Open Class Audience Estimates?

[oldschooldbc]

I will agree that you and I will probably never agree on this.

I think that some of the reasons that OC is unable to attract audiences involve factors such as where and when OC only shows are located, and how they are presented (without anyone coming right out and saying it) as "less than the rest".

What I don't have, are any better ideas on how to improve this.

Well, I have an idea. Host an OC tour in the southeast and southwest. Hold it in the early half of the season, before the San Antonio show/Atlanta shows. Host it in places where Drum Corps South events were once held, or other similar locations. Let the OC corps who march there keep 100% of the proceeds. That way, OC corps don't have to slum their way through WC shows, from which they are paid zero dollars, and get virtually no merchandising sales.

Hold these events in states such as Texas, Florida, and other Sunbelt states which are actually growing - not Rustbelt states, where the economy is shrinking. Why does DCI hold mutiple OC events in Rustbelt states such as Wisconsin and Michigan, but none in Florida or Texas, which are larger and growing fast?

You can still have a tour in the Midwest for the OC corps, leading up to Finals in Indy. This is still vitally important, to judge your competitive positioning, going into finals week.

But come on? Why do we have OC shows in metropolises such as Paw Paw, MI and Greendale, WI - instead of Houston, Dallas, Nashville, Atlanta, Orlando or Miami? No wonder so many OC corps are financially strapped.

[Tom Brace]

Well, I have an idea. Host an OC tour in the southeast and southwest. Hold it in the early half of the season, before the San Antonio show/Atlanta shows. Host it in places where Drum Corps South events were once held, or other similar locations. Let the OC corps who march there keep 100% of the proceeds. That way, OC corps don't have to slum their way through WC shows, from which they are paid zero dollars, and get virtually no merchandising sales.

Hold these events in states such as Texas, Florida, and other Sunbelt states which are actually growing - not Rustbelt states, where the economy is shrinking. Why does DCI hold mutiple OC events in Rustbelt states such as Wisconsin and Michigan, but none in Florida or Texas, which are larger and growing fast?

You can still have a tour in the Midwest for the OC corps, leading up to Finals in Indy. This is still vitally important, to judge your competitive positioning, going into finals week.

But come on? Why do we have OC shows in metropolises such as Paw Paw, MI and Greendale, WI - instead of Houston, Dallas, Nashville, Atlanta, Orlando or Miami? No wonder so many OC corps are financially strapped.

I believe OC corps do get paid for some of the shows they appear at...but not the OC shows that DCI sets up. Am I correct?

[Jeff Ream]

DCI never promised or was obligated to "do all they can" for OC. Only so many hours in the week.

DCI, works for a last time perhaps, for ITS MEMBER CORPS.

Just like DCA works...wait for it....ITS MEMBER CORPS.

right. so they'll take the money OC corps generate, but ##### about having to spend any on them.

thats genius

[Jeff Ream]

This is the single task which has proved to be the most impossible to accomplish now.

They are GIVING TICKETS AWAY and still they can't get people in the stands.

i think the potential of 40 corps in a day burns people out. while the current schedule may be cheaper, it's less fan friendly.

yeah i know attendance wasnt great before the current schedule. but Vickers made it work in 2002 in Madison. obviously, something worked...with the old schedule, and some discounted tickets

[Jeff Ream]

no...the purpose is for DCI to feature its member corps. Kind of like the way DCA doesn't have minicorps go on Saturday night...no EXACTLY like that.

actually, mini corps did go on Saturday nights, and drew a huge crowd. the problem was DCA exploded in growth. they had to shift it because they weren't shifting prelims

[Jeff Ream]

with two important caveats...

1. with no additional cost to DCI.

2. without inconveniencing the member corps.

Open Class corps at present are not inconveniencing anyone.

Here's how this would change. Prove you can draw an audience. Please. Draw an audience.

Not with a bunch of window dressing of having the Ageout ceremony, or I&E champions. Just the top OC corps drawing more than a couple thousand in a big show. DCM shows drew more in Michigan City than the OC Prelims did this year...at night.

ok. get a tour where people can see them, not where they have more corn stalks than people. then...give em a shot. it worked in 2002. funny....that was never repeated because if it hadnt been for the local host, it wouldnt have worked then....no one paid attention

[Jeff Ream]

I believe OC corps do get paid for some of the shows they appear at...but not the OC shows that DCI sets up. Am I correct?

sadly, yes

[kansasDC]

Well, I have an idea. Host an OC tour in the southeast and southwest. Hold it in the early half of the season, before the San Antonio show/Atlanta shows. Host it in places where Drum Corps South events were once held, or other similar locations. Let the OC corps who march there keep 100% of the proceeds. That way, OC corps don't have to slum their way through WC shows, from which they are paid zero dollars, and get virtually no merchandising sales.

Hold these events in states such as Texas, Florida, and other Sunbelt states which are actually growing - not Rustbelt states, where the economy is shrinking. Why does DCI hold mutiple OC events in Rustbelt states such as Wisconsin and Michigan, but none in Florida or Texas, which are larger and growing fast?

You can still have a tour in the Midwest for the OC corps, leading up to Finals in Indy. This is still vitally important, to judge your competitive positioning, going into finals week.

But come on? Why do we have OC shows in metropolises such as Paw Paw, MI and Greendale, WI - instead of Houston, Dallas, Nashville, Atlanta, Orlando or Miami? No wonder so many OC corps are financially strapped.

SIGH.....I will repeat my previous post for you:

"All OC shows prior to finals week are run by independent groups or OC corps themselves. DCI quotes them a cost that includes the judges, DCI administration fees, etc. It is then the reponsibility of the show sponsor to pay this fee and also provide a stadium, a lined field, etc. If people want to see OC shows run in "more desirable" locations, all they need to do is contact Sue at DCI and ask for a show date and a contract. Believe me, they would be glad to accomodate, as there are not enough OC shows as it is."

DCI does NOT run the shows. They sign contracts for the corps with the people/organzations that want to run shows and create a schedule. If you as a fan want to see OC shows in Houston, Dallas, Nashville, etc., etc., just call Sue at DCI and ask her to tell you the available dates and the contract costs. Then find a stadium, corps and judge housing, volunteers, sponsors, etc., and the OC corps will have another show.

Edited August 21, 2009 by kansasDC

[j.morgus]

SIGH.....I will repeat my previous post for you:

" If you as a fan want to see OC shows in Houston, Dallas, Nashville, etc., etc., just call Sue at DCI and ask her to tell you the available dates and the contract costs. Then find a stadium, corps and judge housing, volunteers, sponsors, etc., and the OC corps will have another show.

So if you don't live on the northern prairies, your options to see an open class show are:

1) Travel 1000 or so miles for a 5 or 6 corps show, or

2) Shell out 10's of thousands of dollars and try to coax a couple of them to come to you.

I am not blaming the OC corps for this, but it sure makes it hard for lots of folks to attend their performances.

What I am getting at here, is wouldn't more shows with both classes competing solve some of this? Is there some aspect of the OC being almost completely separate that is to the advantage of the OC corps that I am not seeing? Or is this the wishes of the member corps that keeps the OC off on their own?

[fleurghost]

Might I remind you that many of the individuals that make up the "FEATURED" corps came from those small corps that cannot draw an audience. The reason many of the shows do not profit (and actually many of them do profit, I think all of them did profit this year) is because the lack of promotion and marketing that is done for the shows. If DCI continues to not place an invested hand in the corps, then we will loos 22 corps all together and there will only be about 23 in existance. WIthout any prior training many people will never be able to march if there are only 23 corps in existance.

The current model is set up to where OC doesn't have the ability to make any sort of money and they are forced to travel extremely far to do shows. Why can DCI not use the model of DCM and do a more regional show with one or two MAJOR headliners and several small corps? Also how can the top 6 corps participate in profit sharing from DCI when there isn't any profit being made? It is true that OC is only making money because of the free stadiumn deal, but so what and who cares the end result is they are making money, and DCI ceritnaly used that proft to cover costs of the MAJOR short fall in WC.....

I am sure that you will see about 3=5 new open calss shows on the schedule next year in the Midwest.... Could the OC corps evenutally just break away from DCI all together? It would be cheaper, but then who would DCI use to fill open slots, its not so fun when DCI only has 4 WC corps in an area to do a show and they need to send 4 OC corps in to give the show promoter enough groups to actually hold a show. Oh wait thats right, OC corps are just pawns that are used in whatever way they are needed.

Now you can ALL argue till you are blue on here about this subject, and quite frankly most people will not even read much past this, as I won't....But Open class corps are made of the same thing World Class corps are.... young men and women ages 14-21 (with a few bonus people) therefore they are all EQUAL and should be treated as such.