First Come, First Serve

[+Googling Hrpty Hrrs]

From the guidelines:

 

"Event caches are gatherings that are open to all geocachers and which are organized by geocachers."

 

Okay, here's my question:

Can you put a cap on the AMOUNT of people coming to your event, assuming ALL geocachers had the ability to reserve their spot?

 

Reason I ask is that I'm contemplating a Murder Mystery party event, but you sort of need to know the number of participants, and it won't work for more than 50. I doubt more than that would show up anyway.

 

If a "cap" isn't cool, would it be kosher to announce the first 50 confirmed participate in the mystery, while additional folks can come watch and get credit for the event, but not do the activity.

 

Please give any suggestion on how to best implement this idea! Thanks!

[+sbell111]

... If a "cap" isn't cool, would it be kosher to announce the first 50 confirmed participate in the mystery, while additional folks can come watch and get credit for the event, but not do the activity. ...

I think this is the best way to go. Heck, some people may prefer to be 'watchers'.

[+Kealia]

I don't see a problem and wouldn't be offended with either solution.

 

It's not like you are discriminating by gender, weight, age, race etc.

[+Isonzo Karst]

IAQ (infrequently asked questions) :

 

1)Can you put a cap on the AMOUNT of people coming to your event, assuming ALL geocachers had the ability to reserve their spot?

 

2) You're asking the wrong question, it's, "May I put a cap on the number of people coming to my event, assuming all geocachers have the ability to reserve their spot?". Try again.

 

3) Also, put the question to the reviewer who will be looking at the event cache when you submit it.

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

Sounds like a local shindig best arranged on local forums to me, not a geocaching event.

[+BlueDeuce]

Good question. I'd like to be able to hold an event in a location that can only hold a small set of people but not all cachers RSVP!

 

Or you try to hold it in a big place and not enough show up.

 

Two weeks ago I held an event that I expected, hmm 12, cachers. 30 RSVP'd.

 

55 showed up.

 

Thank goodness the place could hold them!

[+ThePropers]

This is a good question, as I've been contemplating an event for a year+ now that would be limited to the amount of people being able to participate. For instance, I was looking at 6-8 teams of 4, so it would be limited to about 24 - 32 participants for the actual caching game I have planned, but would be open to everyone else for food and fun...

 

Would love to hear how you make out with it.

[+briansnat]

Sounds like a local shindig best arranged on local forums to me, not a geocaching event.

 

Actually one of the best events I've ever been to was a murder mystery event. Its a fantastic way to get people to mingle and a lot of fun.

[+The Herd]

I'd also like to hear a good answer to this. I've been contemplating a snowshoe caching event. I have 28 pairs of snowshoes, so if other people showed up, beyond the first 28 that wanted to use them, they'd get left behind.

[+Shop99er]

Good question. I'd like to be able to hold an event in a location that can only hold a small set of people but not all cachers RSVP!

 

Or you try to hold it in a big place and not enough show up.

 

Two weeks ago I held an event that I expected, hmm 12, cachers. 30 RSVP'd.

 

55 showed up.

 

Thank goodness the place could hold them!

 

This is a fairly common thing. Every event we've held or attended had more folks show up than were expected. For our Spring Fling this year we expected 100 or so. Had 200+.

 

Talk to your reviewer. They are always happy to help.

[AZcachemeister]

Post your event, but require pre-registration for the activity, limited to XXX participants. Of course some may pre-register, and not manage to show up, so there should be some mechanism in place to select participants from non-pre-registered attendees.

 

Party On!

[+BlueDeuce]

Talk to your reviewer. They are always happy to help.

 

And do what? Limit the number? (Serious question)

[+Renegade Knight]

So far there haven't been any good answers on how to best limit an events number of attendees' Some people are stuck on the fact that the guidelines say "open to all cachers" but reality is that we have constraints to work with.

 

I'd probably run a lotto with interested attendees, then post who filled what slots. Then have a waiting list for when some fall through at the last minute.

 

The one thing that has come out of other discussions is that any cacher should have a fair shot. I'm not 100% with that as I think it would be fair to hold a Kuna City event for Kuna cachers only. Others can't stand that Boise folks would not be invited. This isn't your constraint though so the lottery or first few responders...Work with your reviewer they are the gatekeepers on how they will allow you to limit your events numbers.

Edited October 25, 2006 by Renegade Knight

[+Team Perks]

I've attended several events that had a "max capacity" simply due to the number of people the venue could accomodate. I think the interpretation of "open to all geocachers" more reasonably means "all geocachers who RSVP before we run out of room" rather than "as many people can show up as they want to, even if it means 300 people show up at a pizza parlor that can only hold 100 people."