Attendance & Alcohol

[JackJD]

Re: Attendance & Alcohol

I'm saying that changing the revenue stream is not always a simple decision, particularly when bonds were sold to finance stadium construction. Certainly an increase is revenue is a good thing but bonds were sold based on representations about how the bonds would be repaid so one has to be careful in this area.

If for a given game 5,000 tickets were sold at the $37.50 ticket price (I bought additional tickets for the Indiana State game for that price), the gross revenue from those sales would be $187,500. If those tickets were reduced $10, the gross sales would be $137,500, a reduction of $50,000. To make up the $50,000 "shortfall"in this hypothetical, we would have to sell 1,818 additional tickets at $27.50. Will a $10 reduction in ticket prices attract that many more people? Sure, 1800 additional people will presumably buy more concessions and that helps. You can change the numbers and draw your own conclusions. If a $10 drop in a ticket price caused 3,000 more people to show up -- great result. Is such a result attainable with just a $10 price drop. Cut it another $5.00?

[OldHare]

Re: Attendance & Alcohol

How much is a concert in Sioux Falls? It seems I have seen individual tickets sell for $200+. How many people here have gone to these concerts? Choices are made every day and it is likely that whatever price you put on a ticket it will exceed what many will want to pay. You cannot buy enough business to be successful. If you start getting young kids to a game, the parents will be there. Focus on kids with price or seat incentives could help. It helps with church attendance when the kids perform during the service. You need to get the kids in a section like the SE corner and the parents will buy their $17 ticket. Scan the kids with the camera and show on the big screen often as possible. Also, it appeared to me Saturday the kids were unaffected by the weather. It may not turn into a sellout, but it would temper some of the anxiety concerning the need to give concessions on price to bring a crowd.

[OldHare]

Re: Attendance & Alcohol

I'm saying that changing the revenue stream is not always a simple decision, particularly when bonds were sold to finance stadium construction. Certainly an increase is revenue is a good thing but bonds were sold based on representations about how the bonds would be repaid so one has to be careful in this area.

If for a given game 5,000 tickets were sold at the $37.50 ticket price (I bought additional tickets for the Indiana State game for that price), the gross revenue from those sales would be $187,500. If those tickets were reduced $10, the gross sales would be $137,500, a reduction of $50,000. To make up the $50,000 "shortfall"in this hypothetical, we would have to sell 1,818 additional tickets at $27.50. Will a $10 reduction in ticket prices attract that many more people? Sure, 1800 additional people will presumably buy more concessions and that helps. You can change the numbers and draw your own conclusions. If a $10 drop in a ticket price caused 3,000 more people to show up -- great result. Is such a result attainable with just a $10 price drop. Cut it another $5.00?

By the way, I know of many tickets that go unused which could be had for nothing on a regular basis. Price is a nonstarter for most. I wish I could find the Black Thursday pricing for season tickets and even maybe a club seat. Reality has a rude answer for that wish.

[jakejc795]

Re: Attendance & Alcohol

I'm saying that changing the revenue stream is not always a simple decision, particularly when bonds were sold to finance stadium construction. Certainly an increase is revenue is a good thing but bonds were sold based on representations about how the bonds would be repaid so one has to be careful in this area.

If for a given game 5,000 tickets were sold at the $37.50 ticket price (I bought additional tickets for the Indiana State game for that price), the gross revenue from those sales would be $187,500. If those tickets were reduced $10, the gross sales would be $137,500, a reduction of $50,000. To make up the $50,000 "shortfall"in this hypothetical, we would have to sell 1,818 additional tickets at $27.50. Will a $10 reduction in ticket prices attract that many more people? Sure, 1800 additional people will presumably buy more concessions and that helps. You can change the numbers and draw your own conclusions. If a $10 drop in a ticket price caused 3,000 more people to show up -- great result. Is such a result attainable with just a $10 price drop. Cut it another $5.00?

Even that scenario is complicated by differing price tiers within the stadium, but I'd think additional sales of less than 2,000 tickets would be reasonable.

[jakejc795]

Re: Attendance & Alcohol

How much is a concert in Sioux Falls? It seems I have seen individual tickets sell for $200+. How many people here have gone to these concerts? Choices are made every day and it is likely that whatever price you put on a ticket it will exceed what many will want to pay. You cannot buy enough business to be successful. If you start getting young kids to a game, the parents will be there. Focus on kids with price or seat incentives could help. It helps with church attendance when the kids perform during the service. You need to get the kids in a section like the SE corner and the parents will buy their $17 ticket. Scan the kids with the camera and show on the big screen often as possible. Also, it appeared to me Saturday the kids were unaffected by the weather. It may not turn into a sellout, but it would temper some of the anxiety concerning the need to give concessions on price to bring a crowd.

How many concerts do you think the parents are attending without the kids though? I suppose costs for a babysitter, dining before or after the concert, etc. could result in costs being relatively equivalent.

[CappinHard]

Re: Attendance & Alcohol

Just curious, how are you compromising in all of this?

I've indicated a willingness to allow alcohol sales and impeded game viewing, but your response is essentially, "if you don't like it, move," ignoring the fact that the behavior I described is indicative of a mindset that the offenders are entitled to do what they please with little to no regard for how it impacts others.

What do you want me to say? I'll compromise by forming a crowd police that makes sure no fan impedes any other fan's ability to enjoy the game? If you have a problem with a guy in your area you should probably just talk to him about it.

Alcohol sales and impeded game viewing don't go hand in hand. Alcohol is consumed in stadiums and arenas across the country without major issues. I'm sorry you've had a bad experience with a guy near you, but again, it has nothing to do with alcohol sales.

[JackJD]

Re: Attendance & Alcohol

What if as much effort was devoted to getting some new people in the stadium for the next game, as has been spent speculating in this thread?

I'm out.

[jakejc795]

Re: Attendance & Alcohol

What do you want me to say? I'll compromise by forming a crowd police that makes sure no fan impedes any other fan's ability to enjoy the game? If you have a problem with a guy in your area you should probably just talk to him about it.

Alcohol sales and impeded game viewing don't go hand in hand. Alcohol is consumed in stadiums and arenas across the country without major issues. I'm sorry you've had a bad experience with a guy near you, but again, it has nothing to do with alcohol sales.

Please don't misrepresent what I've said.

It seems counterintuitive to assert that alcohol availability will markedly increase attendance while simultaneously insisting that it won't result in increased traffic from the seating area to purchase alcohol. I have offered ways to try to minimize such traffic and preserve sight lines while increasing alcohol availability using strategies that the venues you've mentioned multiple times already employ or restricting sales to pregame or halftime when I really don't care as much if a person is impeding my view. A compromise might be to say -- hey, the vendor trays seem like a reasonable adaptation to allow the alcohol consumption I so stridently insistent upon (because I foresee that you'd likely oppose restricting the sales to the specified timeframes).

[CappinHard]

Re: Attendance & Alcohol

By the way, I know of many tickets that go unused which could be had for nothing on a regular basis. Price is a nonstarter for most.

Exactly. Price is not the major issue. My family has 6 season tickets and often we have 2-4 available and it is very difficult to find someone to use them for free.

[jakejc795]

Re: Attendance & Alcohol

What if as much effort was devoted to getting some new people in the stadium for the next game, as has been spent speculating in this thread?

I'm out.

The two aren't mutually exclusive. This discussion could inform how we try to get people to the games.

[West-River_Jack]

Re: Attendance & Alcohol

I attended SDSU for five football seasons in the late 70's and early 80's. I think that I attended all of the home games for those five seasons. Nidaros has previously given us the history of the old Coughlin-Alumni Stadium already. When it was built, it was an improvement over State Field. Yet, when I was there about twenty years later, it seem that it probably averaged about half filled (half empty for the purposes of this thread). It was built for growth of the fan base. It eventually came, but not in only three years. Quite frankly, we have had unusually crappy weather these last two seasons. It's going to happen. Growth takes time. It also takes some planning. If we have great weather next season, the numbers will be better. Even if we don't have great weather, the numbers will probably be better. The traditional competitive games will be home games next season as opposed the runaways that were expected this season.

People will only go to football games if it is a game they want to see, played at a time they want to see it, in a place that they want to see it. Growing those things takes time. With some, they will never happen. (Sort of how I really don't care about the pheasant season opener, because I never developed an interest in hunting. I will leave that for others among us.)

[CappinHard]

Re: Attendance & Alcohol

Please don't misrepresent what I've said.

It seems counterintuitive to assert that alcohol availability will markedly increase attendance while simultaneously insisting that it won't result in increased traffic from the seating area to purchase alcohol. I have offered ways to try to minimize such traffic and preserve sight lines while increasing alcohol availability using strategies that the venues you've mentioned multiple times already employ or restricting sales to pregame or halftime when I really don't care as much if a person is impeding my view. A compromise might be to say -- hey, the vendor trays seem like a reasonable adaptation to allow the alcohol consumption I see stridently insistent upon (because I foresee that you'd likely oppose restricting the sales to the specified timeframes).

The traffic to and from seating areas would probably increase, but that will not affect people's ability to enjoy games as long as people follow general crowd etiquette, which most people do whether there's alcohol available or not. I just don't understand why this is such a big issue for you. Like I said, if there's a specific guy that's ruining your game experience, address it with him. If you are really concerned about people just getting up and down to go to the concessions, maybe you should pony up for a suite so you don't have to deal with the crowd.

Restricting sales to pregame or halftime doesn't exist anywhere and it's a non starter. Vendor trays are great, but not always feasible to staff that many extra people.

[98Jackfarmer]

Re: Attendance & Alcohol

Well, as much as a problem we seem to be creating on here about attendance. At least we can say the Jacks don't suck like our neighbors to the south, and be left wondering where the heck it went wrong! So it could be worse. I will say in full disclosure they have performed better than I expected assuming we finish out like we should.

[SDSUAlum08]

Re: Attendance & Alcohol

I’m more worried about student attendance and how it’s going to affect the future fan base.

[jakejc795]

Re: Attendance & Alcohol

The traffic to and from seating areas would probably increase, but that will not affect people's ability to enjoy games as long as people follow general crowd etiquette, which most people do whether there's alcohol available or not. I just don't understand why this is such a big issue for you. Like I said, if there's a specific guy that's ruining your game experience, address it with him. If you are really concerned about people just getting up and down to go to the concessions, maybe you should pony up for a suite so you don't have to deal with the crowd.

Restricting sales to pregame or halftime doesn't exist anywhere and it's a non starter. Vendor trays are great, but not always feasible to staff that many extra people.

It's not a big issue, as I've admitted, I'm likely going to the games regardless; however, this is the first post where you've admitted traffic would probably increase, and I'm glad that the folks who drink that you associate with are paragons of etiquette, but, etiquette, not to mention one's ability to walk in a straight line, can decrease after alcohol consumption.

As I mentioned several posts ago, I'd just as soon take steps to minimize those issues by either allowing those who want to drink to remain seated and have their drinks passed to them via a vendor or restrict sales to times when the game isn't being played.