Prices for so many things have gone up. No one gets rich holding a live show - at best, a show will pay its expenses and we’re really impressed if a show can raise a modest amount of money for a charity.
Halls are getting more expensive both in raw and total cost. Showholders take a risk that they will sink significant amounts of money in on top of the many hours of work.
When I am budgeting a show, I’m looking at total estimated cost, which includes travel, hotel, rental car, and transport which well dwarf the entry fees on even the most local show I attend. (Gas alone is more than my entry fee to the nearest show to me.) At times, I also consider if there’s a possibility for sales (or judging perks) to offset those costs.
Do you consider the total cost when you’re planning? Will you attend a more expensive show if for example a more expensive hall makes your other travel expenses more affordable?
I live in the relative middle of no where when it comes to the model horse hobby (Montana). I have to drive many hours to get to any show: the closest show I’ve done was just two hours away and the farthest was ten to eleven hours away (when I lived in way eastern Montana and the show was way western Montana). As it is, the majority of shows I’ve done are a five to seven hour drive.
SO, all of that to say, that I greatly prefer if a show is only around $50, as I will have at least two or three tanks of gas, plus two nights in a hotel, and multiple meals out. However, many of the shows have started moving up to $60-75. I get it, halls aren’t cheap. However, hotels DEFINITELY are no longer cheap, so even if there are shows in my “general vicinity” (ha, ha) I might not be able to swing all of them. Which also makes me sad, as I WANT to support any show in this area, in hopes that people will keep hosting them!