by a set time,
it's easy for us to rush and push and take the fun out of it. Good
volunteers and an efficient system are necessary to keep the fun in it.
I'm thinking that this is all a good topic for UGU.
--
Deborah Shadovitz http://www.shadovitz.com
Here for the San Gabriel Valley (Pasadena, CA) mug <http://sgvmug.org>
Mac Specialist: Training & Tech Support, Author, Instructor, Speaker
GoLive Specialist: including <http://macdesignonline.com/golive.html>
MacAddict Contributing Editor, O'Reilly Network author, Mac Design Columnist
Creator of the Mac Gathering: <http://www.macgathering.com> next 4/2-3/05
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