by Teeebone
What is the life expectancy of a given party at the CSPC? In my experience, parties typically last somewhere between two to three years. Historically, once a party got past its third year, it tended to become a fixture. If longer running parties did end up shutting down, they were remembered as classics.
But parties come and parties go. From a big picture perspective, each party has its own natural life cycle. As an event coordinator, champion or host, you help build a core team of like minded individuals who share a vision of what the party is about and give it purpose. You develop personal leadership skills to hold the crew together, and if somebody needs to step back for any reason you find folks who can take their place. Staffing the events and keeping the talent within the team are the greatest challenges team leaders face when running regularly scheduled parties, whether they are quarterly, monthly, or weekly. That’s why we at the CSPC always (and often) encourage folks to become volunteers.
The next most important thing to having a trusty and reliable staff is holding on to your audience. Even before the party actually happens, you have to plan things out. You have to ask yourself hard questions like what the target demographic is or if the event is financially viable. You plan and plot with your fellow champions, compose your pitch, and then present it to the Board. Once it gets approved, it’s game on!
Even when there’s an audience waiting to attend your party, you’ve got to do the heavy lifting of party promotion on FetLife, Discord, and other social media. Generating excitement and anticipation is crucial, especially if it's a new party, though I have seen success stories with rebrands and reboots too. Sometimes it’s necessary to change things up during a party's tenure to keep the attendees coming back for more.
As Host/EC/Champion of the Hump I saw and dealt with all these issues in one fashion or another. Each party has its own lifecycle based on team dynamics, community support, and the natural ebb and flow of something fading so that something new and exciting can take its place. When the team for every new party first gets together, they are filled with the drive, enthusiasm, and desire to “DO” that party. And then they make that party happen. People show up and everyone there has a booty-shakin’ good time. For one bright, shiny moment... They are all HAPPY.
All new parties typically enjoy a honeymoon period of six to twelve months, then attendance stabilizes and then declines over time. But that’s just part of the nature of things: parties come and go, they create great memories, and then inspire the next wave of party champions.
Because none of the CSPC’s parties can happen without volunteers first. If you are into some particular hotness or belong to a specific segment of our community, consider creating or working at a party that caters to what you are into. The CSPC makes it easy to volunteer! Just follow the magic footprints...