Is it all Apperance Fees Now?

[JimF-LowBari]

Edit: forgot to copy the blog addie: http://historical-drum-corps-publications.blogspot.com/

Looking at the DC History blog and saw the following from 1962.

1. Optimists ............... 86.20

$700.00 + trophy

2. Blessed Sacrament ....... 84.45

$500.00 + trophy

3. St. Catherine's ......... 82.80

$300.00 + trophy

4. Yankees ................. 76.55

$200.00 + trophy

5. St. John's .............. 60.35

$175.00 + trophy

6. Grenadiers .............. 57.10

$125.00 + trophy

Man $700 probably wouldn't fill up a bus gas tank. :( Anyway, do any contests still give out "prize money" for how corps do in a show. Or do the corps get an Appearance fee no matter what position they come in? And when did this change roughly.

PS - Have a CD recording of retreat during a DCA show from 1970. Announcer actually says "In ..th palce, with a check for....." for each corps. Will have to listen again to get the amounts.

Edited April 20, 2006 by JimF-xWSMBari

[walder]

yes, the corps compete for prize money.

[ssorrell]

Only certain bigger and older shows give prize money to the top corps. Most give appearance fees only. (edit: Not sure about that though...there might not be any shows left that give prize money)

If you knew how much it costs to host a show, you'd understand why a show sponsor can't afford to dish out any more money to the winning corps. Heck, the winning corps will benefit anyway because they more than likely will sell double the amount of souvies than the other corps sell.

Edited April 20, 2006 by ssorrell

[Stick Stack]

The only thing I'm aware of that has any money involved is the Spirit of Disney award... could be wrong.

[Dave]

That arrangement of payouts is one of the reasons DCI was founded, to actually make it worthwhile for corps to show up at a show. A hundred bucks (or whatever the modern equivalent would be) hardly compensates for all the costs involved; appearance fees help cover that and are an important part of a lot of corps budgets. They were important enough to cause all save one of the Div. I corps to leave DCM in 2003.

[JimF-LowBari]

If you knew how much it costs to host a show, you'd understand why a show sponsor can't afford to dish out any more money to the winning corps.

Not sure how you read my post Steve. I was think of corps getting either prize money or appearance fees not both. In the either/or case show sponsors could budget roughly (hopefully) the same amount of money for the corps.

IOW - Under the Prize money system a sponsor budgets X amount of $$$ for the total amount and then figures out how to split it.

Never worked a show but have heard enough horror stories of corps losing their ### when a show had a smaller than expected crowd and the show expenses couldn't be met.

Edited April 20, 2006 by JimF-xWSMBari

[JimF-LowBari]

That arrangement of payouts is one of the reasons DCI was founded, to actually make it worthwhile for corps to show up at a show. A hundred bucks (or whatever the modern equivalent would be) hardly compensates for all the costs involved; appearance fees help cover that and are an important part of a lot of corps budgets. They were important enough to cause all save one of the Div. I corps to leave DCM in 2003.

The DCA shows that I was part of in the late 70s were on the prize money system. But there was a minimum amount (for each placement) that the sponsors had to give to have DCA sanction the show.

Still remember this conversation 30 years later:

Corps member: Why the #### do we go to DCA shows and get our brains beat out. If we go to an RCA (small Sr circuit) show we'd win.

Larry Hershman (corps BM): We make more money coming last at a DCA show than coming in first at an RCA show!!!! THAT'S WHY!!!