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Cold Campsite Cans - Your thoughts?

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    #32
    StupidLikeAFox
    Registered Users Posts: 7,711 ✭✭✭StupidLikeAFox


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118911271#Comment_118911271

    Just another thought - you seem to have a great technology here - have you thought about other cases?

    For example, a smaller festival or sports club could use your technology to chill cans on demand, and could use it as an alternative to draught systems or using banks of coolers to keep things cold -depending on the energy profile of your machine it could be more environmentally friendly also



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    #33
    Van Doozy
    Registered Users Posts: 213 ✭✭Van Doozy


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118911586#Comment_118911586

    You're on the ball - certainly not living up to your username.😉

    I have a trial run at an event doing this exact thing this coming weekend.

    It eliminates the need for cold storage, bottle fridges, single use plastic cups and cube ice in one fell swoop.

    I don't really see it replacing draught - at least not for a 'backbone' bar at an event but in my opinion has a lot to offer say... a popup bar, or a satellite bar located away from the main bar, or maybe a bar serving craft beers or premixed shorts - because of the tiny footprint of the system and major flexibility.



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    #34
    Housefree
    Registered Users Posts: 681 ✭✭✭Housefree


    Might be more money selling the machine/solution & maintenance to others.

    I remember years ago at Oxygen thinking buckets of ice would make a fortune, then one year a pitch arrived selling it but the weekend turned out Baltic cold, doubt they made a penny



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    #35
    melekalikimaka
    Moderators, Education Moderators, Music Moderators Posts: 10,686 Mod ✭✭✭✭melekalikimaka


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118911271#Comment_118911271

    its a great idea, customer services is an area that irish festivals lack and there is such a market when irish punters and the expendable income they bring to the table at irish shows. A few of the smallers ones would be eager to get you onboard I imagine given the benefit it does offer to customers.


    As a suggestion, if you are looking to test the waters. It would be something I would consider for stages, its quite costly and difficult to have fridges side stage or in backstage green rooms at tents, this is something that would add value to the area greatly, artists would be inclined to want stuff cold before and after stage



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    #36
    Sleepy
    Registered Users Posts: 24,249 ✭✭✭✭Sleepy


    Not sure if you decided to go ahead with this but a nice sideline to this could be selling small beer cooler bags: ones that could take 4 to 6 cans that a customer had just cooled with your machine. It'd have the added advantage for the customer that they wouldn't need to return as frequently and for you that it should reduce queueing over having people do 2 cans at a time...



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    #37
    Andrea B.
    Registered Users Posts: 1,926 ✭✭✭Andrea B.


    Guess it was yourself, but there was a unit/stall at Body & Soul doing it at €1 a can. Didn't notice a queue at time I passed it, but a great idea and initiave!!



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    #38
    Van Doozy
    Registered Users Posts: 213 ✭✭Van Doozy


    Never much of a queue when you can get through several customers in 90 seconds!

    Thanks for the comments - it went well. And we won an award from B & S which we're chuffed about as well!



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    #39
    Alkers
    Registered Users Posts: 6,833 ✭✭✭Alkers


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119228782#Comment_119228782

    Fair play



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    #40
    sprucemoose
    Registered Users Posts: 2,240 ✭✭✭sprucemoose


    its a good idea but........

    .......id say the portable chiller machines you can get on amazon for cheap would have you out of business fairly quickly im afraid



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    #41
    Signore Fancy Pants
    Registered Users Posts: 3,686 ✭✭✭Signore Fancy Pants


    Id say this could be viable but also limited.

    Firstly, yes I'd use it from a campsite perspective. However, it would need to be convenient as in less than a 3 minute walk, but thats me!

    Need to examine it from the punters View and the providers view. Speaking for me, i'd normally bring a slab for a weekend event and still not finish them. If they were cold, I probably would have.

    Provider: How many cans can I chill at the same time? How long does it take a can to lose its chill? How much does it cost me per can? What is the maximum amount of cabs I can chill in 1 hour. Consider a premium 'can exchange' method too for people that don't want to wait/don't have a pass. I would ideally have it close to food/toilets. This may negate frustrations for people queuing, i.e 2 birds with 1 stone kind of thing.

    Punter: Is it close? Is it quick? Is it worth it? If it is cheapish (€5 per day) you will have people buying a pass "on the off chance" of using it but may not. Money in your pocket anyway.

    I don't know what it will cost you per can, so cannot really advise. I would have a pricing structure something similar to this:

    Single Day Pass €5 for a day event to a maximum of 15 cans (great value). Theoretically that's 22.5 minutes of operating time. If you can chill 15 or more at the same time, its only 1.5 minutes operating time.

    Single Multi-day Pass: €20 for a 2-3 day event to a maximum of 40 cans.

    Depending on your capacity, consider Group Day Pass and Group Weekend Pass.

    (Requires small refrigerated storage) For people who do not have a pass, consider a straight swap for €1 per can. You take in a warm can and €1, immediately give the punter a cold can from your own inventory. Trial your inventory with 5 slabs of the 10 most popular drinks. You then have a rolling inventory, 1 in 1 out, €1 in pocket. That could be a serious money maker.

    I'd pay €1 to swap a warm for a cold can. The beauty of this is, there may be hundreds of people who will do it once as a novelty.



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    #42
    Van Doozy
    Registered Users Posts: 213 ✭✭Van Doozy


    Very interesting post SFP - good insight, thanks.


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119228858#Comment_119228858


    The ones that need bags of ice and electricity to use?



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    #43
    RINO87
    Registered Users Posts: 2,588 ✭✭✭RINO87


    Any more festivals lined up this summer? Would be great to see you at ATN.



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    #44
    Van Doozy
    Registered Users Posts: 213 ✭✭Van Doozy


    We've lots planned, but can't say much until things are finalised somewhat!



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    #45
    sprucemoose
    Registered Users Posts: 2,240 ✭✭✭sprucemoose


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119229373#Comment_119229373

    battery powered but you do need ice yeah. only got to use mine at one festival because of the lack of them over the last while, bag of ice lasted for two days with a cooler bag and i just picked up another on the last day

    not trying to be a dick or anything btw, just want to give you my experience with alternatives



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    #46
    Stillill42
    Registered Users Posts: 3,722 ✭✭✭Stillill42


    Great to see you up and running, @Van Doozy Anyone on here that used the service and wants to comment?



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    #47
    Le Bruise
    Registered Users Posts: 1,276 ✭✭✭Le Bruise


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119229918#Comment_119229918

    Second that, would be awesome for ATN! Two of my mates used the service at Wild Roots (and had a good chat with @Van Doozy), said it was brilliant and well worth it.



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    #48
    Signore Fancy Pants
    Registered Users Posts: 3,686 ✭✭✭Signore Fancy Pants


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119229373#Comment_119229373

    Sorry Van, didnt realise this is an old thread. Congrats with B&S, hope the biz continues!



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    #49
    bodhrandude
    Registered Users Posts: 12,589 ✭✭✭✭bodhrandude


    Yep I was at both Wild Roots and B&S and I have to say the turbo chiller was a godsend also Van and the wife/girlfriend and business partner are interesting characters to stop and have a chat with. Like I said before Van if you are at EP try and choose a campsite that doesn't have Heineken Cold Rooms in it as they may not like lack of customers. But I think its a fantastic idea and you should maybe approach the Dragon's Den at some point for further investment as its a really innovative idea to use at camping festivals. Maybe you will try it at the Willie Clancy week and the Fleadh Cheoill at Mullingar in the camping areas too.

    If you want to get into it, you got to get out of it. (Hawkwind 1982)



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    #50
    llatsni
    Registered Users Posts: 525 ✭✭✭llatsni


    Interesting idea. But I’ve never had an issue with warm cans. There was still ice in my cooler on the way home from Beyond the Pale 72+hrs later. I guess there’s plenty of people who couldn’t be bothered bringing a cooler though.



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    #51
    The Davestator
    Registered Users Posts: 3,444 ✭✭✭The Davestator


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119234374#Comment_119234374

    Its a while ago, but I dont think Heineken cold rooms were there for the last EP.

    EDIT; https://twitter.com/heineken_ie/status/1164899333633990657



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    #52
    Muahahaha
    Registered Users Posts: 19,656 ✭✭✭✭Muahahaha


    Fair play OP, I think its a great idea as it solves a problem. I probably wouldnt use it myself as I have a cooler bag and would just get a bag of ice to put in it on the way to a festival to chill cans but Id be in the minority in that level of pre planning. Theres probably also an opportunity to sell or rent cooler bags along with the service so people can chill 5 or 6 cans at a time to bring back to their tent rather than constantly going back and forth.



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