What would get you going to more shows and or finals?

[Lance]

having them somewhat nearby would help

most of you just don't realize how good you have it.

[mobrien]

DCI sold about 14,000 tickets to Finals in 2010. Make book on it. However, there were additional thousands of people watching Quarterfinals in movie theaters that week and however many watched Semis on Fan Network, so when you put ALL the numbers together, DCI could argue that a overall audience for Championships week was pretty ok.

That's not to say the the All Indiana/All The Time formula of Finals week isn't already wearing thin. I'd imagine the numbers this year will be about the same as last year unless something radical happens (and it won't). I'm in Chicago, so driving down to Indy is a morning's task, but still, there's a sense of weariness among the faithful I talked to last August.

Should Finals be cheaper? Yeah, they should. Will they? Not unless DCI knows they could clear more cash by discounting tickets enough so that people want to sit in the end zones just to be there. In order for THAT to happen, there would have to be the sense that something really historic was about to take place, and Finals rarely offers anything along those lines. They could institute policies that would enhance the drama of the night and make it a bigger event with a rowdier vibe, but bigger, louder, more fun doesn't seem to be in the organization's genes these days.

"But we can't see the shows well from the endzone", people say. Guess what? You can't really see the Kentucky Derby well from the infield either. Endzone seats for this week's Bears/Packers Championship game will offer just as remote an experience, but people are willing to pay hundreds of bucks to sit in those crappy endzone seats. The atmosphere at big events is such that You. Don't. Care whether you have great seats or not. You just want to be there because the event itself is gonna be something crazy good. Finals ain't that these days.

Personally, I'd stop announcing scores for the top six ranked corps two weeks before Finals, so no one knows where they're sitting going into Finals night. I'd cut the downtime between corps so that you didn't have 11 minutes of show followed by 15 minutes of set up (yes, exaggerated, but not by much). If you're going to have an alumni corps, have them on at the beginning of the show rather than stuck on Friday night (they sell tickets on their own). Make the whole night a loud, fast paced, celebration of the artform with some surprises thrown in to keep it interesting. Give corps one more minute of performance time Finals night in case they want to pull out a last-performance surprise. MAKE audience response part of the scoring system.

Do something, but the atmosphere last year and the year before felt like a friggin trade show.

Anyway, my two centavos.

Edited January 21, 2011 by mobrien

[garfield]

DCI sold about 14,000 tickets to Finals in 2010. Make book on it. However, there were additional thousands of people watching Quarterfinals in movie theaters that week and however many watched Semis on Fan Network, so when you put ALL the numbers together, DCI could argue that a overall audience for Championships week was pretty ok.

Do something, but the atmosphere last year and the year before felt like a friggin trade show.

Anyway, my two centavos.

Don't count on it. There may have been 14,000 in the stands but I'd bet an expensive souvie that a significant number of those were comped tickets.

Besides, the argument in DCI's collective mind is a non-issue because they're concentrating on season attendance, not finals week attendance (Bob Jacobs reinforced this perspective on here). With the super-regionals and, now, the G8 shows total season attendance is more important than just finals week.

I agree with your last statement to a large degree.

[DRB]

I would be interested in attending DCI if the activity were closer to what I experienced. I have no interest in the current narrated and amplified Bb brass bands (what they truly are). Bring real corps back, and the crowds will reappear.

[glory]

Don't count on it. There may have been 14,000 in the stands but I'd bet an expensive souvie that a significant number of those were comped tickets.

Besides, the argument in DCI's collective mind is a non-issue because they're concentrating on season attendance, not finals week attendance (Bob Jacobs reinforced this perspective on here). With the super-regionals and, now, the G8 shows total season attendance is more important than just finals week.

I agree with your last statement to a large degree.

No doubt season attendance is a priority and a major measure of success for DCI leaders. But we would be deluding ourselves to think finals attendance isn't a high priority too. With substantially higher ticket prices, finals represents substantially more opportunity (and risk) than the average show. Revenue is a top priority so finals attendance has to matter.

HH

[Jeff Ream]

Don't count on it. There may have been 14,000 in the stands but I'd bet an expensive souvie that a significant number of those were comped tickets.

Besides, the argument in DCI's collective mind is a non-issue because they're concentrating on season attendance, not finals week attendance (Bob Jacobs reinforced this perspective on here). With the super-regionals and, now, the G8 shows total season attendance is more important than just finals week.

I agree with your last statement to a large degree.

well, now the focus is on super regionals and 8 sooper dooper shows. want to bet they may cut into regionals attendance?

Still...finals is the end game, the reason we go all summer. it SHOULD have bigger attendance. It used to do just that. The question or questions is why Doesn't it?

[skewerz]

well, now the focus is on super regionals and 8 sooper dooper shows. want to bet they may cut into regionals attendance?

Still...finals is the end game, the reason we go all summer. it SHOULD have bigger attendance. It used to do just that. The question or questions is why Doesn't it?

1. economy? much higher ticket prices? I'm sure this is part of it.

2. corps aren't as entertaining? I'm sure this is part of it.

3. addition of electric? I'm sure this is part of it.

4. corps music isn't as "memorable"? I'm sure this is part of it.

Numbers 3 and 4 are really subsets of 2.

There aren't really many more feasible reasons. I'm sure some of the new crowd will say the "dinos" are dying out, but that's just not true. I'm a dino..saw my first show in '77, and I'm only 44.

[Stu]

> Still...finals is the end game, the reason we go all summer. it SHOULD have bigger attendance. It used to do just that. The question or questions is why Doesn't it?

My opinion on falling Finals Attendance:

1) Lack of “unpredictable” excitement from the placements from regionals to finals; for example a Seattle Seahawks type group with a losing record will never in a million years knock off a previous years grand champion New Orleans Saints type group during finals week.

2) Although there is somewhat of a quality variation, there is not that much of a change in “the top 12 show” from regionals to finals(and the super bowl or world series analogy does not apply due to number 1 above).

3) Not much interest in people becoming Grateful Dead type groupies following corps' from regionals to finals.

4) A person can go to a regional within driving distance, see all corps’ perform, and then use the other portion of their expendable income on something else they enjoy equally as well.

My "Utopian" Fix:

1) At local shows and regionals no public announcing of scores, just placements (corps' would be judged and receive feedback from judges and receive their own score, but not any other corps' score, privately); during finals week only announce advancements from prelims to simis and simis to finals; then publicly announce scores and placements during the Finale Retreat after the finals performance. This will help keep the public suspense going all the way until finals.

2) Never have "all" of the corps' compete at one venue until prelims of finals week. Make the regionals half WC corps and half OC corps and mix up the corps at each regional. This will mean for anyone to see all corps together in one place they have to travel to finals.

Edited January 21, 2011 by Stu

[Captncontra]

Unplug, stop rewarding chopped up music that fits a visual and start rewarding visuals that fit the music, and get finals out of the dome. If I'm wishing for the moon I might as well throw in: switch back to G's so my face goes numb again... I miss that.

I used to volunteer, attend finals, buy corps merchandise, and purchase dvd's every year. Now I go to a movie theater once a year and leave disappointed each time.

[charlie1223]

Personally, I'd stop announcing scores for the top six ranked corps two weeks before Finals, so no one knows where they're sitting going into Finals night. I'd cut the downtime between corps so that you didn't have 11 minutes of show followed by 15 minutes of set up (yes, exaggerated, but not by much). If you're going to have an alumni corps, have them on at the beginning of the show rather than stuck on Friday night (they sell tickets on their own). Make the whole night a loud, fast paced, celebration of the artform with some surprises thrown in to keep it interesting. Give corps one more minute of performance time Finals night in case they want to pull out a last-performance surprise. MAKE audience response part of the scoring system.

Do something, but the atmosphere last year and the year before felt like a friggin trade show.

Anyway, my two centavos.

The funny thing is is that the kind of Atmosphere that you want is exactly what the G8 wants to do with their TOC shows. I mean, with a more "anything goes" atmosphere, instant encores, and what not.

It would be a great experiment to just not announce scores the last 2 weeks. Maybe still give the scores to the corps so they know what to improve on or something.

But indeed, surprise and suspense is a BIG ticket seller IMO. I wonder if ticket sales to sporting events would be less if the outcome of the game was somehow "known".

Some cool ideas to implement during Finals to make it more exciting:

-Maybe two corps that have gained some kind of rivalry over the season can go head-to-head in a "Decibel War". The two corps (or 3 but no more than that) stand next to each other on the field, the perform the same exact crowd pleasing encore with that loud Bflat chord at the end. Whoever plays that last Blfat chord the loudest WINS! (that would be fun!) A judge would just have a decibel meter in the audience. And then after the winner is announced they both play as loud as they can doing the same "space chords"!!! FUN!

-(from Stu) don't announce placements in quarters or semis, just which corps made it to the next round.

-Maybe, offer non-finalist corps the opportunity to do a short encore performance in between a corps set up period. I don't if logistically it would work but it would be great for the kids that never got to perform at finals a chance in the spot light, and it showcases the corps that just want to show off.

-Maybe... ACTUALLY have an INT corps? I mean, have something going on on the field during INT?! Something fun could definitely be taking place.

Edited January 21, 2011 by charlie1223