danielray

As mentioned before, unnecessary spending on equipment, props, electronics, etc. is not the issue here... it is food, gas and housing costs. The solution isn't a spending cap, but smarter spending and max tour spend based on previous year's financials. This all should happen at the PLANNING stage. The cost of touring is pretty well understood by most groups that have been at it for many years. This should be put into a financial model that is available to all organizations to help plan better. There should be levels of touring (within each performance class) where these levels are expense driven and according to number of persons (including staff), days on the road and miles driven. Group I ($700k+) - X days, X people, X miles Group II ($500k - $700k) - Y days, Y people, Y miles Group III ($300k - $500k) - Z days, Z people, Z miles Group IV (under $300k) - local only + optional finals trip Individual corps should be required to submit a season/tour budget of what they can reasonably spend (with margin of error of 15-20%) that does not exceed 70% of their income (after cost of sales and core operating expenses). Debt load should also be factored in. Tours are then planned within the window of that budget, forcing organizations to spend more wisely and save some for growth and unforeseen circumstances.

I'm keen on the idea of bussing in loads of kids for every single show, not just finals. Free tickets for kids currently enrolled in a school music program. Must go online, register, complete survey (school, instrument, brand preferences, other hobbies, etc.) in order to get a ticket. These are the kids you want to communicate with regularly and convert over the next 10 years into performers, fans, supporters, etc. If they are buying tickets now or not.... not so important... get them there... in the stands... experiencing the event, get them hooked. Corps will make up the gap in increased merchandising revenue and new fans locked in over time. The main thing is that there is a huge difference between watching a YouTube video online and seeing a performance live. Get as many kids as possible hooked now.... make an investment in the future market. Also, few comes early to see a few corps if they are coming to see top corps later at night. It is just too #### long of a day. I know lot of people who had paid for tickets, but still didn't even go at all... they'd run into someone they knew and then figured they'd still have tomorrow to see more. For all the people that complain that there are not enough drum corps out there (and would be cool to have more)... prelims has way too many drum corps. Makes no practical sense to have that many groups all on in one day. It also puts stress on staff running the show to have so many groups. I just don't see the point of it at all.

You guys are each talking about 2 different shows. Finals in Michigan City and Prelims in Indy. The video posted in this thread was from Indy. Both were pretty #### empty. I was at the stadium during prelims. Pretty much a ghost town until the last corps of the night.

Again, tickets need to be FREE.... and days need to be shorter. Few people want to spend such long days. Also, a lot of people skip nights if there is so much of the same lineup... and a lot of people tend to want to go to the shows in the evening. So, tweak the format... because it really isn't working as best as it could. Again, makes zero sense for the top 15 groups from the week before to perform all 3 nights. Let the other groups go out performing at night. The purpose of Prelims is to determine who will make it to Semis... some groups have a zero % chance of not making Semis, why are they performing? It is redundant and causing fewer people to attend the performance because they think they have 2 more nights to catch some groups and the other groups not making it to Semis are on far too early in the day. One more time... The purpose of Prelims is to determine which groups make it to Semis, yet the last corps to not make the Semis went on just after lunch for a show that ended at midnight. Prelims is a 14 hour day... but out of those 14 hours, there is only an hour and a half of performances that would not be happening again the next night. Start at 3pm and finish at 10 pm. This would be how I would have reworked the Prelims schedule this year: Blue Saints Racine Scouts Les Stentors Taipei Yuefu Colt Cadets Raiders Legends Intermission 7th Regiment Gold Music City Spartans Genesis Blue Devils B Vanguard Cadets Intermission Pioneer Cascades Jersey Surf The Academy Mandarins Oregon Crusaders Colts Let's say you're a group like that wouldn't be making the cut to the next day and this is your last performance of the season.... how much better would it be to end your season playing to a full house at 7-8pm, than to an empty place at noon? Again, 3 nights of the top corps makes no sense, as it just cause no one to go at all. Make it free, fill the place up, have a unique line up for prelims. Three nights in a row of the same corps is too much for most people, which is why so many opt out. This approach could create a better experience for absolutely everyone involved.

Not at all similar to what I am suggesting.

One point worth making is that OC finals in Michigan City might be something worth reconsidering. Firstly, it's about 3 hours away from the action. I get that there are some housing issues and this distance does make sense... but... it is difficult to expect people to attend something so far away from where the concentration of people are. There has to be a way to make OC finals work in Indy where people already are. Maybe rotate housing out where some OC corps use the same housing site for the beginning of the week as some WC corps do and move the OC corps to another site after their finals. Again, tickets need to be free for OC finals... fill the place up and look for a sponsor able to subsidize the cost. Also, why not figure out how to make the whole week a festival? Not only drum corps but other music and all kinds of things happening downtown in Indy. Why not stuff organized during the whole entire week? DCI might have the capacity to organize all this effectively, but could work with a partner or partners to make this whole thing a bit more of a festival type experience.

You're referring to Ryanair. I flew them once since that was the only airlines that I could get a direct flight to a particular airport in UK. Without question the absolute worst airlines experience ever. Changed return flight to another airlines and another airport and took a train there just to avoid a return flight on Ryanair. Every single thing about that airline is horrible, yet it does attract a segment that cares only about price. DCI doesn't need to nickel and dime people with additional fees, but could simply capture a portion of the money they are already spending on stuff around the events but not directly related to in stadium performance.

The Disney thing wasn't all that deep if a deal. No need to present anything to anyone. Just throwing out some ideas. Everyone reads these forums, just few actually post anymore.

Almost 5:30 in the morning, actually waiting for my flight to board so that I can buy breakfast on the plane... After paying extra for a bag, extra for priority boarding, extra for fast pass security, extra for legroom and extra for priority passport control/customs when landing. The airlines do have extra revenue opportunities completely locked. Anywhere they see potential, it is explored as the margins become tighter on their core product due to things like fuel cost increases. Drum corps is very similar in this way. There is a limited amount of money to be made from the core product, yet all the money to be made around this sort of slips through the fingers of DCI and the other orgs. Part of the "sell" to Indy and part of their deal is the additional revenue that comes into the local economy during finals week. I get it. But... There are ways to be smarter about this and to be the gatekeeper for this revenue. As I see it, DCI makes money from just the show... Nothing else. A solid million to million and a half in missed rev.

Better endorsement deals if you can remain consistent.

Also, which large businesses have tested the water with drum corps? Have I missed something?

First point... DCI events are not small. Definitely large enough and with sufficient reach in other mediums for solid sponsorship opportunities. Second point, if they actually knew what is or isn't viable... I wouldn't be posting this. :-) They need someone dedicated to the sponsorship role that has the contacts and expertise to make it happen. They shouldn't not hire from within drum corps for this. This person does not exist from within this pool. NCAA is right down the street from DCI. This is where they should be poaching from.

Why is it that when anyone ever uses the term The Golden Age, I automatically think of The Golden Girls?

Free would pack the place. The demographic data would be more valuable than the ticket revenue, as you could really go after sponsorship with hard data. The thing that baffles me most about the whole finals experience is lack of sponsorship from mainstream brands. With so many people from such a coveted demographic (these kids are the cream of the crop of youth) I cannot understand why every possible point of attention isn't sponsored.

Theatre event should be finals or semifinals, not prelims. As for theaters showing drum corps on a Friday or Saturday in August, they shouldn't much care, so long as there is solid turnout.

The concept does have potential. The stuff around finals week outside (not so much the stuff at the shows) was cool and did draw a crowd. Could be cool to expand that more. I do think that for Drumline Battle to really take off, it needs to have regions and leagues and rankings and so on. It should have virtual (winter) and live (summer) seasons. I don't really think that SoundSport has the same kind of potential. Drums are just more accessible for a general audience and translates better to a reduced form. Brass needs numbers and volume to impress to the general public.

Quite a lot of thoughts after attending finals this year, but the three main takeaways are: 1) There are some parts of the process that don't really make much sense anymore, but seem to simply be done because that is the way it always has been done 2) There is quite a lot of money being spent that corps or DCI is not getting a cut of (it's raining and few buckets out there collecting what falls). 3) There is an incredible number of people all in one place for several days, but very few additional activities planned Finals Week Format It really makes very little sense that so many corps are coming to Indy and performing every night just to get their placement for the next night... and 3 nights of some of the same corps is too much (this is why prelims and even semis is a ghost town compared to finals). Prelims - there is absolutely no need for the top 15 corps from the previous week to be performing in Prelims. Not only does this make for WAY too long of a day, but there is zero possibility that any of the top 15 corps from the previous week will fall out and those kids at the top of that tier do deserve to go out with a night show and to a full house. Make Prelims 100% FREE! The only way to get a ticket is to complete a detailed demographic survey online. Get the house as full as possible... bus in as many high school kids as you can. These are the kids that could pick up a slot for the next year in these OC corps... make it a bigger deal so that potential future members are more motivated to join and the current members can go out with a bigger bang. Semis - Leave format pretty much as it is, but make tickets available on the endzones FREE for anyone who fills out the same demographic survey. FILL the house (will also improve the acoustics and corps will improve merchandise sales). Get live feeds from the stadium on screens in every bar, restaurant and hotel possible. Organize viewing events in these locations for those that might not be up for seeing all of semis in the stadium, but would like to have something to eat, drink and socialize. Have stuff like drumline battle and other small ensemble performances and tents covering the distance from nearby hotels and the stadium. Add a giant LED screen in the warm up zone with the stadium feed... block of warm up zone where you can only enter with a wristband after filling out the demographic survey. Sell food, drinks and merchandise in the warm up zone... make it more of a destination as well. There needs to be a realization that people don't always want to hang out in the stadium and with some corps on 3 nights in a row, it seems more like a formality than actually a performance. Tightening this up and making more things to do could not only improve the finals experience, but "catch more rainwater". After semis there should be a huge reunion event for alumni of all different corps. In order to attend (in addition to entrance fee) attendees should complete info on affiliation, which will serve as a start for a universal alumni database for all drum corps alumni. Continue the free finals tickets for recent age outs (expand it to past 3 years) and create a sort of zone/hang for these guys at a cheaper hotel... with a shuttle to the stadium. Cost is still a big factor for this segment, but you want to keep them engaged more so they keep it up as a regular habit to attend. Finals - format is fine, just same warm up zone and bar setup from semis should be continued. After the event seems to be the biggest missed opportunity. There are sort of informal gathering for mostly staff and alumni at either Basey's or nearby hotels. Not only should there be more organized events with opportunities to generate additional revenue and make it more of an experience, there should be a massive after party for all corps members... something to close out the season. This is something that could easily be sponsored and could be a great way for the kids to socialize with others and end the season. Finals viewing parties... There should be a series of high-quality finals viewing experiences in cities around the country (probably best organized by individual corps... but should all follow a similar format) with merchandise available at these events. Should also be a key thing to engage alumni (build the database) and create unique experiences for their kids (get them hooked when they're 5.. if there is any segment most likely to participate, it is children of alumni). Regionals & Other Events Every single regional and other event should similar social activities around the event... in the warm up zone, tailgaiting, after parties, alumni gatherings, etc. Free tickets for endzones should be a standard thing. It also feels like there is not only missed opportunity to collect additional revenue around each of these events. Do a similar thing with free alumni tickets for first 3 years and also create cheap hotel zone/hang with shuttle for these guys. Keep them engaged... as much as possible. Make Fan Network free for 1 year for age outs... 1/2 price the next year... this gets them hooked on it while the connection with their corps and some of the guys they marched with is still fresh.

Crown had the most expensive props ever put on the field. How much do all those extra bass drums, gongs and timpani cost? How's that compare to something you can slap together from Home Depot?

I'll tell you exactly... The future of drum corps is not in loads of touring corps in the US. There are already enough. The future is groups of top corps setting a global standard and sharing expertise so that others around the global will attempt to emulate within their own communities in countries around the globe. For example, I have spent the past couple of days with a wonderful group of young drummers in Odessa, Ukraine. This group came into existence when a school music director in the city stumbled across some drum corps videos on YouTube a few years ago. He wasn't a drummer, but was so impressed by this that he decided to try to learn enough to put a group together in the local community. They have no formal training, just learned what they could from some free videos online and trying to copy some other groups they saw. They are so scrappy that they couldn't even buy things like proper bass drum mallets, so they made some themselves from PVC pipe and stuff they found at a fabric store. They have put this thing together with very little money and are creating an incredible experience for kids... something very valuable in their local community and very different than top tier competitive drum corps. Anyway, what is disappointing is the idea that there is an attitude that drum corps must be this competitive sort of thing... that it is all or nothing. I would hope that groups like MC might consider other sort of alternatives (drumlines, color guards, whatever) that could continue to be an addition to their community and to also give youth some great opportunities. Again, one of the most valuable things about these top tier drum corps is the sort of ripple effect of what they inspire around the world.

George works more than anyone I have ever met and no question his heart is ultimately in the right place. The issue here is oversharing... showing a bit too much of how the sausage is made. He needs a communications strategy and clear plan for execution. Between FB and Twitter he as around 8,000 followers, so clearly some people are interested in what he has to say. But... When you do have a considerable amount of people connected to you or paying attention to what you have to say, you should be a bit more focused in your messaging and approach. His communication is closely tethered to the YEA/Cadets brand. Hopefully this summer has taught him some lessons (two clear social media missteps come to mind) on how his communication online can not only impact the brand he is responsible for, but how it can be reflective the drum corps community as a whole. Very often the public words of a CEO can potentially impact the value of a company. In the context of communication as a representative of this brand, all communication should be carefully considered. Less is more cannot be overstated. Anyway, there would be less controversy if there was more wondering what he was thinking, rather than knowing exactly what he had for breakfast.

Stating the absolutely obvious... The overwhelming majority of design talent out there does not exactly see eye to eye with evangelical Christians (see which side of prop 8 debate they might've been on.. And there's your answer). As a result, an organization like this would never be something that would place anywhere above the lower echelon of open class. I honestly can't think of anyone with sufficient experience that would design for a Christian group. You would find people, certainly, but they wouldn't be good. I also imagine that audience reaction would be much less positive than you might expect. Demographics for drum corps don't really overlap well.

Art history is taught in most high schools and DaDa is discussed in the context of many modern history classes. This isn't something crazy obscure, but something you'd be aware of if you paid attention in school. There is also a phenomenon today where youth have a much broader set of knowledge due to link surfing things like Wikipedia or YouTube. Anyway, as far as obscure and high-minded things go, DaDa is something that pretty much every high school graduate should be aware of.

NOBODY expects the Spanish Inquisition!!

It won't be competitive or innovative. It would be absolutely impossible to attract top creative talent, not to mention mediocre. There is zero possibility you will get talent of a level to put out even a decent open class corps if religiously based. It has been done before, with exactly the same rationale as you are presenting, but reality is that if a kid is talented and religious, 9 times out of 10 he'll choose the opportunity to perform with other talented kids rather than simply other religious kids. Also, religion is a very personal and very private thing that has no place in a football stadium (or even a church in my opinion).

Russian Christmas Music was written because they were in a crunch and needed to find a composer for a sort of festival. Reed was a punk kid and was chosen because he was cheap and had some idea of Russian traditional music. It had nothing at all to do with any change or breakthrough in religious attitudes. It is very simple. It was early 1940's and Russians in the providences were not in support of the war. The Soviet government used aspects of Russian Orthodoxy to stir up the old grandmas to get them to support a nationalist effort in support of the war. As soon as the war was over, the government went back to per-war policies. It had nothing to do with religion, really, but manipulation of large groups of people in rural populations. In reality, Russian Christmas Music has as much to do with religion as Variations on a Korean Folk Song has to do with the squid platter at Bando in Indy (yes, there is a restaurant in Indy called Bando :-) ).