DCI Direct, part dos

[cowtown]

a question cowtown, given your experience:

what proof would you like to see in terms of specifics? not questioning your experience at all, just curious

Doubtfully you like this answer but something tangible and measurable – each committee would have a different criterion

Volunteer Experience Committee – reaches out to local organizations and individuals who wish to volunteer for DCI events. This eliminates the need for a full-time employee to manage the sizable volunteer efforts for more than 250 Championship Week volunteer positions.

That one rings rather hallow to me – the implication is that they hired a full time DCI staffer to round up 250 volunteers in Indy for finals week. I’m guessing a single post on DCP with a free ticket offer to one of the finals week show could have achieved the job. Because even if Indy gets the volunteers, DCI staff will still have to managed them the week of the event regardless.

But how many did this group round up last year?

that should be easy to answer

Additional networking into Indianapolis-based organizations through the Music Crossroads alliance include the Lacy Leadership organization, IndyHub, the Indy Arts Council and the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce. These relationships have connected Drum Corps International to the Indianapolis-area business community in a meaningful way, helping to increase the organization’s grant-worthiness, providing exposure to new potential strategic partners, engaging staffers in professional development opportunities, and offering good old fashioned relationship-building.

how did they increase DCI's grant worthiness and by how much and what are these grants and were they obtain, who got them and how were they spent...it could be as simple as if you come to Indy, our foundation will give you this grant, which to me is really just part of the sales package - if the grant-worthiness is acheieved by it being in Inday, well, that's a PR snow job selling an incentive to go to Indy as a result of going to Indy, big diff

I did search for a 'Music Crossroads' website seeing as they are involved in many of these and found nothing. I know it's new but where its its web site?

The creation of “Music Crossroads.” A consortium dedicated to “advancing quality of life through the attraction, support, collaboration, and evidence-based outcomes of leading art entrepreneurs.” Focusing on the needs of Drum Corps International, the Percussive Arts Society, Music For All, the American Pianists Association, the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis and Heartland Truly Moving Pictures, the Music Crossroads team has created a synergistic alliance of groups who are working together for their individual and collective needs.

I figure there are enough musician, artist here that have tried to cross-promote with other bands and orgs to know how little these things achieve. How they mostly are just for media kits and to make a group look more professional

I’m guessing it will be little more than be a local, Indy arts listing with contact information trying to over sell their importance by association with each other. They might have a fund raisers, give each other awards and go to each others show but really, they made the claim ofe vidence based outcomes, so lets see their back up, their evidence…I can’t even find evidence that it was created

now if you look at all the other things that list this Music Crossroads as a part of....the house of cards falls very quickly

Also, does this imply that DCI did not reach out to local arts communities in host cities? That would be an admission of their past idiocy if so. And after DCI leaves Indy for finals, this cross roads thing….

Over all, a lot of this stuff should have been in place and should not be specific to Indy. They may want to say that the 10 year thing makes a difference but really, each finals has to be at least a 3 year relationship (1 year prep advance team, 2 years there).

DCI’s office was just outside of Chicago for how many years? Where was the outreach to Chicago music community, I’ve never seen it and I would have noticed. Chicago is internationally important for music and therefore a far more valuable market for relationship. It wouldn’t even be fair to compare the value of Chicago to Indy in terms of music – so I see this as retroactive justification that have yet to produce any results as we are about to enter our 3 year of this deal

I’m hardly impressed and they have a real up hill battle based upon their start

Edited January 29, 2010 by cowtown

[fourouttheforty]

problem with Allentown is it doesnt hold as many fans as the 2 other domes do

Economically, if they're selling out Allentown, they're not charging enough. And I doubt at that point, someone not being able to afford Allentown will stop going to other podunk shows they would also go to, so I don't think there'd be long term ramifications of hiking the price.

That being said, does Allentown literally sell out every year? About when does it sell out? I actually have no idea.

[Fred Windish]

No, they are NOT selling-out Allentown. Allentown has 16,500 available concert-side seats, but only 9500 seats between the goal lines. They likely DO sell-out those. Plus, Allentown is a rather inexpensive place to operate, so the bottom line can be good.

[Jeff Ream]

Doubtfully you like this answer but something tangible and measurable – each committee would have a different criterion

I do and I don't, and I'll say why I don't. Not being a full time marketer of anything other tna helping a band circuit and my mortgage business, are you looking for paperwork> detailed accountings of what is going on? policy papers and follow up papers?

I think you're onto an intriguing suggestion that if they read and think about, may be very cool for all of us. But, I'm not sure entirely what you mean and what kind of specifics is needed to be shown.

I'd like to think that you have a suggestion they could do something with, but for those of us not in your line of work, we have no clue what you exactly mean.

[Jeff Ream]

Economically, if they're selling out Allentown, they're not charging enough. And I doubt at that point, someone not being able to afford Allentown will stop going to other podunk shows they would also go to, so I don't think there'd be long term ramifications of hiking the price.

That being said, does Allentown literally sell out every year? About when does it sell out? I actually have no idea.

since the deck reopened, up there does. downstairs probably to the 20's, which, for modern drum corps, sitting past the 20's sucks

[Wadep66]

I appreciate the time and effort he took to explain all this. It's very well written and he's obviously a sharp dude. It is, after all, in the end a business decision which is what I knew when I went.

I just wish that with all that was apparently made easier and more cost effective by the decision, that more focus was put on the actual ability of fans to enjoy the event and to ensure it was a priority. Sadly, I've still seen nothing that makes me think I want to reconsider returning. Oh well, I'm just one guy.

[MikeD]

since the deck reopened, up there does. downstairs probably to the 20's, which, for modern drum corps, sitting past the 20's sucks

For ANY era sitting past the 20's sucked.

[MikeD]

I think DCI and Jacobs might answer that question by saying it depends on what happens at the regionals and other DCI sponsored events.

Not that they want empty seats in Indy. But the prime goal is to assure a stable, financially sustainable organization. That's how I read it. One way to accomplish that is to reduce the expense associated with its biggest event. Another is to derive revenue from multiple sources, not just one. So if costs are down and everyone who doesn't buy a ticket in Indy in future years buys one instead at some other DCI show, they are achieving their goals.

HH

I agree...they are looking at the season-long attendance at all of the shows as the most important goal, not putting all their eggs in the finals basket. It's a much better approach, IMO, than banking on one week.

[Fran Haring]

For ANY era sitting past the 20's sucked.

Agreed.

And honestly, at some of the old Eastern States local circuit shows in the 1970s, with some not-so-stellar lineups ... well.... sitting between the 40s sucked, too.

From a show staffer's perspective, having worked at DCA's title show since 1983......it is soooooo much easier/better being at the same venue for more than one year. You get to know the stadium personnel better, know the stadium better, and work out any glitches from the first year at a given venue.

And "working out any glitches," from a show staff standpoint, often means a better experience for the corps and the fans.

Fran

[Jeff Ream]

For ANY era sitting past the 20's sucked.

true. but back then, they didnt charge $75 to sit out there, or worse like last year