Tacoma DIVE/Travel Expo Treasure Hunt was not fair

[Pez7378]

Not sure what your point is RSdiver but I can assure you that my comment was not made to serve as "damage control". I have no stake in this other than that I truly believe that the Dive and Travel Expo is good for our local dive community. Clearly due to the large number of Snorkels on hand, someone was going to "win" them. Of course I am a very happy participant in the Treasure Hunt. After all, I found the treasure box, and I won a trip to Quadra Island in BC. I saw some folks walk away with some very nice prizes, but I also believe that the prize giveaway should have been better organized. On the other hand, the Cash giveaway couldn't have gone better!

 

[Gdog]

Ha! Nice score, Pez...have to admit a bit of envy when you walked away with all that coin!!! Good for you! Which is just my point....We all paid for a chance at that coin, but as in the movies......"There can be only One!!"

 

[sunnyboy]

So it's too hard to get a box, toss all the "winning" names in and then draw out the winners?

Geez.

-S

 

[diveborg]

So it's too hard to get a box, toss all the "winning" names in and then draw out the winners?

Geez.

-S

Actually, I think it would work better to assign each prize a number. Keep the numbers a secret. You find the numbered ball, you get the prize associated with it. The prizes can be give out in any order and it doesn't matter what letter the diver's name starts with.

 

[stillhope]

Originally Posted by sunnyboy
So it's too hard to get a box, toss all the "winning" names in and then draw out the winners?

Geez.

Actually, I think it would work better to assign each prize a number. Keep the numbers a secret. You find the numbered ball, you get the prize associated with it. The prizes can be give out in any order and it doesn't matter what letter the diver's name starts with.

Are any of these ideas intended to change anything? If so, wouldn't it be more helpful if you were to explain why you thought your idea was better so the people planning the next one will get more insight from the list of ideas? You know, like showing your work on a math test?

For example, it seems to me that there are two important parts of awarding prizes:
1) a fair mechanism for attaching prizes to awardees;
2) a presentation that has the proper theatrics.

As far as (1) goes, having the appearance of randomly selecting the winners is as important as the actual randomness. E.g. if you assigned each prize to a number and kept them secret, there would justifiably be suspicion about how the assignment was made and/or if the secret was really secret. However, if you draw the winners out of a box in front of a crowd, there is a stronger appearance of randomness and less room for suspicion. The crowd will be happier. Maybe that's why you've seen this done at so many different events where there is randomized prize giving!

2) If you award the biggest prizes first and the smallest ones last, there will be a predictable waning of enthusiasm in the crowd. Who wants to stick around to see who won the paperclips? It's much more customary to award the smallest prizes first, building suspense for the larger ones. And the gold medal goes to ...

Just some ideas...

 

[diveborg]

Are any of these ideas intended to change anything? If so, wouldn't it be more helpful if you were to explain why you thought your idea was better so the people planning the next one will get more insight from the list of ideas? You know, like showing your work on a math test?

The reason I suggested pre-assigning numbers to the prizes was to save time after the event. You don't have to take the time to draw numbers one at a time to give away the prizes because the work has already been done in advance.

After the hunt, just post a list of numbers with the associated prizes. If you are concerned with transparency, display the prize/number list in a sealed envelope prominently at the show and open it in front of the crowd as soon as the treasure hunt is over.

As for "theatrics", that's just an annoyance IMO. Few people want to wait to see what they have won.

 

[Pez7378]

I tend to agree with Diveborg in that assigning the prizes to the #'s before the event would save a considerable amount of time in the prize giveaway. It's still pretty random IMO. I found 4 golf balls in the first several minutes and had to make a choice as to which ball I kept. Then throughout the dive, I continued to find balls I could have "traded" for. I "assumed" that the number represented a prize and whatever choice I made I was stuck with. I thought that was how it was being ran. Even if you knew that ball #1 was a trip to fiji, good luck finding that ball during the dive. If you don't know which # corresponds with the prizes, you spend the whole dive, second guessing your selection. That makes it kind of exciting, wondering if you just passed up the big prize. How can you get more "random" than that?

 

[VooDooGasMan]

Congrats pez on the treasure chest.

If the the prize balls are not found, have a backup number to give away the prize, if not needed make that number a snorkel with a mask or something along those lines.

Last I checked at Lds a snorkel runs $40.00, So what I have read if everyone else gets a snorkel there not out there $35.00 could'nt be more frair.

Like a decade ago at scubafest, you got same response from divers(no snorkels) rick went over to the donation tent that had the event t-shirt, started throwing them in the air over there heads.

All in All it should be a show that is close to dema, so ya don't have to travel to see new dive gear, have other reasons to draw in the divers.

Bandito can pick up real close for charters, out of town divers can dive and enjoy the show, charter and gear at a really reduce rate, with a shuttle from expo to dock.

I know there are vollunteer and legal issues that need to be adressed, It just needs other angles to draw people and divers without dissapointment.

Lingcod season starts soon, need to practice on cabby's today.

Happy Diving

 

[RSdiver]

Heres an idea, how about this.....if you were disappointed with the results of this years treasure hunt, volunteer for next year, and improve the process! :lurk_2:

I think the appropriate response would be ...
"Thanks Rick ... what can I do to help make next year's show even better?"
... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Your assumption that I've done nothing is false; I volunteered all three days and even hung with Rick's son on several jobs (great chronic). I also travelled quite a distance at my expense to do this. In addition, all volunteers get free admission but I also paid $35 for the treasure hunt which included an admission fare that I gladly donated.

There was only one way to get a green volunteer shirt; Ricks hands them out to his unpaid volunteers, see the photo of mine.

You seem to enjoy pointing the finger at others and flaunt your high priced wins. I don't see how you contributed in making this show any better by making others feel less. When I comment on how I observed so many divers in the crowd that were angered by the non-random selection of prizes and were actually shouting back at Rick during the "alleged drawing" then you come down on me. Hey, I'm just the messenger and a real random drfawing would have taken just as long with a far better result of happy people rather than an angered crowd.

I feel I contributed quite a lot to make this the best possible event. What did you do besides rub it in peoples' faces and make them feel bad?

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Your assumption that I've done nothing is false; I volunteered all three days and even hung with Rick's son on several jobs (great chronic). I also travelled quite a distance at my expense to do this. In addition, all volunteers get free admission but I also paid $35 for the treasure hunt which included an admission fare that I gladly donated.

There was only one way to get a green volunteer shirt; Ricks hands them out to his unpaid volunteers, see the photo of mine.

You seem to enjoy pointing the finger at others and flaunt your high priced wins. I don't see how you contributed in making this show any better by making others feel less. When I comment on how I observed so many divers in the crowd that were angered by the non-random selection of prizes and were actually shouting back at Rick during the "alleged drawing" then you come down on me. Hey, I'm just the messenger and a real random drfawing would have taken just as long with a far better result of happy people rather than an angered crowd.

I feel I contributed quite a lot to make this the best possible event. What did you do besides rub it in peoples' faces and make them feel bad?

Not sure why you quoted me here ... as the comment you quoted (the one by me) was not directed at you ... it's also taken completely out of context.

What's up with that, anyway?

... Bob (Grateful Diver)