skeptic Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 (edited) DCA, DCA South, and DCA Midwest are growing. The possibility for increased regional competition far exceeds the value of one expensive trip with holes in the drill. Right... but what would be the difference between a normal midwest or south show and a regional... all the corps would be the same. Basically any non eastcoast show is already a regional because there are so few shows. Take a look at what corps would be at these so called regionals: South: Gold, CV, Sun Devils, Alliance Midwest: MBI, Chops, Govies, Kilties, CT, High Country, *Lakeshoremen Yes, those are some dang good corps BUT... the only real "ringer" in there for the Midwest is MBI and the only one in the south is CV. People will show up anyway to see them but imagine if Cabs or Bucs made a trip there... I bet more people would be interested in going. I bet you anything that people skip one show to go to one the next week because thats the show MBI is taking a trip to. Is there a huge benefit to the east corps? Not really, but it would be good for every corps at that show and would promote DCA a bit more in those regions, showing it really is a national circuit. (no disrespect to any corps, just using facts that the top Open corps bring in bigger crowds) Edited September 9, 2013 by skeptic 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camel lips Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 (edited) Okay. Let me make an honest comment and you can think about your response: I like the Govies and Kilties. (truth) I think they should come to a show out this way like Scranton, Bucknell, or Downingtown. I'd love to see them before championships. It's the "right" thing to do, hmm? Why not? It'd only be "fair", right? Come on, now! Why not! No excuses! It's not right! It'd be for the good of the activity, after all, I'm really certain of that, trust me! The reason I'd never start a thread like that is because I realize those corps have budgets, plans, and are trying to keep fiscally responsible to their memberships as best they can and if I started a thread like that, I'd be a flat out lunatic kook. Heaven forbid they don't try and please me like I want to be pleased in Central PA, huh? It's a detriment to the activity! No fairs! Is it as "fair and equitable" and "for the good of the activity" when I cast the same problem from another point of view? Or maybe now you might see it as the impractical and crazy point of view that it is? You want to play the regionalism game and keep carping over and over that it ain't fair-- knock yourself out. I'm not saying it's "fair". It is what it is, it's not a perfect situation that works perfectly, and sometimes you just have to deal with the reality as best as one can instead of whinging about it. Definition of "Whinging" since I've used this before in a similar thread some time ago and someone whinged about my use of the word: "whinge (hwnj, wnj) intr.v. whinged, whing·ing, whing·es Chiefly British To complain or protest, especially in an annoying or persistent manner." Lets see. Shenandoa Sound a corps with a really small budjet has made the trip up North several times. When they were around Gulf Coast use to make the trips. So did Heat Wave. Carolina Gold has made the Trek. How many years has CV been doing it?????? I rest my case. The key to making these trips has been to "budget" these trips in early. Fundraise!. Work it into the budget early and prepare the membership early so they can schedule the the time off. All these southern and midwest corps have found a way to do it time and time again. Really you are the one whining about it if you want to come down to it. It can be done. It HAS BEEN DONE> Edited September 9, 2013 by camel lips 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ItsOnTheField Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 I did hear some rumblings in Annapolis that Cincinnati Tradition was looking into hosting a DCA show next year. I have no confirmation on this, but there was discussion among Tradition members. This *could* be a decent location to pull corps from all directions. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 But can you guarantee those corps would get the same amount, or more, financially if they were to come somewhere else instead of their usual tour on the July 4th weekend ? I have a feeling if the answer was no, then none of them would consider losing the money they could bring in from the usual parades any of them do. If the various corps already do a series of parades around the 4th, then the parade $$$ are already accounted for and factored in to their operations. Doing the parades in Racine instead of locally does not bring in added $$$ to offset the cost of travelling. It just replaces current dollars...and what about the groups that currently hire them for their local parades? How would they feel about losing the corps for a year? If cheaper-alternative-Z is hired by group-X to replace corps-Y for a given year, who is to say that group-X will still want corps-Y back the next year, esp in this day of budget cutbacks. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCC Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 Currently "DCA" is made up of 7 voting members from the Northeast, 2 voting members from the Midwest and 1 voting member from the South. (I have to wonder about Empire. Will they hold onto their voting rights in 2014 even though they are inactive?) In any case, either 6 or 7 out of 10 voting member corps are from the NE: Bucs, Cabs, C2, Empire, Fusion, Bush & White Sabers. There are also at least another 5 or 6 non-voting member corps from the NE region as well. It is likely that the 6 active voting-member corps will host 8 or 9 contests throughout the summer. Throw in Barnum and Scranton and the Hurcs home show, and the summer is already booked with well-established, decent paying shows. It would not make financial or logistical sense for these corps to roll the dice and head out West and/or down South without a reasonable guarantee of breaking even. The answer for the non-NE corps is to continue to build corps and shows in their respective regions. High Country Brass, Minnesota, Govies, Chops Inc, Kilties, Cincinatti Tradition and Lakeshoremen could find a reasonable middle ground, maybe Chicago for a Midwest Regional in August, especially if a corps could take hold in Chicago or somewhere in Illinois. There are lots of DCI WC and OC corps in the Midwest. Maybe talks could happen with some of them to follow the Cadets2 model? Phantom, Cavies & Madison all have strong alumni organizations. Could a DCA corps come out of these groups? Maybe. Sun Devils, Tampa Bay Thunder, CV, Alliance, and maybe Gold & Sound (although they are maybe closer to the NE) could have a Southeren Showdown in August. There have been corps out of Nashville area. Maybe with support, one of these could take hold and Nashville or Severeville could be the hub for DCA South? If these regional shows are developed to the point where they can afford to pay a NE corps like Cabs or Bucs to make the trip, so be it. If not, it makes no sense to take the risk just "for the good of the activity". Look at the long list of corps that are no longer around. A big reason for this was that the money dried up. In some cases, these corps were traveling a lot more than their budgets allowed. Maybe if they would have been more conservative, some of them could have weathered the storm a little better. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skeptic Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 (edited) Sun Devils, Tampa Bay Thunder, CV, Alliance, and maybe Gold & Sound (although they are maybe closer to the NE) could have a Southeren Showdown in August. There have been corps out of Nashville area. Maybe with support, one of these could take hold and Nashville or Severeville could be the hub for DCA South? TBT is no longer in the DCA circuit. That leaves 4 corps, 3 if Gold cant make the trip. Edited September 9, 2013 by skeptic 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shhmatt Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 It would not make financial or logistical sense for these corps to roll the dice and head out West and/or down South without a reasonable guarantee of breaking even. Does MBI come out ahead or break even when they travel East before Labor Day? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidwestGiant Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 Does MBI come out ahead or break even when they travel East before Labor Day? Absolutely not, but it has been in the best interest of MBI and the All-age activity to have the corps out twice a year. It is time that the Eastern corps take their responsibility in marketing and growing the all age activity nationwide seriously. No one is saying that the Eastern groups should do it every year, or that they never have, but maybe every 5? It obviously isn't easy to do, but it is doable. The growth of the all age activity has largely been outside of the NE over the past decade. It is important for the NE corps to recognize that growth should be supported for the better of the whole activity. Otherwise, DCA should just continue to be a nice regional circuit and corps like CV and MBI should do something else. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 A trip to the Midwest around July 4th would cost the DCA eastern corps very little if they were willing to march numerous parades sandwiched in between rehearsals and the actual two or three shows that could happen. I know that when I was teaching Pioneer, Roman would book at least 3 parades (maybe 4) on the 4th of July, one on the 3rd in Cedarburg.(combined with the DCI show)and maybe 2 more on the 5th. I asked him why he would do so many parades, he said "so we can go to Texas next week". It could be done if corps were willing to go old school and earn the money we used to BITD. (OTOH...Reading only has to travel to Maryland to get the same money.) DA true, Bucs do "only" have to go to Reading. Which means their profit is a lot higher on the weekend. I see the pros and cons of both sides. I know it sucked riding to Chicago and hitting Dayton on the way back in 89 to play for maybe 200 fans combined at both shows. DCA wasn't, IMO, ready for that kind of expansion then. Hell MBI didn't even come down to the show. Keep growing the regions. It'll happen, just not as fast as people like. I do believe, IMO, Winston Salem has made people tentative to try again. Oh I'm sure people will complain when I say this, but the market wasn't ready for it, and the prices even for a regular season show were steep. They say 3000 people attending, but in that stadium it looked tiny as hell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 Right... but what would be the difference between a normal midwest or south show and a regional... all the corps would be the same. Basically any non eastcoast show is already a regional because there are so few shows. Take a look at what corps would be at these so called regionals: South: Gold, CV, Sun Devils, Alliance Midwest: MBI, Chops, Govies, Kilties, CT, High Country, *Lakeshoremen Yes, those are some dang good corps BUT... the only real "ringer" in there for the Midwest is MBI and the only one in the south is CV. People will show up anyway to see them but imagine if Cabs or Bucs made a trip there... I bet more people would be interested in going. I bet you anything that people skip one show to go to one the next week because thats the show MBI is taking a trip to. Is there a huge benefit to the east corps? Not really, but it would be good for every corps at that show and would promote DCA a bit more in those regions, showing it really is a national circuit. (no disrespect to any corps, just using facts that the top Open corps bring in bigger crowds) maybe people would show up. But then i ask...how informed are those regions about corps like Bucs or Cabs/ Midwest IMO has a better shot at getting more ##### then the south. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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