As part of our vision and strategy, Sletten is committed to transparency and openness. Part of that commitment is a yearly report to our participants and stakeholders, which should be published on this website and made publicly available. This is the report for Sletten 2023.
As best we can, we let the Vision for Sletten guide the development and our decisions for the event.
We asked participants how satisfied they were with Sletten 2023, as well as how much Sletten met the expectations they had.
We also asked participants for feedback on the event. There was a lot to say, and we have tried to divide it up by groups of participants.
At this year’s Sletten, the horse riders truly had their moment to shine, and it’s clear they embraced every bit of it. From the folds to the spotlight of the fighters’ intro ceremony, their feedback paints a picture of a group deeply invested in the event’s equestrian offerings. The camps and ceremonies weren’t just about showcasing the horses; they were opportunities to weave the horses into our Viking tapestry and camplife.
The workshops on getting to know horses and the much-anticipated Horse Party on Thursday night stood out as community favorites. The enthusiasm for these events speaks volumes about the importance of our horse-happy fellows, in not only our historical reenactments but also in creating a sense of unity and excitement among participants.
Listening to the feedback, it’s clear there’s a shared vision for making next year’s Sletten even more welcoming for our horse riders and their steeds. Whether it’s enhancing the facilities or dreaming up new horse-related activities, the spirit of improvement is alive.
“The facilities were top-notch! Plenty of space and very well maintained.”
“The horses in the battle intro was a majestic sight, truly a highlight of the event for me and my horse.”
“Loved the horsecamp! It was well-organized and felt like a community within the event.”
This year at Sletten, the fighters truly brought the spirit of Sletten to life, clashing in battles and honing their skills every day. Their dedication to the craft of war was evident in the training sessions and the spectacular battle ceremonies, where the clash of shields and the camaraderie among warriors reminded us all of the fierce heart that beats within our community. The leadership in training sessions received nods of approval, indicating a well-steered ship by Christoffer & Simon, guiding both seasoned fighters and newcomers alike.
The feedback loop didn’t end in the arena; many shared insightful thoughts on how we could sharpen our setup for an even more thrilling experience. From the timing of training sessions to the formats of battles and circle fights, every piece of advice is a treasure trove for making next year’s event resonate even more with the core of our battles. It’s clear that the blend of tradition and innovation is what keeps our fighters on their toes, eager for the next challenge.
Looking forward, it’s not just about keeping the fighting on point, but also about weaving in the suggestions and dreams of our fighters into the fabric of Sletten. The enthusiasm for the workshops themed around fighting, have sparked enthusiasm, suggesting a strong desire for more arenas where fighters can test their mettle and bond.
“The training sessions were rigorous and educational. Really felt like I leveled up my skills.”
“The battle format was fantastic! It felt authentic and kept everyone on their toes.”
“The camaraderie and spirit of the fighting was incredible. Truly felt like a band of brothers and sisters.”
At this year’s Sletten, the marketplace buzzed with energy as merchants from near and far gathered to display their crafts and wares, creating a vibrant hub for trade and interaction. Feedback from our vendors indicates a generally positive experience, with the marketplace serving as both a showcase and a commercial success. Merchants appreciated the opportunity to engage with an audience that values authenticity and craftsmanship, highlighting the importance of the market in the overall fabric of the event.
Yet, there’s always room for improvement, and our merchants didn’t shy away from offering constructive suggestions. From enhancing the layout of the marketplace to diversifying the range of goods offered, their insights point towards making future events even more merchant-friendly. These suggestions are crucial as they not only aim to improve sales but also enhance the experience for participants, making the market an even more integral part of Sletten.
The crafting workshops and events centered around the market, like the Flea Market, received significant attention, signaling a strong community interest in the marketplace and crafting activities. This feedback suggests a clear path forward: by incorporating the merchants’ and craftspeoples valuable insights and continuing to support a lively market environment, Sletten can further enrich the event. Moving forward, these perspectives will be essential in shaping an even more engaging and successful marketplace at future Sletten events.
“It was fantastic. The crowd was enthusiastic and appreciative of the craftsmanship.”
“I loved the vibrant atmosphere and the chance to meet so many like-minded people.”
“Absolutely i’d recommend Sletten to other merchants, it’s a great opportunity for any merchant looking to showcase their goods.”
Reviewing the feedback on logistics and camp planning from this year’s event, it’s evident that participants had much to say about the infrastructure and organization of Sletten. From practical concerns like the state of toilet facilities and showers to broader aspects such as parking arrangements and overall camp information, the feedback is packed with insights.
The feedback suggests a mix of satisfaction and constructive criticism. For instance, the accessibility and cleanliness of toilets and showers were noted, alongside suggestions for improving these essential services.
Similarly, the parking arrangements were mentioned, with attendees appreciating the effort to manage vehicle access but also indicating the distance to the parking lot being an issue.
The dissemination of information about activities and camp life, too, was a focal point, with participants looking for more streamlined and effective communication.
On toilet facilities and showers: “Impressive setup, always clean. Made the whole experience more comfortable.”
“Parking was well-organized, but a bit far from the main camp. Maybe shuttle service next time?”
“Loved the daily updates! Made planning our days so much easier. Maybe a physical notice board, digital board or app for live updates?”
Sletten 2023 was a big event for all of us. To have a sensation of just how big it was, we have collected the background facts and numbers on participants and on the different aspects of the stuff we spent the money on – for you to enjoy and reflect upon.
In order to plan and carry out Sletten 2023 it was necessary for the Orga Team to visualize these numbers from a very early point. We had to make qualified guesses to make the decisions that ended up being reality.
We did not make qualified guesses totally in the dark, as those who came before left us blueprints for how to make a nice event – also they left us some money to get the planning started.
We give you this story of the Economy of Sletten 2023 in numbers, as these are as much your numbers as they are ours.
There will be no event if there are no participants and the most reliable source of how many participants there were, are from the ticket registry.
Making it a total of 836 different people wanting to join Sletten 2023 for the full experience. It was necessary to have more than a gut feeling on these numbers for the organizers as almost every aspect of planning hinged on this number. The prior event of Sletten 2022 boasted of around 600 participants, but from early spring 2023 it was hinted that Sletten 2023 would exceed the past – and it certainly did.
Income is almost always accounted for before expenses, as it is necessary to have money to pay for nice stuff. So in order to pay for the vision of Sletten 2023 we had to lock ourselves on ticket prices quite early.
How these ticket prices are constructed is a story told in the section of expenses, but for now they serve as the building blocks for the main income.
Because combining the numbers of paid participants and the ticket prices will equal exactly that – the main ticket income of 520.706,26 dkk, which can be shown according to ticket type as such:
So by far, the main source of ticket income, or 93% (Full week tickets by 85% and Half week tickets by 8%) is derived from the Adult tickets.
Now – ticket income was not the only type of income that went into Sletten 2023. As earlier mentioned the organization team of past Sletten events left a bag of money to give Sletten 2023 a running start. This bag of money contained an impressive sum of 62.240,76 dkk, which served well, as some bills and investments needed to be paid before the first ticket was sold.
Furthermore a merchandise item was sold – 114 glazed cups – which turned into a small amount of unexpected extra income to the sum of 5.245,28 dkk.
Lastly, the organization received several donations to the sum of 321,21 dkk (we thank you, kind benefactors!) which was largely covering a calculation error on exchange rates (sorry!) in a few payments resulting that we missed out on -371,27 dkk on ticket income. We are looking VERY closely on these numbers for the future to ensure all pay is fair pay – but this year, the mistake was clearly on us.
To give a well-written account on the expenses of Sletten 2023 one would typically start by covering the types of expenses from the largest to smallest, while giving the amount the appropriate perspective, for instance by providing the amount to something fixed – like the ticket income. And that is what we are going to do now.
The largest expense – by far – is none other than the rent charged by the Scouts for each overnight staying guest. The Scouts gave us a favorable discount this year, as the charge was 63 dkk per head per night. With 836 heads on Full Week, Half Week or OneNight tickets the calculation was a whopping 4.086 overnight stays – and yes this is also one of the reasons we did the headcount each day for the whole campsite. This impressive amount of overnight stays translates into a bill of 257.318 dkk which includes the facilities of the Little House On The Prairy (water, electricity and waste removal) – necessities a modern viking surely cannot live without(?). The bill on the overnight stay rent is what eats up around half (49%) of the Ticket Income.
The next big item on the list is surprisingly hygienic as it is our Sanitation wagons. Without this expense the area of Sletten would simply not be as idyllic as they were. Toilet wagons and Washing stations account for a total of 13% of the Ticket income or 65.469,88 dkk.
Moving further down the list the next expense is warming our hearts – quite literally as it is the Firewood used for all camps. A good deal was made and 50 cubic meters of wood was sent to the Sletten campsite this summer for 9% of the ticket income or a total expense of 47.250 dkk.
And now we move on to the last items on the expense sheets and it becomes smaller and smaller purchases. Overall a 20.169,04 dkk was spent on various big and small practical Campsite items like shovels, wheelbarrows, walkie talkies, discussion closers, cleaning utilities, signage and many other things. All items necessary for making the gears of the Sletten week working well.
Behind-the-scenes expenses are some of those that we – from the Orga team – would like to reduce as much as possible, but Administration expenses are hard to eliminate totally. These expenses include bank fees, website bills, transaction fees on tickets and more for 2% of Ticket income or a total of 9.057,51 dkk.
Lastly, we did want to express gratitude towards the volunteers behind the Sletten 2023. Gifting red-glazed cups – 10 in total – as well as the opportunity to buy a Sletten-logoed hoodie was the smallest of expense items for a total of 2.097,83 dkk. We want to be transparent on these numbers as well, as we feel it necessary to appreciate the tonnes and tonnes of working hours the volunteers put into the event.
As one can see if all the expenses are put together Sletten 2023 had a total expense of 401.462,27 dkk or what calculates to 77% of the Ticket Income. Now before we focus on the result, surplus and transfers, the next chapter will try to explain some of the additional planning we do, especially about financial risks.
When planning a big event with 800+ participants and several it is important to be mindful of both the foreseen and unforeseen risks.
For instance did we not know until a few weeks before the event, whether or not there would be a fire ban. We did not know before negotiations with the scouts whether or not we could get a discount. We could also not see what the rising inflation would mean for the event. And more financial risks could be counted.
From early on did we plan with a Buffer for unforeseen events with a target of 10% of Ticket Income – this year the buffer resulted in 50.550 dkk. One could call it insurance on organizing the event, which would kick in if anything major did happen.
From the standpoint of the Orga team, the idea is that if the insurance is not used, it can be used for investment for the following year’s event. This year – nothing major happened and the full Buffer is transferred.
Now, when taking the difference between the total ticket income and the total expenditures, one would get the Operating Surplus of Sletten 2023. This amounts to 119.243,99 dkk of which 50.550 dkk is the planned Buffer. The other main reason for this surplus is the discount on the Scouts worth close to 45.000 dkk.
This leaves 23.000 dkk to be explained by various “healthy” financial decisions, where the Orga team did not spend unnecessary money. Of course one could argue that the money could have been spent on necessary or nice items as well.
As this is the first year of the individual organization, Sletten Vikings, we take these numbers seriously and would like to be much better on enriching the scene and the event for the years to come.
When summing the Operating Surplus of this year together with the Extra Income Surplus (including transfer from Sletten 2022) this leaves us with a total Surplus of 186.679,98 dkk. The calculations can be seen in this table.
We would like to be smart about using this money, as the event and the organization is still new.
As such, the buffer of 50.550 dkk is transferred to an account for “seriously hard times” and the rest of the surplus 136.129,99 dkk is planned for real investments into gear and improvements on the Campsite of Sletten.
All photographs used by kind permission.
