Finally, DCI Acknowledges "Issues" At LOS

[Tom Brace]

I haven't been there and haven't read the whole thread but I'm just gonna say this:

You never buy anything sight unseen. A car, a house, a pet and especially not 10 years of performances in a stadium that hasn't even broken ground yet. You wait until its built, bring in some musical groups and check it out from every angle. If it sounds good you sign a contract with a clause allowing you to get out of it if things change or if you didn't like it after the first year.

Then you make backup plans.

Sounds to me like the people at DCI are the kind of people used car salesmen love.

I would love to see you negotiate on behalf of DCI. The stadium is an vital component of the package, but not the entire package. The offices, collaboration with the city and the marketing the Chamber does of this event is certainly helpful to this effort.

No one else to my knowledge was offering anything near to this. Besides, BOA was already signed up for a long term deal. This was intended to help the corps as well because they would know each year where finals was going to be and could plan accordingly.

This is becoming really interesting on the speculative side of things. And the what ifs and well they shouldas are great for Monday's during the football season. What DCI is attempting is to help get things better for next year and the years after that.

So, the issues have been identified already. DCI is seeking more data. Then a plan will emerge to address the issues. Then the plan will be implemented. Then people on DCP will complain about the process and ultimately about the outcome of the implentation. Because...we are DCP and that's what we do.

[Jeff Ream]

and I am still wondering how if you purchased thru DCI, how you can get the survey. granted i had to sell, but the buyers wish to fill in their thoughts

[3rd_Star_Brigade]

I would love to see you negotiate on behalf of DCI. The stadium is an vital component of the package, but not the entire package. The offices, collaboration with the city and the marketing the Chamber does of this event is certainly helpful to this effort.

No one else to my knowledge was offering anything near to this. Besides, BOA was already signed up for a long term deal. This was intended to help the corps as well because they would know each year where finals was going to be and could plan accordingly.

This is becoming really interesting on the speculative side of things. And the what ifs and well they shouldas are great for Monday's during the football season. What DCI is attempting is to help get things better for next year and the years after that.

So, the issues have been identified already. DCI is seeking more data. Then a plan will emerge to address the issues. Then the plan will be implemented. Then people on DCP will complain about the process and ultimately about the outcome of the implentation. Because...we are DCP and that's what we do.

DCP is a place for fans to discuss, debate, argue, etc. Have you seen football forums recently? (or ever)

So, if DCI wants to market itself as MML (Major League Marching), it should be prepared for the #####fest that comes with that. Youth activity? What youth activity? This is Marching Music's Major League!!! The best in the world at the most high velocity performing for a World Championship! Flash, lights, glamor!

Welcome to the world of major league teams, DCI. Expect dissent (a lot of it), and for you to bend at the whim of every majority discussion the fans have. LOS sucks? No, problem... we're just like the MLB, right? We'll just change it to a different venue or construct a DCI stadium in the middle of no-where. Oh, too expensive, huh?

Point of that sarcastic rant is that DCI is no-where near the level it can be to become a for-profit major league. They can not sustain their fanbase, they are in a cult activity, and they do not submit to the desire of their fans in any respect. In fact, some of them are downright coercive when it comes to any dissent at all.

Solution: Go back to your roots and become the leader in youth music. Knock those lame bands off the ladder on your way back up.

[Tom Brace]

and I am still wondering how if you purchased thru DCI, how you can get the survey. granted i had to sell, but the buyers wish to fill in their thoughts

perhaps they had the marketing company pull a random sample from the contact information they had from finals. Someone commented they did not go to LOS and had not purchased tickets the last two years and they got a survey.

So, not sure the methodology in determining the sample universe is imperical at this time.

[Perry S]

LISTEN VERY CAREFULLY AT 9:18 into the VIDEO PLEASE ! WHAT HAPPENED ?!?!

http://www.dci.org/news/view.cfm?news_id=1...ea-f85ef5fc5f62

[kansasDC]

I'm tired of this type of response. I (as did many people) spent a significant amount of money on that championship experience. I've continually lowered my expectations of DCI over the decades, and currently (and reluctantly) invest my money solely in support of my son who is a marching member. That is not to say that I hang around drum corps simply to receive something that I've paid for, as like many of you, I continually volunteer and support the individuals and organizations that I have access to annually. However, I have a family of 5, and also brought along his 2 grandparents to LOS this year (their first exposure to a DCI event... they were unimpressed and left early), very costly, and it was without question the worst experience I've had in my 27 years of drum corps. To suggest that a paying customer should have no expectation of (or right to) an advertised experience is out of line, particularly at these prices.

Secondly, I'm also tired of the rhetoric about all this being for the "kids" in this activity. There are very few "kids" participating at the world class level. Furthermore, if DCI were concerned about serving kids, it would be actively and genuinely engaged in real efforts to grow the activity in a true sense of service to youth, rather than being all about serving just its member corps. My point is that DCI is nothing more than a business that relies on customers to sustain itself, and it's clear that the decisions made by the business have created a variety of concerns for many of its customers.

Further, many people believe that DCI intentionally turned away from its historically loyal fan base to target a new audience that would be more receptive to a controversial agenda advocated by a select few members of the DCI Board of Directors. They aggressively pursued that agenda, ultimately achieved it, and continue the same centrically motivated decision making processes, all with no apology to those that questioned and cautioned its decision making from the beginning.

Since I no longer receive the kind of value exchange for my involvement (and dollars) today as I did years ago, I'm left only with an expectation of receiving what has been advertised and paid for, and the 2009 LOS DCI experience wasn't it. For anyone to criticize a patron of this circuit for expressing their displeasure of the world championships event (for completely legitimate reasons), simply exposes themelves to be someone that refuses to accept reasonable concerns of people that care about this activity.

VERY well written. BRAVO!!

[Bob J]

Thanks. One more seat choice for me!

But Tom, just how many seats can you sit in?

[oldschooldbc]

I haven't been there and haven't read the whole thread but I'm just gonna say this:

You never buy anything sight unseen. A car, a house, a pet and especially not 10 years of performances in a stadium that hasn't even broken ground yet. You wait until its built, bring in some musical groups and check it out from every angle. If it sounds good you sign a contract with a clause allowing you to get out of it if things change or if you didn't like it after the first year.

Then you make backup plans.

Sounds to me like the people at DCI are the kind of people used car salesmen love.

I would assume that in the Terms and Conditions section of DCI's contract with the stadium authority, they entered some sort of termination clauses. This is standard for any type of long-term commercial contract. In it, you specify conditions under which the parties can agree to terminate the contract, before its completion date. You do this, so that the on or both of the parties can terminate the contract, without creating a breach of contract. (If that happens, you have to spend a fortune on lawyers, in the resulting lawsuit. Then the only people who win are the lawyers.)

I sure hope that DCI insisted on these entries in the T&Cs. I hope that these terms were precise enough, so that if the venue turned out to be totally unsuitable, they could opt out of the contract. (I hope the DCI management were smart enough to do this.....but I may be hoping against all hope.)

Is the venue unsuitable? DCI would have to demonstrate that it is. It would have to show that the accoustics in this building are so bad, that it is driving customers away. This would constitute a material breach of the contract, which would then allow DCI to terminate the contract. In order to have a material breach, you must demonstrate that the other party a) is not living up to one of the terms of the contract, and b) that non-compliance with the contract by the other party is creating serious economic damage to yourself.

This is the most likely reason for this survey. If DCI can demonstrate that customer are dissatisfied with the venue, then perhaps they can implement one of the termination clauses. I really suspect that this is why DCI is floating this survey, at this time. They need this type of empirical data, in order to opt out of the contract, without generating the breach themselves. (Failure to pay on a lease would de facto be a material breach.)

So folks, if you get a survey, fill it out, and send it in. Yes, it does matter. Yes, DCI could use this as justification for using one of the termination clauses in the contract (assuming that they exist.)

Edited September 14, 2009 by oldschooldbc

[Tom Brace]

But Tom, just how many seats can you sit in?

the question is...how many guests can I invite.

also, the more seats available...the better choices...for me. Because, it is...about me...afterall.

[Tom Brace]

I would assume that in the Terms and Conditions section of DCI's contract with the stadium authority, they entered some sort of termination clauses. This is standard for any type of long-term commercial contract. In it, you specify conditions under which the parties can agree to terminate the contract, before its completion date. You do this, so that the on or both of the parties can terminate the contract, without creating a breach of contract. (If that happens, you have to spend a fortune on lawyers, in the resulting lawsuit. Then the only people who win are the lawyers.)

I sure hope that DCI insisted on these entries in the T&Cs. I hope that these terms were precise enough, so that if the venue turned out to be totally unsuitable, they could opt out of the contract. (I hope the DCI management were smart enough to do this.....but I may be hoping against all hope.)

Is the venue unsuitable? DCI would have to demonstrate that it is. It would have to show that the accoustics in this building are so bad, that it is driving customers away. This would constitute a material breach of the contract, which would then allow DCI to terminate the contract. In order to have a material breach, you must demonstrate that the other party a) is not living up to one of the terms of the contract, and b) that non-compliance with the contract by the other party is creating serious economic damage to yourself.

This is the most likely reason for this survey. If DCI can demonstrate that customer are dissatisfied with the venue, then perhaps they can implement one of the termination clauses. I really suspect that this is why DCI is floating this survey, at this time. They need this type of empirical data, in order to opt out of the contract, without generating the breach themselves. (Failure to pay on a lease would de facto be a material breach.)

So folks, if you get a survey, fill it out, and send it in. Yes, it does matter. Yes, DCI could use this as justification for using one of the termination clauses in the contract (assuming that they exist.)

and I thought I assumed alot when I post. I have officially been "one upped" in the assuming too much category. I concede the top spot to you, sir and gladly slide back into second place.

Perhaps DCI is just trying to make things better. Would that be so novel?