Vendors take a hike

Burning Man has decided to respond to their windfall profits from the ticket lottery, STEP, and the 2000 extra tickets, by pumping up the prices on all the vendors – the delivery trucks required to get Theme Camps and art projects to the Playa, and to clear them all up at the end.

Burner Menkin reports:

Vendor passes use to be $1500 with 4 people multiple entry passes and access to the Vendor gates.

 
This year they are doing some changes that include: 
a $2000 damage fee
$850 for the first person to enter on the pass
$400 for each additional person to enter on the pass
$130 trailer drop off fee – per trailer
Requiring proof of business licenses
Requiring a break down of rates/charges
(still includes vendor gate and multiple entries)
 
Mainly this is to make more of a cut on RV services (obviously) but also will affect tow companies, water trucks, etc.

Some of the places that have been involved with BM for years have not yet been approved and are just being made aware of the requirements, even though they’ve already rented almost all of their trailers out.

The $2000 Damage Fee sounds like some kind of insurance. Or perhaps they’re going to take from the vendors, to give to the dunes.

Is this a move designed to scare off the Turnkey Camping, with excess bureaucracy and unreasonable charges? The “proof of business licenses” sounds particularly complicated, given that many of the people involved with Burning Man art projects are unemployed, disorganized, or both.

 

One comment on “Vendors take a hike

  1. Vendors will just pass off fee increases to their customers (Burners). With approx 60,000 attendees/participants, there will still be plenty of people that will pony up and pay the new & improved rates.
    For myself, it makes no difference. I’m fully self-contained. Need no extra water, no shit pumpers, no nothing. Just show up, smile, and burn on!

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