Burning Man’s New Revenue Streams
People have complained about the cost of Burning Man tickets for years, and we’ve listened.
So we’ve spent the last couple months investigating new revenue streams that would allow us to reduce ticket prices (which are our only major source of revenue) while maintaining the operational budget necessary to produce the Burning Man event and continue growing our culture around the world. After much discussion and deliberation at Burning Man Headquarters, we’ve decided to move forward with the first of these initiatives.
You’ll notice some of these changes reflected on the Burning Man website homepage starting today, and you’ll see them in Black Rock City as well at this year.
We realize that this change represents a significant evolution of Burning Man’s cultural ethos, and as such, we welcome your feedback about it at revenue here: revenue (at) burningman.com.
UPDATE: Happy April Fools’ Day everybody!
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March 31st, 2011 at 2:51 pm
Why This is just Monstrous.com…
Roflmao…
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March 31st, 2011 at 2:54 pm
day early?
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March 31st, 2011 at 3:17 pm
It must be April 1 somewhere.
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April 1st, 2011 at 12:16 am
I’m looking forward to having a Strawberry Frappacino at Starbuck’s Center Camp, and I think the Gold Bond Powder First Aid Pavillion will be a great addition.
Not so sure about the Mystic Tan booth they’re having at the Temple, though.
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April 1st, 2011 at 12:18 am
Will Hot Topic be sponsoring the Thunderdome again this year?
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April 1st, 2011 at 12:59 am
I for one Love this Idea. One day out of seven Iam sure some crazy Idiot will Burn one of these Signs down … While My GF ( Niff Niff) hates the idea of Burningman going corporate , I for one Dont mind. Maybe if things keep going this way I can Finally Get a Project funded for a change ! The BURNING SQUID is coming this year on the PLAYA!!!
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April 1st, 2011 at 4:01 am
Please contact me ASAP to discuss ways I can PARTICIPATE in this new and novel idea. While we’re at it why don’t we add trash pick up and get some porcelain toilets out there?
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April 1st, 2011 at 4:23 am
When do we see banners on the website?
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April 1st, 2011 at 5:54 am
I’m just soooo happy to hear that this guy will be performing at Opulant Temple on Burn night!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqfEjidRh7U&feature=youtube_gdata_player
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April 1st, 2011 at 7:06 am
And with this we are left with 9 principles instead of 10… R.I.P #3:
Decommodification
In order to preserve the spirit of gifting, our community seeks to create social environments that are unmediated by commercial sponsorships, transact…ions, or advertising. We stand ready to protect our culture from such exploitation. We resist the substitution of consumption for participatory experience.
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April 1st, 2011 at 7:20 am
iterative
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April 1st, 2011 at 8:22 am
Hey, how can Burning Man use all those corporate logo trademarks, but I can’t call anything “Burning xxx” or use The Man logo? Oh, right “tradmark fair use” for the purpose of parody.
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April 1st, 2011 at 8:52 am
I am excited about this! Finally, each night after my wanderings I can find my way back to camp by the glow of my favorite late night fast food sign – just like I do in the default world!
They could even have a whole camp based on late night fast food! It would be just like a shopping mall. How cool! Yeah, they should get rid of those loud camps at 2 & 10 o’clock and replace them with food pavilions.
I wonder how we’ll buy anything though since we’re still not using money. Maybe I’ll be able to trade my little vials of sacred vegan organic playa dust?
Is there any way BMOrg could post the corporations they’ve already contracted with? Our camp is low on funds this year and we’re looking for a corporate sponsor. We talked with 7-11 but they told us BMOrg had already started contract negotiations with them. We’ve got an offer from Girls Gone Wild that looks promising.
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April 1st, 2011 at 8:52 am
Way cool. Do we get a Mc Fn Donalds too. I’m so excited for the new face of BM
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April 1st, 2011 at 12:47 pm
Woohoo! I just contacted a couple of the local stores here, and they agreed to finance my trip to Burning Man by placing big banners on the side of my trailer. I’m also making a whole bunch of cheap trinkets to sell and some of those cheap surgical knives you get at county fairs. Only, mine will all have the Man on them, making them “special.” I bet I actually make money this year!
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April 1st, 2011 at 12:59 pm
This is very disappointing!
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April 1st, 2011 at 12:59 pm
Don’t forget the airspace. “Green” ads flying overhead can bring in big $$. ;)
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April 1st, 2011 at 1:00 pm
This damned well better be an April 1st joke…
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April 1st, 2011 at 1:30 pm
That’s good. Because so much is already spent at home depot anyway for Burning Man. They need one for the reno WalMart too.
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April 1st, 2011 at 1:48 pm
i feel pricing is not to bad but also feel lower reserve tickets should be offered to theme camps who leave there sites in the green the year before as they are the life’s blood of the playa. it seems that most who get lower tier tickets are scalpers and people who have nothing else on there mind but going to party, they should reward those who make it special and take care to leave things as they were when they arrived
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April 1st, 2011 at 1:50 pm
LOL. Good one guys!!! ;-)
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April 1st, 2011 at 1:53 pm
No, No, No, I understand that it is a Commercial World but the next thing I smell is the fresh scent of a “BIG MAC” as I open my eyes at BRC. How Sad That while we sit for hours going into and leaving our World we have to see Home Depot and Marlboro Man Cigarette Ads.
If people want to go and be a part of the Other World we need to plan, to save, and then to savor the experience.
Shame on You
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April 1st, 2011 at 2:00 pm
I’d rather pay the full price cause this is sure coming at a price. Better grab your ticket before it’s too late.
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April 1st, 2011 at 2:00 pm
You got me! I was deeply disturbed, followed by deeply amused.
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April 1st, 2011 at 2:52 pm
I agree with Morgan. Home Depot should be sponsoring BM, not the other way around. I’d like to see some classy adult services billboards on the playa though.
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April 1st, 2011 at 2:54 pm
let the artists in for free. they’ll bring everything you need. cuz ya see, regular people give tons of shit to artists so they can have a good time. everything but money of course, for some strange reason. let the artists in and stop wasting money trying to buy the stuff you need. get it? good.
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April 1st, 2011 at 3:21 pm
I love April 1st. How about the Golden Arches with a McBurning Man Burger!!!
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April 1st, 2011 at 4:03 pm
Well. There damn well be an IHop. Im sick and tired of waiting in the long line at Shady Waffle Camp.
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April 1st, 2011 at 4:06 pm
This is the best idea I have heard all day… but I heard Burning Man was cancelled this year? :)
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April 1st, 2011 at 5:01 pm
Confetti Cannon! PERFECT!
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April 1st, 2011 at 5:17 pm
LMFAO….APRIL FOOL’S RIGHT BACK ATCHA! )’( ).( )’(
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April 1st, 2011 at 6:01 pm
Dr. Dre Likes This.
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April 1st, 2011 at 6:25 pm
Great!!! now I can get RONA and HOME DEPOT to sponsor our camp this year!! We will be taste testing vodkas from Smirnoff in our dome and eating white chocolate treats from Godiva. Cheers!
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April 1st, 2011 at 6:31 pm
oh….you guys. you got me. i admit it. i was like NO WAY…NEVER. then i was like Well.. you know tickets are expensive…..(NO WAY ii yelled inside my own mind) its not worth it its against everything we stand….finally ten hours later curiosity killed my kitty. the coup de gras was whene i clicked on the BM site to see a walmart ad deadcenter. and i bout it i was like sure why not??? lots of burners goto walmart in reno where (where else i should have been thinkin) GOOD ONE you got me!
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April 1st, 2011 at 6:41 pm
Oh, COMMODIFY already…
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April 1st, 2011 at 7:29 pm
This is a great news for i have just placed a order for condoms from china with the burning man logo on them.They will sell like hot cakes on the playa.
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April 1st, 2011 at 7:53 pm
At first I thought someone hacked the site… then I realized the date — good yuckers!
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April 1st, 2011 at 7:54 pm
Well, I just think we need to make sure that a fair system is developed, one that enhances not only the revenue stream of the BM corporation, but also of the burners.
I like the idea of getting corporations to give us free booze and free food. However, there need to be rules about that because you know how those corporations are. They will be putting up great big signs but only giving out itty bitty samples of chocolate, vodka, etc. We can’t let them get away with that kind of crap. There has to be rules to keep corporate greed in check (and burners well fed and drunk).
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April 1st, 2011 at 10:02 pm
How are you all not getting sued by Victoria’s Secret, Home Depot, etc, when you’re using their actual names?
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April 1st, 2011 at 10:40 pm
You know, LLC can charge a recurring monthly fee to turn-off ads for that retro ad-free experience, just like Mom used to make.
De-commodify your commodification! Operators standing by….
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April 1st, 2011 at 11:11 pm
Burning Man has Confirmed that You are a Friend!
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April 2nd, 2011 at 6:40 am
Nest up: The Burning Man Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
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April 2nd, 2011 at 7:49 am
I surely hope that this is a hoax. I should think the spirit of BM alone would make it unnecessary to mention the risk of corporations ultimately controlling some, or even all, aspects of BM as a result of such a misstep.
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April 2nd, 2011 at 8:56 am
Hey, it’s the 2nd… you’re scaring me here… what, is it now art? Still chuckling a little. Creepy though.
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April 2nd, 2011 at 9:04 am
WalMart! Honestly, if you could pick a corporation that would most NOT represent BM!
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April 2nd, 2011 at 10:23 am
Helco, Geico, whats the difference?
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April 2nd, 2011 at 11:07 am
Step right up…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Go7ceSUFlAc
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April 2nd, 2011 at 11:21 am
I would really like to think this is an april fools joke, but after attending the event in San Fransisco last night i have a feeling it not
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April 3rd, 2011 at 10:02 pm
don’t write your two ears upon the meanings of gewed and evol. merely, open thine third ear, and allow the righteous future to crystallize itself.
…….WHAT THE PHVCK ARE WE DOING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DESERT?………
…oh, we were just invoking the magic of the universe, and look what happened….. how many burners does it take to clean up the mess? and what do we learn from all of this? operators sweeping by….
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April 4th, 2011 at 5:09 pm
I’ll admit it. You got me. Got me good.
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