Jeff Ream Posted November 15, 2023 Share Posted November 15, 2023 5 hours ago, HockeyDad said: Just for the sake of discussion- is it possible that if a local touring model were “mandated” that more local corps might spring up? And if more local corps spring up, more local shows will? Is it possible that a big factor in the demise of many corps was the national touring model, not just the ending of funding from the local parish or VFW or Legion post? I don’t know. And neither do you who speak with such certainty. We may never find out. We will probably never find out. I don’t think DCI is capable of making big adjustments like that. So it’s just an academic exercise. Since we’ve run out of ideas for revenue generating I thought I could ask this. No. the cost to start up will be huge. Gotta get equipment, some type of uniform, find places to rehearse, vehicles to haul equipment, busses for when they do go out....good luck in todays world finding all volunteer staff. you'd need time to get the behind the scenes infrastructure in place. how are you feeding them? insurance. many of the things plaguing DCI now...and notice i'm not talking production value stuff like props or wild costuming. so even with minimal travel and housing, you still have costs that aren't going to be cheap.- I do think the national model probably chased some corps out of business, as did losing sponsors. there is no one size fits all reason as to why so many corps died. you also need to factor in the growth of competitive high school bands.....right there many kids got their local fix without the costs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted November 15, 2023 Share Posted November 15, 2023 30 minutes ago, HockeyDad said: The BOD member who posted here said it was due to late and unexpected bills plus no longer wanting to pinch pennies on member experiences (busses etc.). He made no mention of legal fees being a factor. Are you saying he was being less than truthful? 😎 well i'd ask, but he'd demand names fo where i heard it from 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Guy Posted November 15, 2023 Share Posted November 15, 2023 10 hours ago, LabMaster said: We have no realistic new ideas that would amount to anything. There are many ways to raise funding. It’s a matter of corps following up, trying to take advantage of opportunities, reaching out, learning how and then doing it. It is not easy. It takes time. But ffs you got to do the work! Look through these posts and there are several suggestions. Looking at my own situation, I don’t think corps lack of ideas. Perhaps running for money is not the goal of the majority. I could run for money 500 hours/week but it’s mathematically impossible. At the end of the year, I leave between 10 000$ and 40 000$ on the table that I already raised. I already work 100h/week, 51 week/year. I could try to train a volunteer but there is not many who want’s to put in 10-30 hours a week. I could hire somebody at 8$/hrs bit I can’t find anyone interested. I could offer 100 000$/yrs but I don’t have the mean to pay a professional. And a professional isn’t to entiche of gambling is house on us either. I could collect 100% of what I raised but I may raised 100 000$ less for reaching that goal It is not a simple situation. But for sure with more time and people, we all could do better. I don’t think anyone is lacking imagination for fundraising. Sometime lacking of interest towards the financial aspect of the activity, yes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vuitton Posted November 16, 2023 Share Posted November 16, 2023 On 11/11/2023 at 9:04 AM, LabMaster said: Except a couple of top corps have self inflicted wounds, that “fairness” as you allude to, has not been a factor in their possible demise. Perhaps, but that lack of fairness keeps the top corps the top corps, and everyone is trying to be a top corps. What's the quickest way to get there? SPEND! SPEND! SPEND! If you don't spend you don't perform in the last group all the time. There are plenty of other activities that have rules in place that beneit the activity as a whole and create fairness in competition. DCI lacks fairness. It does? How can any one argue otherwise? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUARDLING Posted November 16, 2023 Share Posted November 16, 2023 (edited) 1 hour ago, Vuitton said: Perhaps, but that lack of fairness keeps the top corps the top corps, and everyone is trying to be a top corps. What's the quickest way to get there? SPEND! SPEND! SPEND! If you don't spend you don't perform in the last group all the time. There are plenty of other activities that have rules in place that beneit the activity as a whole and create fairness in competition. DCI lacks fairness. It does? How can any one argue otherwise? NM🙂 Edited November 16, 2023 by GUARDLING Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.Holland Posted November 30, 2023 Share Posted November 30, 2023 On 11/10/2023 at 5:20 PM, Jeff Ream said: Smart design and smart teaching goes a long way. When you have performers of a certain caliber, show design can start at a higher level. You spend less time teaching how to perform, and more time what to perform. Better performers, tougher programming, lesser needs to teach fundamentals. So you can plan the base level show, the next level adaptations, and the plans for finals prep while everyone else is still teaching technique. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.Holland Posted November 30, 2023 Share Posted November 30, 2023 (edited) On 11/14/2023 at 7:44 PM, Jeff Ream said: No. the cost to start up will be huge. Gotta get equipment, some type of uniform, find places to rehearse, vehicles to haul equipment, busses for when they do go out....good luck in todays world finding all volunteer staff. you'd need time to get the behind the scenes infrastructure in place. how are you feeding them? insurance. many of the things plaguing DCI now...and notice i'm not talking production value stuff like props or wild costuming. so even with minimal travel and housing, you still have costs that aren't going to be cheap.- I do think the national model probably chased some corps out of business, as did losing sponsors. there is no one size fits all reason as to why so many corps died. you also need to factor in the growth of competitive high school bands.....right there many kids got their local fix without the costs. Local “tours” need local show and event sponsors. You first need to find operators dumb enough to gamble event costs. Once you can guarantee events, you’ll then get participants. Doesn’t need to be a competition, could be parades, standstills, festivals, fairs… etc. but you need show ops and funders to help create a tour of events to perform at. Edited November 30, 2023 by C.Holland Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IllianaLancerContra Posted November 30, 2023 Share Posted November 30, 2023 7 hours ago, C.Holland said: Local “tours” need local show and event sponsors. You first need to find operators dumb enough to gamble event costs. Once you can guarantee events, you’ll then get participants. Doesn’t need to be a competition, could be parades, standstills, festivals, fairs… etc. but you need show ops and funders to help create a tour of events to perform at. I remember full-page ads in DCW advertising several dozen local DCM shows. We marched almost exclusively in these shows. Often it was in conjunction with some local festival (Momence IL Gladiolus Festival is only one I recall by name, but 100% sure there were others). There was always a parade, followed by show in evening. Parade drew locals to the show. And event organizers could get different Corps at different price points- if you wanted Phantom & Madison it cost more than Illiana Lancers & Vacqueros. But the sponsors were there. And these local fests still exist. But the number of Corps needed aren’t (DCM prelims in early 80s had 20-30 Corps, with perhaps 1/3 going to DCI in Aug, the rest were local). With much effort DCI could build Soundsport into a bunch of local Corps. But I don’t think DCI is willing to allocate the resources needed. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted November 30, 2023 Share Posted November 30, 2023 3 hours ago, IllianaLancerContra said: I remember full-page ads in DCW advertising several dozen local DCM shows. We marched almost exclusively in these shows. Often it was in conjunction with some local festival (Momence IL Gladiolus Festival is only one I recall by name, but 100% sure there were others). There was always a parade, followed by show in evening. Parade drew locals to the show. And event organizers could get different Corps at different price points- if you wanted Phantom & Madison it cost more than Illiana Lancers & Vacqueros. But the sponsors were there. And these local fests still exist. But the number of Corps needed aren’t (DCM prelims in early 80s had 20-30 Corps, with perhaps 1/3 going to DCI in Aug, the rest were local). With much effort DCI could build Soundsport into a bunch of local Corps. But I don’t think DCI is willing to allocate the resources needed. many local festivals are also hurting for the means to sponsor a show and are suffering from a lack of revenue just to do their festival. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IllianaLancerContra Posted November 30, 2023 Share Posted November 30, 2023 1 minute ago, Jeff Ream said: many local festivals are also hurting for the means to sponsor a show and are suffering from a lack of revenue just to do their festival. Well, perhaps if they sponsored a show it would draw more people to their festival. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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