Corps Travel and Expansion

[UNCGQ]

Having been around awhile, I have wondered sometimes if the corps themselves could do more to fill the seats, not only at Championships, but at all of the shows throughout the season. I think it could be a win-win, if approached the right way.

Given that the regular season shows are mostly ran by the member corps, and for the most part are well attended, I think they do do a pretty good job trying to put butts in seats.

The travelling package idea always sound tempting but becoming an unpaid travel agent for another bus load of people is often more admin duty to keep up with than a lot of corps can manage for very little (if any) profit. The bus also can't be half filled so you've got to get as close as possible to intervals of 55 people without going over or else you're cancelling somebody's plans (and dealing with transactions from all those people).

In terms of Championships location; the average distance for all the corps from Rochester, NY is 546 miles. (I'm sorry High Country Brass, I took your location out as you're a statistical outlier, my apologizes, I’ll buy you a tasty adult beverage if you feel offended by this slight).

You might be saying, "Hmm, that ‘average distance crap’ may be correct, but the larger more successful corps will naturally bring more fans to shows, and all those little outlier corps located far away shouldn't be included."

So, this being a valid argument, I matched the competitive finish of each corps from last year's Prelims and weighted it against their distance from Rochester, NY. So, for example, the Bucs location is worth 20 times more than the last place corps in Class A.

The average distance for all the corps from Rochester, NY based on competitive results is 535 miles.

For those that want a handy geographic reference, it's the same distance, to the mile, from Greensboro, NC to New York, NY. If you travel at 60 mph, without stopping, that's a 9 hour drive.

So, the average fan, of the average DCA drum corps, is a 9 hour, non-stop car ride away from Championships for the next two years.

If the variety of factors that make Rochester, NY a good choice for this event, to the degree that they overwhelm the geographic considerations of the fan base of this activity, then so be it. That's fine. Somebody with good arguments could convince me that given the many times that Championships have been held there, and the culture that surrounds the event in that location it makes it a solid location to get a good attendance turnout.

If somebody from a committee from Ohio or Pittsburgh came forward and the logistics worked, I'd be all for that as well. It's just the reality that for whatever the various reasons, hosting an event that is as small as DCA Championships is 'attendance wise', versus how big of a logistics footprint it has (stadium needs, rehearsal sites needed, hotels at a reasonable rate, etc.) makes it hard to run Championships in the 'traditional back yard' of DCA.

-Larry

[JohnZ]

Just to keep this discussion going a little longer, I'd like to mention that PITTSBURGH came within minutes of hosting the DCA Championship. Not exactly Ohio, but plenty close. The local group there made a strong pitch, one that included assistance from USAir. Really don't remember the year, but late eighties, I think. The event was to be held at the old Pitt Stadium. I was part of the evaluation team. The situation looked good, DCA's management was interested, and enough votes from the corps to make it happen were in place prior to the upcoming vote to be held later at Newark.

In a shocking development, and still unexplained (to me, anyway) the potential local sponsoring group failed to show up for the actual presentation to all corps, and final vote. No bid proposal was discussed. Yet, it was all pretty much 'in the bag' for Pittsburgh. Within minutes, the event was awarded to, if I recall correctly, Rochester.

I know there are Steel City Ambassador people, and others who might have knowledge of what actually went down that year. maybe someone will step forward to explain. After all, the 'Statute of Limitations' has passed!

I am told it was for 1988, which went to Hershey.

[Jeff Ream]

DCA doesn't put out attendance number. jeff you know that. and if you were told something off the cuff and they see this you will never get another number.

actually I believe it was posted here by people in the know. I'll have to dig for the archives.

and lots of people tell me lots of stuff that's easy to verify.

[Jeff Ream]

I am told it was for 1988, which went to Hershey.

yeah I do remember hearing about that, that Hershey was a last minute thing.

[donincardona]

actually I believe it was posted here by people in the know. I'll have to dig for the archives.

and lots of people tell me lots of stuff that's easy to verify.

again DCA does not give out actual attendance. it has been that way since the beginning. but ok you win.

[Fred Windish]

Just finished an amazing afternoon at my place. It featured Italian food (chef-made right here) the DCI and DCA Fan Network, and four Buccaneer friends from the past 50 year period. Oh, yes . . . more than just a few adult beverages, all topped off with Yuengling (yeah, those guys) ice cream ( it's back after many years)!

Now watching DCI Live from Ft. Wayne, Indiana. Does it get any better!

I just want to say, the type of DCP discussion going on here is wonderful. With a little luck, someone younger is getting a valuable education. Better stil, it's someone with the drive to host a DCA show, maybe even a DCA Championship. One way, or another, this activity MUST continue. It's meant so much to everyone here.

Happy 50th DCA . . . . see you in Wayne, NJ Saturday!

[HBD]

actually I believe it was posted here by people in the know. I'll have to dig for the archives.

and lots of people tell me lots of stuff that's easy to verify.

actually I believe it was posted here by people in the know. I'll have to dig for the archives.

and lots of people tell me lots of stuff that's easy to verify.

I can't remember the #s exactly but I want to say the attendance fluctuated around the 5500-7000 for many years, give or take.

Once the current administration took over, those numbers were readily available to the corps, Not so much before Gil Silva and crew got in office😉.

Jay

Edited July 9, 2014 by HBD

[hairbear]

Larry, your 9 hour average is right on the money. Cincinnati to Rochester: 9 hours.

Edited July 9, 2014 by hairbear

[Jeff Ream]

I can't remember the #s exactly but I want to say the attendance fluctuated around the 5500-7000 for many years, give or take.

Once the current administration took over, those numbers were readily available to the corps, Not so much before Gil Silva and crew got in office.

Jay

I won't mention names, but it was by someone that posts here frequently. mabe it was the whole weekend number.

I'd love to know the numbers because, looking at the stands, the crowd in Rochester didn't appear to be that much bigger than Scranton despite guarantees, promises, proclomations etc.

IMO, Rachacha, like Scranton, slowly turned people off by being there so many years in a row.

[Grumpy]

The thing that keeps coming back to me about this, is the continuing lament on many of the DCI posts that the "touring model" has essentially killed off more than a few corps. Let's be realistic, the cost of travelling is significant and although it would be nice, many corps don't have the financial resources to make it a priority. The second thing that comes to mind, is that DCA is a weekend activity for participants. Of course there are rehearsals and so forth during the week, but if you have a major trip planned, the majority of your corps needs to have the flexibility to get the necessary time away from commitments like jobs and family for the extra time required for longer trips. The bigger the corps, the more prominent the issue becomes. Let's not give the corps any more issues to deal with than the ones they already have.

Though it's not perfect, Rochester as the championship locale DOES have a lot going for it that other areas simply don't. First off, the area knows what drum corps are and more than a few key people in the political and local tourism industry are very aware of the economic benefits of hosting us...and make it a point to make us feel appreciated and welcome. There are tons of hotels and restaurants to choose from. The venue for the mini corps and I & E is probably the best we could hope for. The stadium, while not perfect, works well; we don't have to worry about schedule conflicts with local football programs, it drains well (and I think those of us who were there during Ernesto can attest to that!), there is a fair amount of parking close by and a nice selection of concessions that don't require you bring an armored car with you, and good sightlines from almost anywhere. Finally, it seems like a good central location for most of not only the competing corps, but other equally important participants like the I & E, mini corps and alumni corps. I went to Annapolis the past two years, and although it was OK, I'm glad we're not going back this year. FWIW, just because an area seems to have some exposure to DCI doesn't mean a whole lot in terms of DCA-there isn't as much "crossover" as there used to be, especially as DCI has gravitated away from "traditional" drum corps by adding electronics, any key instruments and their shows tend to be more design driven since that is what their judges reward. What was already a niche activity has divided itself even further.