WHY DCA is in Rochester, N.Y.

[Jeff Ream]

This attitude is the reason DCA has not, and will not grow. This garbage toward non EC corps and "oh well" who cares how much they have to drive, and how much more of a cost is put on corps that get fewer DCA shows, lower placements in prelims and finals because of it, thus making it more difficult for mid west and west coast corps to compete and be succsesfull blah blah blah. But yeah screw them. Now I'm gonna get chewed, but before I do let me say that I love finals in NY. Rochester has done absolutly perfect for the last 2 year. No issues what so ever. My only gripe is the field, which apparently has been complaint for like the last 10 years wherever it goes. Number one, it's a bit on the smallish side, and two if your a member and go on before 7pm you are absolutly blind. I just hate the drive/flight, and extra cost that comes with it. 13 hours on a bus is not something I look forward to anymore.

But once again I guess I'm beating a dead horse as DCA refuses to change this, and for good reason. Move west and DCA may die alltogether, who knows if anyone will show up? Stay out East, stay small, curb growth, but stay above water. Rock meet hard place. It looks like we're getting a few more corps comming up, we need another west coast, a few southern corps, and 1-2 more mid west corps, and presto! we have legitimate circuts nation wide, and can have finals wherever we want. Unfortunatly that's more then a few years away, so till then I'll gripe and chew on my knees for 13 hours on my way to ny.

Winston Salem, with huge PR, drew 3000 fans to a show in a 50+ thousand seat city in 2005.

People want to say the weather killed walkup, but who is going to walk up to pay $40 to a ticket in an area where there is no senior corps ( as Gold isnt from that part of the state)

I'm all in favor of moving DCA elsewhere when the time is Right. Ken just said in the South, the one region hosting the most shows since the regions started, were losing money for 5 years!! You have to build the regaion, and I am sorry to say, but in areas where there may be name junior corps but no senior corps, you're not going to draw like you can up here right now.

Unless you want every corps to lose money, which they make on finals.

You have to BUILD the regions...quick...which region has held a show that drew 5000 fans so far?

4000?

3000?

2000?

I've never heard of numbers that high yet. When you can pack 5k in consistently, then you have an argument. right now, i have yet to see that happen.

[Jeff Ream]

Okay, so this is my annual "I Remember When Rochester Was Considered The Western Conference of DCA" post.

Obviously there are many reasons Rochester is a great host for DCA, but personally I think the biggest is that 8000-10000 people are willing to show up and buy a ticket. If Rochester drew 3000, trust me on this, Allentown would look a lot more appealing.

If Chicago, or Memphis, or Atlanta drew 20,000 – 30,000 fans you can bet the Big East corps would find a way to get there.

How did Rochester get to this point?

The Empire Statesmen marketed itself as a "Community Asset."

The corps started out in 1983 with an "entertainment first" attitude and didn't care about the score. That attitude attracted (and developed) more and more talent, and it was only by accident that we eventually realized that we had such a high talent level that we should be winning (the judging community eventually noticed.)

People laughed when we did "Winter Shows" with singing and dancing and comedy and drummin' and rappin' (and, oh yeah, raw powerhouse drum corps material), but we raised a lot of money for school band programs, and attracted a lot of talent. We used this good will to raise the funds to travel the world.

It also helps if you have a Corps Director who Dreams Big and Goes For It.

That "critical mass" of interest in the activity also raised the level of the other corps in town, The Crusaders. In 1983 Empire and Cru were 11th and 14th respectively in DCA. By 1990, they had the top 2 brass lines, and the two Rochester corps were consistently in the top 5 for most of the 90's.

Also, and some people might not agree with me on this but, I also think that a lot of guys who saw Empire in the late 80's and early 90's (and saw some familiar faces) got "the itch," and next thing you knew there was an Alumni corps in Batavia, and an Alumni corps in Syracuse that became a full scale competitive unit.

Once the "DownStaters" saw that we could get 3000-5000 fans to the Crusaders home show every year, they didn't mind making the long drive.

Moral of the story:

Build your own fan base by being accessible to the fans and the local music community.

Build a generation of young horn players and drummers that come running to the edge of the curb when your team comes hypin' down the street on Memorial Day or the 4th of July.

Little hint: No offense, but very few people will pay to watch 18 horns play the soundtrack to "Cider House Rules."

And for cryin' out loud, let your Veterans community know that you exist.

When the day comes when the DCA Regional in Memphis (or Toledo, or St. Paul, or Austin, or San Jose) draws 20,000 fans, trust me the Big East teams will make the trip.

Until then, we welcome you with open arms to Rochester... and you know we mean that.

Tom Allen for President and Bills coach

[Jeff Ream]

Amy Snook! One of my all-time favorite people. I guess it's now OK to weigh-in on Allentown and Rochester.

The Allentown we all fondly remember IS NO LONGER THERE.

The city is being wracked by gang activity. No one wants to go anywhere near downtown. The city administration has not been helpful. The current Mayor is an imported Chicago political hack who has caused problems for our events before. The new stadium surface was located about 15 yards back. No more "in your face" experience. No beer is available. Although not a beer drinker, I recognize MANY of our loyal fans are. The is VERY little parking due to the city's lack of support for drum corps. Participants of other events ARE allowed to park on stadium area grass, but NOT drum corps. Very few local residents attend our drum corps events. By the way, that's always been the case, from DAY 1. There is NO local facility capable of handling the I@E event. There HAS been a hotel building boom, so I'm sure Allentown could host DCA again. IF THEY WERE SMART ENOUGH TO RECOGNIZE THE BENEFIT!

Look, there COULD be a bid from Allentown on the table. I really don't know. I do know this, DCA needs to be VERY careful before returning to Allentown. All things considered, Allentown is not what you remember Allentown to be.

As for Rochester. . .

So far, NO other location has demonstrated an ability to offer more to DCA. In my opinion, Winston-Salem would have been a winner, but that's a story for another day.

Other than a somewhat small (concert-side) stadium, Rochester has PROVEN to be the perfect location for DCA. It's possible another bid will offer more. We'll just have to wait and see.

Millions of NEW dollars are available to whatever community DCA decides to locate its premier event. That's a good thing! Let's hope those dollars go to an area that appreciates and supports DCA. Right now, from where I sit, Allentown ain't it!

I will say Allentown worked for TOB this fall, but with no fair competition, that helped the parking situation greatly.

[Jeff Ream]

I bet we could get 12,000 people in Frontier Field.

better ask for sats on the 20 so you're closer to the field!

[wishbonecav]

better ask for sats on the 20 so you're closer to the field!

Lame comment from someone who knows better. The decision to orient the field to the center was made VERY LATE and based on an incredible number of ticket requests and sales. Vince gave away the store to bring the corps to Rochester...subsidizing travel for some of the corps...and that had to be considered in the generation of revenue for the event. He had to sell as many tickets as possible. And he did. SRO, baby. And it hasn't been matched since.

The corps made out. OK, the field orientation was weird (I marched it), but it was pretty #### spectacular to march into a packed house. The videos seem to show alot of happy fans, especially after Lady Liberty made her entrance and Allen caught the 22 spin rifle toss. I saw a standing O that included the folks on the 50.

Give the digs a rest on Rochester 96. It lay the groundwork for what came after...06, 07, 08 were all phenominal successes...and would not have come about without DCA 96.

If you can match it, go for it. To throw bombs at it sucks.

Oh, and Allen sold out the St John Fisher show in July, too.

[Donny Drum Corps]

unbelieveable walk up at Empire's Fisher show...didnt know how they would squeeze em all in. 25th all stars let it rip!!!

AND...Jeff cant complain too much about 96...

DA

[hairbear]

better ask for sats on the 20 so you're closer to the field!

or binoculars on the 50yd line!!

[Donny Drum Corps]

and last year we had CASH CAB at DCA.

[wishbonecav]

Rochester as a permanent home for Finals? Hmmmm.

The argument regarding travel for the West Coast Corps is legit for those corps, but difficult to support. 2 corps traveling cross country is difficult; but 24 corps traveling cross country the other way is not possible.

Let me quantify the argument:

All 9 alumni corps likely see Rochester as "centrally located" or at least reachable and "fair". Boston, Bayonne, Bridgeport, NYC, NJ, Ontario or Batavia to Rochester is doable. 100 marching members per corps, 20 staff per corps and 2 accompanying family members per person translates to 360 ticket buying bodies per corps. That's 3,150 ticket sales...plus t-shirts, plus hotel revenue, plus program books, etc. All while keeping travel costs "reasonable."

The vast majority of the top competing corps come from the east (and the "stars" are, undeniably, the draw): Bucs, Empire, Cabs, Cru, Hurcs, Bush, Brigs. 7 corps; average of 100 members plus 20 staff plus 2 family members per = 360 bodies x 7 corps = 2,520 bodies.

7 of the 8 unaffiliated mini-corps are from the East (NH, Erie, Rochester, PA, Albany, Boston and NJ). The only other independent is Star and nobody from their group is complaining out loud about travel costs and, interestingly, nobody has picked up the torch for them (haha). Average is 25 members, 2 staff and 2 family members per = 568 bodies.

The World Drum Corps Hall of Fame banquet brings family and friends. There's 100 members, new inductees, plus two family members per. That's another 300 persons.

Add it up and you have 6,238 LIVE PEOPLE that are VERY LIKELY to attend DCA Weekend in Rochester and this total only accounts for CURRENT membership. The prior members of all these corps and organizations are "interested parties" or people that DCA has a legitimate opportunity to deliver a marketing message to that says "Come to DCA!... And it ain't far to go!"

The result is a sold out Finals 2 years in a row IN SPITE OF ECONOMIC CONDITIONS!

These numbers simply do not exist anywhere else in the country. And most of these numbers would be absolutely thrown out if the Championship was held elsewhere...Chicago or California or whatever. The corps MIGHT come (at a heavy travel tax for all), but their audience would likely stay home.

You are asking DCA to turn it's back on a near certainty in the hopes that the casual fan would show up to replace them.

We are, for all intents and purposes, an entertainment product. And DCA delivers that product to the consumer who is intensely loyal and is, for the most part, a repeat customer and a satisfied customer. These people show up year after year. This is a remarkable achievement built over 35 years.

To yank it away from sound business principles for the sake of "fairness" to the few (and I GET IT GUYS, California is a LONG TRIP) and potentially alienate the "many" misses the bigger picture. No decision will ever satisfy everyone, but DCA in the market or region that CAUSED it's success makes the most sense.

[Fred Windish]

Well thought out, Joey. Thanks for your contribution.