Just curious here...
there's a particular show that I've attended the past couple of years that I just don't get.
There isn't a large concentration of shows in my neck of the woods, yet at this show, there seems to be a max of 100-200 people, tops, in the stands (and these aren't temporary bleachers - big single deck stadium) many of those are participants that have already gone on.
I have no idea how this show can continue year after year, as I'm sure the stadium rental and performance fees (if there are any) cost way more than was recouped through ticket sales.
So I guess my question, and the topic I suppose for discussion, is:
When a sponsor decides to host a show, what obligation do they have to make sure that it is a successful one? I suppose that one would have to define what is accepted as being a success - the fact that a show was hosted, or that it broke even, or that it provided an outlet for members of the community to experience the pageantry that is drum corps. I suppose that if the goal was to provide an outlet for the corps to be judged, then this would be considered a success. But I gotta tell ya', it's tough to be in the stands without a crowd.
