1. Call to Order
Chair, CHAIR, called the meeting to order at: 6:03pm Eastern
2. Roll:
Present: Afton Benson, Jonathan Perry, Thom Wall, Kaylin Meyers, Jake Darrow, Bailey Cichon, Martin Frost, Jes, Sofia Noethe, Noel Yee
Absent: Luther Bangert, Asylnne,, Niels,
Recorder: Jonathan
3. Approval of Agenda
Motion: Jonathan
Second by: Sofia
Discussion:
Vote: Passes Unanimously
4. Approval of Minutes:
Business Board Meeting (LINK)
Motion: Sofia
Second: Jonathan
Discussion:
Vote: Passes Unanimously
5. Reports
Please keep verbal reports to 5 min or less except for festival discussion.
2025 Festival Report (Jess)
Discussion: We discussed volunteer coordinator and how to increase/gain volunteers.Comp package at 30 hours volunteered.
Financial Report (Afton Benson)
Discussion:
There is a correction under festival printing that should be the badge books for YJA, I’ve emailed Dennis. Otherwise, we’re looking at a profit for 2024 and we still need to enter all of the donations from Nov/Dec.
Giving Tuesday was a success! We raised just above the $3,000 goal which is outstanding!
There is a line item on here from when iiWii pledged their large contribution; however, this is not normally where you would put a pledge for contributions. I would like to know if anyone has any issue with Dennis and I removing this from the Balance Sheet moving into 2025. The pledge receivables are about $408k on our balance sheet; since we’re unsure if iiWii is going to fully contribute that amount or not; Dennis and I recommend removing this.
Dennis and I are going to be making the transition to Quickbooks Online in late January early February 2025. This is going to help clean up our books a lot, make it easier for me and future treasurers or bookkeepers to pull reports and track items. So note we’re going to completely close out the 2024 books, and then work on moving to QBO, so reports may be delayed.
Very draft Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 budget, this includes the festival budget as well however, once we have the site visit this week some of those items may change. However, everything has been estimated high. Please note the “donations” for IRC and Scholarships, include releasing funds from restricted accounts to cover the expense line in addition to any estimated funds raised. I touched base with Erin and based on her draft budget, and using the actuals from this year I’ve included an est for the IRCs as well.
I’m not putting this to vote yet since I feel there are a few changes that are still in the works especially for the festival.
Future Festival Site Report (Mike and Jake)
The Doubletree in South Bend has ghosted us for 2028. We tried calling, leaving messages on the main number for sales, and emailing with no response since 11/18. Next week (12/23) we will escalate with management or call in reinforcements from VSBM if no luck there.
Our last communication with them was us asking them on 11/17 if they could do better than the lousy 1:50 comp rate they offered us. We got 1:35 in 2023, and now we are buying 132% more rooms and sending them 177% more revenue for the same week in the dead of summer, so we think it’s only reasonable that they comp us some more rooms.
We have gone back to the Courtyard South Bend, who have been instantly responsive, asking for more rooms, as we’re not sure the DT wants our business any longer. They have offered us the entire hotel except for 20 rooms/night they need to keep for other contracts with air crews and whatnot. (Bringing the total offered to 120 rooms, and a 1:40 comp rate-Jake).
That won’t hold our entire group, but we have it as leverage with the DT, who we can chop back by 63% and still house everyoneIf needed, we can go to the Aloft in downtown, a 3rd property that has offered us rooms, so we still have options.
(Separately-I have made contact with Anne Ozbun (finally) with UMN…she is going to update the RFP, and hopefully answer my questions “as soon as possible”. Reminder…this is a possible 2029 IJA Festival Location. Jake)
UPDATE – Monday morning 12/16 – Our contact with the DT is no longer with the property, and we’ve been sent new contact info from VBSM (this is why it’s so important to have a CVB working for us!) – so we will try to kick-start things with the new salesperson, Brande Gessinger. Stay tuned.
– Mike
Discussion:
eJuggle Report (Eric Shibuya)
Discussion: UPDATED 16 December: I have met with Afton on budget, talked with editor team, and also with Bailey on some big picture stuff and also met with Benjamin
- The statement from the new editorial team was published today.
- Received an email from Dennis on the spreadsheet. Looks like we are on the same page for that. I now know what I need to update and what things I might change to suit how I look at the accounts.
- Ross has fixed the “schedule publication” function on Ejuggle. (Big THANKS!) For writers who have things already in our pipeline, I can schedule publication. David Cain’s articles for December will go every Tuesday, Esteban’s* on Thursdays. Wednesdays is Tricks of the Month. With the ability to schedule our regular publications weeks/months in advance, this will ease the time pressure on the team. The earlier arrangement was 5-7 articles a month by David and 4-6 by Esteban. I plan to go with 4 per month by each, with the possibility of “breaking news” articles either adding to that count or replacing one of their scheduled articles (like we did for David when Masahiro Takahashi qualified 7 club backcrosses).
- I plan to meet with the editor team in the next two weeks, get them on ym/wordpress, and show them how to edit and set up the articles.
- Reaching out to people for festival recaps. Christian is developing a guideline for new writers and I am creating one for book/prop reviews.
- Write some new stuff: I have an idea for “juggling in fiction” and a book review for Bill Berry’s book that just came out. I am sending Ezri Wyman a copy of Jack Kalvan and Arthur Lewbel’s book When Balls Collide for review. Canada Post is having labor issues right now, so that might take longer than hoped.
I passed an idea onto Bailey for the 441: Profile on the Board, and later, officers. ESPECIALLY those folks who do work for the IJA OUTSIDE of the festival. Too many of the community don’t even think about these very meetings. I’m looking at the Marketing Team report below and see the story profiles for the Board. Perfect idea. I’d like to see if transcripts or just links would be appropriate for ejuggle. I think Ejuggle and the marketing team could have more collaboration and we’ll work on that. Kaylin sent me a great frame for ejuggle feature stories and we used it for Albert Lucas’ 13 ring flash and Masahiro Takahashi’s 7 club backcross qualify.
*I think Afton(?) said Fer might be interested in editing Esteban’s Spanish portion of his articles? I might be misremembering, but if this is the case, please have them contact me.
- AFTON confirms this
Discussion:
Membership (Marilyn Sullivan)
Membership Data
Discussion:
Marketing Report (Lisa and Kenzey)
LISA – Hey all,
Just an email to summarise what we have been up to!
The social media team WhatsApp group is well underway and proving to already be extremely useful with helping us feel like a team. We’re also able to figure out some things that we might not have been aware of before. Erin has also been good at giving us some insights.
Giving Tuesday campaign I think has been a success!!? Kenzey’s idea was just awesome – and having the group chat really helped to make that happen.
You’ve got mail – Kaylin’s imagery and stories for when IJA newsletter is out is AWESOME. We have also ensured to create clickable links/swipe up stories for easy access to become a member of the IJA.
Instagram and Facebook inbox – we have a team of me, Kaylin and Fer (Spanish) to maintain the inbox. We feel like this makes things more personal and brings the community together more so we have removed the auto reply and this makes viewing the inbox easier to do story reshares etc. Fer is happy to answer any messages in Spanish too.
Story Campaign – Kaylin has created some epic story campaigns and has pretty much got an entire list for the each month she is amazing. She will be running and maintaining these and she will also create story highlights.
Introducing the board members – again Kaylin is just epic. She is creating a template so we can start to introduce the board members.
Story takeovers – we will be running story takeovers at different juggling events and festivals all over the world. As first point of call I’m checking in the social
Media group chat to see if anyone who already has Instagram access will be attending.
For January we have Kaylin covering madfest and game of throws. I’ve created a spreadsheet here to keep track:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-ip8JuoCj74OQtNFhyv460a-CMa4_6YC9OKilE6wfk0/edit
The idea is that we cover as many as we can BIG and SMALL from all over the world. It will then become a story highlight on the Instagram and my next idea is to download/take some moments and create a lil compilation video for Instagram and Facebook. This is a good re-use of content and it’s viewable for people who might not watch stories/have access to story highlights on Instagram.
I think that’s all for now but it’s a tonne and it’s exciting. Yay.
Social Media and Marketing Team Resources
Discussion:
EVERYTHING IS LOOKING GREAT! Keep up the amazing work and thank you for crushing it!
IRC Report (Erin Stephens)
The final 2024 IRC piece I am awaiting is the overall highlights video from Chile.
I am also working on the proposal to send to the International Theater Festival that wants to host the IRC Sudamérica 2025 – Colombia, as well as the text to send to Lisa for the IRC Rules video. My goal is to have those done before Christmas.
I saw in the notes from last month that there was the comment of the need to hold a meeting to discuss policies regarding the issue I brought up regarding the concern of a female finalists that one of the competitors was a violent offender. I would like to see if the board can aim to move forward with this plan in January and I would like to be part of the panel to discuss it. I also saw the email Martin sent outlining the rules that allow a competitor to be eliminated for inappropriate or offensive behavior at the discretion of the competition director. I feel this definitely covers the situation of the competitor arriving intoxicated to the competition and being unruly, but that a more clear protocol needs to be outlined for what to do if reports are made of prior offenses of a competitor.
A reminder that the four IRC with current confirmed interest for 2025 include Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Honduras. BJC has also expressed interest.
I have sent a request to Dennis and Afton to receive the current remaining IRC budget as it stands in their books. Once I have that I will plan to make a 2025 budget projection.
I would also like to talk to the new and fabulous marketing team about IRC marketing strategies going into 2025.
Discussion:
YJA Report (Benjamin Domask-Ruh)
Discussion:
- Another Badge Book Order! (This marks around $1000 in sales since launching in July!)
- Juggling Education Book Contract signed! Starting to write up call for proposals.
- YJA page on IJA site getting update appropriately
OpsO Report (Ross Berenson)
Discussion:
- Scholarship forms are created on the festival website but are not public yet. Both english and spanish
- Need festival recap videos so we can get them on vimeo, then can share with members.
- Afton has, Bailey will reedit for teaser vids, full videos are ready to go
- Board guide is in progress.
- Fia will help too!
6. Motions for Consideration
- Motion to approve to hold the IRC Centroamérica 2025 at the Teguz Jugglers Fest in Honduras on June 6, 2025. Proposal
Budget:
Author: Erin Stephens
Motion: Jonathan
Second: Sofia
Discussion:
Erin’s Notes:
Honduras hosted their first IRC last year, and it was a success. It had many challenges along the way due to the cultural dynamics of the juggling community of Honduras, but in the end, ended up having a unifying effect for the local jugglers. Honduras gives incredible financial support to the circus arts and the Teguz Jugglers Festival has already been approved for a $20,000 grant to organize their 2nd annual festival. The festival director feels that the IRC returning to Honduras for a second consecutive year will be very helpful in supporting the growing inspiration within the county. Being centrally located in Central America, it easier for jugglers of other countries to travel to Honduras to compete as well. Last year I trained Miguel Hernandez to be an IJA Representative for the IRC, and he has agreed to be the organizer of the IRC in 2025. His flight expenses will be from Guatemala City to Tegucigalpa.
Amendment to the travel line of the budget: based on the comments at last month’s meeting, I reviewed the travel budget with Miguel and we agreed $300 is more accurate based on current flight costs.
Board question from last month: Is the $20,000 for the event or the IRC. How much is allocated to IRC? Covering prize money and travel?
- Response: The $20,000 is for the entire festival. The grant will cover the general IRC expenses funded by the hosting festival, including $300 of prize money, rental of the theater including sound and lighting as needed, local promotion of the IRC and housing, food and local transport for the IJA Rep. The festival has also added special IRC trophies to their budget.
Vote: Passes Unanimously
7. Varia:
Afton: Festival Championship Videos
Someone was asking when we were going to post Championship videos; it does look like in 2019 we were posting the recap style event videos and then posting the Championships routines as member only content. We had a lot of this because of the DVD, which we haven’t done since 2019. A couple of questions:
- We had Bailey do recaps and teasers for 2022 and 2023; who is in charge of posting those? Teaser, public on YouTube and Recap on member only content. (Ross: Can send the files to me and I can get them onto Vimeo)
- Who is in charge of adding the championships videos as member only content? It would seem we used to do this and we should catch up from 2020 through 2024, it could be a good push. (Ross: I can get these on vimeo but I’m concerned about the member only content, since once a person has a vimeo link, they can share it. Do we have the rights to put the whole act online? I don’t believe the DVDs contained the full act. I do know a number of competitors have posted their routines online)
- ROSS IS NOW IN CHARGE OF THIS!
Benjamin: Could we update Marketing from Matan to Lisa and Kenzey on the website, please?
Benjamin: Awards Committee update? Benjamin Domask-Ruh will email past team and set up new one.
Jake: When will forms be available to submit a name for an award?
- Will be a nomination form on Juggle.org in the future
Sofia will share program/project/etc proposed definitions and rubric for deciding what things are via email to the board for feedback following this meeting
8. Confirm Next Meeting
Next meetings will take place on…
1/6/2025 for the next vision meeting
1/20/2025 for the next business meeting
9. Adjournment after acknowledging Afton
Meeting adjourned at 7:43 pm Eastern.