FIRST-WEEK PLAN (practice scenario, fictional venues)
No option is selected here. Every step below is an inquiry or note-taking step:
no booking, no payment, no commitment. The decision stays with you.

OPTION A - Alder Studio (low-risk steps)
1. Ask Alder Studio, without booking, whether the room is available for a
   start on November 15, 2026 (unconfirmed per option-a.txt L6).
2. Request cancellation terms and accessibility details in writing
   (both unknown per option-a.txt L7).
3. Confirm in writing that the quote is $200 setup + $240/month for two
   months = $680 total, with no other fees. Note the $40 headroom under the
   $720 cap (constraints.txt L2); any extra fee above $40 breaks the budget.
4. Since sessions are evenings only (option-a.txt L5) and evening attendance
   is uncertain (constraints.txt L4), note this as an open question for you;
   do not estimate attendance.

OPTION B - Willow Room (low-risk steps)
1. Ask Willow Room, without booking, whether it is available for a start on
   November 15, 2026 (unconfirmed per option-b.txt L6) AND whether afternoon
   slots are available for the needed dates ("subject to availability" per
   option-b.txt L5).
2. Request cancellation terms and accessibility details in writing
   (both unknown per option-b.txt L7).
3. Confirm in writing that the quote is $100 setup + $300/month for two
   months = $700 total, with no other fees. Note the $20 headroom under the
   $720 cap (constraints.txt L2); any extra fee above $20 breaks the budget.
4. Note that capacity is exactly the 10-participant minimum (option-b.txt L4;
   constraints.txt L3), so there is no seat margin.

Stop point for both: if either venue asks for payment or a deposit before
terms are in writing, pause and bring it back to you rather than proceeding.

ONE ASSUMPTION THAT COULD REVERSE THE COMPARISON
Assumption: Willow Room's afternoon sessions will actually be available for
the workshop dates. Option B's only sourced advantage over Option A is the
afternoon schedule, which matches the stated preference (constraints.txt L4).
On every other sourced number, Option A is equal or ahead: lower total
($680 vs $700) and more capacity (12 vs 10). If Willow's afternoon slots turn
out to be unavailable ("subject to availability", option-b.txt L5), Option B
loses its distinguishing advantage and the tradeoff collapses in Option A's
favor. If they are confirmed, the comparison remains a genuine tradeoff of
schedule preference versus $20 and 2 seats, which is yours to weigh.