Quick recap

March 23, 2026 Video 1:13

The meeting focused on planning for this year's camp, covering several key updates and challenges. The group discussed ticket purchasing extensions due to current global uncertainties, with tickets now available until the end of the month. Kyle shared that he will continue as artist liaison for approximately 60 registered art sculptures and 5 honoraria sculptures, while the camp will be hubbing with New York Delhi again this year. The group extensively discussed meal plan management challenges from last year, particularly around tracking who should receive meals and ensuring compliance with health department regulations. Filchy explained plans to transition from solar panels to a rental solar power system to power the camp more efficiently, which could help resolve storage and trailer space issues. The meeting also covered website restoration efforts after the previous system was lost when a credit card expired, and the group agreed to move from weekly to bi-weekly meetings going forward.

Next steps

• filchy: Follow up with Jack and Elizabeth (and others who requested) to ensure they received and can act on their ticket invites before the deadline (end of the month).

• Kyle: Coordinate with Ryan to obtain and review additional photos/inventory details regarding the solar panels in the trailer.

• filchy & Kyle: Plan for liquidation (sale or giveaway) of existing solar panels, targeting distribution during build week (Thursday/Friday) or post-Playa if necessary.

• filchy: Continue bringing the camp website back online and communicate updates/bugs to the group; accept QA/error reports from Annie.

• Annie: Provide QA/testing support and error reports to filchy regarding the camp website.

• filchy: Schedule next meeting in two weeks to discuss shade solutions for the rig, ticket/membership updates, and brainstorming camp robustness against rain.

• All interested: Brainstorm and prepare ideas for making camp more robust against rain, to be discussed at the next meeting.

• filchy: Communicate with Annie and Nicholas regarding potential help with website and organization.

• Lisa (via Kyle/filchy): Meet with Sean (solar group) at Coachella to discuss potential solar power rental/installation for the camp.

• Kyle: Talk to V to determine if she is joining the group/camp this year.

• filchy/Lisa/Kyle: Develop and communicate a more systematic approach to meal plan management, including possible wristband/tier system and check-in procedures for build week and event week.

• filchy: Check and confirm Elizabeth's ticket status and communicate backchannel as needed.

Summary

Swing City Group Meeting

The meeting began with informal conversations about travel experiences, with Elizabeth sharing details about her recent extended travels across South America and Europe, and her current visit to family in Dayton, Ohio. Kyle discussed being in Hawaii during significant flooding, mentioning plans to volunteer on the North Shore. The group welcomed Chris, who is transitioning from being a "Swing City groupie" to becoming a "Swing City Camper." The meeting was just getting started, with participants joining from various locations including New York and Hawaii, when the transcript ended.

Event Ticket Distribution Update

The meeting focused on ticket distribution for an upcoming event, with filchy explaining that directed tickets originally due two weeks ago have been extended to the end of the month due to global uncertainty. filchy requested that anyone wanting tickets should coordinate with him directly, as he may be able to redirect them to others or provide access to already allocated tickets. The delay in planning was attributed to ongoing world events and a "chaos agent in the White House," with the event now expected to start in March instead of February.

Art Installations Build Planning Meeting

Kyle discussed his involvement in upcoming build and teardown activities, confirming he will participate but in a reduced capacity compared to last year. He shared details about two additional art installations joining their event, including a scaled-down version of a previous piece called "Eyes to the Sky" and a new military helmet-themed structure by veteran artist Paul Alcove. Kyle also mentioned that more people are expected to be on the build week meal plan this year due to the collaboration with New York Delhi and the additional art installations.

Event Attendance and Food Service

The team discussed attendance challenges for an upcoming event, with several key participants including "the whale" and Nayev and Jana not expected to attend due to the whale's damage from last year's burn and Jana's pregnancy. They reported positive uptake of their meal plan, with more people participating and willingness from Lisa to manage the program. The group explored the possibility of converting their late night hot dog stand into a regular food service operation, which would utilize their newly developed kitchen infrastructure and potentially serve as an art project.

Meal Plan Tier System Implementation

The team discussed implementing a meal plan tier system with wristbands to better manage food access and compliance with health department regulations. Kyle and Elizabeth shared experiences from last year where there was confusion about who was eligible for meals, particularly with visiting teams like Deli and art support camps. Filchy clarified that while there was no food waste concern due to oversubscription, the main issue was compliance with health department requirements regarding feeding unknown individuals. The group agreed on the need for a front-of-house solution with dedicated staff to check people in and verify their meal eligibility, particularly given the expected increase in participants this year.

Meal Plan System Integration Challenges

The team discussed challenges with managing the meal plan system and ensuring proper integration of external participants. Filchy shared a historical context about White Ocean's experience with meal plans and emphasized the importance of making external participants feel welcome while maintaining system integrity. Joy proposed solutions including designating someone to verify wristbands and implementing clear signage at the food service area. The group acknowledged that while some external participants may not have been clearly observed contributing, they still participate in required shifts as part of the meal plan agreement.

Camp Planning and Infrastructure Updates

The team discussed the importance of recognizing different contribution styles and participation in camp planning meetings. They reviewed plans for art pieces, including JD bringing back a modified piece from last year. The group addressed challenges with their trailer and solar infrastructure, deciding to explore renting a solar installation from a DPW crew instead of building their own solar system. This would allow them to power RVs in camp and potentially resolve space issues in their trailer.

Camp Solar Power Transition Plans

The team discussed plans to switch to using solar power for their camp, potentially moving away from their current power provider New York Deli. They explored the possibility of renting solar power from Sean's Solar Power crew, which could reduce costs and make operations more efficient. However, there was concern about how this change might affect their relationship with New York Deli. The group also celebrated progress in consolidating storage solutions, aiming to eliminate the need for multiple storage units and streamline their annual setup process.

Website Restoration and Camp Planning

The team discussed restoring their website after it went down due to an expired credit card, with filchy working on bringing it back online and acknowledging there may be some bugs during the process. They agreed to move from weekly to bi-weekly meetings and discussed the need to liquidate solar panels, with plans to do so before the burn starts, likely on Friday. The group also touched on the need to address rain prevention in the camp, particularly in the kitchen area, with Elizabeth suggesting this topic be added to the next meeting's agenda for further brainstorming.

Camp Event Planning Discussion

The team discussed access to tickets for a camp event, with filchy explaining that Elizabeth should check her email for an invite and confirming the deadline has been extended to the 31st. filchy addressed questions about how to contribute to camp projects, emphasizing that it's early in the process and people should focus on areas of interest rather than specific assigned tasks. Annie shared her experience from last year and offered to help with website QA and technical aspects, while also mentioning she has two shipping containers of supplies from previous events that could potentially be useful for the current camp.