I believe that clubs in Turlington Plaza shouldn't just limit themselves to the preset concrete tables already there. There are so many clubs and companies on campus that are constantly tabling but only so many tables on possibly the most traveled part of campus. With all the clubs and events being put on the waiting list, getting peak recruitment times will be difficult at the start of every semester. Most of the clubs are just sending out people to stand in front of Library West with flyers instead of being apart of the heart of campus. This is an issue I have seen and heard organizations complain about in the past. I have seen one club set up a plastic table that they own to overcome this problem and I think more organizations would be willing to rent tables to set up in Turlington.
My prototypical customer would be smaller organizations that have trouble getting optimal tabling times in Turlington.
After talking to a few clubs, a UF start-up company and an on-campus ministry I found that their need was very specific. They needed an area to set up a display to attract people's interest during the morning and noontime rushes in Turlington Plaza. Most are only concerned with tabling for the first month or so when students are looking to try new things before exam season starts.
From the feedback, it would have to be a seasonal opportunity that was flexible to the clubs time frames. Otherwise, many sound like they would be interested in something like this. While this idea would have to be flexible to individuals' timelines, but otherwise is still the original basis that I noticed. I think entrepreneurs shouldn't have to adapt their ideas but should want to provide the best service and be open to improving their methods.
Hi Ethan!
ReplyDeleteI am actually a brand ambassador for a start-up company called LULA, (We are a car-sharing app, so think Airbnb but for cars.) so I can vouch for you. When my team and I table for the company we bring a plastic table and then set up our merch around Turlington and Plaza of the Americas. I think your idea is great. I agree that more clubs and companies should bring their own tables.
Deborah Lee
Hi Ethan,
ReplyDeleteI used to run a large club in my high school, which had a large number of clubs as well, so I can see how this situation can be frustrating to a club trying to recruit new members. the beginning of each semester is definitely the peak time students are looking to join clubs and try new things, so I think it would be a great idea to implement some sort of seasonal policy to provide and rent out more tables to clubs in Turlington plaza.
Hi Ethan,
ReplyDeleteI've personally dealt with this with one of my organizations because we actually did not know that we had to rent the tables in turlington and the difficulty of doing so. I think you provide a good solution, as it is extremely important and most beneficial to set up during rush hour. However, with more clubs setting up their own personal tables in turlington or outside of library west it would definitely be important to consider traffic issues.
Ethan,
ReplyDeleteI honestly agree with you whole heartedly. I think the lack of space is where the problem begins. I believe organizations should do more with advertisement and shouldn’t let the process or lack of tables intimidate them. Being a second year student I am desperately trying to join clubs and really be plugged into our campus. But the clubs that I see don’t interest me, and I’m not aware of any other clubs that may interest me. This issue is something that a lot of people deal with, I think if we tackle the issue in turlington plaza we’ll be able to tackle the issue of finding groups to join.