Proposed DCI Reorganization

[audiodb]

DCI arranges sites and contracts with over a hundred venues each season. From domes to high school fields. Why can't they build out their business model into to a model that encompasses all the marching arts?

Who knows - maybe they can. However, to be fully accurate, DCI only books venues for the dozen or so "major events" that they run by themselves. For the other hundred DCI-sanctioned shows each summer, the tour event partners provide the venues.

[danielray]

Much of what you point out above is true....except where you say NEVER.

Take, for example, the DCI interns. There is a surge of workload in the summer months, with numerous tasks that require able-bodied workers with the latest Internet and media device skills. And there's a surge in college students with their summers free to take on such opportunities.

Interns are a nice sort of touchy-feely thing.... but very rarely to interns save money. You are basically training a lot of people in tasks on the job... expensive... because the trainer and the manager are both losing productivity. I would never use interns... too costly.

Here's another example. In reality, YEA! has a mix of youth and experience. There are core staffers that are older, and have been with YEA! for many years. And there are younger, cheaper workers who come and go....and probably bring diverse, fresh skills to the team.

I used to work at YEA. When I was working there... I was clueless... brought almost zero fresh skills to the team. I had ideas, but no experience, no understanding of prioritization or FOCUS. I learned A LOT... but it was expensive for them to teach me.

Now, which organization is accomplishing more? Granted, BD runs three corps, two winter guards, a wind ensemble and a small ensemble that plays corporate gigs; they host a drum corps show annually. Meanwhile, YEA! now runs two corps, a dance troupe and two percussion programs....oh, and one of the largest marching band circuits in the activity, and a winter guard/percussion circuit; they host four drum corps shows each summer, innumerable band shows in the fall and some winter guard/percussion events in the colder months. Seems like YEA! is accomplishing more, actually.

You missed the point.

Am I the only one seeing the irony in a self-proclaimed efficiency expert advising others to stay off social media....in one of his dozens of DCP posts?

Why irony? I don't have a job, a board of directors or any external responsibility. It is Tuesday evening... I spent the day driving in the country side, drinking beer, playing guitar. Same as yesterday... same as much of last week... probably the same as much of next week.

I can be inefficient now because I was ruthlessly efficient before.

[danielray]

But you were the one suggesting DCI/BOA/WGI in your own proposal. You contradict yourself.

My thoughts:

1. The market for event management is, IMO, less volatile in the marching arts than in the corporate world. Corporate events come and go with the slightest breeze, while we have essentially the same number of marching music events taking place in a near-depression vs. an economic boom.

2. DCI's aptitude is with drum corps contests. That aptitude translates easily to other marching arts events, but not as easily to most corporate events.

I wouldn't dismiss the idea, though. If adding corporate events brings diversity and greater margins, and DCI's skills score points with corporate clients, then great. Do both, then.

You are confusing things. These are two separate issues.

In that scenario, you merge the companies and it would be the combined resources (minus redundancy) that would go after external corporate projects.

[Jeff Ream]

I give serious answers, you just don't seem to understand them. Not really much I can do about that.

I understand them. They just don't work

[Jeff Ream]

Think of this as a merger. Part of streamlining is reducing redundant positions, but it's also reducing redundant systems, getting rid of the overlap waste, consolidate the backbone and gain scale. Hell, just consolidating IT help would probably be worth it. The people who are left would be asked to do more, yes, but consistent systems would cut costs as well.

Think of DCI being the "Tour Central" for all marching arts. The single place where your tour is managed and produced. In addition to helping you build a corps they could also help you build a marching band circuit.

DCI arranges sites and contracts with over a hundred venues each season. From domes to high school fields. Why can't they build out their business model into to a model that encompasses all the marching arts?

There are over 5,000 brokerage firms in this country, and countless firms around the world. Yet, in the US there are only 3 primary firms who "clear" trades (paperwork, reporting, confirmations, etc) on all the daily business. If you want to interact with the industry you have to use one of these three to play with the others. Each firm does what they want (like BOA, WGI, and any others would do) but the backbone to get connected in is through one of three firms. And those firms make it easy, very easy, to interact with the others. Complete, turnkey systems. They like the system to work well because they collect a fee for their service.

Scaling up DCI to be the tour backbone to the marching arts is not a big deal. It takes will.

ok so it's a merger. There's cost with that too. That's my point. This isn't going to just happen at a $0 price tag.

[garfield]

ok so it's a merger. There's cost with that too. That's my point. This isn't going to just happen at a $0 price tag.

Well, of course it's not zero. But the point is that the savings out-weighs the cost as DCI gains scale.

[Tom Brace]

Well, of course it's not zero. But the point is that the savings out-weighs the cost as DCI gains scale.

and yet, this seems to be the crux of the issue. Where does this money come from?

So let's say that we can project that in three years New Co. will create revenue at a sustainable level.

Let's say we can project that we will need X amount of dollars to prime the pumps so we can get to 3 years from now.

Where does that money come from? Does DCI once again, go out and get a "more than short term" loan?

And what happens if all this....doesn't work? What then?

It's clear from reading betwixt and between, that discussions of a merger are/have/will ... happening/happened/happen.

So, who's in and who's out? Who's left out? And who's calling the shots?

And most importantly, can this involve a Marching Arts Museum and Hall of Fame? Bob Jacobs....what's happening with this particular idea?

[garfield]

and yet, this seems to be the crux of the issue. Where does this money come from?

So let's say that we can project that in three years New Co. will create revenue at a sustainable level.

Let's say we can project that we will need X amount of dollars to prime the pumps so we can get to 3 years from now.

Where does that money come from? Does DCI once again, go out and get a "more than short term" loan?

And what happens if all this....doesn't work? What then?

It's clear from reading betwixt and between, that discussions of a merger are/have/will ... happening/happened/happen.

So, who's in and who's out? Who's left out? And who's calling the shots?

And most importantly, can this involve a Marching Arts Museum and Hall of Fame? Bob Jacobs....what's happening with this particular idea?

Well, the start-up funds can only come from internal or external sources. If the decision is made by the member corps that this is a practical plan to leverage what assets they do have, might they consider a 2-year reduced payout schedule? (Just thinking out load here, not advocating.)

Perhaps one of DCI's major sponsors would pony up for the chance to have front-page marketing in the new venture. After all, it is a consolidated music arts community that would be organized by DCI's expertise.

Going into more debt with loans is absolutely a last -ditch survival action. Not to save the NewCo business, but to save DCI. Forget debt, period. Be more creative.

If it doesn't work then DCI stops doing it and goes back to running the DCI tour exclusively.

I think you're reading in too much import to this thread. I don't think you can take any comments here as meaning that merger discussion have, will, or should take place. We're just B.S.'ing here.

Everybody's in. No-one's left out; why would they be? Everyone gets to play. You can start "Tom's Tour" of bands, They'd help. You want a brass ensemble at your kid's little league game? Call DCI. Want to know what stadiums the DCI tour will visit? Contact DCI.

I don't know nothin' about no museum or hall of fame.

[Jeff Ream]

Well, of course it's not zero. But the point is that the savings out-weighs the cost as DCI gains scale.

except.....they are going to head to head with member corps on some of these services. So while some corps gets cash out of it they didnt have before, some lose cash.

[danielray]

I understand them. They just don't work

Seems you know much more on this topic than I do, as I was not able to see exactly how it wouldn't work. Bummer.