News From DCI Winter Meetings

[BOBSMYTH]

Never say never (or ever) in this activity.

Never underestimate the rapacious greed, and short-sighted nature, of those running this activity.

A woodwind section would mean an addition 50 marchers, potentially, for each corps. If your average Top 6 corps charges $2K per year, in fees and dues, then that's an extra $100K in revenue, for these corps. Cha-Ching.

Then consider this: for every 1 kid who makes the "marching woodwind" section, you'll likely get another 3-4 kids who try out during the audition camps. That's an extra $10,000 in revenue from camp fees. That's the cherry on top of the ice cream sundae.

Of course, only the top-tier corps will get these types of additional revenue streams. Your lower-tier WC or OC corps won't get them. This will only further the gap between the haves and have-nots in this profession.

The rich get richer, and poor get poorer, and we get to listen to Malaguena or Channel One Suite on a piccolo. I can't wait! Who do send my Friends Of DCI check to?

Seriously?

Let's look at your numbers a moment:

$100k - $110k in additional revenue will have to cover:

Another bus (and related fuel, insurance, etc. depending on if bought or leased and terms of the agreement) for those 50 more members for the entire tour.

Plus 50 uniforms

Plus 50 instruments

Plus food at camps and on the road

Plus bigger housing sites for camps and on the road

Plus paying one or more additional staff to teach all those new members

Plus additional capacity on the equipment truck for those uniforms and instruments (eventually if you run out of room, you may need a whole new truck - like Pacific Crest is doing right now for 2010)

Plus ...

Frankly, I don't think your $100k - $110k is going to cover it.

Seems like a money losing proposition to me. At best, break even. "rapacious greed" seems to be a bit over the top.

Never underestimate the loquacious overstatement for dramatic effect of those posting on DCP.

And I believe you can send your Friends of DCI checks directly to the DCI office. I know they will be thankful for your heartfelt support.

[oldschooldbc]

Seems like a money losing proposition to me. At best, break even. "rapacious greed" seems to be a bit over the top.

Never underestimate the loquacious overstatement for dramatic effect of those posting on DCP.

So if adding members is a "money losing proposition" to corps, why did DCI raise the membership limit from 128 to 150?

Why would that board have taken that action, if it would have resulted in lost money?

I agree that there will be capital expenditures, from any increase in limits. But over the long term (5 to 10 years), won't the additional revenue cover the capital expenditures?

[BOBSMYTH]

So if adding members is a "money losing proposition" to corps, why did DCI raise the membership limit from 128 to 150?

Why would that board have taken that action, if it would have resulted in lost money?

I agree that there will be capital expenditures, from any increase in limits. But over the long term (5 to 10 years), won't the additional revenue cover the capital expenditures?

Good questions. The first change was from 128 to 135. That increase of 7 was probably not too expensive depending on where those extra members were added. (A couple extra horns the corps may already own, perhaps.) And, it probably did pay for itself as you were filling unused bus seats. Current busses tend to have more seats than the busses we had back in the day (when the 128 limit first went into effect). Even going to 150 is still using up additional bus capacity if you have 3 busses with 50+ seats each. I don't see how you can go much higher without needing bus #4.

The capital expenditure issue is interesting. If you can keep the uniforms and instruments in good working condition for multiple years, you should be able to make that back to break even over time. In other words, additional revenue does help cover the cost.

However, how much of this stuff really lasts 5 - 10 years? First, it all takes a beating on the road. Then, think about how often some corps change uniforms.

The last two pieces of the puzzle for the equipment - can you get a sponsor to kick in free or reduced price stuff? Does any of the equipment have any residual value where the corps can sell it off to help buy new? Those two items are the only way that I can see where it gets back to break even or possibly having a couple of pennies left over.