Will you be working a booth for free?

[Siouxcountry]

Isaac Hinds asks you to think it over...

MusclePhone

It may seem cool to "get to go" to the @ArnoldSports & work a booth but if you're doing it for free, you might want to rethink things.

[LaurenFazio]

I'll be there with my sponsor, and it aint for free

[HDPhysiques-Joe]

Isaac is 100% right on this one. Unfortunately so many are gullable and just jump at any opportunity to get attention, that working for free has become the norm for many booths.

I have yet to see how a couple of boxes of protein bars and/or having your picture taken with "fans", translates into mortgage payments....

[LaurenFazio]

Originally Posted by STL Joe

Isaac is 100% right on this one. Unfortunately so many are gullable and just jump at any opportunity to get attention, that working for free has become the norm for many booths.

I have yet to see how a couple of boxes of protein bars and/or having your picture taken with "fans", translates into mortgage payments....

X1000000000000000

[FemFlex]

This is something that the schmoes have been saying for over a decade.

By making this statement public, does that mean that Isaac has completely broken from the Establishment??

He's spot-on here, of course. To be honest, 'free' (meaning that at least expenses are covered, even if there's no real take-home compensation) would actually be an upgrade, as a large number of women actually pay hundreds out of pocket to be booth workers.

BUT, just so we're - I absolutely respect their right to make that choice for themselves. I can say someone is 'stupid' for any reason, but I do not get to decide what is important to them.

[cici_kyle]

Originally Posted by FemFlex

He's spot-on here, of course. To be honest, 'free' (meaning that at least expenses are covered, even if there's no real take-home compensation) would actually be an upgrade, as a large number of women actually pay hundreds out of pocket to be booth workers.

BUT, just so we're - I absolutely respect their right to make that choice for themselves. I can say someone is 'stupid' for any reason, but I do not get to decide what is important to them.

x2

[LaurenFazio]

Originally Posted by FemFlex

This is something that the schmoes have been saying for over a decade.

By making this statement public, does that mean that Isaac has completely broken from the Establishment??

He's spot-on here, of course. To be honest, 'free' (meaning that at least expenses are covered, even if there's no real take-home compensation) would actually be an upgrade, as a large number of women actually pay hundreds out of pocket to be booth workers.

BUT, just so we're - I absolutely respect their right to make that choice for themselves. I can say someone is 'stupid' for any reason, but I do not get to decide what is important to them.

I totally agree, Tre. And I actually do know a few ladies who were already planning on going down to the Arnold, hotels booked and all, who are working booths for "free" because they were "already going" which is great. I dont judge anyone at all.

Do what makes you happy right

[Fleur]

I'll be at the Arnold. I by no means expect to get rich but I am doing it for the experience & it gives me a chance to see & meet people. Some from my org, some from the IFBB/NPC, twitter & here on Sioux. That's worth it to me.

This industry will hardly ever pay your bills or make you famous. YOU do that.

In the meantime, I am going to save my $$$ and look forward to having a great time at something I've always wanted to experience.

[Siouxcountry]

Originally Posted by lann1011

They should you be able to do what they want... this is kind of a negative thread..


If being at the Arnold to work at a booth for free, is what someone wants to do.. who cares? Why are you all putting them down?

Jeez.. live and let live.. I've never been to the Arnold, but if someone wants to work for free I would not lecture them.

America: where people can work for free, or not if they want to...

I'm not sure why you see this as negative, most are saying a woman's time and sweat is valuable, and she should be compensated.

If someone wants to work a booth for free that is fine too.

Originally Posted by Fleur

I'll be at the Arnold. I by no means expect to get rich but I am doing it for the experience & it gives me a chance to see & meet people. Some from my org, some from the IFBB/NPC, twitter & here on Sioux. That's worth it to me.

This industry will hardly ever pay your bills or make you famous. YOU do that.

In the meantime, I am going to save my $$$ and look forward to having a great time at something I've always wanted to experience.

[ShawnCarla]

The point being missed is that it's WORK.
You should never WORK for free.
If you're going for the experience, great. I'm ALL for that! But if you're WORKING for a company, they should be PAYING you!
Bottom line!
And here's something to think about...
Everyone knows which booths pay and which don't.
So if you're WORKING for a company that is known not to pay its booth-workers, you're setting a precedent. People know you'll work for free. When they know you'll work for free, it's ten times harder to get paid gigs after that.
Just as something to think about and know your worth.
Again... going for the experience is great. I went to The Arnold a couple years ago and had an absolute blast!

[LaurenFazio]

Originally Posted by lann1011

They should you be able to do what they want... this is kind of a negative thread..


If being at the Arnold to work at a booth for free, is what someone wants to do.. who cares? Why are you all putting them down?

Jeez.. live and let live.. I've never been to the Arnold, but if someone wants to work for free I would not lecture them.

America: where people can work for free, or not if they want to...

Negative??
No one is putting any one down... sorry you feel that way.

Its actually the opposite... We are saying to girls do not let yourselves be taken advantage of.

Originally Posted by Fleur

I'll be at the Arnold. I by no means expect to get rich but I am doing it for the experience & it gives me a chance to see & meet people. Some from my org, some from the IFBB/NPC, twitter & here on Sioux. That's worth it to me.

This industry will hardly ever pay your bills or make you famous. YOU do that.

In the meantime, I am going to save my $$$ and look forward to having a great time at something I've always wanted to experience.

I agree Fleur, which I guess is what I meant by saying I have girlfriends who were going anyways, who then decided to work a booth right.

And YEP, this industry dont make ya rich

Originally Posted by ShawnCarla

The point being missed is that it's WORK.
You should never WORK for free.
If you're going for the experience, great. I'm ALL for that! But if you're WORKING for a company, they should be PAYING you!
Bottom line!
And here's something to think about...
Everyone knows which booths pay and which don't.
So if you're WORKING for a company that is known not to pay its booth-workers, you're setting a precedent. People know you'll work for free. When they know you'll work for free, it's ten times harder to get paid gigs after that.
Just as something to think about and know your worth.
Again... going for the experience is great. I went to The Arnold a couple years ago and had an absolute blast!

x1000000000000000 Shawn.

And seeing as you have worked in the industry, booths, photoshoots, etc many many times, you would know!> BANG ON !

[Dean]

Originally Posted by ShawnCarla

The point being missed is that it's WORK.
You should never WORK for free.
If you're going for the experience, great. I'm ALL for that! But if you're WORKING for a company, they should be PAYING you!
Bottom line!
And here's something to think about...
Everyone knows which booths pay and which don't.
So if you're WORKING for a company that is known not to pay its booth-workers, you're setting a precedent. People know you'll work for free. When they know you'll work for free, it's ten times harder to get paid gigs after that.
Just as something to think about and know your worth.
Again... going for the experience is great. I went to The Arnold a couple years ago and had an absolute blast!

Agreed. There are other situations where working for free makes sense, like school internships, where you're getting experience and earning college credit. But in this industry, where you've worked hard to "look the part" and are selling a sponsor's products, you deserve to be paid. Sure, there's a lot of competition and the threat that someone else will seize an opportunity if you don't, but the idea is to be above that and never undersell yourself.

[Ron]

If you are going to work a booth at any event, you should always get paid something - whether it is money, free products, expenses - you should not be working for free.

However, sometimes if you feel that it may help you in one way or another by giving you the chance to network and gain valuable contacts, or the ability to get the publicity you need that will help you in the future, by all means, go for it. Don't let others do hinder your thinking.

Get the opinions of a few of the people that you like or trust. Then decide for yourself what is best.

[Trainer007]

Originally Posted by Fleur

I'll be at the Arnold. I by no means expect to get rich but I am doing it for the experience & it gives me a chance to see & meet people. Some from my org, some from the IFBB/NPC, twitter & here on Sioux. That's worth it to me.

This industry will hardly ever pay your bills or make you famous. YOU do that.

In the meantime, I am going to save my $$$ and look forward to having a great time at something I've always wanted to experience.

WORD.

[Fleur]

For me working a booth will always put me in the red but it'll be less red. (By working I mean getting paid. Not volunteer.)
I work on weekends. The money I make on a shift I have never heard being paid out and with that realized I dont take every job offered. I make sure that I'll get something out of it for me.

A lot of times, most of the supplement companies aren't making money either at a convention. It's a better networking tool for them to make contact with buyers so that their products will be picked up for sale. Booth model work doesn't lend itself the same way in terms of networking. Pretty things draw attention. That is all it is. Booth models are lures. Be choosy, get paid for it and dont let yourself be taken advantage of.

[LaurenFazio]

Originally Posted by Fleur

For me working a booth will always put me in the red but it'll be less red. (By working I mean getting paid. Not volunteer.)
I work on weekends. The money I make on a shift I have never heard being paid out and with that realized I dont take every job offered. I make sure that I'll get something out of it for me.

A lot of times, most of the supplement companies aren't making money either at a convention. It's a better networking tool for them to make contact with buyers so that their products will be picked up for sale. Booth model work doesn't lend itself the same way in terms of networking. Pretty things draw attention. That is all it is. Booth models are lures. Be choosy, get paid for it and dont let yourself be taken advantage of.

Exactly.

Any thoughts on the going rate per day?
I have heard through the grapevine that some booths have paid girls $200 per day.

[ShawnCarla]

Originally Posted by LaurenFazio

Exactly.

Any thoughts on the going rate per day?
I have heard through the grapevine that some booths have paid girls $200 per day.

I would say this is probably about average today.

But just another thought...
About 3-4 years ago I was doing promos in Vegas while I lived there about 3-5 days a week. There was always a convention in town. At that time I got paid anywhere from $300-$500 on average (and some much more) to do booth work. And we're not even talking the hard-core stuff. We're talking just a few hours, regular breaks. Half hour lunches, Per Diem, etc. But then they started finding girls that would do it for less and less... and slowly our pay kept getting cut down.
When you work for free, you pull the standard down for everyone. The entire thing just keeps getting watered down and people don't get paid what they should and clients don't get the quality of girls that they use to.

[Mufasa]

Questions:

1) Isn't most compensation in this Sport...even contest money...more a question of trying to merely recoup at least some of your cost?

Is seems to me that in many ways if you work "free" at a booth; you actually are paying to work in that booth (travel cost; make-up; clothing; etc). with no recouping of at least some of your expenses.

2) On another thread; (it was the "sponsorship" thread); I think it was agreed that networking, making contacts, etc. is best done via a) social networking and b) direct company contact, pointing out the value you could add to a companies bottom-line.

I see Booth Work as a part of contractual obligation with a company. But it's value for networking, "getting your name out there", etc. is, as the very least, up for debate.


Mufasa

[SDUQUE]

I totally agree, working a booth is not easy. You have to be stand all day and do customer service all day. Lunch and a short break maybe but don't think you will have a chance to walk around and meet awesome people like Greg Plitr or Monica Brant etc! I think you should be compensated for the day. You get great exposure but No you won't Be Ms Queen because you have to market yourself all over!
Myself? I'd like to be part of Bblding.com but I heard they won't be there this year due to the taxation? What do you know?

S

[fastnfit]

I Have no problem working a booth for free for a bit. I think its kinda cool to just be a part of something bigger than me. But I do understand that time is money!!!