Finals Attendace

[Guest DrumCorpFan]

Why is it that when attendance is up, it's because of all the wonderful things DCI is doing, but when attendance is down, it has nothing to do with DCI???

Edited August 20, 2005 by DrumCorpFan

[Guest DrumCorpFan]

First of all, in reality, there are only so many decent seats to watch a show anyway.  Yes, they could have filled out the stadium beyon the goal lines, but how satisfying an experience is that for anyone?  Would you sit in the upper deck outside the zero yard line?  I wouldn't.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

In the '80s, plenty. Just look at the pictures of Olympic Stadium and Camp Randall.

[Guest DrumCorpFan]

Agreed with your final thought. The attendance figures they flashed on the scoreboard as we were setting up on the starting line in '81 was 36,000 and change. That was also the year of the highest overal number of competing corps in all divisions. Draw any conclusion you want, but the number of competitors (and their attached staff, volunteers, parents, etc) would seem to have had a big effect on those numbers. BUT...

In the late 70s/early 80s there were plenty of regional shows that had slates made up of most or all of the previous year's top 12, and they were selling 10-14,000 seats to those events too, jsut as they do for Indy and San Antonio, so I'm not sure the regional factor really comes into the picture as a reason why Finals isn't as big as it once was.

Looking at the shots from the back sideline and knowing the capacity of Gillette, my guess would be 23-25,000 at finals. Very respectable. Given how expensive tickets to finals are, I doubt they'll ever get back into the 30,000 + range, since very few people are willing to pay $30-40 to sit in the end zones and watch a show, and most stadiums can't fit THAT many people in between the goal lines. But add in the Quarterfinals cinecast, and you're looking a much greater number of total Final weeks spectators - all of which shows that DCI is headed in a good direction from a numbers standpoint.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Also given all the talk of a "significant ticket price raise" for the 2007 championships. I have already decided that finals was too expensive and did not attend finals. I went to quarters and semis only. Will see if I only go to quarters next year, or anything at all for the price.

[Guest DrumCorpFan]

THANK YOU!  All i wanted were some numbers from 2005 to compare with RECENT trends, but i KNEW that somewhere along the line i would see the numbers 1981 and 40,000 and that the thread would become the same tired argument that it becomes every freakin year.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hard to get away from the truth, huh?

[Workenstiff]

a bit off topic, but how do you think finals attendance will be in 07 in Cali? more, less, or about the same?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes a bit off the topic,,, but considering all the factors ,,, earthquakes, monsoons, threat of Sunamis, those big hills out there between here and the East and Midwest,,, and gas prices that I have calculated to be $54.99 a gallon by then, the warming of the climate ,,California will be in the mid 100s during the day ,, and low 100s during the evening, and last but not least with only 6 corps left in DCI ,,, I think the estimated crowd will be in the 100s. 175 tops.

[wishbonecav]

I've asked DCI for attendance figures and found out that it would probably take an true act of Congress to get it.

I've asked DCI to post attendance as part of the Box Score for each show also, but no reply there, either. They tell me that different shows count fans differently. Some count the bodies, others count the paid bodies.

Let's pick a standard and go with it. How about if the person comes in the gate and has a fanny in a seat, you count them? Or give a reasonable estimate of attendance...30 rows, 60 to a row, about 2/3 full...you had 1200 attendees.

Or give attendance as a percentage of available seats from the 15 yard line to the 15 yard line...aka 'capacity'... and call anything beyond that a "SELLOUT"(which I think sounds cool). (I am of the opinion that the seats outside the 15 should be GA seats anyway because the entertainment factor for those on the outsides has lessened dramatically since we got rid of the "off the line" and "exit" songs. Call them overflow or SRO.)

Now, attendance isn't the only factor in determining success, but I'd say it gets down to the short hairs.

Lineup, Marketing, Advertising and PRICE always affect attendance. Who picks how these are done? The show people. If fans look at all the factors and then decide to show up, looks like the show people did something RIGHT. Only part out of their hands is weather.

Given these factors, if DCI FINALS got to 90% of capacity and drew 24,000 paying customers to the Finals event, the result was likely considered a financial success (which is the 1st priority whether we like it or not). If that is the case, I say "Way to Go DCI".

Now DISTANCE is important also. Regardless of all the marketing, the drum corps fan is not likely to travel more than 100 miles to see a show. Same as the NFL or College Football Fan. Fans go to "home" games. We are less likely to go to a regional if it is more than 100 miles away and even less likely to go to DCI...I don't care if the tickets were FREE. Ticket price is usually the last consideration.

Is our Championship unique to the point where folks expand the 100 mile radius to, say 400 miles (a 6 hour drive)? Maybe. But the further one lives from the venue, the less likely they are to attend. Period. Especially if there are other choices (DVD, Regal Cinema, ESPN 2, local show with good corps in it, regional that is close-by)

How's about we look at the WHOLE attendance picture to get an idea of where the fans are and how many of them are showing up? NASCAR is a success because they draw everywhere...not just at the Daytona 500. Same with the Super Bowl.

When's the last time you went to the Rose Bowl? Football plus a parade plus warm weather in January? It never sells out and the tickets are cheap. Why not? It's too far away. DCI in California? Might be too far away, too.

Fire away.

[Jeff Ream]

You can't compare Canadian attendance figure to American.  There is the exchange rate.  41,000 in Canada is roughly 27,000 American :P

Seriously..... ticket prices back in the day were not 75.00/55.00 a piece.  It was much more affordable to take the kids and family to Finals back then.  Imagine if DCI Finals today had special group rates for band kids, they'd fill the stadium!!  Thankfully they don't. 

Attendence may be slightly lower than Denver and the "old" days, but it's higher than it was in the late 90's. With the outrageous prices they are charging for Finals...I don't think they are losing money.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

no but do this math.

25,000people at $75=$1,875,000

41,000 people at $50=$2,050,000

[Jeff Ream]

I've asked DCI for attendance figures and found out that  it would probably take an true act of Congress to get it.

I've asked DCI to post attendance as part of the Box Score for each show also, but no reply there, either.  They tell me that different shows count fans differently.  Some count the bodies, others count the paid bodies.

Let's pick a standard and go with it.  How about if the person comes in the gate and has a fanny in a seat, you count them?  Or give a reasonable estimate of attendance...30 rows, 60 to a row, about 2/3 full...you had 1200 attendees. 

Or give attendance as a percentage of available seats from the 15 yard line to the 15 yard line...aka 'capacity'... and call anything beyond that a "SELLOUT"(which I think sounds cool).  (I am of the opinion that the seats outside the 15 should be GA seats anyway because the entertainment factor for those on the outsides has lessened dramatically since we got rid of the "off the line" and "exit" songs.  Call them overflow or SRO.)

Now, attendance isn't the only factor in determining success, but I'd say it gets down to the short hairs.

Lineup, Marketing, Advertising and PRICE always affect attendance. Who picks how these are done?  The show people.  If fans look at all the factors and then decide to show up, looks like the show people did something RIGHT.  Only part out of their hands is weather. 

Given these factors, if DCI FINALS got to 90% of capacity and drew 24,000 paying customers to the Finals event, the result was likely considered a financial success (which is the 1st priority whether we like it or not).  If that is the case, I say "Way to Go DCI".

Now DISTANCE is important also.  Regardless of all the marketing, the drum corps fan is not likely to travel more than 100 miles to see a show.  Same as the NFL or College Football Fan. Fans go to "home" games.  We are less likely to go to a regional if it is more than 100 miles away and even less likely to go to DCI...I don't care if the tickets were FREE.  Ticket price is usually the last consideration.

Is our Championship unique to the point where folks expand the 100 mile radius to, say 400 miles (a 6 hour drive)?  Maybe.  But the further one lives from the venue, the less likely they are to attend.  Period.  Especially if there are other choices (DVD, Regal Cinema, ESPN 2, local show with good corps in it, regional that is close-by)

How's about we look at the WHOLE attendance picture to get an idea of where the fans are and how many of them are showing up?  NASCAR is a success because they draw everywhere...not just at the Daytona 500.  Same with the Super Bowl.

When's the last time you went to the Rose Bowl?  Football plus a parade plus warm weather in January? It never sells out and the tickets are cheap. Why not?  It's too far away.  DCI in California?  Might be too far away, too.

Fire away.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

ah yes the total picture.

2003, when DCi absorbed all the DCM shows, it was up, tho no actual number realesed.

in 2004 w/DCm back out on it's own, attendance was up at LIKE events. well no kidding they held finals somehwere it hadn't been since 1978. but i like the LIKE events part

[Machine]

Except you forgot the 6000 seats that were filled in the club level went for $125 on Finals night. Add $300,000 to your total and you've got $2,175,000.

Were tickets really $50/piece back in '81?

[Jeff Ream]

actually tickets were lower in 1981. But you also had a crowd down into the end zones too.

not kids getting in free from corps who didnt make finals or 2/3 either...they went to the back