[Tango-L] The Business of Milongas

[Alberto Gesualdi]

Hi Caroline/Gulden

There are several situations in Buenos Aires, to have the milongas into the B / C category as business. 
Although there is a kind of cultural approach from the town hall,  to milongas,  due to tango dancing as part of as a tourist beacon for the city, there are expenses that cannot be avoided , such as:

-security countermeasures into the place ( fire extinghishers, insurance policy updated) . Also there is a maximum quantity of people allowed inside, related to the size of the place. La milonguita at Maipu 444 for instance, could not hold more than 150 people ( and it is pretty packed with that number )

-cost of DJ that includes the personal service, plus the fees to be paid to SADAIC for ownership rights of the music played.

-cost of a buffet service or a catering, or something to serve to the tables. This could be reduced in some cases ( social clubs have a separate restaurant, so there is an agreement to provide food and drink to the tables, such as in Sunderland) 

-cost of hiring of the place , it depends on the day of the week and the size of the place. Usually the  organizer/host of the milonga is not the owner of the place (Club Gricel, Dandi , are a few exceptions of this rule).

-in some cases, security assistance has to be paid , if the milonga place is not inside a social club or a building with their own security. People that goes to the milonga are peaceful, but the street is becoming increasingly dangerous at night in Buenos Aires city, so it is necessary to have a control to prevent breaking into the milonga of  thieves .

All in all, the cost of the event is barely covered with the entrance fee, actually, around USD 3 to USD 4 . In certain cases the fee is higher ( if lived orchestras play) , but also the cost of hiring of the orchestra, increases the total expenses.

Nevertheless, to be a host of a milonga, has to be a social venture, that could bring to the person that dares to make this bold move, to gratify herself/himself , with the benefits of being a socializing member within his/her community, which is not a small bonus . To gather people to socialize, is a remarcable achievement.


warm regards
alberto
 


----- Mensaje original ----
De: Gulden Ozen <gulden at tangophilia.com>
Para: Caroline Polack <runcarolinerun at hotmail.com>
CC: tango-l at mit.edu
Enviado: martes 24 de abril de 2007, 13:52:00
Asunto: Re: [Tango-L] The Business of Milongas


The answer to your question could be either B or C but not A, not even in
large cities.
The admission you may be able to charge for a regular monthly milonga cannot
exceed $15/person including food and beverages, in most cases.
Without food and/or beverages included, the max. admission fee is usually
around $10/person. In some cities/communities like ours, organizers make a
special effort to offer discounts for students.
With the rentals and publicity expenses in a not-so-expensive city, a
milonga can fund itself if the minimum number of participants is around
~40-50.
If we're talking about "making a decent living", one should perhaps look
into possibilities other than organizing tango events (or even teaching
tango!).

Having organized regular weekly/monthly milongas and special milongas over
the last 9 years, I can tell you that it is a labor of love not a way to
make any kind of living :-)

Best,

Gulden Ozen

On 4/24/07, Caroline Polack <runcarolinerun at hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> I'm wondering about the business of running a Milonga.
>
> Is it:
>
> A) Milongas is a money-making business. I can certainly make a decent
> living
> at hosting milongas.
>
> B) I'm just breaking even, I neither profit nor lose money at running
> milongas.
>
> or is it
>
> C) Most of the time, milongas cost me money, I usually pay the deficit out
> of my own pocket.
>
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