In a recent episode of the Real Housewives of Miami (guilty pleasure for Bravo's ladies of luxury, I admit), drama arose where one woman (let's call her Sally) came to an event organized by one of her friends (let's call her Susie) late, and without paying.
Being someone who has worked in the nonprofit world and helped run events of that stature (or maybe a little smaller, but around the same idea), I'm sorry but I have to pipe into the discussion.
A charity dinner/gala of that magnitude is usually a non-profit organization's major event of the year. It generates attention and much needed income and can make or break a fiscal year.
Of course organizers, committee members, and the development team of any particular charity want as many people to attend as possible. They want the event to keep old donors coming back and to entice new donors to create a long lasting relationship with the charity.
However, these events cost money. Supporters can buy tickets or sponsorships at several levels in order to attend (these sponsorships usually come with X number of tickets. The higher the sponsorship amount, the more tickets the donor receives.) The development team, obviously, would much rather have people purchase sponsorships rather than tickets, because the sponsorships bring more income.
Lets say the Animal Love League put on a dinner at the Superchic Hotel. The Superchic Hotel is more than happy to begin a relationship with the Animal Love League, but they have a bottom line too. The Superchic Hotel and the Animal Love League negotiate a contract. They figure out that if tickets cost $400 each and the cost per person is $200 each, the Animal Love League makes $200 per ticket sold. Not too shabby. If the first sponsorship level is $1,000 which gives you two tickets, Animal Love League receives $1,000 less the $200 per head amount Superchic Hotel charges, or $600. And so on.
Back to the drama: Sally decided last minute to attend the event. Rather than RSVPing to the event organizers (something that is easier and easier in the days of the interwebs on peoples cell phones) and paid online or when she arrived at the venue. Susie had every right to be perturbed that Sally and two friends showed up after registration (flat tire notwithstanding) and therefore missed the check-in process, during which time they could have paid. Sally and her friends went straight to the bar and received cocktails presumably included in the ticket price (that she did not pay). Yes, they only had three drinks total (that we saw on the episode). But rather than act defensive after the fact, Sally easily could have found an event organizer (she said she tried - you can usually find the organizers because they are the ones running around like headless chickens) and just written a check right then and there.
Perhaps the drama did not need to escalate in such a way that Susie invoiced Sally with photographic evidence. Susie could have called Sally the next day and gently reminded her that even though she just stopped by, she had just gone to a charity event intended to help those much less fortunate than herself, and how about a donation just between friends?
Remember, everyone: Wedding crashers = fun. Non-paying charity event crashers = Lame.
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