Venue changes and lots more stuff to do.

Yesterday was a tad stressful. But it worked out even better so I can't complain!

Basically... I emailed the venue for my Fayre this week, just to check everything was still going ahead (as I hadn't been informed otherwise). I received an email back from another Manager (nice of the actual Manager I dealt with to get someone else to do his dirty work...) there, asking me to call him the next day. This spooked me and I was starting to think something was up... So I replied to the email asking if the plans were still okay. I got an email back at 12.30am (I guess they would be there that late as it is a bar/pub) telling me they had to move the Fayre downstairs to the bar. And asking me how many sellers we had coming and how much "time we would need". This set alarm bells ringing, as this had all been talked about in depth with the other staff, and the idea of having a 9 seller fayre with around 200 confirmed guests (on facebook) in the downstairs bar where rugby fans would be drinking... well, that's a rubbish idea. Especially when I had booked the upstairs function room around two months earlier and paid a £50 deposit.

As it was so late at night, I waited until the next day to give the Manager a call. After a lot of umming and aahing, he finally got round to that they wanted to tell me: that they didn't want to host the Fayre. With three days notice. By this time I had already guessed as much, and even if they had wanted to go ahead, I wouldn't have been happy with the way they had messed me around. I wasn't rude, but I made it clear what an inconvenience it all was. What really bugged me was that I had booked months in advance, paid a deposit and discussed via email and face-to-face, but NOW I was being told that a local rugby team and their supporters would be coming in, and basically we were getting pushed out for them. The manager was obviously trying to get me to book them again, he seemed really desperate to 'save' the situation (probably helped that I said we had so many confirmed guests and more guests mean more spent at the bar!) and even offered a free drink for each guest and free flyer printing. But I really wasn't interested after being messed around, and I still didn't know if I would have to cancel the whole day.

Anyway, I agreed to go up town to get the deposit back after work, after much apologising from the Manager. I thought it was pretty nasty of the Manager I had booked it with to pass such a task over to somebody else. Oh well. So, I got straight to work on booking another venue! I didn't want to cancel, for so many reasons! I called Mikee's good friend who works at another popular bar in town (that we occasionally drink at when we venture out socially!) and left a voicemail mesage. I then rang the bar itself and explained the situation. As it was such short notice, they said they would get back to me. So all I could do was cross my fingers! All this was going on while I was at work, so I was little stressed (though not too much, I don't get overly stressed... I tend to just go into problem solving mode!). Luckily the other venue called back soon after and confirmed it was all okay! And as the bar wouldn't be open upstairs (due to the short notice and therefore lack of staff to man it) the fee would be the same price as the original (crappy!) venue. The only glitch was that it was non-refundable, but hey, we didn't have to cancel, so that was a small price to pay! (Literally, as myself and the sellers had all chipped in a little each!)

I was so stoked that we had managed to find a new venue. Buffalo Bar is literally doors down from the original (shitty!) venue, has a better reputation, looks better (all vintage, ornate and lavish decorations... very Vintage Pretty!) so I am so pleased! The upstairs (where we will be) is huge, which means we can have over double the amount of sellers! I am now so thankful that The Promised Land (grrr!) cancelled us, as Buffalo Bar is sooo much better! I only chose TPL as I had seen the upstairs when we went on our Christmas work meal, and thought it would be cool. Also because there is already a monthly event at Buffalo called Buffalo Boutique, which sells vintage clothing and accessories.

So after all of this, I popped into town after work yesterday, retrieved my deposit and walked a few doors down to Buffalo, where I paid them and had a look around. Phew! I then had lots to do on Facebook, letting the sellers know of the changes, changing the event and group pages and putting the word out there for more sellers! I had loads of people interested in selling before when we were in TPL but I had had to put them on the next events list as there just wasn't the space for them. So it was lovely to get back in touch with them and offer them the chance to take one of the extra spaces! Luckily some of them could accept! Though I could totally understand the ones that couldn't due to short notice!

So now it is all on again I have lots to do with the actual event planning itself, not forgetting that I am selling as Dolly Dearest there myself. So some late night making over the next few days I think!