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Mike Lee Video Ideas for Rural Renaissance Workshops

Hi Roger,

Making the DVD:  If we video-taped all four of the individual powerpoint workshops, I would do that by coming to each of the workshops (Business Analysis, Renewable, Modern Food, and Grain Marketing) once.  That gives us a DVD for each workshop.  We spoke on the phone about possibly filming the presentations after the table conferences, but in adding up the numbers I think we might be better of just producing the PP talks only.   That’s because it will be more efficient to offer the ‘master’ DVDs to each group instead of having to produce DVDs for each session.

Distribution:   In the first instance, i.e. when any of the four topics are filmed for the first time, we use a signup or pre-order system.   On subsequent workshop days you will have copies of the DVDs on site to distribute. I know that your March dates make slip, but just for the sake of discussion, if I filmed ‘Grain Market Management’ in Newmarket on March 13th, that would be a sign-up or pre-oder day (possibly with pre-payment).  And at the April 10th ‘Grain Market’ workshop you have the DVDs to offer.

Payments:  Given that you would be the contact point for most of those workshops, with me having supplied you with finished DVDs, it is your choice of what payments to accept.

Potential Numbers:  By my count, excluding March because of the uncertainties, you have 12 workshops scheduled for April.  I do not see any beyond that date.  If I am correct so far, that would mean somewhere between 20 to 30ish attendees per workshop.  Let’s use the minimum of 20 attendees per workshop, which would make a potential DVD buyer base of 240 people.   If we price the DVD at 20 pounds, and if everyone buys, it is a gross of 4,800 ukp.  At a price of 10 pounds, it is 2,400 ukp.    If half of them buy at 20 pounds each, it is a gross of 2400 ukp.  If half of them buy at 10 pounds each it is a 1,200 gross ukp.    If only 25% of attendees buy at 10 pounds per DVD, the gross is 525 for the month of April.    That would not be enough.    I have not factored in how many people might attend more than one workshop, or whether these ‘serial attendees’ would buy a DVD for each work shop they attend.  Perhaps you have a sense of that?  The dream scenario is that 240 people each buy four DVDs at 20 pounds each (19,200) but I would not count on that.

The Split:  50/50 after expenses.  By expenses I mean the cost of the blank DVD, boxes, and labels.  That will cost about 5 pounds per DVD, maybe less, depending upon how many DVDs is required for each workshop.  I will nail that down shortly.  It may require two DVDs per workshop because two hours per disc is as much as we should push the quality.  I do the filming, editing, and boxing, and send to you for distribution at workshops.  So at a 20 pounds sale price, we have £ 15 pounds per DVD to split 50/50.    The questions is whether that price point if right, or too high.   Also if we can get it down to one DVD per workshop subject, that will save on production expense.  That would involve either reducing the HD quality, or deleting some of the presentation.

Suggested Plan:

▪               Let’s try at least one workshop.   It is no cost to you, and it will give us something tangible to evaluate.  We might even make some ‘sign-up’  sales.   I will produce enough finished DVDs to supply those initial signups, plus enough for your next session on that  same first subject.

▪               If the first workshop looks good, do another.  By the second workshop we should have a feel for whether it is going to be worthwhile to go all the way.

▪               If you are okay with the above approach, I would to do a brief technical rehearsal to make sure that you gear and mine shake hands before I film an actual session.

I look forward to talking again.

Regards,

Mike