Why did Transformus change locations?

Following the cancellation of Transformus 2017 we researched all of the more than 75 options that were submitted by Transformus community members on the Land Search form and conducted site visits to 6 of them. Many potential sites were either nearly as expensive as Deerfields (and smaller/not as nice of a property), faced insurmountable county ordinances, had not held an event of our size before and would have required a great deal more preparation and uncertainty, or two or more of these issues. Out of all the options that made it to the “final round,” none were in NC. From these options Marvin’s Mountaintop emerged as the clear favorite and received unanimous approval by the TLC.

What influenced our decisions?

Money. Contract negotiations with Deerfields were leading to significant increases in cost for 2018. Our resulting budget projections suggested dramatic increases to the ticket costs as compared to 2016. For us, that was a deal breaker; it would limit who could participate while making us the most expensive regional burn in the world on land-use fees per capita.

Inclusivity. Deerfields did not want to allow participants of all ages. While this was not a deal breaker, it did influence the decision.

While the significant increase in ticket prices was a factor, there were a number of other issues that were unresolved with Deerfields, including art car policies, neighborhood availability, and parking/traffic management. To read more about this check out the 2017 event negotiation report.

We know this is a difficult change to accept. As the TLC, we met over video conference almost every week over the past year, primarily dealing with land woes, and an unfathomable amount of time corresponding through email to ensure we are moving forward with the best possible outcome for Transformus 2018.

We know it will be difficult for many in our community that Transformus will not be returning to Deerfields this year. Deerfields has been a beautiful home to us. We are all greatly appreciative of what it has meant to us and to others. When reviewing and evaluating all of the land options, Marvin’s Mountaintop offered opportunities that made it the obvious choice. If you’d like to make a location suggestion for future events, our land search is ongoing: Please fill out this form.

Thanks for your support during this challenging year. 2018 was better!

Signed,

Transformus TLC and BoD

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