Feb 3 meeting minutes

[kristin]

Sunday, Feb 3, 2008, 2-4pm, Galaxy Café
Attendees: Asaf R, Kristin F, Michael M, Shawn W, Shana M, Jeff B, Bob A, Andy C

Managing director update
- Texas Book Festival
Asaf had a meeting with these guys. We’re going to be performing with them, with 3 different shows in 3 different venues. They want 3 different acts. The first week in November. One of the venues is going to be the Kid’s Tent. We can distribute stuff there. We will talk to them in August to solidify.

Reminder: **** Tell Asaf about any upcoming events you know so he can approach them early. Think think think.

- Sacre bleu
Improv on cable access. Sacre bleu. Just had CT on to talk about SHS. PGraph going on this week. Talked to the guy about having an AIC commercial play during these improv shows. He will help us shoot it. Asaf going to get somebody to direct it.

- Onion speaker
Comedy listings section. Yay!!! The next step is to be spotlighted more. Shawn O’Niell is involved in the comedy listings. Asaf would like to get him to come out to talk with us about how to get listed more, marketing, etc.

Note: Make sure there’s a lot of notice so a good number of people can come out.

Suggestion: Check out when they list bands. Sometimes it’s a story about the people etc. New members, troupe debuts, etc. Things like this can be focused on in press releases.



Shana – GNAP!
Merlin Works Institute for Improvisation starting.
Shows starting with Saturday Night Special, 2nd and 4th Saturdays.
Grand Opening Friday, Feb 22. 8 show, 10 party. Joplin DJ-ing, free beer, munchies, etc.
Questions? Want to be involved? Let Shana now.
Register for classes. Etc.
Money just came through to finish the second theater space at SVT.
So right now shows booked late night on main stage, but might migrate to 2nd stage, maybe every Saturday night, earlier shows, etc. all TBD based on progress. Long term probably to have one solid night a week there.
401 classes are for people who’ve already taken classes in town and want to study long-form narrative.




The Hideout Update
Andy:
We have continued to explore taking over the Hideout lease.
Group of non-profit Christian’s approached Craig about taking over the coffee house, he directed them to Shawn.
Questions: Would they allow improv to stay upstairs? Could we come up with a competitive offer? Their advantage is that they can take over the coffee house. If we could find somebody to take over that part it would help us out. Talks are taking place. They did seem fine with the selling of beer and wine, etc. Updates will be forthcoming as they happen.


Sponsorship Update – Shawn
Lots of problems with beer sponsorship. Their interest in sponsoring Bassprov, etc. Their ability to sponsor an event at a place that sells beer so it would have to be a one-time event. Tried to leverage the writer’s strike, etc. but didn’t happen. No short-term plans, still open for long-term.

In the near future: Sonic has a big Texas presence. Going to approach Sonic with an idea for a TJ & Dave sponsored show.

Also: Sponsor for Wafflefest. Grocery store, waffle producers, restaurant, etc.

Any other ideas – let Shawn know.


Financial Update – Mike M
Motion: Any funds that are a year old to be converted back to the AIC. Four troupes $143 dollars. 7: yes, 0: no, 1:abstaining
Thank you to Valerie for donating her funds to the AIC. First person!
We’re at about $2300 now, not including Jan payouts.
Waiting for ColdTowne CageMatch receipts, last we have is Aug/Sept.

Question: AIC/SVT shows? Not right now. Still listing SVT shows on AIC website, etc.

Shows that bring in income to the AIC – spike in income from Wafflefest and Same Year’s Eve. That’s our big income generator for the year.

Other festivals OOB/Laff – AIC goes dark and doesn’t make money.

Iron Improviser – Andy: might not happen. Roy already booked the night Andy was thinking. Not a log of good feedback. Possibility of moving to the end of March. Might just do a two Maestro Saturday. Or different venues? Idea: Wed strip, Thursday cagematch, Fri Hideout, etc.

Mike M – Improv is definitely expanding, but isn’t supporting AIC income at all. Just something to think about, supporting larger community.

Ideas: membership fees, hat at the jam, absorbing show monies. This is an afterthought income for them.

Dues? Until we have a way of tracking membership and providing benefits better, it doesn’t make sense to charge for it.

AustinImprov.com ads – charge to have ad?

All things that will continue to be discussed.



Marketing Director
We voted in the idea of hiring a marketing director. We were waiting to see what packet we’d get from Anna Lindsey. There’s a lot of things to do and we need somebody at the helm. Asaf is handling it all right now. Asaf and Shawn have already started with the idea of creating a Newsletter and having an email list. Shawn has started working on that and is interested. We have actually not previously voted on having this position be paid for 3 months. There are concerns with funds.

Next meeting we will have a printouts to figure out some budget goals.

Marketing director what is it? Branding AIC on all AIC shows, and getting the AIC brand out there. Indirectly new revenue with more people seeing shows. Promoting that which the AIC is already doing, not necessarily creating new things for the AIC to do.

Idea – if we are going to pay an additional person and we are concerned about revenue, it would be a good idea for that position to be revenue generating.

We might want to stop the onion ad, since it takes a lot of money.

Data on how you heard about the show. Is already being gathered has started to slip.

Vote: Shawn as Marketing Director, Yes: 5 no: 0 abstaining: 2

- Newsletter with Shawn
Sending out something via weekly email to an email list about shows going on in the improv community. Andy is going to provide Hideout addresses. It would promote the shows going on and any news (classes, etc.). Shawn will be a point person if they have anything they want to promote. Tentatively by next month be ready to start.


Non-profit status?
First need to incorporate. Bob A!


Branding groups
As part of branding AIC, a collection of groups.

Question about sustainability. Asaf? Trying to sustain his position.
Problem is there’s a lot of little things.
Asaf – help with myspace/facebook
Roy – help with home page

Why Asaf originally wanted to institute point system. Ideas: Earn points on a monthly basis by doing tasks. Troupe pool points to get things like, coach get points for coaching, troupes spend points for the coaching. Individual – discounts at theaters.

More volunteers are needed.

System like CT interns would be useful. You come in every week, and get specified benefits.


3fer
Asaf would like invite other acts to host the 3fer for a month. He will talk to Roy. He also wants the show to be branded “Threefer Madnessâ€

[Jessica]

Thanks for doing this. I know it can not be a fun job, but for those of us who can't make it to the meetings it is really great to have the notes.

THANK YOU

[Matt]

Amen. Having a weekly conflict during the meeting time, this is my best way to keep appraised of what's happening at the meetings and in the improv scene in general. Thank you!!