mikeboozer wrote:
We are not just stuffing printed envelopes. There are different types of envelopes, and different types of printing and assembling instructions for all phases. There are GM, Exhibitor, Press. Trade Day, Artist, Author, VIG packets. The list goes on. We actually have our own system for this. There is no way that a mailing service is less expensive when you factor in the errors that would happen when trying to explain the system to them. It would cost us at the convention in man power and headaches for our attendees. Many of our challenges will indeed be solved once we move to e-ticketing completely. Also, for you.
No shut down on ticket refunds between ship to me date and the convention. Your schedule will not be blocked because you will be able to refund that ticket! You can get that new event! No packets at Will Call with just tickets in them. You can't lose your tickets!
Mike
brotherbock wrote:
I figured the packets would be assembled in house, and for those exact reasons. The question I was asking was about in-house printing. The mailing service companies I am familiar with will do any part or all parts of a job, from printing the envelopes, to stuffing them to putting them in the mail. Even just printing thousands of envelopes is big. Sending the company a spreadsheet of names and addys and letting them mail merge and print, then you get the envelopes back, typically saves companies a bunch of money. Then you stuff the printed envelopes, which can be printed with indicia by the mailing service company too, and off they go.For companies that aren't themselves printing companies, it can save some $.
Edit: for example, I don't know anything about them, but a Google turned up Alpha Graphics in Seattle. I don't know your costs, but if you factor in printer toner and labor, I'd be willing to bet their envelope printing costs would be lower than in-house.
mikeboozer wrote:
We do it in house to ensure the right people get the right badges and tickets.
Packets must be assembled with many different variables in play.
There are too many things that can go wrong if this is done outside the company without a huge amount of oversight. Which increases the expense.
Envelopes are not sealed until there is a QC process to make sure each packet is completed correctly and the 20 John Smith's each get exactly what they ordered.
This process would be prohibitively expensive given these steps, and the possibility of error would go up as well if done outside.
However we are certainly open to hearing about alternatives!
Mike Boozer
Customer Service & Event Team Manager
Gen Con LLC
We do it in house to ensure the right people get the right badges and tickets.
Packets must be assembled with many different variables in play.
There are too many things that can go wrong if this is done outside the company without a huge amount of oversight. Which increases the expense.
Envelopes are not sealed until there is a QC process to make sure each packet is completed correctly and the 20 John Smith's each get exactly what they ordered.
This process would be prohibitively expensive given these steps, and the possibility of error would go up as well if done outside.
However we are certainly open to hearing about alternatives!
Mike Boozer
Customer Service & Event Team Manager
Gen Con LLC
I figured the packets would be assembled in house, and for those exact reasons. The question I was asking was about in-house printing. The mailing service companies I am familiar with will do any part or all parts of a job, from printing the envelopes, to stuffing them to putting them in the mail. Even just printing thousands of envelopes is big. Sending the company a spreadsheet of names and addys and letting them mail merge and print, then you get the envelopes back, typically saves companies a bunch of money. Then you stuff the printed envelopes, which can be printed with indicia by the mailing service company too, and off they go.For companies that aren't themselves printing companies, it can save some $.
Edit: for example, I don't know anything about them, but a Google turned up Alpha Graphics in Seattle. I don't know your costs, but if you factor in printer toner and labor, I'd be willing to bet their envelope printing costs would be lower than in-house.
We are not just stuffing printed envelopes. There are different types of envelopes, and different types of printing and assembling instructions for all phases. There are GM, Exhibitor, Press. Trade Day, Artist, Author, VIG packets. The list goes on. We actually have our own system for this. There is no way that a mailing service is less expensive when you factor in the errors that would happen when trying to explain the system to them. It would cost us at the convention in man power and headaches for our attendees. Many of our challenges will indeed be solved once we move to e-ticketing completely. Also, for you.
No shut down on ticket refunds between ship to me date and the convention. Your schedule will not be blocked because you will be able to refund that ticket! You can get that new event! No packets at Will Call with just tickets in them. You can't lose your tickets!
Mike
At this point, I'm just thinking of saving money on the envelope printing alone. Again, the assembly in-house makes a certain amount of sense. But sending out an excel file and getting back boxes of printed envelopes (that you then stuff) is, for most businesses, a cost saver over printing those envelopes yourself. That's really all I'm saying.
If it's not a cost savings, that's cool. It's just been my experience that printing businesses do large-scale printing for cheaper than non-printing businesses. The stuffing is another issue :) But YMMV.
