Richard Rees wrote:
> I agree with the point that Brad Lamont made earlier - if you let everyone
> register early (online or via mail), you know there are 300 cars coming
> MONTHS before the event. This gives the chairperson time to arrange
> additional days (whilst feeling out the attendees), decreasing the number of
> runs, etc.
My point though, is that if it becomes routine to automatically reserve
a spot months in advance, and then have the option of cancellation in
the week before the event, the event organizers really don't know the
number of attendees.
An example: I arrange hotel rooms for my soccer team (or did, I quit
this year!). Every year we enter into a California State tournament. We
have no idea what city we will play in, nor do the other 500 teams. One
city in particular (Lancaster) has a lot of fields but few hotel rooms.
If you wait until you find out where you are assigned to play, it's too
late. All the hotel rooms are booked. But, are they really?
See, the savvy teams all book blocks of rooms for Lancaster months in
advance. It costs you nothing to reserve. If they find out they are not
going to Lancaster, they cancel. Happens every year.
So I can see the same thing occuring with Tours. You can bet those who
missed the cutoff this year will reserve a spot EARLY next year.
Eventually, the tour that would be be full, will be full much earlier,
but a higher percentage of those people will end up dropping out.
Randy Chase
"visions of cones, danced in his head"
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