DCI Marketplace

[Grumpy]

I agree that it was not well placed. It wasn't easy to find initially on Thursday, which is when I usually go and make my purchases before it gets nuts; but once I found the sign, I was all set. Anyone that spent ANY time in the seating area on Friday and Saturday and still couldn't figure out where it was, has no business being out of the institution without supervision. There were numerous announcements on the jumbotrons with Dan Potter giving us a video guide of how to get there. I felt a better placement would have been to place it along the concourse of the non-concert side of the field. I could see how it might be a problem getting the trailers in there however. What really bugged me more than anything else was being forced to go the Marketplace to obtain the daily updates (up until Saturday night-they FINALLY "got it" and handed them out as you entered, like they have always done in the past). The program sellers didn't have them, even the DCI booth at the main entrance didn't have them. For quarters, semis and even the Open finals, we were forced to go down into the Marketplace to the DCI booth to get them. We were told it was done that way to generate more traffic in the Marketplace. Instead of increasing sales, it just resulted in us getting PO'd that we couldn't just get the updates at the door and head right for our seats.

[traveller30]

The Directors didn't agree. They were told where the souvenirs would be placed.

The concourse would hold corps merchandise, but there would not be room for vendors.

Corps could not have their trailers on the concourse, so they would have to haul inventory into the stadium and arrange some way to store it. They would have to remove it each night to secure it. There would not be all that much room on the concourse, so the corps would be constantly restocking.

There are a lot of logistical issues to think about. But the decision to put souvenirs in the dungeon was not a good one.

Where should it have been then? You seem to have a grasp of some of the logistical problems with the different areas, just curious.

[Cop]

Hmm.. I haven't moved in yet :(

but I wentout for my dream corps, got cut, wasn't going to march... then was convinced by friend/horn seargant to fly 2000 miles to go march his corps. Was not a mistake at all.

I'd still like to try out my dream corps... but it will probably never happen.

How many drum corps cut you?

[rmurrey74]

maybe because everyone i know who was there said it sucked?

if it alk to people who were there, and they said it sucked...and many people on here have posted how things sucked...how ignorant does that make me? or how ignorant does it make you for not seeing all of the posts saying it sucked?

From someone who was THERE, I never heard any negatives about it from friends, my family, people working my corps booth, members. I agree with the other posters above, if you couldn't find it, then maybe you should stop going to finals. Signs, videos, a constant stream of people walking in and out in plain sight on the FIELD.

But I'll stop arguing since you're always right about everything and an expert on an event that you didn't even attend.

[Jami]

actually, his wife worked in the marketplace, so he would have an opinion through her eyes.

but clearly you're trying to get your digs in anyways so i'm sure my words will be lost on you regardless.

[NakedEye]

I saw in on of his tweets that Hoppkins said the Cadets had done about 1/3 of what they did in one day at Allentown. I don't know if he was talking about all 3 days or one day of championships.

He had posted that on Thursday, so they had done 1/3 at Quarterfinals of what they did in one day of Allentown. Granted, Allentown was a home show for them, but that is still a pretty large drop at Championships. Even if people were able to find it without incident, sales are always better when something is positioned right in the path people must walk to get in and out. That is when most of the impulse and "oh, maybe just one more shirt" purchases happen.

[corpsreps]

The marketplace was easy to find, if you were looking for it. Found it right away on Thursday. In defense of those who didn't know where it was and missed the video, let me say that many people find the loud videos they play between corps to be background noise. Speaking of noise, did we really need a rock band in the souvie area? They were way too loud while at the same time the DCI booth was blasting drum corps music. I had to wait between songs to be able to buy a hat. Do we have to be constantly entertained?

[ann_and_scott]

Obviously "the marketplace" was placed in the facility more like the milk is placed in a grocery store. If you really want it, you can figure out where it is and go and get it. However, I'm sure there are more impulse sales of the tic-tacs which are near the checkout. I'm sure DCI lost a lot of "impulse" sales vs. other venues where you had to walk through the marketplace area to get in and out.

[Taylor]

The marketplace was easy to find, if you were looking for it. Found it right away on Thursday. In defense of those who didn't know where it was and missed the video, let me say that many people find the loud videos they play between corps to be background noise. Speaking of noise, did we really need a rock band in the souvie area? They were way too loud while at the same time the DCI booth was blasting drum corps music. I had to wait between songs to be able to buy a hat. Do we have to be constantly entertained?

This post bores me. It needs some rock & roll to spice it up.

[Jeff Ream]

From someone who was THERE, I never heard any negatives about it from friends, my family, people working my corps booth, members. I agree with the other posters above, if you couldn't find it, then maybe you should stop going to finals. Signs, videos, a constant stream of people walking in and out in plain sight on the FIELD.

But I'll stop arguing since you're always right about everything and an expert on an event that you didn't even attend.

hey thanks for reading....i had forgotten about this thread. good thing is, others here have backed up what I was told...including people that worked it.

funny thing is, go and read what I actually said.

I was told it was out of the way and not well advertised.

actually they worked in the Marketplace, and heard lots of people say it was inconvenient and not well advertised.

if you came in that way and saw it yes.

I was told ( and not by her) that people had no clue where it was, and because of where it was, it was inconvenient to get to when they learned.

i talked to 9 people that were there, and since i posted the first time, a 10th messaged me and told me how much of a cluster they thought it was too ( they're banned from here )

and then there's the post above yours.

and my souvie friends did go upstairs. they looked. even made one of their own they saw removed later.

i did my research before posting. and btw, your joke sucked.

maybe because everyone i know who was there said it sucked?

if i talk to people who were there, and they said it sucked...and many people on here have posted how things sucked...how ignorant does that make me? or how ignorant does it make you for not seeing all of the posts saying it sucked?

and then you have the posters...and vendors...who agreed with what I was told...and said it here.

I won't lie....i have an interest in seeing the marketplace flourish. it brings money into my house. and if the marketplace is well advertised, the people who pay my wife to work it are happy and she'll keep getting that money every year. Not only that, but the person who hires her, a dear friend, will have success in their job...ad that success means my wife keeps getting the money.

so, at no time did I say what I thought...I said what others told me. go read the quotes.

guess that gets in the way of your rant tho. I hate when the facts do that to people.