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Will DCA be around in 5 years?


Will DCA be around in 5 years?  

99 members have voted

  1. 1. Will DCA be around in 5 years?

    • Yes
      33
    • No
      66


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15 hours ago, hairbear said:

The genie is out of the bottle and there's no going back. DCA looks more and more like DCI, every year. They still can't compete against DCI corps, but DCI is what the young folks know. In that regard, DCI has the recognized brand identity and the marketing to support it. Something was lost, in the transition to what some have called "DCI Lite". Maybe what was lost is what Fran was alluding to:  The connection with the audience, the personalities and the entertainers... the casual approach to the activity. Knowing who and what we were and more importantly, why we were that way. Those days have passed. Fill the corps ranks with young folks, design shows that appeal to them, give them the "DCI lite" experience for far less money and hope they stick around long enough to carry DCA on their shoulders. Perhaps the most telling wake up call I faced was this: There are members of our local DCA corps who weren't born when I won a DCA championship in 1996. The folks I marched with can be found in three places, during finals weekend: The alumni corps, the stands or the judging panel. Those few hearty souls that may be found in the ranks of a competing corps, deserve an award (or free chiropractor services) one or the other. I don't know if DCA will be around in five years. I don't know what needs to be done (beyond a strong marketing effort), to increase attendance. All I know is if people aren't buying your product in the volume you need to see in order to grow your business, you ought to take a closer look at what you're trying to sell.

I think a lot of people feel exactly the same way (myself included.) DCA proves that it's not 100% a young mans game, but it's an activity that's on lease to us from the next generation. From 2010 to now, there's been significant changes in the member population as well as in the quality of the shows (odd how I left marching the activity and it got exponentially better LOL.) Do I think even the top 3 could compete at even the Open Class level of DCI? Not really. Do I think that DCA could HUGELY benefit from a true All-Age division of DCI which competes in conjunction with Open Class Corps...absolutely. Rather than try to reform the way the current product is advertised / marketed, and waiting for the fans to come to you, you have to come to the fans where they are. And again, DCA may already be working on this somewhere in the background. 

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On 11/2/2019 at 8:33 AM, Fred Windish said:

There’s truth in what you write. Seen it first hand.  Like you, I want DCA to continue on. Above all, there needs to be common agreement among the corps, a statement of action, if you will. .  .    .
 

“ Look. We’ve committed to Williamsport for another two years. We must dedicate our energies to squeezing more revenue from there. That will require some changes in the way we’ve done things. A bigger investment of time and effort.”

 

My hope is, DCA does not go down the easy path of simply raising prices. As it was, about 2000 Finals seats remained to be sold. Even more unsold seats for Prelims. Hard to tell how much additional revenue might eventually come from the internet broadcast, but this year’s broadcast was far less engaging than the previous year. Not referring to the corps, but the peripheral things that hold the package together, like Press Box hosts and guest interviews, etc.

Like it, or not, weather will play a role. Fingers crossed.

 

 

you need either corporate sponsors or start charging for the I&E stuff. I'm not sure how much extra revenue you cn get out of there when probably 25% of the seats are outside the 20

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On 11/2/2019 at 2:23 PM, cybersnyder said:

I'd go if it were in Annapolis, that's about 45 minutes for me. Williamsport is four hours, so I would have to stay overnight. I want to support, but if I have to stay overnight, that's added expense and planning / hassle on my part. My decision tilts towards, pass. My first DCA show was Annapolis, and it was a little depressing. Empire Statesmen, hey they were great, and folks, that's there last show ever. Womp womp. I guess another factor is that I can never find any videos of current season shows, so I can't say, "Yeah, I want to see that."

true the lack of a video product the last few years has not helped

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On 11/2/2019 at 5:53 PM, hairbear said:

I've not been on here for quite a while, but I've been following the discussion on this topic. I must agree with and bring up something Fran said: DCA had it's own vibe. He's right. I remember some DCA corps would say (occasionally) "we think we're good enough to compete with the DCI corps". Were they? I don't think so... not in that decade and certainly not in this decade. In the 1980's, a DCA corps didn't look or perform like a DCI corps. There were subtle differences. I learned this fact in an interesting way, back when Star of Indiana was competing. Somebody from Steel City Ambassadors in 1987 was marching with Star the following season. At the Centerville show, I tried to say hello (and not thinking) I walked right up to him, when he was in the horn arc. I was stopped by another member who said (and I quote) "He's in rehearsal now". Her delivery was brief and I might add, mildly arrogant. I walked away and said to myself, "this isn't DCA". I was right, too.  There was a difference. You may enjoy the DCI corps, but at a respectful distance. They are after all, the top of the drum corps game; the professionals. DCA on the other hand, was the weekend warriors; loads of talent that made it possible to stage a quality show, entertain the audience and do it on a somewhat smaller budget.

The genie is out of the bottle and there's no going back. DCA looks more and more like DCI, every year. They still can't compete against DCI corps, but DCI is what the young folks know. In that regard, DCI has the recognized brand identity and the marketing to support it. Something was lost, in the transition to what some have called "DCI Lite". Maybe what was lost is what Fran was alluding to:  The connection with the audience, the personalities and the entertainers... the casual approach to the activity. Knowing who and what we were and more importantly, why we were that way. Those days have passed. Fill the corps ranks with young folks, design shows that appeal to them, give them the "DCI lite" experience for far less money and hope they stick around long enough to carry DCA on their shoulders. Perhaps the most telling wake up call I faced was this: There are members of our local DCA corps who weren't born when I won a DCA championship in 1996. The folks I marched with can be found in three places, during finals weekend: The alumni corps, the stands or the judging panel. Those few hearty souls that may be found in the ranks of a competing corps, deserve an award (or free chiropractor services) one or the other. I don't know if DCA will be around in five years. I don't know what needs to be done (beyond a strong marketing effort), to increase attendance. All I know is if people aren't buying your product in the volume you need to see in order to grow your business, you ought to take a closer look at what you're trying to sell.

 

 

 

 

 

 

4 places...at home, not even paying attention to drum corps

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First of all,  hope you are feeling much better, hairbear !   You’ve been good for DCA. thanks.

 

Jeff -  I believe a worthy event promoter is one who sees empty seats as a missed opportunity.  A shortcoming in-house, not the fault of anything else.  Start to improve the condition there.  

Yes, there are unavoidable impediments, like weather. No domes available here, unfortunately. Unless you count one in Syracuse that has no air-conditioning!

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2 hours ago, Fred Windish said:

First of all,  hope you are feeling much better, hairbear !   You’ve been good for DCA. thanks.

 

Jeff -  I believe a worthy event promoter is one who sees empty seats as a missed opportunity.  A shortcoming in-house, not the fault of anything else.  Start to improve the condition there.  

Yes, there are unavoidable impediments, like weather. No domes available here, unfortunately. Unless you count one in Syracuse that has no air-conditioning!

Doing alright, Fred. Staying close to home these days.

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10 hours ago, Fred Windish said:

First of all,  hope you are feeling much better, hairbear !   You’ve been good for DCA. thanks.

 

Jeff -  I believe a worthy event promoter is one who sees empty seats as a missed opportunity.  A shortcoming in-house, not the fault of anything else.  Start to improve the condition there.  

Yes, there are unavoidable impediments, like weather. No domes available here, unfortunately. Unless you count one in Syracuse that has no air-conditioning!

empty seats in the worst place to watch a show. you'd need to drop those prices to like $10.

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4 hours ago, KeithHall said:

Any word from DCA yet? Asking for a friend!

on what topic?

  • Haha 1
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