dustyboo Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 Amazing to me how cynical some on DCP can be.According to the DCI business plan that they posted on their website, DCI is doing this to keep recent age-outs engaged. Specifically: "Provide each 2009 age-out with 2 complimentary (tickets)... with the objective of closing the gap of time between when one participates and one becomes a spectator." Seems like a great idea. No spin needed. That alone is the problem. It never used to be hard to keep recent age-outs engaged. It wasn't until someone had been out of the activity for a few years before they would start to wander away from the activity. Part of the issue today is that you have so many members that come in for one or two seasons to try and win a ring (and that is all they care about) and then move on with their lives and not hang around the activity like so many did 20 years ago. They don't have the passion for drum corps, they have the passion to win. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCImonkey Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 Free tickets for 09 Age outs? Great I guess DCI didn't get enough yelling at corps members from the stands last year prior to, during, and after the shows Can't wait to hear the recordings this year haha Seriously, this is a great gesture on DCI's part.....eve if they'll be sitting in parts of Lucas Oil Stadium that look like this: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOBSMYTH Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 That alone is the problem. It never used to be hard to keep recent age-outs engaged. It wasn't until someone had been out of the activity for a few years before they would start to wander away from the activity. Part of the issue today is that you have so many members that come in for one or two seasons to try and win a ring (and that is all they care about) and then move on with their lives and not hang around the activity like so many did 20 years ago. They don't have the passion for drum corps, they have the passion to win. Agreed that the phenomenon of the 1 (or at most 2) year drum corps career is problematic. Even worse, it is possible that the marchers in the very top groups may have never seen an entire drum corps show as a fan. They roll up in the busses, do their show and roll back out again, on the way to the next show. So, that being the reality of the situation - what can DCI do to keep those people around and interested after they age out? How about free tickets to Championships? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CitBos Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 Seriously, this is a great gesture on DCI's part.....eve if they'll be sitting in parts of Lucas Oil Stadium that look like this: I can obviously understand the support columns, but why on earth would they ever put seats right behind it like that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chevron22 Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 you know, DCI is also offering free tickets to current music education majors and MENC members Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SACMellos2010 Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 I think it is a great gesture but also kind of scary about the state of the activity and the need for fans to come to Finals. I could just have a bad memory from so long ago but it always seemed that in Madison and also Dallas the whole concert side was full? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCImonkey Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 When you are charging 125 a seat for the best seats its hard. Then when you take those best seats away from the general fans and only offer them to Friends of DCI, its even harder. I will not drive 11-12 hours to sit on the 20 yard line or in echoville uptop. I am desperately looking for someone selling decent seats, but they are hard to come by. If DCI wants to maximize Finals attendance, the seats should be first come first serve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Other Mike Posted July 23, 2010 Author Share Posted July 23, 2010 If DCI wants to maximize Finals attendance, the seats should be first come first serve Or, General Admission. Yes, it was a long time ago but I remember marking sure we got there a few hours early then the mad dash to "capture" the best seats we could. It also made sure people were in the seats ( for any show) early to see ALL the corps perform. .Instead of going for the greatest # of audiance, it seems like they keep excluding more and more ofthe fan base. Possible # of fans minus people who find shows uninteresting minus people who won't spend money for a show in a dome minus people who don't want to go to the same location each year minus people who just can't afford the prices = alot of empty seats I remember being to go to finals with no plans and being able to sleep and shower at a housing site of some corps I knew, eat out of an ice chest in the trunk ( and cooking on a sterno stove) , do young people / recent ageouts still do that ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOBSMYTH Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 Or, General Admission. Yes, it was a long time ago but I remember marking sure we got there a few hours early then the mad dash to "capture" the best seats we could. It also made sure people were in the seats ( for any show) early to see ALL the corps perform..Instead of going for the greatest # of audiance, it seems like they keep excluding more and more ofthe fan base. Possible # of fans minus people who find shows uninteresting minus people who won't spend money for a show in a dome minus people who don't want to go to the same location each year minus people who just can't afford the prices = alot of empty seats I remember being to go to finals with no plans and being able to sleep and shower at a housing site of some corps I knew, eat out of an ice chest in the trunk ( and cooking on a sterno stove) , do young people / recent ageouts still do that ? Maybe they will this year - now that they get free tickets too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grumpy Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 No offense intended but, in this case, I think you are way overthinking this. That business plan was put in place last fall with the free ticket idea in it. When DCI does report attendance numbers, they almost always talk about paid attendance - tickets sold. Giving away free tickets does not help their numbers (and certainly doesn't put any extra ticket money in their pockets - the tickets are free). Maybe they should have been offered sooner - maybe - but maybe the people at DCI have been busy putting on a whole bunch of events and implementing many of the other ideas in their business plan - and dealing with the craziness that is the G7 proposal. Each year at the "Friends" breakfast, Dan A. always refers to attendance-PAID attendance. If you recall the years in the Citrus Bowl, DCI imported band kids by the busloads, but if you look at the attendance figures for those years, they quite obviously are NOT included. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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