<p data-children-count="0">They realize that the convention marketplace is already well populated with events. But they are convinced their approach will set them apart, that there is an appetite among studio owners for a return to education-first events, where long-term relationships are built and nurtured. "We don't want to approach the business with making money leading the way," he says. "All of our decisions are based on education first."</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk2MTQzNy9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1OTE5MzEzMH0.FId8SBK476NLUeKRbt-Cy5VFOFS_nsE6slw0lcnhxr8/img.jpg?width=980" id="f5a2f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="13bf0f1f308f526ad1fd371acb08a521" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="A redheaded convention assistant wearing yellow sneakers, blue shorts, a black graphic sweatshirt and a mask jumps on a stage, with convention attendees dancing behind her" data-width="1000" data-height="1250" />
Courtesy Alpha Dance Convention
<p data-children-count="0">Alpha Dance Convention launched with a modest plan: produce four events in 2020, each with an enrollment of 200; raise funds for one year of operation; book a profit by year three. But just as things were getting off the ground, COVID-19 and the resulting shutdown hit. Rice and Preiser watched with alarm as the entire convention and competition industry canceled events. And yet they remained optimistic. They had some time—the first event wasn't scheduled until October. And they felt their smaller size could be an advantage—they could make Alpha events safer. "We said we'll still make it happen," says Preiser. "We'll learn through this process."</p><p data-children-count="0">Here's how they got Alpha Dance Convention off the ground, and how they are getting through the pandemic so far.</p>
Education First
<p>The Alpha faculty roster may not include household dance names. But that's because their priority is hiring faculty members who align with Alpha's teaching philosophy, rather than filling their roster with big names. Faculty members include Dee Tomasetta, who has worked with Mia Michaels as a performer and associate choreographer and dance captain on <em>Finding Neverland</em>'s<em> </em>first national tour; Hallie Toland, who was swing for <em>Charlie and the Chocolate Factory </em>on Broadway; and Ryan Vettel, who Rice knew as a tap dancer and teaching assistant for Co. Dance. "I've watched him working with kids," she says. "With these three, it's their hearts. Even though they're young, they're true educators." The current faculty roster includes eight instructors plus Rice and the Preisers.</p><p>Instead of driving enrollment through big names, as many other popular conventions do, Alpha seeks to leverage the relationships Rice has built with studio owners over her many years of teaching. Those personal connections, Rice hopes, will result in loyal clientele who return year after year.</p>
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Ryan Vettel. Courtesy Alpha Dance Convention
<p>Alpha's goal is to start small, with around 200 dancers per event, and grow slowly, with an enrollment of 400 to 500, which is half the size of typical events. "We do not believe an 800-to-1,000–person event can be effectively run the same as a 400-to-500–person event," says Preiser. They don't want participants to become mere numbers on a spreadsheet: Preiser cites an experience at an unnamed event where, before his dancers had a chance to take their bow, the next routine was introduced in order to fit as many as possible into a 12-hour day.</p><p>They plan to add two to three events a year, with 12 events being "a changing point," he says. "Once we reach that number, we will need to see if things still align with our mission. If we decide to host more events, then our first course of action will be to lay the additional foundation needed to stay true to our mission."</p>
How It's Going So Far
<p>As we know only too well, the pandemic was spiking in October and Alpha had to cancel its long-anticipated first event. Toronto was also called off when the Canadian border closed. Not to be defeated, Alpha pivoted to in-studio events, where small faculty groups replicate a modified convention schedule privately. Three studios signed up to bring Alpha faculty to their locations in Wisconsin, Illinois and Kentucky. "These are people I've known for a really long time," says Rice. "Kids know the protocol and where to space themselves. It makes me feel comfortable. It's a way to connect with our community."</p><p>When we spoke in November, Alpha was set to have its first in-person public event the weekend before Thanksgiving, in Orlando. Registrations were at 60 participants, somewhat less than the projected break-even number of 100 and far short of the conservative target of 200. Yet in Preiser's thinking, there remained good reason to hold the event even at this lower enrollment. He worked with the hotel and vendors to modify the budget and was now looking at Orlando as a trial run for a much larger event, planned for January in New Jersey, that has already exceeded registration expectations. The New Jersey event is big enough to bring Alpha back to break-even for the year, he says.</p>
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Courtesy Alpha Dance Convention
<p>Orlando would also play a valuable role in Alpha's marketing scheme. Because of the pandemic, Preiser has had to slash his marketing budget and for now relies primarily on word of mouth, including social media. Orlando would provide valuable testimony from satisfied customers to help spread the word, as well as promotional photography and video footage of the Alpha faculty in action. "That's the biggest struggle through COVID. How do you market with little money and little revenue coming in?" he says. "This event is going to help us succeed down the line."</p><p>Yet with news of Washington state and Michigan initiating more stringent closure levels, it was a nail-biter of a week. Preiser worried that Florida might shut down during the few days before the event. But, ultimately, the Orlando convention went off without a hitch. With 30 dancers in each room, Alpha had space for larger dance squares (8 feet by 8 feet versus the standard 6), and they increased staff by two to ensure proper social distancing and mask compliance. Best of all, because the event was small, dancers benefited from extra attention, including in-depth faculty critiques in class.</p><p>"I never want to start a business in a pandemic again," says Preiser, noting the many hours of meetings required were easily double what would normally be necessary. "Everything changed every two weeks, and we had to talk about it all over again." That slowed down other activities, like, for instance, learning the back-end system for registration. "In the past 30 days, we're learning the system that should have been accomplished four to five months ago," he says. "Instead, we were talking about how to space people out."</p>
