Maximizing the Finals Week Opportunity

[alumniof]

Here's your revenue: band kids, alumni and band directors. Start there. Business' will sponsor you when they think they'll get a return on their investment. Simple. Basic.

[alumniof]

Here's your revenue: band kids, alumni and band directors. Start there. Business' will sponsor you when they think they'll get a return on their investment. Simple. Basic. Then, the general public.

[danielray]

I usually hate these "reinvent the wheel" posts about DCI, but this one not so much.

Without going into detail I agree that the "event" world has changed dramatically over the past 20 years and DCI perhaps not as dramatically.

I'm not sure it's "raining money" anywhere around drum corps, but God knows we can't afford to miss any of the drizzle or run-off. If anyone doubts that see the "Music City" announcement this week, and that's just the first this off season.

I love the activity and I'm probably not smart enough to be really progressive about it (or young enough) but it's time to start testing where more revenue can be tapped.

Having said that - I work for an airline. Everyone knows what that industry has gotten to be like - "you'd like a napkin sir? That will be $3... oh sorry you can only use our branded Master Card to purchase..." (btw the airline I work for is the antithesis of this crap - still gives you a free bag, free Live TV, etc. - not sure I could take working for the "Ultra Low Cost" airlines that charge for TP by the sheet. But I digress...

I pray that we as an activity keep an eye on where we look for revenue. Folks will pay - we already do, but let's not get stupid about it.

Some of that rain you're seeing isn't rain - it's perspiration. We don't need buckets to collect every drop.

Almost 5:30 in the morning, actually waiting for my flight to board so that I can buy breakfast on the plane... After paying extra for a bag, extra for priority boarding, extra for fast pass security, extra for legroom and extra for priority passport control/customs when landing.

The airlines do have extra revenue opportunities completely locked. Anywhere they see potential, it is explored as the margins become tighter on their core product due to things like fuel cost increases.

Drum corps is very similar in this way. There is a limited amount of money to be made from the core product, yet all the money to be made around this sort of slips through the fingers of DCI and the other orgs.

Part of the "sell" to Indy and part of their deal is the additional revenue that comes into the local economy during finals week. I get it. But... There are ways to be smarter about this and to be the gatekeeper for this revenue. As I see it, DCI makes money from just the show... Nothing else. A solid million to million and a half in missed rev.

[rayfallon]

Almost 5:30 in the morning, actually waiting for my flight to board so that I can buy breakfast on the plane... After paying extra for a bag, extra for priority boarding, extra for fast pass security, extra for legroom and extra for priority passport control/customs when landing.

The airlines do have extra revenue opportunities completely locked. Anywhere they see potential, it is explored as the margins become tighter on their core product due to things like fuel cost increases.

Drum corps is very similar in this way. There is a limited amount of money to be made from the core product, yet all the money to be made around this sort of slips through the fingers of DCI and the other orgs.

Part of the "sell" to Indy and part of their deal is the additional revenue that comes into the local economy during finals week. I get it. But... There are ways to be smarter about this and to be the gatekeeper for this revenue. As I see it, DCI makes money from just the show... Nothing else. A solid million to million and a half in missed rev.

Agreed, and you paid for most of that stuff "willingly"... but if I read your tone, far from happily.

There is enormous pressure on publicly traded companies to squeeze every penny out of each "transaction"...

But man, DCI is where we go for enjoyment, for fun.

My team uses diverse revenue streams, but we see limits and we also want customers to remember the "fun" in the process. It's a choice, and never an easy choice. I'm proud of our success, and of being a part of that success.

DCI needs the revenue, but they (IMO) shouldn't succumb to the extent of becoming that European airline that wants to put pay toilets on board.

There's no fun in that experience.

[GUARDLING]

Also, which large businesses have tested the water with drum corps? Have I missed something?

there were many busineses that were involved with drum corps...Budweiser for one...others have been involved with individual corps..hell Disney even and where is that now....you also said DCI and Big events? Really? enough to line somones pockets ( a business )..Well like I said mayb e youre right..present it to DCI..got nothing to lose.

this is like the posts a few years ago on fundraising where you believed that someone was just willing to throw out a hundred grand here and there...as I said you might be on to something...Help drum corps out and present it. Save us all

Edited August 18, 2013 by GUARDLING

[danielray]

there were many busineses that were involved with drum corps...Budweiser for one...others have been involved with individual corps..hell Disney even and where is that now....you also said DCI and Big events? Really? enough to line somones pockets ( a business )..Well like I said mayb e youre right..present it to DCI..got nothing to lose.

this is like the posts a few years ago on fundraising where you believed that someone was just willing to throw out a hundred grand here and there...as I said you might be on to something...Help drum corps out and present it. Save us all :smile:/>

The Disney thing wasn't all that deep if a deal.

No need to present anything to anyone. Just throwing out some ideas. Everyone reads these forums, just few actually post anymore.

[danielray]

Agreed, and you paid for most of that stuff "willingly"... but if I read your tone, far from happily.

There is enormous pressure on publicly traded companies to squeeze every penny out of each "transaction"...

But man, DCI is where we go for enjoyment, for fun.

My team uses diverse revenue streams, but we see limits and we also want customers to remember the "fun" in the process. It's a choice, and never an easy choice. I'm proud of our success, and of being a part of that success.

DCI needs the revenue, but they (IMO) shouldn't succumb to the extent of becoming that European airline that wants to put pay toilets on board.

There's no fun in that experience.

You're referring to Ryanair. I flew them once since that was the only airlines that I could get a direct flight to a particular airport in UK. Without question the absolute worst airlines experience ever. Changed return flight to another airlines and another airport and took a train there just to avoid a return flight on Ryanair. Every single thing about that airline is horrible, yet it does attract a segment that cares only about price.

DCI doesn't need to nickel and dime people with additional fees, but could simply capture a portion of the money they are already spending on stuff around the events but not directly related to in stadium performance.

Edited August 18, 2013 by danielray

[rayfallon]

You're referring to Ryanair. I flew them once since that was the only airlines that I could get a direct flight to a particular airport in UK. Without question the absolute worst airlines experience ever. Changed return flight to another airlines and another airport and took a train there just to avoid a return flight on Ryanair. Every single thing about that airline is horrible, yet it does attract a segment that cares only about price.

DCI doesn't need to nickel and dime people with additional fees, but could simply capture a portion of the money they are already spending on stuff around the events but not directly related to in stadium performance.

Just going on the record to say I never named an airline...

but...

[rayfallon]

You're referring to Ryanair. I flew them once since that was the only airlines that I could get a direct flight to a particular airport in UK. Without question the absolute worst airlines experience ever. Changed return flight to another airlines and another airport and took a train there just to avoid a return flight on Ryanair. Every single thing about that airline is horrible, yet it does attract a segment that cares only about price.

DCI doesn't need to nickel and dime people with additional fees, but could simply capture a portion of the money they are already spending on stuff around the events but not directly related to in stadium performance.

Just going on the record to say I never named an airline...

but...

[Tim K]

Quite a lot of thoughts after attending finals this year, but the three main takeaways are:

1) There are some parts of the process that don't really make much sense anymore, but seem to simply be done because that is the way it always has been done

2) There is quite a lot of money being spent that corps or DCI is not getting a cut of (it's raining and few buckets out there collecting what falls).

3) There is an incredible number of people all in one place for several days, but very few additional activities planned

Finals Week Format

It really makes very little sense that so many corps are coming to Indy and performing every night just to get their placement for the next night... and 3 nights of some of the same corps is too much (this is why prelims and even semis is a ghost town compared to finals).

Prelims - there is absolutely no need for the top 15 corps from the previous week to be performing in Prelims. Not only does this make for WAY too long of a day, but there is zero possibility that any of the top 15 corps from the previous week will fall out and those kids at the top of that tier do deserve to go out with a night show and to a full house.

Make Prelims 100% FREE!

Persoanlly, I love the idea of seeing everyone at prelims, followed by narrowing down to semi's and then finals. I like seeing corps such as Blue Saints, Racine Scouts, and Les Stentors early at prelims (perhaps alter in the day next year, depending on the season) and corps such as Cadets, Crown, or BD round out the day. If I didn't want to spend from 10 AM until midnight at Lucas Oil Stadium, no one is forcing me to do so. I do like the idea that prelims could be free, but of the top competitors do not compete at prelims, it is a way of saying these soprs do not matter so we're not chargng anything. Money often satates how much we value something.