Re: AIS Centennial Shopping

[andi rivarola <0b5865f51@rewrite.aisboard.org>]

Here are some points to consider:

1- Three years is not too early to start selling Centennial merchandise. In
fact, if we want to sell more expensive items in the future, it will be
good to stagger their sale in order to have more of a chance -- sell them
in separate years if necessary.

2- An online store does not mean that we need to eliminate the Boutique
from our yearly AIS conventions. It's not one or the other. So, we still
need to get volunteers to help with the Boutique in the future. The
merchandise offered online and in the Boutiques do not have to be the same;
it will probably not be the same.

3- We have a wonderful Centennial Anniversary momentum right now, and we
need to continue to provide that feeling of excitement by offering items
for sale, and also offer information. It's a great opportunity to educate
members and the public about the founding of our organization. I've created
the regularly scheduled section "Countdown to 2020" on Facebook offering
facts and information about the 1920, in case you didn't know.

4- T-shirts and hats are not the core of Anniversary items that will be
available for sale. There's a unlimited amount of merchandise we can create
and sell. More interesting for everyone to know: the Anniversary book and
medal are more expensive items and really represent more of what the
celebration will be about. I hope, by selling other merchandise now, it
will create enough interest in these other items coming up in the future.

5- After this motion is passed, I hope to offer a separate motion in order
to start a regular line of items, not related to the Centennial. But first
things first. This motion is about the Centennial Anniversary and its
intentions are clear. For more of what other AIS merchandise could look
like, see the store I've created for the Spuria Iris Society:
http://www.cafepress.com/spuriairissociety

6- CafePress offers items at bulk prices if we're interested in ordering
from CafePress to sell at the Boutique. I rather not do this personally,
but whatever the Centennial Committee likes to do, I'm OK with it.

7- A fun idea that I have not shared here, but one that would serve as an
incentive to sell Centennial merchandise is this: Those wearing t-shirts,
hats, or using Centennial merchandise during the following conventions will
be entered to win a daily prize at the conventions. The specifics of this
are still not finished and I still need to run it by the Centennial
Committee, I'm only sharing the idea to let you know that there's a method
to the madness.

8- If there's "that something" that we're looking for to lift our
organization up, the Anniversary Celebration might be it, so let's not miss
the opportunity.

Hope this helps to clarify some of the issues.


-- 
*Andi Rivarola*

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