There is a site in Ashby which is stunning, has beautiful greens, a deconsecrated church, a hall and a nice little house with a good kitchen.

Downsides? The organisers thought it was acceptable to drive leaf collectors, lawn mowers and tractors around us why we were there. They also had site staff who thought it acceptable to heckle, take the mick and even at one point give verbal abuse to the players during encounters.

So great site, abysmal staff and customer service. Steer clear of there for example, it looks great but the staff will probably spoil your weekend.

--------------------------------------------If the Gods didnt want us to eat people, then why are they made out of meat?Grumf Kikuto - United Tribes of New BantustanSir Nathaniel Holt - The Fallen

• 50 players isn't that small an amount - you need a LOT of plot
• get a site with at least 30 acres unless your setting/plot can hem the players in a bit. You're 90% likely to be using a scout site and its probably going to cost you about £300-700 depending on size. Assume closer to £700.
• work out what your minimum run figure is - be aware of what your loss will be if you get less than this, and don't spend any more money than you have to until you've reached an acceptable number of bookings. Otherwise if you have to cancel it will get very expensive very quickly
• plan your ideal breakdown of how much you want to spend on admin, props, site hire and then compare that to the cash you'll have from your desired ticket price. Tweak accordingly but try not to stray too far away from your ideal breakdown or you won't be running the event you want to.
• Allow plenty of time before the event to set up, and after the event to take down. Insist all your crew stay to help wherever possible.
• Track your accounts well - depending on how you take payment it can get quite complex.
• Useful things we always try and remember to bring are: lots of extension cables, gaffa tape, tea, coffee and kettle , plenty of pens and paper, a computer and printer.
• Have ways to sensibly store your costume/kit for monsters/NPCs at events - eg clothes rails, storage crates. Tidy up regularly. Try and have a sink in your monster area.
• One other thing - we've learned recently that having GOD and your monster hut in the same place isnt the best idea in the world unless its massive. Plan to keep them seperate!
• definitely agree with the "try to run at a profit" one - we do this by aiming our minimum run figure at breakeven and then try and get a few more bookings (which generally covers unexpected expenses)
  

Willesley I believe it is call, near to a lake.

Fantastic grounds and site, and they sure look after it. However dont expect exclusive use to actually mean exclusive. They wont keep out of your way and will drive equipment around you whilst on site. Nothing quite reminds you that you arent in Victorian england than having to raise your voice to be heard over a sit on lawn mower.

We have never officially complained about the verbal abuse and heckling from staff, as we didnt want to cut off a potential venue for the future. However with hindsight, we wouldnt use it again simply due to past experiences.

--------------------------------------------If the Gods didnt want us to eat people, then why are they made out of meat?Grumf Kikuto - United Tribes of New BantustanSir Nathaniel Holt - The Fallen

My experience, lessons learned, advertise at least 6 months in advance, more if possible.

Have your go/no go meeting 3 months before the event at the latest. If you dont do this you will end up fronting cash to run your event or cancelling, if you front it there is a risk of losing serious money.

Most people wont pay up front unless they are fans of your event. They will pay last minute, a good 25% or more will turn up and pay on the day, LRPers are renowned for their apathy in paying, or are just forgetful. This can leave you with no budget for props or costume and there will be a panic last minute to catch up when the money is finally in. This can of course effect the quality of your output, which you may not be willing to compromise.

You will lose personal money, no matter how much you budget, there will always be costs you wont get back, be that fuel, paper or just your time. Unless you run a big event with lots of players, events will cost the organiser in some way, if you dont like that, maybe event organising isnt for you.

--------------------------------------------If the Gods didnt want us to eat people, then why are they made out of meat?Grumf Kikuto - United Tribes of New BantustanSir Nathaniel Holt - The Fallen

Think 6 months minimum, ideally, now's larping season, get a bit of a froth going and run either this year, or early next year.  I personally appreciate something to help me through the cold turkey months. 

No matter how committed you are to principles of not running for profit, you should always aim to err on the side of making a small profit rather than a small loss. If you have money left over, you can always plough it into a future event or even give it to charity.

Work out what your potential showstoppers are. Try to avoid paying any non-refundable deposits until you are clear of those potential showstoppers.

Know the full postal address of your site, including postcode. Very useful if you have to call for an ambuilance. And for getting Tesco to deliver your shopping directly to the site.

Leave your site in as good a condition as you found it, then other LRPers will be welcome in the future.