This is a crosspost from the Organizer's forum. I think many of the concepts in it pertain to the current discussions here in the USA forum, so I thought I'd throw it over here since not many of the folks discussing this stuff ever click on Organizers.
The whole discussion with its 38 replies can be found at:
http://www.specialstage.com/forum/cgi-bin/DCForumID11/50.html
------------------------------------------
Originally posted 4-21-04
I wrote this tonight and was going to offer it up as an editorial. But I thought it might stimulate more useful discussion here.
Eric
A New Business Model
For the purpose of this editorial, let me spit out some general ideas that I would like to see happen in US rallying. Things that in my estimation, would serve our sport well. Who am I to spit them? I am the writer of this editorial. If your ideas are different, please feel free to spit them into an editorial of your own.
1)Organizers need to find a way to make rallies PROFITABLE for them. If it isn?t profitable, it is just a mess of headaches for someone who will eventually burn out. Furthermore, as things stand now, the rising costs of putting on events (and they are rising) will continue to be the onus of their primary source of income, the competitors.
2)They should make events profitable by the way that EVERY OTHER SPORT or event in the world does it?through spectators. Which means?
3)We need to get past our Love/Hate relationship with spectators.
Let?s take a break on that one for a while. You may be asking, ?How do we learn to embrace spectators? Why are they important in the first place? I thought TV would be the ticket?it gets the word out and keeps people out of the woods.?
Let me ask you this. Why do you think that drifting is the ?new big thing? in motorsport? Is it because it is immensely cooler than rallying or any other motorsport? No. Rather it is impossible for the auto manufacturers and aftermarket companies (and sunglass and sports drink and every other ?lifestyle? company) to ignore because at their first event they packed 10,000 fans into Irwindale Speedway. It is that and only that. You want the media to pay attention to you? Get 10,000 people to come to an event and have them be entertained and invite the media to come witness it on your first try. I guarantee you will not have a problem finding sponsors, TV or otherwise.
I saw it a few years ago with freestyle motocross. We used to say, ?Look at these idiots ruining our sport.? Well they proved that there is a niche and a market for what they do. They have managed to keep things fresh with new tricks and backflips, etc. and it is still very healthy. I don?t know what it will take to keep drifting fresh (backflips are hard on cars, so I?ve heard) but it may prove to have stay power, too.
So what do we do in the world of rallying? We need to take a lesson from every other type of sport and event in the world. We need to learn to promote.
Now the way I see it, our organizers are the lifeblood of our existence. They put more hours of work into more tasks than most of us can imagine. But it is my opinion that many of the organizers in this country have evolved with rallying from a time when it was a few friends getting together and running a fast TSD on Saturday and being home on Sunday with time to pick up the dog poo. Their task level since those days has grown immensely. I think event promotion is on the list of nearly every organizer?and is often carried out to some extent?but perhaps not as big as they would like due to 1) it is the first thing to fall off the table (you can run a rally without spectators, but can?t run one without FTCs) or 2) they wear a million hats already?and marketing communications is not their forte?or 3) they have no idea what to do with MASSES of spectators if they should come?so better safe than sorry.
?So what do you suggest, Lurch, ya big melonhead?? I hear you asking. Welp, I?ll tell you. Organizers should fall back on one of their most useful skills. Delegation. If I had my druthers, I?d love to see an organizer and a promoter working together to put on an event. The promoter would handle everything with regards to marketing communications, spectator management, ticket sales (yes, I said ?ticket?), etc. The organizer would take care of the mechanics of putting on the rally event. The two would have to come together and have a VERY SOLID UNDERSTANDING of the expectations of each party, especially with regards to safety. The promoter would have to work with the organizer to work out issues such as traffic management near spectator areas to reduce rally/spectator traffic. The promoter (and his officers) would have to understand and strictly adhere to the new spectator standards, etc.
Controlling access is a prerequisite for spectator areas now, anyway. Have someone selling event spectator bracelets at those areas and collect that revenue. If they wander or freelance, they lose their bracelet.
At the end of the weekend, the promoter and organizer pay their expenses and split the rest. How it gets distributed past that is up to them. I don?t think charging admission for ANY sporting event is out of line if the spectator areas are worthwhile, provide good viewing, and the spectator gets a good show for their money. Considering the cost of a movie or a night at the local dirt track, I would think this is perfectly acceptable. With actual revenue, maybe additional services can be provided like rest rooms, shuttle busses, concessions, etc.
I would think if we could get 5000 spectators at $10 a pop and brought in $50,000, it would go quite a ways for most events. But it would have to be a show that the spectators would go away from feeling they got their money?s worth so that it grows at the next one and generates a positive buzz that will echo throughout the motorsport community in general.
Who, specifically, can fill this role? I would think immediately of local track promoters. If a track is in business very long, they must know how to do something right. Furthermore, they are already aware of safety issues and liability. Beyond that, perhaps a promoter or production company that puts on car shows in the nearest metropolis area. They may be able to bring in a car show in conjunction with the event and bring in more spectators (car show costs an entry fee, too?and then give ?em a 50% discount on a spectator bracelet).
Beyond spectators, there are lots of things that can be marketed at a rally. Signage space, ground space for corporate displays, etc. And we haven?t even touched on how many t-shirts you can sell when you have a monstrous audience and a few well-designed patterns.
It should be noted that some organizers are taking big strides down this path and others. Most apparent to me, Ray Hocker and Rim of the World sticks out as doing a lot of these things. I don?t know how many organizers are in contact with each other?I suspect most are. As the organizers are in different geographic markets entirely, it is not so much competition as an investment to share ideas. As the individual rallies progress, the whole championship gains value.
I can only dream of a day when rally organizers are able to make organizing profitable to the point that it supports them like the full time job that it is, spectators are happy with a great show and come in multitudes to a safe and well presented event, TV can?t afford to ignore us because we are the biggest motorsport activity that weekend, corporate sponsors are tripping over themselves to be involved at some level, and competitors can expect to enjoy a fair competition and maybe even look forward to a purse of some sort as well as support from sponsors.
It could happen in no time. Or it could never happen. The choice is up to us.
Anyway, that?s my opinion. It?s not so much a criticism as a revelation. I think that organizers are super humans. In some ways, I can?t wait to retire from driving/team management so that I can take on the challenge of becoming an event organizer. Or promoter.
Partially because I don?t want to sound like a hypocrite who has never organized a rally telling people what to do?and mostly because I want to?I am willing to help organizers with the production of marketing and presentation materials and would hope this starts an open discussion about event promotion ideas that the whole organizing community can learn from.
Flame away.
Eric
The whole discussion with its 38 replies can be found at:
http://www.specialstage.com/forum/cgi-bin/DCForumID11/50.html
------------------------------------------
Originally posted 4-21-04
I wrote this tonight and was going to offer it up as an editorial. But I thought it might stimulate more useful discussion here.
Eric
A New Business Model
For the purpose of this editorial, let me spit out some general ideas that I would like to see happen in US rallying. Things that in my estimation, would serve our sport well. Who am I to spit them? I am the writer of this editorial. If your ideas are different, please feel free to spit them into an editorial of your own.
1)Organizers need to find a way to make rallies PROFITABLE for them. If it isn?t profitable, it is just a mess of headaches for someone who will eventually burn out. Furthermore, as things stand now, the rising costs of putting on events (and they are rising) will continue to be the onus of their primary source of income, the competitors.
2)They should make events profitable by the way that EVERY OTHER SPORT or event in the world does it?through spectators. Which means?
3)We need to get past our Love/Hate relationship with spectators.
Let?s take a break on that one for a while. You may be asking, ?How do we learn to embrace spectators? Why are they important in the first place? I thought TV would be the ticket?it gets the word out and keeps people out of the woods.?
Let me ask you this. Why do you think that drifting is the ?new big thing? in motorsport? Is it because it is immensely cooler than rallying or any other motorsport? No. Rather it is impossible for the auto manufacturers and aftermarket companies (and sunglass and sports drink and every other ?lifestyle? company) to ignore because at their first event they packed 10,000 fans into Irwindale Speedway. It is that and only that. You want the media to pay attention to you? Get 10,000 people to come to an event and have them be entertained and invite the media to come witness it on your first try. I guarantee you will not have a problem finding sponsors, TV or otherwise.
I saw it a few years ago with freestyle motocross. We used to say, ?Look at these idiots ruining our sport.? Well they proved that there is a niche and a market for what they do. They have managed to keep things fresh with new tricks and backflips, etc. and it is still very healthy. I don?t know what it will take to keep drifting fresh (backflips are hard on cars, so I?ve heard) but it may prove to have stay power, too.
So what do we do in the world of rallying? We need to take a lesson from every other type of sport and event in the world. We need to learn to promote.
Now the way I see it, our organizers are the lifeblood of our existence. They put more hours of work into more tasks than most of us can imagine. But it is my opinion that many of the organizers in this country have evolved with rallying from a time when it was a few friends getting together and running a fast TSD on Saturday and being home on Sunday with time to pick up the dog poo. Their task level since those days has grown immensely. I think event promotion is on the list of nearly every organizer?and is often carried out to some extent?but perhaps not as big as they would like due to 1) it is the first thing to fall off the table (you can run a rally without spectators, but can?t run one without FTCs) or 2) they wear a million hats already?and marketing communications is not their forte?or 3) they have no idea what to do with MASSES of spectators if they should come?so better safe than sorry.
?So what do you suggest, Lurch, ya big melonhead?? I hear you asking. Welp, I?ll tell you. Organizers should fall back on one of their most useful skills. Delegation. If I had my druthers, I?d love to see an organizer and a promoter working together to put on an event. The promoter would handle everything with regards to marketing communications, spectator management, ticket sales (yes, I said ?ticket?), etc. The organizer would take care of the mechanics of putting on the rally event. The two would have to come together and have a VERY SOLID UNDERSTANDING of the expectations of each party, especially with regards to safety. The promoter would have to work with the organizer to work out issues such as traffic management near spectator areas to reduce rally/spectator traffic. The promoter (and his officers) would have to understand and strictly adhere to the new spectator standards, etc.
Controlling access is a prerequisite for spectator areas now, anyway. Have someone selling event spectator bracelets at those areas and collect that revenue. If they wander or freelance, they lose their bracelet.
At the end of the weekend, the promoter and organizer pay their expenses and split the rest. How it gets distributed past that is up to them. I don?t think charging admission for ANY sporting event is out of line if the spectator areas are worthwhile, provide good viewing, and the spectator gets a good show for their money. Considering the cost of a movie or a night at the local dirt track, I would think this is perfectly acceptable. With actual revenue, maybe additional services can be provided like rest rooms, shuttle busses, concessions, etc.
I would think if we could get 5000 spectators at $10 a pop and brought in $50,000, it would go quite a ways for most events. But it would have to be a show that the spectators would go away from feeling they got their money?s worth so that it grows at the next one and generates a positive buzz that will echo throughout the motorsport community in general.
Who, specifically, can fill this role? I would think immediately of local track promoters. If a track is in business very long, they must know how to do something right. Furthermore, they are already aware of safety issues and liability. Beyond that, perhaps a promoter or production company that puts on car shows in the nearest metropolis area. They may be able to bring in a car show in conjunction with the event and bring in more spectators (car show costs an entry fee, too?and then give ?em a 50% discount on a spectator bracelet).
Beyond spectators, there are lots of things that can be marketed at a rally. Signage space, ground space for corporate displays, etc. And we haven?t even touched on how many t-shirts you can sell when you have a monstrous audience and a few well-designed patterns.
It should be noted that some organizers are taking big strides down this path and others. Most apparent to me, Ray Hocker and Rim of the World sticks out as doing a lot of these things. I don?t know how many organizers are in contact with each other?I suspect most are. As the organizers are in different geographic markets entirely, it is not so much competition as an investment to share ideas. As the individual rallies progress, the whole championship gains value.
I can only dream of a day when rally organizers are able to make organizing profitable to the point that it supports them like the full time job that it is, spectators are happy with a great show and come in multitudes to a safe and well presented event, TV can?t afford to ignore us because we are the biggest motorsport activity that weekend, corporate sponsors are tripping over themselves to be involved at some level, and competitors can expect to enjoy a fair competition and maybe even look forward to a purse of some sort as well as support from sponsors.
It could happen in no time. Or it could never happen. The choice is up to us.
Anyway, that?s my opinion. It?s not so much a criticism as a revelation. I think that organizers are super humans. In some ways, I can?t wait to retire from driving/team management so that I can take on the challenge of becoming an event organizer. Or promoter.
Partially because I don?t want to sound like a hypocrite who has never organized a rally telling people what to do?and mostly because I want to?I am willing to help organizers with the production of marketing and presentation materials and would hope this starts an open discussion about event promotion ideas that the whole organizing community can learn from.
Flame away.
Eric
