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2015 schedule coming today


Galen

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CT Drums is all open class corps.

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And I'm wondering just how much input the Directors have in the final schedule -- other than "I think we'd like to start out West"? I may have the mistaken perception that DCI handles most of the scheduling, but I could be totally wrong.

Anyone "in the know" want to chime in to my and Jast45's questions?

I'm not privy to all of the details, but I can provide some insight.

DCI contacts TEP's right after August and gets indications of who plans to have a show the following year. DCI surely adjusts this group for new locations and spends several weeks firming up "maybe Yes" TEP's.

As the TEP's are lining up, I suspect DCI is also collecting "unusual" tour requests from corps like going cross-country or starting their tour in a different location or time. I know corps can be asked to go a particular direction or DCI can see to it that two corps travel together. Corps also have requests like housing with stadiums, or avoiding locations they didn't find satisfactory in the past (I'm sure that DCI works very hard at making sure housing provided is adequate for corps needs).

Somehow through a mish-mash of information flow between TEP's, venues, and corps tour supervisors, directors, and Boards of Directors, in the course of about 60 days, DCI informs each TEP which corps will be performing at which shows, sends out contracts for signature, and makes the announcement when ready. At that point the tour is set unless something unforseen happens like a TEP dropping out or a special request or change from a director, or a venue conflict.

TEP's are generally dissuaded from contacting corps directly to request attendance, and the corps that DCI assigns to a show are non-negotiable, while they retain the right to make changes to adjust to a tour problem.

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I'm not privy to all of the details, but I can provide some insight.

DCI contacts TEP's right after August and gets indications of who plans to have a show the following year. DCI surely adjusts this group for new locations and spends several weeks firming up "maybe Yes" TEP's.

As the TEP's are lining up, I suspect DCI is also collecting "unusual" tour requests from corps like going cross-country or starting their tour in a different location or time. I know corps can be asked to go a particular direction or DCI can see to it that two corps travel together. Corps also have requests like housing with stadiums, or avoiding locations they didn't find satisfactory in the past (I'm sure that DCI works very hard at making sure housing provided is adequate for corps needs).

Somehow through a mish-mash of information flow between TEP's, venues, and corps tour supervisors, directors, and Boards of Directors, in the course of about 60 days, DCI informs each TEP which corps will be performing at which shows, sends out contracts for signature, and makes the announcement when ready. At that point the tour is set unless something unforseen happens like a TEP dropping out or a special request or change from a director, or a venue conflict.

TEP's are generally dissuaded from contacting corps directly to request attendance, and the corps that DCI assigns to a show are non-negotiable, while they retain the right to make changes to adjust to a tour problem.

Good answer... I will add to the mix that show sponsors have to also determine how much upfront guarantee money they are willing to provide to the Corps. And of course, if a Corps travel takes them into that geographical region, the show spponsor has to determine if that Corps guarantee is worth it to them, or should they forego that Corps for another lesser appealing Corps, whose guarantee appearance fee for that sponsor might be considerably less ( with less fans to possibly show up as a deal... that they still might be willing to risk ) One look at all the DCI local shows, and its clear the lineups in attractiveneess and appeal ( as well as the number of Corps appearing in these local shows ) vary quite a bit in some cases. Thats because the local sponsors do have some say in the decision making at what they are prepared to pay in upfront appearance guarantees.

Edited by BRASSO
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I add to the insights of Garfield and Brasso with the addition of the term "corps availability in light of practice days."

Watch before each DCI regional how many of the usual top 10 suddenly drop out of the schedule for a few days in order to go into mid-season camps. Changes and adjustments are made to the show, and voila, they appear with a new presentation at the Regionals.

Before San Antonio, before Atlanta, and sometimes before Allentown. Blue Devils almost always "camp" finals' week.

I am confident that Gibbs, Hopkins, Coates, Fiedler, and kin don't just let the dart board in the DCI front office randomly give them a week; I am confident that they demand it and when they want it.

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Good answer... I will add to the mix that show sponsors have to also determine how much upfront guarantee money they are willing to provide to the Corps. And of course, if a Corps travel takes them into that geographical region, the show spponsor has to determine if that Corps guarantee is worth it to them, or should they forego that Corps for another lesser appealing Corps, whose guarantee appearance fee for that sponsor might be considerably less ( with less fans to possibly show up as a deal... that they still might be willing to risk ) One look at all the DCI local shows, and its clear the lineups in attractiveneess and appeal ( as well as the number of Corps appearing in these local shows ) vary quite a bit in some cases. Thats because the local sponsors do have some say in the decision making at what they are prepared to pay in upfront appearance guarantees.

Just to clarify, as this is somewhat misleading...

The DCI scheduling office gets to know show producers and what kind of show they typically handle, then build the itinerary to try to accommodate the producer with a line-up that comes close to what the producer is willing to spend. TEP's don't pay corps, they pay DCI via "The Contract" after DCI has built the show. DCI can work in Open Class or lower-placing WC corps to adjust Contract costs.

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This all seems a little strange. I had thought the corps themselves choose what shows to go to. As described here it seems like the system is ripe for corruption of the kind in which a TEP happens to know someone at DCI and what do you know; they get a couple of top corps each year. I don't mean someone at DCI takes a payoff - that's crazy talk (not that there's anything wrong with crazy talk). It's just that DCI is an activity full of insiders and people who've known each other for years. When we hear about the many shows that have gone under , often due to lack of a top corps draw (there were 140+ contests in the mid 2000s), I have to wonder if the TEPs just weren't well connected enough.

All very murky stuff.

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This all seems a little strange. I had thought the corps themselves choose what shows to go to. As described here it seems like the system is ripe for corruption of the kind in which a TEP happens to know someone at DCI and what do you know; they get a couple of top corps each year. I don't mean someone at DCI takes a payoff - that's crazy talk (not that there's anything wrong with crazy talk). It's just that DCI is an activity full of insiders and people who've known each other for years. When we hear about the many shows that have gone under , often due to lack of a top corps draw (there were 140+ contests in the mid 2000s), I have to wonder if the TEPs just weren't well connected enough.

All very murky stuff.

Not really murky. More like herding cats.

DCI's primary job is to organize and produce the annual tour. It makes sense because only they can "balance" out the tour with headliners and OC corps among TEP's. Otherwise, there would be 50 TEPs calling every corps trying to entice them to attend their show.

That said, it's not a democracy; DCI is very much a benevolent dictator when it comes to scheduling shows and, IMO, needs to be under the current tour structure.

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Not really murky. More like herding cats.

DCI's primary job is to organize and produce the annual tour. It makes sense because only they can "balance" out the tour with headliners and OC corps among TEP's. Otherwise, there would be 50 TEPs calling every corps trying to entice them to attend their show.

That said, it's not a democracy; DCI is very much a benevolent dictator when it comes to scheduling shows and, IMO, needs to be under the current tour structure.

There must be more to it than that; how do they manage the distance traveled by corps? Many corps can only travel a limited distance for cost reasons. Or do they pick date ranges for tour?

And how is it that some shows get no top corps for years? Even though there are certainly top corps in the area at other shows. These must be "issues" among the TEPs? Do they get to have it out with DCI in some TEP conference?

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There must be more to it than that; how do they manage the distance traveled by corps? Many corps can only travel a limited distance for cost reasons. Or do they pick date ranges for tour?

And how is it that some shows get no top corps for years? Even though there are certainly top corps in the area at other shows. These must be "issues" among the TEPs? Do they get to have it out with DCI in some TEP conference?

Oh, certainly, I minimize it without doubt. I can't hardly imagine the system they use. I don't know if it's software or a big map of the US but, again certainly, they must know the general route that the corps has decided to take. They know which corps run a full season and those who don't. They know how far they can travel and where DCI needs to get them for major shows. Further, don't forget that the corps know most of the available shows within their travel area. All the parties are looking at the same show locations including major regionals.

Ha! No, there aren't any "issues" among TEP's. DCI hosted TEP meetings for years in parallel with the DCI Janual but, because of costs, TEP's began to drop out until, the last meeting I went to, there were 8 show producers there.

As to lineups, I think you're presuming that every show producer only wants top-placing corps, but that's not the case at all. Each corps costs a fee based on last year's placement that can cost upwards of $5,500 late season. The math is important. If you, say, have BD and Bluecoats coming to your show this year (ahem, check Dublin, OH in late July) your cost is $10,000 or more. Another 3 or 4 corps could easily double that. If your average ticket profit is $10 you need 2000 BITS to just pay the bill. If a show producer can't put that many fans in the stands, or clear that much in ticket profit but still wants to have a show, he could specifically request lower placing corps only to cut the costs. DCI knows these realities and knows which TEP run profitable-enough shows that can handle a lineup of top corps.

There's conflicting evidence on whether lineup actually affect profitability, as evidenced by the many Open Class shows each season.

It is also possible that corps will choose their locations specifically for specific purposes. If a corps needs to park for a few days they want to do it at a host that has what they need, like nice facilities, willing hosts, high stadiums, etc. We have, every year, corps that stay with us for several days, but these arrangements can be made by DCI or the corps after they are booked at a show. We also get a dozen calls each year looking for housing as corps are transiting through the area. Between DCI and the corps' experience, they get to know the 46 or so independent TEP's (ITEPS, officially) very well.

It really is just that simple.

EDIT: "Simple", as in controlled chaos simple, aka, herding cats.

Edited by garfield
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