tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18978513.post3853040455452768196..comments2023-11-03T03:21:19.312-07:00Comments on Cleaning Up My Life: RIP: Wall Street, Main Street, and any other street.Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11711383741322871791noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18978513.post-82480709240446446302008-10-17T01:01:00.000-07:002008-10-17T01:01:00.000-07:00I cant agree! I'm on main street New Zealand. So...I cant agree! I'm on main street New Zealand. Some people are frightened and the market is similarly down but milk prices are still quite high and China will have growth and want our stuff and yours.<BR/><BR/>I have for a long time run a school visits business with ( mostly Japanese)high school groups visiting New Zealand small country high schools for a week or three in a cultural and language exchange. Core elements of the success of this business are that New Zealand high schools are operating when northern hemisphere schools are on holiday, and that New Zealand high schools view carefully planned brief visits from northern hemisphere groups as educative for our students.<BR/><BR/>Recently I have joined with choral authorities in New Zealand to establish an annual schools choral festival in Auckland from July-August 2009. Our website was established in June and advertising went up in subsequent months in northern hemisphere choral journals and websites. We had some early correspondence which has dried up recently.<BR/><BR/>Unfortunately we are providing an expensive discretionary item, so demand may drop right off.<BR/><BR/>We have some sunk costs and some more fixed costs, for professionals and the venue etc, whether or not anyone comes from the northern hemisphere and these are significant but not huge, as long as the sky doesn't fall in. <BR/><BR/>There are at least three choices. <BR/><BR/>one Go ahead 2009, 2010, which I guess is the bullish option<BR/><BR/>two Establish 2010 as the inaugural year which saves some of the uncompensated costs of 2009 (if northern hemisphere choirs don't come) and gives the world economy time to catch its breath.<BR/><BR/>three Decide that we will not be able to support the festival for the several years it now may take before it breaks even, and cut our loses and cancel all future events.<BR/><BR/>I guess many businesses across the US and the world face similar uncertainties.<BR/><BR/>We are going ahead with a, the bullish option, ie from 2009. First we said we would and showing a certain commitment may be unusual and helpful in such times. Some of our competitive festivals may close or take an option like two, which may give us a lift.<BR/><BR/>Much has been said about the role of confidence in the events and we don't want to show a lack of confidence before we've begun. <BR/><BR/>We've got to get back on the horse; there's no other way out of this desert.<BR/><BR/>Owen Sharpe<BR/>Festival Director<BR/>New Zealand Schools Choral Festival<BR/>www.schoolschoralfestival.co.nzAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com