Is it fair to charge a 'booking' fee for a PPF event.

I do plenty on PPF in my local area, usually for local school which I don't mind supporting. I know that generally at a PPF you would be really pushed to make as much as you would with private jobs, especially with the amount of work involved. I don't mind doing them though as it is good for getting my name out.

The problem I have been facing is other Schools or events from out of our local area who are also wanting me to come in and offer the same deal.
My question is, would you do PPF jobs outside of your area, would you do smaller PPF events?
Usually I would just say no as the cost of even getting there and the time I give up traveling outweighs the possible cost I could make, especially as you never know how successful the event will be.

I am at the moment trying to take any work possible so I was trying to work out a way to make these jobs feasible. Is it ok to charge a booking/set up fee just to get you there? How would you work out how much you would charge?

I have good luck at PPF events. I am willing to pay a vendor fee, but not more than $50 and that is on the high side. Usually it is more like $20-30. There are plenty of fairs and festivals that charge much more (in the hundreds) I choose not to participate in those, because even at my fastest I can only paint so many kids and I don't want to be in the hole before I begin.

I think that I'd offer the have them pay my rate and they recoup with selling tickets. If they don't like that and you want to do the gig, you could charge them a reduced rate and split profits.

Beth, I often do also offer that as an alternative.

If I am doing PPF for a School or fundraising event I still do offer to give a % of the profits. So if we are really busy they would quite easily make the 'booking' fee back and then some. I would do it more to cover my own costs if the event turns out to be unsuccessful.

These are more likely to be smaller events out of town that I am invited to.
I sort of see it as someone wanting to book me, not pay me and then ask for some of my profits. I am just trying to work out if there is a way to make it beneficial for me too.

If there are events I choose to paint at where I am keeping all the profits then I am more than happy to pay a vendor fee.

Hmm. I've never thought to ask for a booking fee to be at a festival. I usually have to pay a vendor fee.

I've never charged a 'booking fee' exactly, but I don't think it's unreasonable for a school fundraiser to pay cost of paint to you (whatever you might judge that to be!). If you're then taking tickets, or cash and giving half to the school, you're probably going to make them their money back at least. I'm coming to the conclusion that professional facepainting is not a very good fundraiser in NZ, due to the fact that most parents seem to think facepainting is worth $2. Entertainment and drawcard? Yes, but moneyspinner? Not so much.

There's a school I have painted for for a couple of years. They pay me half my usual rate but they only put $2, $3 and $5 on the signs, so they still don't make much if anything. I emailed them with feedback and said that theirs is a wealthy area (it is) and they need to make the same faces at least $3, $5 and $8 if they want to raise any money. The $3 are 2 colours and 1 min maximum , mostly for toddlers

It is kind of weird making them pay you a booking fee, usually you have to pay them a percentage or rent fee or both, you will be so lucky if you get them to do that.

It's not unusual here. My first response to a PPF enquiry is 'no, but hourly rate is x and i can take money on your behalf'. This worked with what turned out to be my biggest single client of the year. On Some jobs for them i made back significantly more than my fee, on others the take didn't cover it.
If that doesn't work, then i have agreed a reduced hourly rate and splitting the ppf take.
You could also try to negotiate that the first x amount of the take is yours and they get a share of the rest.

x

I think it's a unique idea Daizy...and if we all tried it, we may get a tipping point going! At least they'd realize we don't like vendor fees!!

You're an outstanding artist, with little ones at home--I would imagine you're well-versed & adept in handling children--and if you are that in demand, if they don't want to pay you full price, I would definitely try asking--what is there to lose?