Thanks to Anonymous Burner for tipping us off to this. This seems like a new record for hotel room prices at a Commodification Camp, taking JT’s crown from last year.
Since this is a swinger’s club, Mistresses of Merriment are very much on the menu. Tickets to Burning Man? No problem.
Remember when the community was outraged about the Krug Dinner? That all seems so quaint these days. Welcome to Burning Man 2.0, this is the new normal. Radical Self-Reliance? It’s just a spectrum. Decommodification? It’s just one of the for-profit LLC’s. Communal effort? Hey, our sherpas work hard. Real hard.
from Do You Know George (emphasis ours)
For the sake of space we are going to assume that you have already done your research and have a solid understanding of what Burning Man is all about and the adventure that lies ahead. This page is dedicated to laying out an overview of the DYKG camp, the amenities it will encompass and a break down of the costs associated with participation.
The principal differences between our camp and any other DYKG event that you may have attended is the necessity for tickets (that are very difficult to procure) and the requirement that we fully establish our own infrastructure and support staff.
Therefore, unlike our other events, we will be holding a 15% deposit, until February 1, 2016. Once your tickets are secured the balance will be due to secure your campsite. At that time, if you are no longer interested in attending, you may request a refund and your tickets and campsite will go to a couple on our waiting list. If we are unable to secure the number of tickets requested your deposit will be refunded in full.
Several people have contacted us wondering about why the costs for this event are so much higher than they were expecting for a, “Hippy gathering in the desert”.
The economics of supply and demand play a big part in costs on the Playa. Although cash transactions at the event are prohibited, the vast economic impact prior to the event are obvious.
Within a 500-mile radius of Reno, Nevada, RV rentals are known to increase by as much as 4-times. Part of this is based on the enormous demand of 70,000 burners communing on one location and, in part, because of the hundreds of man hours that go into cleaning each RV after the event in order to restore it to pristine condition. For something like a tour bus, this can multiply into thousand of man hours, mechanical parts and even reupholstery before it can return to service in the Default World.
In the spot market, bulk water deliveries for our camp will range $1.00 up to $1.50, in 500 gallon increments. Of course the waste water must also be hauled away and this will run another $0.20 to $0.25 per gallon. (This is something to think about at home when you are taking a shower tomorrow morning.)
This same issue applies to electricity provided by giant diesel generators, each burning hundreds of gallons per day, commercial kitchens connected to 100-gallon propane tanks and all the fuel and man hours to move everything onto and off of the Playa.
If you were trying to think of a less hospitable, or economically more challenging place in North America to hold a seven day festival, you would be hard pressed. That said, only because Burning Man is held in such an inhospitable region of the country has it been able to persist and even thrive for thirty years.
Image Source: Do You Know George
Our Camp Amenities
(2) Burning Man Tickets per Couple
Art Car
Bicycles
Central Pavilion / Shelter for Camp
Camp Bar & Coffee Lounge (Open Bar)
Camp Toilet Trailer w/ Key
Camp Meals (Twice Daily)
Central Electric Generator for RV’s
Diesel Fuel Deliveries for Generator
Gasoline Deliveries for Art Car
Gifting Project
Gourmet Chef
Late Night Snacks
Maid Service for Camp RV’s
Outdoor Furniture
Private Charter Flights (optional)
Propane Delivery for Kitchen
RV Delivery & Set-Up
Solar-heated Shower Trailer
Stocked RV with Snacks & Drinks
Support Staff for Camp & Kitchen
Themed Dinner Parties
Transportation To & From Reno, NV
Vehicle Passes
Volunteer Program
Waste / Sewer Collection
Water Deliveries
History of the DYKG Camp
In 2014 George first attended Burning Man with the purpose of exploring this unique event and seeing if it was something his friends would enjoy.
Following the instructions of his two “Burner” friends, George set out to do things “the right way”. He started by purchasing a 1970 camping trailer in North Carolina and personally seeing to its restoration. Then when his “silver pickle” was roadworthy he set our from Charleston, SC on a 5,600 mile round-trip odyssey. After three days on the road he arrived Sunday morning and waited with thousands of others for the gates to open. After that, the Playa took hold and what unfolded was too indescribable to even begin to touch on here.
In 2015, George began to organize fellow lifestylers and establish plans to provide a camp of their own. Attending for his second time on 2015 his focus was on staffing, infrastructure and locating quality vendors.
Burning Man 2016 will see the first DYKG Camp, and will provide for all its members with private RV’s, gourmet dining and most importantly the elusive TICKETS!
Infrastructure Plans
A key component to the health and happiness of any camp is its infrastructure. Specifically the plans to provide shelter, food, water, electricity, waste management and community structure and how they are executed.
Due to George’s incredibly diverse and talented network of friends, it was easy to find those with the skills and acumen to guide this project. For our camp we will be converting several vintage Airstream trailers into specific-use vehicles. Some of the conversions include: commercial kitchen, shower trailer, bathroom trailer and “bar car”. This idea of re-purposing fits in perfectly with the idea of having a minimal footprint on the playa and reducing environmental impact.
For guests needing accommodations late model trailers, motorhomes and tour buses are available.
Other Articles to Read:Swinger’s Detente |
everyone the opportunity to feel more comfortable and enjoy themselves more fully.
First and foremost, we don’t hold parties, we create elaborate multi-day events to entertain, entice, and indulge all of your senses. Our events have a tendency toward the extravagance and are comprised of typically a half dozen to a dozen social events providing the opportunities to get to know others and take part in activities that you might not otherwise.
Privacy and discretion are cornerstones in the planning of our events. We never publish our guest list, release anyone’s name or photos, nor do we disclose the exact location where our private events are held. We are comfortable announcing the city, and at times the hotel where our guests will be staying; however, that is our limit. What information about yourself you choose to share with others is entirely your decision.
Our guest list is always selective and limited to between fifty and sixty couples and a small number of un-escorted women. The guest list is comprised predominantly of post-graduate professionals in their late thirties to late forties with certainly some variance on either side of that range.
A Welcome Dinner is typically held early in the event and generally achieves an attendance of thirty to forty couples. So far, these private dinners have been held at internationally acclaimed restaurants and vineyards with preparation by Iron Chefs and other culinary geniuses of our time. The Welcome Dinner lives up to its name in being a slow-paced delight to the senses while giving everyone a chance to mingle and indulge in welcoming conversation with new friends. Cocktail dresses for the ladies and suits for the gentlemen are the perfect attire for this dinner.
Cocktail and Wine Receptions are an integral part of the event giving everyone a chance to make new introductions and catch up with old friends before heading off to dinner or other activities planned for that the evening. This is an ideal time to make plans with others for daytime adventures or other epicurean pursuits. Cocktail dresses for the ladies and jackets sans tie for the gentlemen are again the perfect attire for these receptions.
There are a variety of Social Events throughout the weekend. Thus far, these have included such activities as a Frenchman Street Music Exploration, Hot Air Balloons, Private Vineyard Tours & Tastings, Exotic Car Road Rally, Private Jet Helicopters, 5-star Spas, and Parkour Training. These opportunities are typically smaller groups and are unique to each event. They are intended to indulge your desires while sharing an unparalleled experience with your new friends.
All of our events culminate in a either a Formal Ball or semi-formal party. These are generally held at historic residences or private estates while others have been held in penthouses and other more unusual locations (think 7,000 sq ft Wine Cave). Many of our previous guests have commented on how much they have enjoyed simply touring some of the country’s most significant manor homes and great estates.
The soiree is professionally catered with hors d’oeuvres, cocktails, and wine to seduce your palate. Live music is regularly provided by Grammy winning musicians, international recording artists, and renowned singers to delight your ears and lure you to the dance floor.
For the ladies, formal full-length gowns are the perfect choice. Gentlemen are encouraged to dress comparably in that perfectly tailored suit or tuxedo as the occasion dictates.
We try to emphasize to everyone that arriving punctually is important, and privately arranged transportation is provided. Upon arriving, guests will have an opportunity to mingle and chat as they explore the property. This is an especially ideal time to make those connections with whom you are interested in spending time with in a more intimate setting later in the evening. This will help avoid any possible unwelcome situations later in the evening.
As the night progresses those that wish to are welcome to adjourn to the bedrooms. We do maintain a strict Open Door Policy, which simply means that all of the bedroom doors are to remain open. If there is someone already in the room, you are welcome to watch. If invited, you are welcome to join in. Everyone attending knows and understands that “No means no” and that “Pushy people will not be tolerated” and will be asked to leave.
While you may certainly expect a few invitations to play, for those not wishing to do so that evening, there is certainly no pressure. Simply enjoy yourself, meet some interesting people, and perhaps exchange a few phone numbers and email addresses with those you are interested in seeing again. If nothing else, when you and your escort arrive home that night you will certainly have plenty to discuss and fantasize about before calling it a night.
When planning your flight home, try to arrange for a late afternoon departure so you can enjoy one final gathering, Brunch. What first originated at George’s manse as a casual meal with conversation frequently punctuated by ribald laughter about the prior evening’s festivities has continued to this day. Satiated in the weekend’s prurient pursuits, the relaxed atmosphere will help bring closure to our brief time together, while providing you the chance to make private
plans with other couples whom you share a similar interest or passion.
As always, please feel free to ask us any and all questions. It is from your questions that we are better able to serve as your gracious hosts.
Perhaps it’s because the Board are the 1% themselves.
“It’s not a thoughtless amassing of rich folks,” says Harvey of the expanded board. “But if you want to change the world, you’d better get some people who have real muscular power.” [Bloomberg]
It doesn’t look like they’re using that muscular power to Gift very much in the way of donations, but they are providing their time without drawing salaries. The average time commitment from the non-executive directors in 2013 was 2.3 hours per week. In 2013, the Burning Man Project received a total of $33,500 in donations from its 17 board members – an average of $1970. Director Chris Weitz stepped down last year and was replaced by Jim Tananbaum and Matt Goldberg, bringing the board size up to 18 .
So, can we find any 1%-er’s on the Board?
1%? NAME
yes Chris Bently – multi-generational billion-plus family fortune, real estate, industry
yes Chip Conley – entrepreneur, half a billion dollar hotel fund with Pritzker family; AirBnB
yes David Walker – CEO, Nevada museum of art – former investment banker, art dealer, rock star;
yes Jennifer Raiser – former CEO of Credit Fix and a family real estate business – upscale aged care. Properties valued at more than $200 million in 2003 (Source: Harvard University).
yes Jim Tananbaum – CEO of $650 million VC fund, healthcare, pharamceuticals; led 21 major transactions including several with multi-billion dollar outcomes
no Kay Morrison – activist, artist: iron monkeys; was working in a deli in 2012, office manager
yes Leo Villareal (NY) – multi-generational ranching family, Marfa, TX; one of world’s most successful interactive artists, Bay Lights installation: $12 million; used to work in Paul Allen’s thinktank.
yes Matt Goldberg – mergers and acquisitions. CEO, Lonely Planet until it was sold for $75 million to rancher and tobacco baron Brad Kelley; senior roles in QVC, Dow Jones, Bertelsman
yes Mercedes Martinez and Chris Weitz – although Weitz stepped down from the Board in 2014, his wife Mercedes retains her role. Hollywood producer/director: Antz, About a Boy, The Golden Compass, Twilight; $1.5 billion worldwide gross, ranked #64
yes Mike Farrah (NY) – advisor to mayors and Congressmen
yes Rae Richman – AirBnB; was Vice President, Rockefeller Philanthropy $200m/year annual giving
yes Terry Gross – high profile super lawyer. Co-founder, Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)
It sure looks like 11 of the 12 Burning Man Project “independent” directors are members of the 1%.
Perhaps I am wrong about Kay Morrison, and she is wealthy and just enjoys working in retail. I mean no offense to any of the directors by this classification, and I believe that this whole “1%” thing is bullshit anyway. Just a lame attempt to foment a class war, Burning Man with its dark army of dirtbags as the front lines of a
MarxistCacophonist revolution.Larry has said his mission is to reform the 1%. Another clue as to who this culture is being aimed at by its directors. He’s gone from saying “income equality is a straw man argument”, to making that same argument, and now making reinforcement of the class war his new mission.
Sherpa Beth says: “rather than re-educating the 1 Percent, the camp was only reinforcing the class divisions of the real world.”
The idea of the $17,000 Caravancicle hotel rooms being a re-education camp for the elite is amusing. For every billionaire playboy having a life changing experience and vowing to put solar panels on all his buildings and get some glowy art on the wall of his office…there will be one next door who’s just there for the coke and hookers. Do either of them want to be re-educated by the hotel’s hippie sherpa squad? I think not. Methinks some of these people have been spending too much time at Esalen – most people don’t go to an expensive hotel expecting to be told how they’re doing it wrong.
With such a well to do crew aboard the Board, booming revenues that don’t flow through to art funding, the frequent requests for donations, the lack of transparency and accountability, the deliberate use of propaganda to influence the community…is it any wonder that veteran Burners have concerns about creeping commercialization in our culture?
When BMOrg announced the “transition to a non-profit” four years ago, you could still walk into stores in San Francisco and Reno and buy tickets. The cheapest regular ticket was $222, Burners were asked to pay more if they could afford to. Since then, ticket prices have more than doubled to $459 (including fees and vehicle pass). The business has scaled up too. In 2010 Burning Man took in $13.5 million selling tickets, now their revenues are above $30 million. The more they put ticket prices up and invent new revenue streams, the more Burning Man becomes harder to attend unless you have money to burn – or work for someone who does.
Most of the world do not have money to burn on a hedonistic week long vacation, where they just give stuff away to people. Statistically speaking, Burners have a median income of US$51,000, which puts them in the 1% – in fact, the top 0.3% in the US. Another study by Cornell University says that for 2010, the required income to be part of the 1% was $322,300. 2.4% of Burners are in that range.
If the 1% are actually 2-3% of Black Rock City, then they are disproportionately represented: meaning, Burning Man “skews rich”. With a Board composed of 1%ers, on a mission to reform the 1% by bringing new virgins in to Burning Man for acculturation, it seems like that this number is only going to grow along with the ticket prices.
If more wealth = more art and more gifting, then that’s great news. Come all ye wealthy, and gift us yer offerings. What’s more of a concern is if it means a move away from Radical Self-Reliance and Decommodification towards a more Vegas-style party experience, models on molly locked out of reach of the masses behind wristbands and velvet ropes. I’m not knocking Vegas in particular, we live in a world full of superclubs and there’s a lot of fun to be had in them – especially if you have the right wristbands. Whether a $2000 minimum spend VIP table is more fun than a $500 one is beside the point – it’s all excessive, but also all relative. I think nothing of buying a coffee at Starbucks, and in the same way Bill Gates thinks nothing of spending $5 million for a week on someone else’s yacht.
Bill Gates would have to give up a week on this to go to Burning Man. It comes with a submarine, 2 helipads, 3 swimming pools, and 50 sherpas. Image by the author.
I believe Burning Man has always offered something unique and different from the default world divisions of cash and class. People are expressing themselves freely in a money-free environment. It’s about art, a playful spirit, and entertaining each other. It should stay that way.
People say “it’s fine, I don’t even see it” – OK, then let’s just say “it’s fine”. It’s either in or out. If it’s allowed then allow it, if it’s not allowed then it shouldn’t be happening. And most definitely, members of the Board of Directors should not be selling hotel rooms in their camp. If they’re going to, then let everyone do that. Stop Selective Rule Enforcement.
It seems almost bizarre that Larry Harvey is trying to conflate the Commodification Camp Controversy with the issues behind the #occupy movement. It’s quite a stretch. “People have been frustrated by Wall Street’s blatant financial crimes with nobody going to jail, so Burning Man’s directors should be able to hire 50 sherpas for their ComCamp”. This is a non sequitur.
The issue is not how much money any Burners have or don’t have. It’s Commodification – of people, when money puts one bound into the service of another. We’re trying to achieve the opposite of that at Burning Man. Liberation. Manumission. Defaultification – bringing more and more of the Default world into the Nevada Burn – is not going to make Burning Man better. So should we just make Burning Man worse, because it’s so important to bring 40% virgins in? Or should we reconsider some of these goals? Couldn’t we still make it better with just 20% virgins every year?
Radical inclusion shouldn’t mean “we let any dickhead in the gate, so Burners now have to guard their camps from criminals”. It shouldn’t mean “we don’t care if our friends can’t get tickets, but friends of board members can get all the tickets they want”. It should mean “anyone can be a Burner, if they bother to learn our culture”. Placed camps should provide a strong interactive component, and Commodification Camp producers should encourage their clientele to participate and contribute art. If you must sell a room in your camp for thousands of dollars, then re-cycle some of that money back into the community by supporting art projects directly.
Does the rise of the sherpa class mean that impecunious Burners now have a chance to go to Burning Man, because they can take a job there? Shouldn’t you be able to work at Burning Man if you want to and need the money? What about people who want to live Burning Man “year round”? Shouldn’t we be encouraging them, with opportunities for paid work on art projects? Isn’t the enablement of art more important than its destruction?
If we must have sherpas, then perhaps there’s a way to limit their impact, while still doing some good for the overall community. What if sherpas required a special ticket? The number of these tickets could be limited, and the premium price charged for them could be passed on to the volunteer workers in DPW and other departments who build the city. Let the volunteers choose whether they want to take the money, or Gift it to art projects or the Burning Man Project. Just like 4000 pre-sale tickets at $800 subsidize 4000 low-income tickets at $190, the surplus from 4000 sherpa tickets at $800 would provide $410 each to 4000 volunteer workers – or $10,000 art grants to an additional 164 projects .
Maybe it’s time to change “Decommodification” to mean “no logos” instead of “no commerce”.
Bloomberg seems to get it:
Camp Caravancicle was not the first of its kind, and over the last few years many fervent Burners have come to believe such accommodations are covertly commercial, unfairly gobble up many of the event’s limited number of tickets, and violate various Burning Man principles, such as participation and radical self-reliance
Pretty straightforward. Nothing to do with Wall Street, class war, or ebola virus. Bloomberg seem to be presenting the facts without any spin, which is refreshing. Check out their 5-minute video story.
Does Larry Harvey get it? Is it about what he wants, or what WE want?:
“I want to convince people that it isn’t as if the 1 Percent represents an evil bacillus that like Ebola will sweep through our city,” he says. “That’s not possible. Much of the anger is because of a feeling of impotency. The whole issue of the 1 Percent has been a matter of public discourse for some time now, and nothing has changed. People are frustrated. … My mission is to reform the 1 Percent.”
On Facebook at the Sherpa Liberation Front, Milkman Amok says:
The gardener says his mission is to reform the 1%. No offense to gardeners everywhere, but I think he’s out of his league. A noble goal to be sure, but that ambitious intention doesn’t seem to have worked out catering to Jim Tananbaum
He has a point. This “landscape gardener turned party promoter wants to make billionaires change their ways” story is eerily reminiscent of the classic Peter Sellers movie Being There.
Or maybe the Lawnmower Man:
It sure is starting to look dystopian. A plutocratic techno dictatorship, operating in secrecy while collecting profiles on all of its citizens; fuelling its growth with mind-bending drugs, social media, and celebrity endorsements.
Who gave Larry this reformation mission, anyway?
Burners seem to get it.
From Reddit:
Macmikem: A group I knew was told to GO AWAY you are not part of our CAMP. This, from some tard at Tannabuam’s circle jerk.
thalassicus : I was in a bar in Venice for Superbowl Sunday and struck up a conversation with a girl who ended up being another “Sherpa.” She actually camped with Lost Hotel and part of her work was the setup/teardown of Caravancicle. She says that the Lost Hotel people are currently being sued by Tananbaum for breach of a 3 year contract (sadly, a lot of the gear of the sherpas is being held in limbo in the process). If that’s true, it seems Mr. Apologetic board member is still very much at a loss as to what Burning Man is about.
marssaxman: the problem is not the money, the problem is that Burning Man is fundamentally about amateurism and DIY. Nobody cares that you’re an accountant in real life, on the playa you can be a bartender. Nobody cares that you’re a diesel mechanic in real life, on the playa you can glam it up and strut your stuff like a model. Nobody cares that you’re a software engineer in real life, on the playa you can sweat your ass off building a twenty foot tower with a bunch of searchlights powered by bicycle generators and people will go hey, wow, that’s ART. And you get to be an artist.
This is revolutionary and awesome and an irreplaceable part of what has made Burning Man special and worth going back to and investing so much time and money in.
The problem with the turnkey camps is less that they are inhabited by rich people full of money and more that they cart in all the limitations of the real world along with them and thereby devalue amateur enthusiasm. Instead of destroying real-world roles and limitations and economic structures, they’re bringing them along into BRC and thereby changing the character of the event. If half the art cars roaming around are built by pros with budgets, how can a DIY team possibly measure up? And if it’s no longer possible for a bunch of random friends to get together and build something in their back yards and bring it out to the desert and get the amazing rush when everyone else goes “wow”, what is the point of this whole thing anymore?
It’s not the rich people, it’s the abandonment of the amateur philosophy and the DIY ethic that makes the turnkey camps such a corrosive influence on the awesomeness of the burn.
solaronzim: I would say even DIY with big budgets is okay as long as everyone is getting involved. I say this because it isn’t about competition. It’s about expression. And what the great larry was quoted saying about manners is spot on. In my eyes its rude that every camp on esplanade plays music at levels that damage hearing. That used to be limited to 10 and 2. Its rude that you won’t serve certain people. Its rude that you treat people doting on you as servants. I have friends on billionaires road that make art, contribute to the party, don’t exclude everyone, and pick up after themselves. Oh and they have help too, but theyre also our friends. So we all party together. Imagine that.
markday:“Wealth” covers a lot of ground in the vaguest of ways, but the notion that “Jim Tananbaum has become the Google Bus of Burning Man” squarely and concisely nails a narrative that’s a fairly hot button issue in the Bay Area. Does that resentment tangibly exist in the Bay Area? Yes. Does a similar tension exist around the notion of concierge camps? Yes. Are journalists often looking for parallels…?
For, say, the business press, the notion that BM is actively courting “influential” board members, from the venture capital/start up world, is part of a larger narrative that they already report on, and I’m not sure what alternative reporting would look like : “Burning Man is an event that most attendees agree you can’t really understand until you’ve been there, and as it turns out, some attendees have been paying employees to do their dirty work for them, which is against the spirit of the experience that you can’t really understand unless you’ve been there, but take our word for it, people who have been there are not happy with this, and while the people in question are “wealthy and influential”, that’s not the issue, so much as it is that they hired some people, they’d be equally annoyed if some no-names from not-the-Bay Area had turned up with a small catering crew, and…. um…. wait a minute, why are we covering this again?”
I generally agree that “radical inclusiveness, man!” is a weak-sauce shield in this instance, and that a lot of people’s unhappiness is not about wealth per se. But I think a reasonable reading of that article would include the implicit notion that VIP wrist bands are frowned upon, that it was a shit-show of a camp, and so on: “Instead of a spirit of inclusiveness and harmony, Lillie says she found herself in an environment dedicated foremost to protecting the VIP status of its wealthy inhabitants. Paying guests were outfitted with wristbands like patrons in an exclusive nightclub.”
It may be the case that these tensions are not about money, but the ability to pay for these kind of things at a highly visible/exclusionary level is certainly fueling tension in a way that “some guy two camps over got gifted a ticket in return for driving the truck, then found out people expected him to be the designated sober art car driver all night, and that was never talked about up front….” hypothetically goes unnoticed. Not disagreeing with other people’s points here, but it’s “better reporting than I’d have expected.” I’d liked to have seen more commentary from people like Tex Allen (disclosure : I know Tex), but all in all, it covered a lot of ground.
starkraver:
“and…. um…. wait a minute, why are we covering this again?”
I think that you nailed this. The income inequality is a really hot button issues in national discourse, and writing this story in that perspective is probably a lot more relevant to people who don’t go to burning man. Taking off my burner hat for a second, and putting on my journalist hat (I am not a journalist) that is pretty clear. “A couple of rich guys went to a party in the desert, acted like assholes, and left a mess” is not a story worthy of Bloomberg.
But putting my burner hat back on I think that we need to emphasize that this doesn’t need to be talked about just in terms of identity politics, but about community behavior.
Yes, the problems are about money (at least some of them), but that doesn’t mean that the problems are about wealth or opulence. They are about behavior.
In the default world having money means that you get to treat people as things or as means to things. Not being able to spend money at burning man historically has given it’s participants a brief window where that dynamic is put in it’s head.
What the community is finding offensive is that rather then bringing 1%ers to burning man, 1%ers have been systemically allowed to bring defaultia to burning man.
But money is like water on pavement, it always find the cracks. And the BMorg’s new board is apparently a big fucking crack. They expanded the board from 6 to 18 people (I think, correct me if I’m wrong). I don’t know how they chose their new board members, but if it’s anything like other non-profits that I have known, those seats are given to large donors.