BMOrg have published a blog post “How Turnkey Camps Get Placed”. They persist with trying to re-frame the issue with semantics – we prefer Commodification Camps to this Turkey camps idea that BMOrg are promoting, because it more accurately describes the problem.
There is still nothing from BMOrg on the main question the Burner community wants answered: how did Commodification Camps get all the tickets they want, when the event was sold out in 42 minutes in February? Of course, readers of this blog already know the answer: BMOrg scalped them directly. Still, the official silence on this important issue is deafening.
From burningman.com (emphasis ours):
Citizens of Black Rock City – everyone is talking about Turnkey camps and the Placement team wants you to know: we hear you! You’re speaking up on social media, talking at parties, doing deep dives at regional events. We’ve received more than 400 post-event emails and hundreds of comments through the Feedback form.
This is a good thing. Speaking your mind and sharing your opinions is the most important thing you can do right now.
The Placement Team placed over 1,300 camps in 2014. Theme Camps, camps for volunteers coming in early to work, camps for artists, Black Rock City, LLC department camps, camps within the BRC storage container program, and Mutant vehicle camps
We also placed about 25 Turnkey camps. We define Turnkey camps as those that offer a public space and interactivity in addition to private spaces for larger groups and are typically built by a producer, rather than a traditional camp lead…
Community evolves out of relationships and relationships are built out of communication, conflict resolution, disagreements and coming together. Talking with each other keeps us engaged and keeps us participating. The contention I hear is genuinely based on our collective caring about the community we build together. Making room for this conversation ensures the integrity of the Placement process and the integrity of the event. Placement volunteers hold our integrity above all as we enact the Ten Principles in our decisions and actions.
Of course there is more to our plans than just talking. We’re looking at tangible ways to help everyone do better. Ticketing, Early Arrival passes, our outside services program, DMV operations and of course camp placement are all being reviewed as we think about where to push and where to pull.
The Placement team dedicates thousands of volunteer hours to piecing together Black Rock City and we care intimately about how we all fit together and embody the Ten Principles.
I look forward to shedding more light on what the Placement team does and why in future posts. Until then, keep talking – we are listening.
Listening, yes. Doing anything about it, not yet. “Coming soon”.
Read the full post – and some great comments from disillusioned Burners – here.
If you’re not sure what a “Commodification Camp” is, here’s just some of our other coverage on the topic:
Commodification Camps and the Tin Principles
Plug-n-Play Goes All The Way To The Top of the Pyramid
$2 Million Camps: Gentrification of Burning Man
If I were rich, ran a turnkey camp, and owned a company I would just have all of my employees log onto their computers en masse on ticket sale day on my behalf and get it done for me.
For myself this year I only needed two tickets but rallied 4 of my friends to help, to guarantee I would get what I wanted. First person in my team who got through bought my physical tickets for me and I reimbursed them. It’s just a matter of scaling the operation up.
I’m not sure why you think this is such a pressing question.
Money is a drug. BMORG is cashing in and it is warping their perspectives and their minds. As long as ticket demand exceeds supply, they are free to do whatever. It is sad to see the event exploited for profit.
I view this as BRC being a microcosm of the greater USA and world in general. The .001% are fucking it up for everyone else.
This year I was shocked to hear first hand from someone who put together a (well known and depicted on the BMORG website) major installation on the playa, that they had to buy a full on ticket for their truck driver just to deliver the supplies to the playa, and leave.
I am further saddened that BMORG does not have to do this. They are already doubtless quite well-to-do by and decent standard. Methinks they are hobnobbing with the new techno-barons of the Bay Area in this the Guilded Age of the 21st century, and it shows ever more every year.
Answer girl over at the BORG site’s entry is about at empty, vague and platitudinous as the best politician speak.
I have no problem with them cashing in and retiring. Trashing our culture on their way out, and telling us how much better it is to have all these newcomers than the Burners who’ve made our party what it is over so many years, saddens me greatly.
Answergirl is not providing any answers. I wonder why Rosie stepped back?
From Social Alchemist Seeks Sherpa For Startup Shenanigans:
“What we’re seeing are many more of the Fortune 500 leadership, entrepreneurs and small startups bringing their whole team,” said Marian Goodell, Burning Man director of business and communications.
Like a corporate retreat?
“A little bit like a corporate retreat. The event is a crucible, a pressure cooker and, by design, a place to think of new ideas or make new connections.”
She said that, contrary to what people may think, she is not particularly liberal and, as a sign of her conservative cred, added that “my sister’s godfather is Antonin Scalia,” the staunchly conservative Supreme Court justice. “Burning Man on the outside has very liberal and socially strong principles, but I’ve been running it with very fiscally conservative policies.“
These new burners, she said, are to be celebrated.
“If you’re in the longtime Burning Man community, maybe it’s easy to frown on certain types of people coming. But the more we have a variety of influencers – folks from London and New York – the better off we will be and the better off the Burning Man Project.”
I love how sincer BMorg sounds and yet I feel deeply sad. I wonder why.
The original post says: ” The placement process starts the relationship, sets expectations about MOOP and accountability and helps us with density issues. Placement knows how large a footprint a camp needs and we can help with the guesswork of how big.” Hence the dialogue and acknowledgement of Commodification Camps about how many scalped tickets they need, how much space they need for private bars, massage rooms, Sherpa storage, parking for private Art Cars, bouncers, RV fortifications, toilets, chefs, etc. Of course, when they’re helmed by a Burning Man Project Director, they should already know the expectations about MOOP, so they can either outsource its collection or just leave it there for DPW to deal with.