When I say I am tired, I mean I am tired. Lets recap because I think it's been an eventful last couple of weeks
[Insert law school organization here]
I have spent the last few weeks helping organize my organization's end of the year banquet. Long story short, there was a lot of miscommunication between the organizing committee, the venue, the school accounting office and me, the treasurer.
The venue, claiming they have done business with our school before, has always demanded, and according to them, has always received 100% payment up front. However, school wide policy allows for a deposit of 50% of total costs and final payment only after services have been rendered.
The organizing committee "secured" a venue, food and labor. Unfortunately for me, when I said the organizing committee had "secured" the venue, I mean the organizing committee DID NOT secure the venue. By the time I learned of this, our organization had already sent out invitations and had already placed a deposit with the venue.
I, the treasurer, had to mediate the demands of the organizing committee, the venue, and the school. However the venue was not very pleasant to deal with. The demanded 100% payment up front or else. Yes. Or else. My conversations with the venue manager was very unpleasant to say the least. Actually, to be more descriptive, he was a fat, shady old guy with a mustache who encouraged me to falsify documents with my school in order for him to get 100% payment up front.
Here a protip for everyone: Be very cautious of men with mustaches. They are very cunning. In all my business dealings with people, it's the guys with mustaches that are always out to screw you. I see a mustache as a manifestation of their personality to hide their true intentions.
Knowing that the venue was not being very understanding and the fact that our banquet was in 5 days, I immediately seeked out alternate venues to have our banquet. I found one and negotiated a price and payment plan that weekend for $4250.
With three days before the banquet, me, the president of my organization, and the director of our organizing committee met with the manager of the venue to come to some sort of an agreement. The manager quickly gave in and accepted my school's demands of 50% payment up front and 50% payment after services are rendered. Nice. Got one of my goals. However, at the same time I finally learned that the venue would be charging us $8500 for the banquet.
$8500??!?! Shit. We first decided we had to cut some things out of the contract to lower costs. That only brought us down to about $6500. We were still way over budget and way over what the alternate venue would have charged us. The manager of the venue said, "look, I can't move you to any other room because they are booked. Where ever you go at this point, you will have to come back. It [the $6500 price] is a very good deal." It was at this point that I realized that the manager of the venue was stuck with us as well. If we skipped out on him, he would lose out on the opportunity of making money off of our business. This was when I really went to work.
I told the manager of the venue that unlike what he believed was the case, there was an alternate venue that my organization can fall back on. Not only was this venue cheaper but it would provide a 10 course meal rather than 1. Parking is provided for and wine is included in this lower price point.
We negotiated back and forth until the manager finally gave in and offered to give us 1) the venue, 2) a dinner, and 3) a wait staff for $4500. It was a good deal in my opinion and I took the deal. It just took over three hours of sitting in a dank room negotiating with a fat old man to bring down the price from $8500 to $4500.
Looking back though, I probably could have gotten a slightly better offer. I had told the manager that the alternate venue gave us a $4250 offer. I should have just told the manager the alternate venue gave us a $4000 offer. This would have forced the manager to come even closer to the "offered" price. I also should have given the manager the option of meeting me half way between the $4000 price point and his offer of $4500. This would have saved my organization a little more money.
But overall, I think my organization got most of what it wanted. I would give myself a B+ for my negotiating that day. I got most of what I was seeking but 1) I could have gotten a slightly better price and 2) I need to learn how to better control my emotions. I can be a very angry person and it showed that day. I had my arms folded around in front of me and a scowl on my face that would make a baby bunny cry. However, can you really blame me? I blame it on sitting in the same dank room with a shady mustachioed fat guy for over three hours.
I'm tired. I don't know if I can recover in time. Trust, responsibility, all can be made very hollow.
I lost my flash drive. I lost it the Wednesday before spring break. It contained things I could care less losing but it also contained some very sensitive data. I have pictures...less than flattering pictures of myself working a charity event. Trust me when I say that the charity event was designed in a way to result in unflattering pictures. I also have unclassified versions of my open letter and other personal documents and effects. I'm angry at myself for losing my flash drive.
