Pelikan Hubs are back for 2022!

[Parker51]

6 hours ago, amberleadavis said:

If I am hub master, I will use my office conference room. Though our local libraries have wonderful rooms for free.

I know one attorney who is in the hobby, but his offices are not in a location near where many people in Central Ohio live and work, so getting him to help wouldn’t work. 
 

My wife pointed out I am not the local hub master this year, so it is not my problem, but I am thinking about it just in case the current hub master becomes unable to do so given possible changes related to Covid-19 as she has a baby who is too young to be vaccinated.

[Mulrich]

Our libraries always close too early. We’ve used restaurants with mixed success (generally too cramped and loud but we did find one with a private room one year), and the best was probably an office of an attendee. 

[TitoThePencilPimp]

Just a quick question. Are the Pelikan Hubs only open to those that registered? It appears that registration is closed, however I would like to attend the one at Flax Pen To Paper (LA or is it WLA).

Spoiler

 

 

[A Smug Dill]

29 minutes ago, TitoThePencilPimp said:

Are the Pelikan Hubs only open to those that registered?

 

No, but out of common courtesy you should at least confirm with the local Hub Master that the venue arranged for the event can accommodate additional, unregistered drop-in attendees, before showing up. Pelikan will mostly not have sent surplus giveaway products such that unregistered attendees need not miss out and/or feel left out, but I'm confident that those attendees would not reasonably expect to pick freebies up at the event anyway, so that should worry no-one.

 

[amk]

Paris is again in a lovely little salon de thé which the Hub takes over for the night. It helps that the owner is a fountain pen fan too. 🙂

 

[Parker51]

While I will be attending our local hub, I am a bit annoyed by Pelikans policy of requiring there be no cost to participants, dictating when the hub takes place, what are and are not acceptable locations and providing no funds for venues. This combined to cause our local hub mistress to rent a venue which fit into their current rules which differ from their earlier rules and she is not happy about this, but she is keeping her word and hosting it.
 

If those rules do not change, I am uncertain as to if we will have a hub here next year. I am not willing to use my funds to host one and I have been unable to identify any free or low cost venue available on a Friday night. If there still was a Pelikan dealer in our city they would likely cover the cost as part of their advertising budget, but alas the one here closed several years ago.

[A Smug Dill]

20 minutes ago, Parker51 said:

… Pelikans policy of requiring there be no cost to participants, dictating when the hub takes place, what are and are not acceptable locations and providing no funds for venues.

 

Interesting. I didn't know that. Does Pelikan imagine select enthusiasts and fans of the brand will only be too keen to contribute to the brand's marketing exercise, with a non-trivial amount of spend out of their own pockets?

 

22 minutes ago, Parker51 said:

I am not willing to use my funds to host one and I have been unable to identify any free or low cost venue available on a Friday night.

 

I certainly wouldn't be, either. I would like Pelikan to be successful — never mind whether its nibs are becoming worse in being fit for the specified width grades, and some people not including myself have been grumbling about the Souverän models moving to opaque barrels — but I think the company ought to be pay dearly, eyes wide open, for what it takes to stay relevant in the hobby/industry.

 

[Parker51]

38 minutes ago, A Smug Dill said:

 

Interesting. I didn't know that. Does Pelikan imagine select enthusiasts and fans of the brand will only be too keen to contribute to the brand's marketing exercise, with a non-trivial amount of spend out of their own pockets?

 

 

I certainly wouldn't be, either. I would like Pelikan to be successful — never mind whether its nibs are becoming worse in being fit for the specified width grades, and some people not including myself have been grumbling about the Souverän models moving to opaque barrels — but I think the company ought to be pay dearly, eyes wide open, for what it takes to stay relevant in the hobby/industry.

 

Formerly Pelikan allowed the use of sites affiliated with (we can’t talk about here), but alas no more. 
 

In our area public places which provide no fee to use (tax supported) meeting places such as libraries close early on Friday evenings. Hotels, Restaurants and Bars charge for the use of their facilities or have significant minimum purchase requirements. 
 

This has suggested a question to ask here, especially for those in Europe, are there providers of no or very low charge facilities that one could have a Pelikan hub at on a Friday evening? If the answer is no and there are no such facilities, then it begs the question as to if whoever at Pelikan created this rule expects Hub hosts to universally cover venue rental.

 

Do they perhaps expect the hubs to be small and for people to host in their own homes? Given a hub host cannot pick and chose who participates, I would be extremely uncomfortable opening my home to strangers. A public place where I know the majority of the attendees is the only acceptable option for me. I for one never allow total strangers into my home unless they are bonded tradesmen. 

[JulieParadise]

5 hours ago, Parker51 said:

Formerly Pelikan allowed the use of sites affiliated with (we can’t talk about here), but alas no more. 
 

In our area public places which provide no fee to use (tax supported) meeting places such as libraries close early on Friday evenings. Hotels, Restaurants and Bars charge for the use of their facilities or have significant minimum purchase requirements. 
 

This has suggested a question to ask here, especially for those in Europe, are there providers of no or very low charge facilities that one could have a Pelikan hub at on a Friday evening? If the answer is no and there are no such facilities, then it begs the question as to if whoever at Pelikan created this rule expects Hub hosts to universally cover venue rental.

 

Do they perhaps expect the hubs to be small and for people to host in their own homes? Given a hub host cannot pick and chose who participates, I would be extremely uncomfortable opening my home to strangers. A public place where I know the majority of the attendees is the only acceptable option for me. I for one never allow total strangers into my home unless they are bonded tradesmen. 

 

Here in Berlin our Hub will have around 50 attendees. 

 

We (or, to be specific: I, for the years 2018 and 2019) used to just call up our usual meet-up location, which is a nice restaurant in Berlin's central district Mitte, and say: "Hey, we'll be so-and-so-many people, can you just reserve that many places for us, please!?", and it never would have been a problem.

 

This year, though, things had changed, as all of a sudden after several calls I had made since the beginning of August (even before I knew I was going to be the Hub master, but had applied for that position as soon as the news broke about the Hub and its date) the place's owner told me on October 24 that there would only be space for 20 attendees.

 

Now a wild scramble began, as in general in Berlin you can call up restaurants and just reserve a space, but not for 50 people with only three weeks left. 

 

So, yeah, here the general availability of free spaces (free as in: Just pay for the meals and drinks you consume, without any extra fees for reservation or a fixed menu selection or minimum spending) is a given.

 

Maybe the folks at Pelikan are not aware of the challenges people in certain areas might face; and in general I do think that their (Pelikan's) requirements are fine, but of course there are circumstances under which those requirements render hosting a Hub a nuisance.

 

(To finish the Berlin story until now: We did find a restaurant, finally, but they have asked us [politely, I must say] to please inform them of as many meal choices in advance as possible, as their small kitchen staff cannot prepare 50 meals at once and also would love to be able to plan accordingly, as usually this location is more of bar than a restaurant, so they do not serve that many meals in the evenings but rather have drinks served.

 

And, the second thing they asked for [which I and my lovely Co-Hub Master swallowed with a bit of concern] is that we have the bills of the ~50 people combined into one HUUUGE bill [estimate 50 people consuming for ca. 20-40 € over the course of the evening] and then turn to the attendees to figure out how much to get from whom.

 

It would all have been a lot easier had the first location either told me to go elsewhere earlier, as then I would have only had to find a restaurant/bar to reserve space for 50 people, then we all would have just shown up there, mingle & chatter, eat & drink, pay everyone for his own. Alas, next year we're smarter.)

[TSherbs]

Oh, dear. That does sound like a challenge, Julie. 

[Parker51]

15 hours ago, JulieParadise said:

 

Here in Berlin our Hub will have around 50 attendees. 

 

We (or, to be specific: I, for the years 2018 and 2019) used to just call up our usual meet-up location, which is a nice restaurant in Berlin's central district Mitte, and say: "Hey, we'll be so-and-so-many people, can you just reserve that many places for us, please!?", and it never would have been a problem.

 

This year, though, things had changed, as all of a sudden after several calls I had made since the beginning of August (even before I knew I was going to be the Hub master, but had applied for that position as soon as the news broke about the Hub and its date) the place's owner told me on October 24 that there would only be space for 20 attendees.

 

Now a wild scramble began, as in general in Berlin you can call up restaurants and just reserve a space, but not for 50 people with only three weeks left. 

 

So, yeah, here the general availability of free spaces (free as in: Just pay for the meals and drinks you consume, without any extra fees for reservation or a fixed menu selection or minimum spending) is a given.

 

Maybe the folks at Pelikan are not aware of the challenges people in certain areas might face; and in general I do think that their (Pelikan's) requirements are fine, but of course there are circumstances under which those requirements render hosting a Hub a nuisance.

 

(To finish the Berlin story until now: We did find a restaurant, finally, but they have asked us [politely, I must say] to please inform them of as many meal choices in advance as possible, as their small kitchen staff cannot prepare 50 meals at once and also would love to be able to plan accordingly, as usually this location is more of bar than a restaurant, so they do not serve that many meals in the evenings but rather have drinks served.

 

And, the second thing they asked for [which I and my lovely Co-Hub Master swallowed with a bit of concern] is that we have the bills of the ~50 people combined into one HUUUGE bill [estimate 50 people consuming for ca. 20-40 € over the course of the evening] and then turn to the attendees to figure out how much to get from whom.

 

It would all have been a lot easier had the first location either told me to go elsewhere earlier, as then I would have only had to find a restaurant/bar to reserve space for 50 people, then we all would have just shown up there, mingle & chatter, eat & drink, pay everyone for his own. Alas, next year we're smarter.)

Your experience suggests that those making the rules at Pelikan are not particularly adept at doing the research necessary to support a global endeavor such as the hub. 
 

Here Friday is the beginning of the weekend and as such bars and restaurants are quite busy. Young people will also often be out at bars and restaurants in the evening as they do not stay up as late as in Germany. Perhaps this difference is why those at Pelikan think nothing of scheduling an event on a Friday evening. They think the venues will be empty until the partying crowds show up much later as is common in some places.
 

Many bars and restaurants depend on the income derived Friday and Saturday nights to operate their businesses and thus require rental fees or significant guaranteed minimums. That is why I believe that throughout North America having a hub earlier in the week would work out better because venues would have excess capacity.

 

The idea of a single bill for a large group is certainly frightening to me, especially given one does not know everyone at a hub and trying to get everyone to pay what they owe after the evening will be difficult as it will be difficult to determine accurate bills for everyone and some people may leave early before the entire bill is calculated given there will not be a single meal and obtaining of drink, but an ongoing activity, especially given the limitations of the kitchen. Some may actually leave before some are served and well before the bill is presented.
 

One solution I can imagine is to collect funds at the time they order their food and drink or as they receive it. I would have them pay in cash so that at the end of the night you will have the money to pay the bill. This will be socially awkward, but the alternative would be your paying the entire bill and then asking each person to reimburse you. Not a problem with friends, but strangers, who knows.
 

Another idea would be them transferring funds one after another to your personal account as they order or after they receive their order. Then transferring the funds to the restaurant at the end of the night. 
 

I believe the second option would be better, but both options put you or someone who is helping you into a difficult and time consuming role. 
 

One other thing, will the restaurant provide clear detailed pricing for everything that is ordered so that each person can figure out how much they owe? 
 

It all sounds like a mess just waiting to happen and too much work for what is supposed to be an enjoyable evening.

 

Perhaps the restaurant would agree to a limited menu at a fixed price to make it simpler to collect the funds and simpler and easier for them to prepare the food in a timely manner. Then the complicated part would be the drinks. Still challenging however unless they can operate what we call here a cash bar. Typically a cash bar is a separate activity in which those who chose to drink from the bar order and then pay as they receive their drinks. The fixed price meal is billed separately and includes a limited amount of drink with it, typically water, beer on tap or a glass of house wine or two. 

[Intensity]

I snoozed on the deadlines and have not signed up.  Since it turns out there’s a hub meeting in my city (Boston), I’m curious if I could still somehow contact the hub organizer and check-in?  Or is it definitely too late?  I have not gone before, so not sure what to expect.

[Sinistral1]

@Intensity It might not be too late to contact the Hubmaster and request a spot.  I had to cancel my attendance last week because of a bad weather forecast and notified my Hubmistress, who had a list of people she could contact to fill my spot.  Not saying you will get in, but it's worth a try.

[A Smug Dill]

I, for one, am glad to see the New South Wales Government has issued a call officially, within the past 24 hours, for residents to wear masks in indoor settings, just in time for attendees of the Pelikan Hub event to be alerted to it. (No, it is not mandatory yet.)

[fireant]

On 11/9/2022 at 8:54 PM, Parker51 said:

While I will be attending our local hub, I am a bit annoyed by Pelikans policy of requiring there be no cost to participants, dictating when the hub takes place, what are and are not acceptable locations and providing no funds for venues. This combined to cause our local hub mistress to rent a venue which fit into their current rules which differ from their earlier rules and she is not happy about this, but she is keeping her word and hosting it.

 

What we do in Portland is rent an event space. Then I collect door prizes (my sibling makes incredible leather penrolls, notebook holders, etc.,), unopened inks from my stash, yada yada.

 

When people sign in, they are told about the room rent/raffle. They do not have to buy a ticket. Each person can buy one ticket and pay as much as they want. People have tossed in $0.25 up to $20. We don't tell them how much to pay because we want it to be affordable to all. Then every 13-20 minutes we pull a ticket or two. It keeps the evening going and people like the prizes.

 

But we make it clear they do not have to buy a ticket. I've told Pelikan in the past what we do and they are fine with it. The room rent is $200 and unually we make that amount. If we go over I give the overage to the pen club. If it's under I pay the difference. I don't mind.

 

[Intensity]

I don’t see this as a fair policy because of the text in the terms and conditions about Pelikan using photographs from the events for promotional purposes.  If they are going to be effectively making money on these events, they should loosen their terms to be more accommodating to whatever the local needs (such as collecting small entrance fees for a rented suitable space.)

[jchch1950]

In the evenings some coffee shops are quite empty. You have to consume a certain amount because you use their place ,lights,electricity, etc.I value the opportunity to meet other Pelican  aficionados and pen lovers face to face and not only by

social media.

[Christopher Godfrey]

<If they are going to be effectively making money on these events>

 

I cannot see how Pelikan make any money on these events: rather, it must <cost> them, since they give away promotional materials, paper and ink (although not the latter this year apparently, but certainly they have done so in the past)

 

I have sent you a PM, Intensity, and would guess that you will be very welcome.  I am emailing the Boston Hubmaster to relay that I am unable to come.  Go and enjoy meeting other Pelikan afficionados (although you will find that the majority are attached to contemporary FPs, in my experience -- my own interest is vintage)

[fireant]

I received the presentation and it stated there were 220 Hubs with 6107 participants. In the past the swag included a full bottle of the ink of the year. This year, due to supply chain issues they couldn't do so.

 

Each hub hubmaster received a flag (participants sign it), 2 small boxes of markers, name tags, and two other swag items. Along with a gift to the hubmaster. My hub is 75 peeps and it the FedEx delivery was one enormous box and three smaller boxes. Some of the hubs are enormous and it's a large expenditure by Pelikan to put this event on.

 

In pervious years you'd have added 75 bottles of the ink of the year plus an additional 8 bottles of a variety of the Edelstein inks. Those eight inks were for the hubmaster as a thank you, but I just brought them to the hub for people to use.

 

As I said earlier, my pen club helps me put this event on. It helps us get more members and it's honestly just a fun event-we've even had people wander in from the restaraunt and ask to participate. We're usually done by 9:30-10pm but there were a few hubs where I had to chase people out to the main area of the restaraunt. Getting/paying for our venue isn't bad because I've found a great place to eat that only charges $200 for a Friday night-which is crazy cheap for Portland.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Parker51]

On 11/18/2022 at 1:00 AM, jchch1950 said:

In the evenings some coffee shops are quite empty. You have to consume a certain amount because you use their place ,lights,electricity, etc.I value the opportunity to meet other Pelican  aficionados and pen lovers face to face and not only by

social media.

Not in our area. Some Coffee Shop simply close early, others transform themselves into bars. Labor is much too expensive for any establishment to stay open without many customers around here.