Real ideas for sustainability & revenue

[craiga]

4 minutes ago, HockeyDad said:

Bravo on the “yikes”.  Yes my post makes no sense. But bear with me:  Maybe the attitude of “DCI doesn’t have the authority to (…fill in the blank)” will change after conclusion of the SOA lawsuit to the point where DCI becomes much more intrusive. Dare I say, to the point where they actually exert leadership authority on issues such as member safety.  
That was my point. Yes, I covered two things in one post. Sorry. 

It is obvious to me that you care deeply about this activity, and sometimes the weight of all this negative news can build up and weigh heavily on all of us.  I do get it.  It sometimes seems overwhelming to me as well.

I share more of your frustrations than you know.  When I discovered,  marched, and began teaching this activity in the late 1970s, it was a whole different world,  both on and off the field.

As an aside, we used to have 20 hs bands at finals here in Maine.   Last night, we had 9 and the show was over in time for supper.  Not money or move in or touring, obviously.  But a whole different society than 50 years ago. At my age, I am constantly adjusting my expectations in life, both in and out of drum corps.

I continue to hope for a great 2024.

[Vuitton]

The point you're all missing is that the problem with the activity is the corps themselves running this activity. The corps should have limited imput.

The top corps are selfish. They care only about winning and not the activity as a whole. They have the power to implement policies that benefit them (performance order, for example) and hurt the lower corps. They have driven up the costs to be successfully competiive to a degree that is just not sustainable.

Yesterday it was Vanguard

Today it is Cadets

Tomorrow it will be someone else

[IllianaLancerContra]

42 minutes ago, Vuitton said:

The point you're all missing is that the problem with the activity is the corps themselves running this activity. The corps should have limited imput.

The top corps are selfish. They care only about winning and not the activity as a whole. They have the power to implement policies that benefit them (performance order, for example) and hurt the lower corps. They have driven up the costs to be successfully competiive to a degree that is just not sustainable.

Yesterday it was Vanguard

Today it is Cadets

Tomorrow it will be someone else

It’s almost like the majority of the Corps should come together & create an organization where they stick together for the good of the collective.  
 

oh, wait a minute……

[C.Holland]

Every corps situation is different. Every level of performer is different. And some corps use that extra time in one place to make connections to their local community. 
 

it ain’t much but it’s a step in the right direction.  Would we all prefer they figure out how to re-cultivate some shows that no longer exist. Of course.  
 

but I don’t think being in the home town area (as long as it is the actual home town area) for 6 weeks is a bad thing.  I think some of it may be necessary if this activity ever wants to have some grass roots again. Get that corps out playing appearances at minor league ball games, playing firemen’s parades, and fair opening days. Let them offer some clinics for students in the local area, and combine those with some concerts in the park. 

[Jeff Ream]

23 hours ago, C.Holland said:

I can tell you the logic from the interviews I did for the podcast. When you’re not renting trucks and busses to move things, you’re saving money. So they rented the trucks a busses to get people to ST (a day rental), the sent them away to save a months rental.  They only then had to spend on food and housing. They could focus on member experience and fundamentals instead of trying to cram it all into 4  to 6 hour days. They got 8 to 12.  They also got more days off. 
 

now did training on fundamentals happen to the level needed for the show? Maybe? Maybe Not really?.  But no one gets a performer like BD right now. Those performers already come with enough fundamentals that you’re not teaching “how to (skill)” you’re instead teaching the show element requiring that skill. So I would not bother with the BD argument. 
 

sitting in ST longer is a money saver. Plain and simple. When heavy equipment is rented by weeks or months. You push that off as long as possible. 
 

now if the staff doesn’t make the best use of 6 weeks of training, it’s time to find a new staff. 

So college housing and in many cases their food staff for 7 weeks saves money? Plus paying to get people in and out? Colleges are cheaper than high schools on tour?

[dbc03]

9 hours ago, Jeff Ream said:

So college housing and in many cases their food staff for 7 weeks saves money? Plus paying to get people in and out? Colleges are cheaper than high schools on tour?

Maybe they're cheaper than high schools + busses? No clue, just speculating

[Jeff Ream]

46 minutes ago, dbc03 said:

Maybe they're cheaper than high schools + busses? No clue, just speculating

from what i have seen and heard, not cheaper than high schools. sure no busses.

 

so a 7 week spring training for a 6 week tour. lets look at baseball, and yeah i know, pro athletes. 6 weeks of spring training for a 6 month season. 

[LabMaster]

Continuing the debate on whether it is better to shorten or not is/was not the question.  The question is about discussing real ideas about GENERATING REVENUE.  That is what might HELP a corps. What achievable efforts can a corps do, to create real revenue; sustainable revenue?  Give them realistic feasible ideas.

[Jeff Ream]

11 hours ago, LabMaster said:

Continuing the debate on whether it is better to shorten or not is/was not the question.  The question is about discussing real ideas about GENERATING REVENUE.  That is what might HELP a corps. What achievable efforts can a corps do, to create real revenue; sustainable revenue?  Give them realistic feasible ideas.

clearly when you look at the corps that are in the best financial shape, local programs that create revenue is the key. bingo isn't an option everywhere due to various laws, but being committed to finding ways to engage locally helps. it won't be overnight, but if done right, it can help.

[mingusmonk]

On 11/5/2023 at 1:07 AM, C.Holland said:

When you’re not renting trucks and busses to move things, you’re saving money. So they rented the trucks a busses to get people to ST (a day rental), the sent them away to save a months rental.  They only then had to spend on food and housing.

 

On 11/5/2023 at 11:27 PM, C.Holland said:

1 Get that corps out playing appearances at minor league ball games

2 playing firemen’s parades

3 fair opening days

4 Let them offer some clinics for students in the local area

5 combine those with some concerts in the park. 

1 Transportation

2 Transportation

3 Transportation

4 Transportation (depending on the suitability of ST location for actually hosting a clinic)

5 Transportation

 

Still cheaper than driving show-to-show across multiple state borders of course, but not as cut and dried as your first post example.