ShortAndFast Posted July 26, 2016 Share Posted July 26, 2016 No its not. There were 214 shows in the summer of 1990 across the country ( and into Canada ). By contrast, DCI had only 103 shows last season ( 2015). It is simply not possible for the 103 show's combined national attendance last season to exceed what the 214 show's generated in overall national attendance in 1990. Not possible. I do agree with you however that DCI made some very questionable site decisions in some of the 90's for their Championships. For just one example, when we think ourselves of potentially great sites for DCI Championships, is Jackson, Mississippi on anybody's wish list right now ? I mean... seriously ? Well, guess what ? DCI thought that this should be their ultimate Go To city in 1993. What the hell was DCI thinking ?. Did they pay DCI to use the facilities, stadiums there ? ( haha!) if not, no offense to Jackson, Mississippi in August, but I can easily think of 2,000 other places I'd rather be than in an outdoor stadium in Jackson, Mississippi for DCI's Championships in mid August. DCI's " brain trust " also thought an outdoor stadium in Orlando, Florida in mid August should be a Go To city for their Championships in the 90's as well. Who came in as DCI's 2nd choice for the Steamy, Hot and Humid Go To City for the DCI's Drum Corps fans in mid August ? Calcutta, India ? In the case of Orlando, they picked it because DCI was broke and Orlando was subsidized by Disney. You may feel free to compare to the reasons why DCI is now held in Indianapolis in perpetuity. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUARDLING Posted July 26, 2016 Share Posted July 26, 2016 Absolutely spot-on. Additionally, online streaming is *the* way to market to everyone. It's cheaper, far cheaper, than buying time on a tv network, and you can reach the audience anywhere on almost any device. Especially if you're aiming the broadcast at the next generation...kids. All this , I don't think TV is up there with millennials. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred Windish Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 Given time, and effective marketing, pay-per-view of DCI Finals Week can produce better financial results for the corps and their sponsors than the in-person attendance at "The Can." Of course, we need people to want to be there in-person, but the pay-per-view revenue can overcome a declining audience sitting in Indy. Face it, 75% of the seating capacity inside that stadium is NOT appealing for for enjoying our productions. Besides, the cost to travel there, the inconvenience, etc., etc. is growing. For advertisers, the DCI pay-per-view customers are much more committed, and dedicated to their related products than random traditional tv viewers who remote their way through all the channel options. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UKSuperman Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 (edited) This thread is about as bad as a 13 year old girl getting broken up with for the first time. Dear God... Edited July 27, 2016 by UKSuperman 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfrontz Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 This thread is about as bad as a 13 year old girl getting broken up with for the first time. Dear God... I lol'ed 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tone Quality Matters Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 (edited) DCI is alive and well. Perhaps it isn't your cup of tea, and that's ok. Sell out crowds all summer indicate the activity is thriving and new fans are discovering the activity each day. It's ok to leave 1993. Don't be scared. Edited July 27, 2016 by Tone Quality Matters 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 Yes, Spirit of Atlanta in their early years, and Suncoast Sound are prime examples of corps losing major funding from huge corporate sponsors. How about the Ballentine Brewers sponsored by guess-who, the NY Islanders sponsored by a 7-Up bottling company on the Island (and wearing 7-Up green and orange unis), First Federal Blue Stars, to name a few more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 That's fair, but back in the day (80s and 90s) you would meet people at shows who were there for the first time, and loved it. Now, it's by and large alumni, bandos and family of current marching members. I've taken different friends to Stanford and none of them ever asked to go back. In 2013, the two friends I took only liked Crown and Mandarins. In 2015, the friend I took only liked Regiment. In 2016, only liked Madison. One corps each year. The problem is, DCI is bringing in no new fans that weren't directly involved or indirectly involved with the activity. You can argue with me up and down and left and right, but it is true. The fact his there were a hell of lot more people in Camp Randall in 1985 than Indianapolis last year. I'm sorry, the activity has to evolve I know, but the way corps are rewarded creates boring shows with NO musicality, it's all chop and bop and snippets of umpteen pieces, designed to show off skill rather than entertain the crowd. Hornlines play for what seems like 1/2 the show. They do body movements more than marching a readible drill. Guards spend more time prancing around the field than doing guard work in unison. I'm all for evolution, but not at the expense of entertainment. You and I love this activity. Take someone to any show, who has never seen drum corps before, and I guarantee they will be bored and not want to come to another show. It's a whole different experience now than it was in the 80s and 90s. The problem with anecdotal evidence is that it proves nothing on a national basis. I was at a show at West Chester a couple of years back, and I happened to sit next to a couple about my ago, late 50's...who were attending their first drum corps competition ever. They LOVED it. Oddly enough, the corps they did not really "get" was Surf, doing their Bridgemania show. They loved SCV and Crown, if I recall. They said they were going to make it a yearly trek to see a show; no idea if they ever did. Did that prove anything? No. Just another piece of anecdotal evidence that is the opposite of yours. The thing about the above that has to be understood is that there is a silent "to me" in most of what you wrote. It is not fact, it is opinion. Not a problem, but 10's of thousands around the country seem to disagree with you, I am happy to say. What is cool to me personally is that the first show I ever saw, in 1964, is on corpsreps in the scores area (I was a judge runner, if you remember what those were)...as much as I loved Blessed Sac's "National Emblem" opener, I am in awe of what the corps like the Coats and others are doing in 2016. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlamMan Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 (edited) Well, the numbers speak. Far less people go to shows today than in the 80s or 90s and the season today is shorter. You can spin it all you want, and say it's anecdotal, but aside from bandos, family members and alumni, no one is going to shows. Exactly. 40,000+ marching members, 400+ drum corps, 250+ shows per summer & 10+ judging circuits in the 1970's. Today might be 7500 marching members, 50 drum corps, 95 shows, & 1 judging circuit. That is what negative growth looks like kids. Edited July 27, 2016 by FlamMan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kamarag Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 Exactly. 40,000+ marching members, 400+ drum corps, 250+ shows per summer & 10+ judging circuits in the 1970's. Today might be 7500 marching members & 95 shows. That is what negative growth looks like kids. In a vacuum, sure. But the world has changed just a little bit in the timeframe you're dealing with. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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