FETE question - Ice cream vans...

[Eddas]

I wasn't sure which category to put this in, so here will do!

I am organising the village fete (why??!) and last year we had an ice cream van who came along and gave us 10% of his takings.

We aren't sure if this is the usual way to do things and I wondered if MN could help. If you organise a fete and have an outside ice cream van how do you charge them? Do you ask for £x or x%

TIA

Last year ours just slipped me £50 as he left ;-) Not sure that's very helpful!

I now do the organising for a PTA fete [again with the why?!? - think it's working mum guilt!].

This year I booked one in advance who paid a £150 fee upfront by cheque for a sole attendance clause in their booking agreement. They keep all their profits, much easier that way.

I keep asking myself why

Thank you both. I think a set fee would be easier. Not sure why but was thinking £100 upfront.

Wonder if I should say but subject to refund if weather is rubbish?!

Any further advice welcomed as I am getting no help whatsoever in RL from the committee. Solo organising it is then

small bump to see if anyone else can help

I would also advise a one-off fee paid before the event. One year, the ice cream man we'd booked didn't turn up. Rather annoying for all who wanted ice-cream but at least we'd got some money off him upfront!

Upfront fee is easier because:

• no risk to you if it rains ;-) & no don't offer a refund in this instance - it won't be your fault!
• no need to tot up the takings & do maths at the end of the fair when everyone is frazzled and wants to get home
• money paid upfront so no chance of forgetting to pay (we had an icecream van that did this one year, and then kept saying he didn't have the right money when challenged (parked outside school everyday...)

(ex PTA chair. Why? WHY??)

Def money upfront.
One time we had a % and he gave us £20 at the end - he had queues for 3 hrs

Current Chair of PTA (often ask why? Possibly because I'm bossy :))

thanks everyone, definitely going for an upfront fee then.

So is £100 about right?

I worked ours out on attendance, we have around 1.5k visitors to the fete [according to entrance ticket sales] so I based it on that, if I expected 1k then £100, 500 people £50, so I guess it would depend on how big your fete is.

I think attendence last year was 600-700, but we don't really know as we don't have tickets or count people in! so maybe I should go for £75 then

I'd certainly ask for a hundred, and see what the reaction is. No point in asking for less than he might be prepared to pay