Training Log Archive: TheInvisibleLog

Addendum to yesterday's missive- funding mapping.

How much do you need to charge to pay for a map?

Quite a few years ago I built a financial model on spreadsheet to demonstrate what our club (and others) needed to charge to fund the development of a map by a professional mapper. This was based on the clubs experience of in paying for the mapping of a few areas including Korong. You plugged in all the mapping costs, a potential schedule of use at different event levels, a bank interest rate and inflation rate and it spat out the numbers. The result was a shock to many and no-one would use the model. From memory, it suggested we needed to charge around $6 at a major event per entrant.

What can Championships pay for?

Its quite clear that State Championships do not provide enough return to fund map making. For most clubs this leaves National Championships and local events as the means to pay for professional map making. National Championships have higher levies but also higher entry fees. And also much higher participation. Assume 800 entrants and a charge of $2 in the entry fee and you can pay for a modest spur gully bush map. $4 will pay for something better or larger. Charge that and use the map for two events and you can then pay for a special map like Korong. We have six of these opportunities a year across the country. That is the opportunity to create one map a year per state. Its pointless to observe that this explains why Australia cannot support a professional mapper. Its is more useful to observe that this doesn't inject much terrain novelty into a State's orienteering fixture. So its left to local events to feed the map hunger.

What can a local event fixture support?

The advantage of local events is a lower levy and in the case of Bendigo regular repeated participation. Gradually this can fund some mapping. No other Victorian club is in that position. Street orienteering really should not fund bush maps. And the sprint series can only fund local sprint terrain. At some time in the past (when I was club President but before I was as deeply into mapping) I set a notional $1 component of each entry to fund mapping and remapping. This was a notional $2,500 a year. That can pay for a map of modest terrain or small size. And during the reign of President Jymbo this is what happened. Over four years the club paid Chris Creely to remap Norfolk Hero, One Tree Hill, Wildflower Drive and Diamond Hill. I was paid to map Birds Reef and Dead Bullock Gully. There was clearly some dipping into cash reserves here. Its a good use of reserves when the club runs as many events as Bendigo does. Some special project funds paid for Camp Hill.

My mapping plans

The above schedule means someone such as myself can only expect to be paid to produce a club map every couple of years. A further issue for me is my special relationship with the club president. I feel uncomfortable at her signing cheques to pay me to make maps for the club. But I have a list of terrains I would like to see mapped and used. My solution is to just go out and map when I have the time and the inclination. The maps are being released for local events rather than championships. I am retaining copyright on the maps. There are two reasons for the latter. I want it to be made explicit that the club is not funding this mapping and Julie is not in a compromised position. A copyright note on the map is also a message that this is a significant voluntary labour. I am now adding time mapping time as a notice on each map. I will maintain some control over the use of these maps, particularly the bush sprint maps. And I maintain the option of selling the maps to a club in the future. This year there were five new maps or remaps on the fixture- four of them remain under my copyright- White Hill, South Star, Ironstone Hill and Adelaide Hill. Next year the fixture will have at three new areas- Lockwood Range, Sparrowhawk and New Argus (remap). Following years will see more added around Wedderburn and Heathcote. The message for those looking for new terrain in your bush orienteering is to closely follow the Bendigo local event fixture. The most interesting new terrain in Victorian orienteering this year was probably White Hill No 4. Fifty people indulged in this boutique orienteering experience. Those who think the best terrain is at State Series events missed out. I was happy not to advertise the event too widely as I was organiser and its much less stressful with 50 rather than 100 entrants. ;-)

The fate of the mapping stock outside Bendigo

The final observation I have is the fate of maps between Bendigo and Macedon owned by Melbourne clubs. I can't see enough State Series and club events happening to pay for the maintenance of all these maps. I can't see enough of these events to justify spending club financial reserves on these maps. A few may be used for national events (next in 202?). But our choices for national events are increasingly on the technical terrain around Creswick, Kooyoora and the north east. Perhaps in the next few years Bendigo can cut a deal with clubs who currently own maps around Castlemaine. That would see the maps being regularly used. I fear though that we may never again run on a map such as Mt Franklin Gorge. You can fill in the dots on the other similar areas.

C • Map and event economics 4

Problems with new shoes. Ended up wearing one old and one new. This may be a permanent solution.