Visual Magnetics Partnership
[UPDATE]: We are taking a 1-week period to record any reservations and proposed solutions to this partnership. Please take some time to add your thoughts to our doc (in both columns!): https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1RCP3Opg7_d_tW-QnHwHuJroybtF3NM9Q0C3eyZwRG2k/edit#gid=0
Hey fam!
I spoke to the VM team last week and today to flesh out the partnership details. In addition to the impending installation of cafe sponsorship, they are also looking to deepen and provide some structure for our partnership. Their hope is to provide our initiatives with their collaborative toolkit and understand how to provide the most values to a "next generation workspace" like ours!
As most of you know, this is a relationship that has persevered throughout our very long construction process; I'm grateful that the VM team has stuck by us throughout all our trials and tribulations (and delays). I still think having them as close collaborators will prove really fruitful for our own programming, our events capabilities, and everyday fun/work/life stuff.
I'd love to field any questions or concerns that you might have! Let me know!
Responsibilities from VM (sponsorship):
1. Activation of cafe (within VM's capacity)*
2. Install and activation of large wall on 1st floor*
3. Install and activation of meditation room*
4. Install and activation of large conference room*
5. Provide 5 table top installs
6. Will produce layers for 5 PP events per year (up to 100 SQFT) any amount over 100 sq/ft with be billed at a discounted rate of $8.00 sq/ft ( standard price of $14 sq/ft)*
Artwork hanging system -- schedule and beta samples forthcoming (there may be some associated cost, but deeply discounted)
- The continued activations of the spaces are correlated to point number 6 (5 events per year 100sq ft of printed graphic layers each event/activation) this could be looked at as 5 activations rather than events, and you can allocate those 5 activations (printing graphic top layers) across the different walls at your discretion.
Prime Produce agrees to provide to VM:
1. 3-Year Term (hopefully this will continue indefinitely, but let's see in 2021)
2. Access 24 hours downstairs-only key cards for immediate VM team: Tori Joe Sandy, + Nick, Lauren, Melissa (6 total)
3. Able to use space for photo shoots in meditation room (and produce quick social media content) as long as planned ahead with PPAC host
4. Able to schedule (VM-activated) conference room from time to time. (A few times a month).
5. The ability to host our own foster labs workshops 5 per year (intimate brainstorms with our clients), scheduled with PPAC host. Generally will have at least 1 week notice ahead of time.
6. Would like to be able to host 2 (non-partnership) design industry events per year -- (long lead time) for Design industry and potential clients.
7. Would like to partner with PP members to produce 4 co-branded public-facing or internal workshops/events per year
8. Small amount of storage for layers + some showroom collateral.
ALSO: I've attached the previously proposed engagement phases (which this proposal supersedes) for reference.
Jerone Sun 15 Jul 2018 6:34PM
thanks @chris113 for following up. I spoke to Tori last week and we reviewed the membership concerns together. She's taking back to her team to review. I plan to follow up to see how those talks are going on Tuesday.
Chris Sun 15 Jul 2018 6:41PM
Could you push for a decision on this from the co-op side and confront the challenges this partnership actually creates (versus dealing with theoretical challenges before anything happens)? I am afraid that we sometimes deliberate ourselves out of opportunities. Some of the above concerns have a few avenues to be addressed. Not all need money to execute, ie: building access. Some can be cultural. I'm repeating this point because its the opinion I feel strongest about.
Jerone Sun 15 Jul 2018 10:05PM
The process we all agreed on was to collect and then share our friction points with proposed solutions with VM. That's happened. Once we hear back from them, I agree we should push for a decision from the coop side! I agree wholeheartedly with you, otherwise! Let's push together? @chris113
Qinza Sun 15 Jul 2018 10:22PM
Great, as for the time line.......for the sept/oct exhibition to take place would need a decision end of this month..... any chance of this happening so I can let the curators know on time for us to move forward with it?
Qinza
Jerone Sun 15 Jul 2018 11:47PM
Everyone's aware of the September deadline for a hanging system. They are actually CNCing a prototype art wall hanger for us on good faith this week. Will keep you posted! @qinza
michelle jackson Sun 15 Jul 2018 11:50PM
Wow. That’s amazing. Thanks to VM for that. Appreciated.
Qinza Sun 15 Jul 2018 11:54PM
👍🏻 Awesome look forward to see this moving forward
Jerone Sun 14 Oct 2018 3:57AM
@chris113 can you give an update on this partnership?
Chris Tue 16 Oct 2018 5:44PM
UPDATE: I spoke with Tori of VM on 10/12. This partnership is no longer in play. Two reasons why:
- Timing and Capacity: VM is a small business with limited capacity for coordination with non-client partners. When it proposed this partnership, they were in a place to execute it, and follow through. They are no longer in that place.
- Governance: our decision making structure made them weary of working with us. They were concerned that future interactions between VM and prime produce would have to go to co-op wide approval. The speed at which our decision making happens makes it hard for VM to stay with us.
What next? Tori and VM still love prime produce. They just can't connect with us in this way. They can, HOWEVER, connect with us and do some exciting things in the coffee shop space. To do this: they require a vision, a plan, and a dedicated point of contact who can make decisions quickly and decisively on behalf of the co-op. They do not have the capacity for multiple or long review sessions. They can help us execute a vision without the processing (not where they shine, nor where they want to put their time).
Rosalind Zavras Tue 16 Oct 2018 8:44PM
Unfortunately, to me, cooperative decision-making is a core part of our process and I am uncomfortable with allowing for any one person or persons to make decisions about shared spaces 'quickly and decisively.' A lot of this comes from the fact that we're talking about shared spaces on the second floor that me and my team uses all the time. I think the wall down at the coffee shop is 'cool' but I personally still don't see the value.
In terms of our decision making structure. This is the beauty and the challenge of a cooperative and if we have not strayed from that structure for other decisions then I don't understand why would do so now.
Chris Wed 17 Oct 2018 2:17AM
Testing reply from email.
347.331.1341 | sent from the road
Chris Wed 17 Oct 2018 10:53PM
@rosalindzavras I am over-communicating that we did not stray from co-op decision making, nor is VM asking us to stray from it. That's why the greater partnership is no longer in play.
Chris Wed 17 Oct 2018 10:57PM
The coffee shop VM wall was well received by The Value Web. I am understating their excitement. As an interactive way to use the space for ideation, presentation, interaction, it's a value add to facilitators, workshop hosts, and any other client that has an interactive / sharing / communication component to their events. With a defined vision for how to engage with it, I think it can also add value to the average coffee shop patron. This vision will have to come wholly from prime produce - not COFFEED or VM. I am hoping whoever can make it on 10/25 can hear the limitations of partnering with VM (limits mostly around VM's capacity) so that the co-op can pursue something creatively exciting within them.
David Fri 26 Oct 2018 9:07PM
Very brief update: meeting with Tori seemed good and fruitful, in that we focused narrowly on possibilities for activating the cafe wall and using VMs tools to experiment with activities members of the co-op might benefit from and also provide feedback to VM from. I'm not certain on the specifics, but they are offering to produce a limited amount of custom material for us to use, without charge, given sufficient lead time. I think the idea is for us to brainstorm and test out ways we use the wall, and then connect back with VM to do a first round of production to get materials to test. @jerone @michellej1 @marcossalazar1 can you fill in the fatigue-gaps in this recap? Thanks all!
Chris · Sun 15 Jul 2018 4:50PM
@jerone - 1. what have been the next steps to move this decision making process forward? 2. Have you been in touch with Tori / Is there still an opportunity to actively drive an outcome - whether the outcome is a "no-go" or a "let's go"?