How to get wrestling fans, pt 2
In my haste to talk about the components that might help local wrestling federations, I forgot a few I am sure. One of those being LOCATION, and I will get to that in a moment.
This is my short series blog about how I might work to get wrestling fans in the average US city to come out and enjoy a night of wrestling. As I said before, most people think this is about WWE or TNA…this is not.
Most fans don’t get to go to those events, and if they do, the cost for tickets are pretty high. No disrespect to those that DO go, but let’s face it, most don’t and can’t. So there are many, many local wrestling federations across the US, most you don’t even know about. But nobody talks about them so much.
In our area I can think of 3 federations that I have see either in person or on local tv. One is called NWA-Anarchy and it comes on one of our cable stations every once and awhile….I mean that, it is really a crap shoot on when it really comes on.
We have see it on the menu for a certain time, but when we tune in it isn’t on, and sometimes when it wasn’t on the menu, it is on. And sometimes when it IS on, the hour-long program is suddenly cut off by some local program…what’s up with that?
Another wrestling federation I have heard of is LAW wrestling, and I don’t know much about that. It used to be on a nearby city’s local television station but for some reason, it disappeared. It also came on at some unholy hour, so unless you were working the graveyard shift, you weren’t gonna see it anyway.
That leaves UWC, or Universal Wrestling Council. As I mentioned in earlier blogs, I have gone to see this wrestling event at least 6 times. I like it a lot, and I am really pulling for these people because they provide an entertainment that we most times would not get.
But how would I improve one like it, not implying that UWC needs my help. Those guys know more about it than I do, so don’t mix my words to make it seem like they are not going a good job.
But often times when my friends and I sit in the living room after the wrestling event, we talk about what could be done to help a local wrestling federation. We have tons of ideas, but you know as well as I do that ideas are just that. Making it into something real is a whole different animal.
But it’s worth blogging, so let’s take a stab at it.
If you remember my first blog on this issue, I listed several key elements that must be refined in order to bring the wrestling fan to the event. Not just one time, but make them a regular. You know you’re doing something right when you see paying customers over and over again. But how do you increase that?
Let’s go over a couple of factors, starting with the one I left off. LOCATION.
Around here, there are indeed many places where you can hold a wrestling event. No different from any of your towns. But it’s not as easy as saying “we’re gonna have it here and we’re gonna sell tickets at $20 each”. It does not really work that way.
Every wrestling federation needs a good location, and a reliable one at that. But most people think that all you need to do is find the biggest place to hold your event and people will come….no, it does not work that way.
I’d like to think that if I rent out a facility that houses 1000 people, and I charge $10 a ticket, then I’ll make $10,000 if we sell out….
But what if you don’t?
What if you are being charged $1500.00 to rent that space, and you sell 100 tickets? Unless concessions is real good, you’re going to lose money. So sometimes having a big place isn’t the best way to go, especially if you are not sure of your audience. Sometimes you have to settle for a smaller place that is cheaper and build the audience into a following, THEN look for better places to perform.
Now this isn’t a problem for the big federations, but I ain’t talking about them anyway. We’re talking about the very small federations that are made of traveling wrestlers and local wrestlers who truly love the game.
I would hope that I could find a nice sized place that seats maybe 500 or so, and sell tickets at maybe $6-$9 dollars each. Hey, I’m not trying to break anybody, because if I do, those people may not come back.
Location is very key because it’s got to be a place where they can find you, and the rent of the place can’t be so outrageous that you have to charge an arm and a leg just to break even. You gotta be fair to your audience but you also have to make a profit.
There are lots of places in cities you can have an event, but just because you can have one there does not mean the place is open to you. For example, we have several schools where a gym could be an excellent place to have an event, but what if the schools are not interested in wrestling? I mean, we could set up in any of the high school gyms and sell lots of tickets at $5 each and maybe pack the place, but we don’t know how much the school will charge us.
This is where the numbers game comes in, and where a manager or owner needs to know his math. He also has to be realistic too, you might WANT to get that facility at $2000 that seats 1500 people, but if your federation is not well known, there is no guarantee that you’ll even sell half the tickets. If tickets were $10, you’d need to sell 200 tickets just to even out the rent. We have not even talked about salary for the performers and crew, and the cost for refreshments and travel and ALL that goes into making the wrestling event happen.
And this is where a lot of greedy managers miss it. A lot of them don’t figure on what happens if OTHERS can’t get paid…they are only interested in themselves. This is what happens a lot when people book events on the HOPE that they can clear, and don’t do their homework.
It’s key to remember how important the location of the event is, because it creates the foundation of what you charge your audience. You can try to go high-end and get a really nice and big facility, but the cost to rent it will have a serious impact on what you are going to charge the fans. It’s a delicate balance not to overcharge and tick off the fans or to make it very affordable and cut your profits. Sadly, many wrestling federations try to get all the money first, leaving the fans with a performance that may not have been worth the money.
To their credit, I really like the way UWC does their business here. Tickets at $6 are very affordable, and I am more likely to spend a few dollars on a drink or some chips anyway. And, if we feel that we got our money’s worth, we’ll tell friends and want them to come with us next time. That means more sales for the wrestling federation and more fans.
Again, location has a lot to do with that. If they were somewhere else, and charged $15 per ticket, we might not feel the same way, even if the performance was the same. So this would be a very important element I would try to deal with if I was to run a wrestling federation.
Well, that’s the first part, I will go through each of the elements as we go along, so keep checking with my blog. I am not saying I have the gospel truth on this, it’s just some thoughts on how to improve a local wrestling federation so they can make more revenue and end up giving more to their fans. We’ll chat more next time.
Friday, October 24, 2008
How to get wrestling fans
How to get wrestling fans
Has anybody every written a book on this?
Well, it’s worth thinking on. Today I wanted to write a blog on how I might get more fans to come to wrestling events. Now, I say this ONLY for local wrestling. We’re not talking about WWE or TNA because they have television contracts.
I’m talking about how to get locals to come out and watch local wrestling. I say this because I am a huge sports fan, but I also like wrestling too. I am not too big a fan of WWE anymore, and rarely watch it. But I am a big fan of the sport or wrestling. Around here, we get to watch a local group called UWC, or Universal Wrestling Council. I know they’re not like WWE in talent and superstars, but they give us every bit of entertainment we could ask for.
I think I have gone to about 6 or 7 of their events inside of a year, they come by every other month or so and I think I have only missed one performance. I can say as honestly as I am sitting here that I have enjoyed every performance they give us. We often go early enough to get a front row seat to ensure maximum enjoyment.
But each time we go, we sit and wonder how the UWC could be better. Don’t get me wrong folks, we WANT this to succeed because if they keep coming back, then we can keep coming to see them. Not everybody can afford to pay big bucks to see WWE when they come to Raleigh or Fayetteville or Charlotte.
And you don’t have to be from North Carolina to understand that. Anybody that is a wrestling fan in whatever state you live in probably has a few local wrestling federations around…but most of you won’t support them.
Why not?
How can you sit there and swear allegiance to major wrestling federations and totally ignore the talent in your own back yard? How about a little support for those guys too?
Now, I am probably going to make a short series of this on blogspot.com since that is my main sports log, but I wanted to take some time to go over things that I would do if I had the opportunity to either create or run a local wrestling federation. In short, what can small federations do to help draw more attention, more audience and thus create revenue for their business.
I say again, I enjoyed every event of Universal Wrestling Council, and I think the money spent is worth it. They don’t try to gouge you with overpriced snacks. I mean, why should I spend $1 for a bag of chips that cost only 25 cents? I can see spending 50 cents or so because I understand they need to make a profit. Remember, I WANT them to succeed, so they can keep coming back.
So what would I do if I was starting my own wrestling federation, or given management of one? I think you’d have to break it down into different categories:
Promotion and Advertising
Sound Quality
Video Quality and post production
Marketing products
Personnel
Concessions
Media Relations
Continuity
Pay scale
Community Involvement
I hope to blog more on these subjects in the upcoming days, and try to explain what I mean in each of those categories, and how I might try to make a local wrestling federation better. I think maybe easiest way to do it is to win a lottery, because most times it comes down to money, but if you don’t have that, you need a good plan. I’ll talk more about that in upcoming blogs on my sports blog on blogspot.com
Has anybody every written a book on this?
Well, it’s worth thinking on. Today I wanted to write a blog on how I might get more fans to come to wrestling events. Now, I say this ONLY for local wrestling. We’re not talking about WWE or TNA because they have television contracts.
I’m talking about how to get locals to come out and watch local wrestling. I say this because I am a huge sports fan, but I also like wrestling too. I am not too big a fan of WWE anymore, and rarely watch it. But I am a big fan of the sport or wrestling. Around here, we get to watch a local group called UWC, or Universal Wrestling Council. I know they’re not like WWE in talent and superstars, but they give us every bit of entertainment we could ask for.
I think I have gone to about 6 or 7 of their events inside of a year, they come by every other month or so and I think I have only missed one performance. I can say as honestly as I am sitting here that I have enjoyed every performance they give us. We often go early enough to get a front row seat to ensure maximum enjoyment.
But each time we go, we sit and wonder how the UWC could be better. Don’t get me wrong folks, we WANT this to succeed because if they keep coming back, then we can keep coming to see them. Not everybody can afford to pay big bucks to see WWE when they come to Raleigh or Fayetteville or Charlotte.
And you don’t have to be from North Carolina to understand that. Anybody that is a wrestling fan in whatever state you live in probably has a few local wrestling federations around…but most of you won’t support them.
Why not?
How can you sit there and swear allegiance to major wrestling federations and totally ignore the talent in your own back yard? How about a little support for those guys too?
Now, I am probably going to make a short series of this on blogspot.com since that is my main sports log, but I wanted to take some time to go over things that I would do if I had the opportunity to either create or run a local wrestling federation. In short, what can small federations do to help draw more attention, more audience and thus create revenue for their business.
I say again, I enjoyed every event of Universal Wrestling Council, and I think the money spent is worth it. They don’t try to gouge you with overpriced snacks. I mean, why should I spend $1 for a bag of chips that cost only 25 cents? I can see spending 50 cents or so because I understand they need to make a profit. Remember, I WANT them to succeed, so they can keep coming back.
So what would I do if I was starting my own wrestling federation, or given management of one? I think you’d have to break it down into different categories:
Promotion and Advertising
Sound Quality
Video Quality and post production
Marketing products
Personnel
Concessions
Media Relations
Continuity
Pay scale
Community Involvement
I hope to blog more on these subjects in the upcoming days, and try to explain what I mean in each of those categories, and how I might try to make a local wrestling federation better. I think maybe easiest way to do it is to win a lottery, because most times it comes down to money, but if you don’t have that, you need a good plan. I’ll talk more about that in upcoming blogs on my sports blog on blogspot.com
Warnings for college football teams
Warnings for college football teams
I hope I am not too late to warn some of these teams, usually I post this earlier than on a Friday afternoon. I was so busy watching the Auburn vs. West Virginia game that I completely forgot to give my warnings.
So I better get on with it, because as we get closer and closer to the end of the season, there will be many teams that are on the edge of qualifying for a bowl, but won’t make it. There will be teams that think they have a shot at a BCS bowl that won’t make it, there are teams that think they have a chance at the BCS Championship, but won’t make it. Who will tell them of the impending danger?
Shall anyone warn Texas Tech of the danger that could happen? Playing a morning game vs. ranked Kansas in their house could be a problem, but surely not for such a team that scores 799 points a quarter? But then there’s that kicking game… what shall you do if a game comes down to a field goal? What shall you do?
And yet, perhaps greater warnings go to Kansas. You sit on top of the division ONLY because you have yet to play Missouri. Few give you any chance to beat Missouri, but that would be a moot point if you fail to defend your home against the high scoring Red Raiders…one ranked team WILL fall at the end of this game.
Has anyone warned Ball State of the huge implications of their game? While there is almost no chance to go to the BCS Championship, there is a good chance to go undefeated. Yet in your own division you are not the best team (technically). This could be a very slippery trap for you should you fail to handle your business at home against Eastern Michigan. The eyes of the NCAA will be watching….
Take care of your record Northwestern, for losses can add up faster than your calculators….
For years you have been compared to Duke when it comes to football, but this year can indeed be magical. Only one loss, and that to a quality team that was ranked, but now you must play just as hard against the worst team in the conference. It’s easy to get up for the big games, but can you get up for the small ones…every game matters you know. You are eligible for a bowl right now, but can you shoot for a higher profile bowl? It would me a lot to the future of your program. Lose this game to Indiana and we’ll be forced to say that famous phrase of Dennis Green…
“They are who we THOUGHT they were”
And who shall travel to Chapel Hill to warn both Boston College and UNC? Weren’t these two teams ranked sometime this year, and yet neither are on the top 25? Who will stand up for this conference and declare supremacy, or are we forced to see the best of a bunch of AVERAGE teams? Boston College has the unique chance to shake the foundations of the ACC and the BCS. With only one loss (Georgia Tech), they must now play 5 of 6 teams that has been ranked or currently ranked, plus the game vs. Notre Dame. Win all these games and you’ll be in the ACC Championship and sports media will sing your praises. But if you are as average as many think, you may struggle to split these games, lowering yourself to a mediocre bowl.
And what of YOU, Tarheels? Are you not just a fingernail from the post season? Yet you have two losses, one just recently to Virginia. You have a tough schedule ahead, with games vs. Boston College, Georgia Tech and Maryland. We know when it comes to state rivals such as NC State and Duke, anything can happen (well, don’t really know about that Duke game..) so which UNC team did we see? The one that made it inside the top 20, or the one that fell out last weekend? We shall see.
We shall also see what Wisconsin is really about…lately is has not been much. I warn you Wisconsin Badgers, do not fail your fans this weekend in your house vs. Illinois. Four losses in a row, all to Big 10 opponents, cannot be tolerated any more by this once proud team. Where then is the pride? There is still a chance that Wisconsin can play in the post season, all they need is 3 more wins. Surely you can make a home stand against Illinois to begin the road to recovery? But if you fail this weekend, what then will they whisper about your greatness when there was none shown this year?
And who shall inform Wake Forest of the dangers of playing in Florida? Wasn’t Wake Forest the best team of the ACC for a portion of this season? Were they not seen as the darlings of the ACC and almost guaranteed a BCS bowl? Where then is that same team? With 6 games left, can we all pencil you in for a bowl? We KNOW you can get at least two more wins, right? But we wonder about your offensive power…or lack of it. The ACC needs leaders to bring credibility to the conference, and you must be the carriers of such power. But lately there have been stories of your weakness…and that loss to Virginia raises eyebrows. Indeed, we wonder of your scoring, scoring only 19 points in your last 3 ACC contests…that’s an average of just over 6 points.
I warn you, find more points or there may be yet another loss this weekend….
And who desires to warn either team at the Duke vs. Vanderbilt game?
Did I not criticize Duke weeks ago for jumping on one of their players when he dove in the end zone, drawing a penalty? Didn’t Duke WIN that game against Virginia? Who told Duke that they were worthy of the top 25 and thus swelled their egos? Since then, they have not seen a victory. You now must play to make the post season bowl, but with 5 of the remaining 6 games being of teams that have been ranked this year, how then will you find 3 wins? If ever there shall be any hope of this team, it must come in a quality win. Lose this game, and it will be nearly impossible to see 6 wins…or even 5.
But laugh not at Duke, ye of Vanderbilt? We sang of your glory earlier this year as you jumped to a 5-0 start, with quality wins over South Carolina and Auburn, but those games have been put away, as well as your winning ways, losing your last two games. You need only one more victory to qualify for a bowl, and it seems to have been hand-delivered to you in the form of Duke. But take care, for some say that your wins over Auburn and South Carolina may have been based on those teams underestimating you…is there any truth to that?
If so, then wouldn’t YOU be doing the same if you underestimated Duke? You know they are starving for a bowl, and need a win over YOU to make it happen…will you see them as an easy win, or take them seriously as you should every opponent. We shall see.
And finally, a great caution goes out to the entire state of Michigan. Where has all the football spirits gone in this state? Let us not mention the Detroit Lions for starters, but who can explain the failure of mighty Michigan?
And yet, we also fear for Michigan State. Both must play each other this weekend, and one must lose.
Michigan State will be in a bowl, to be certain, but some of your sting has been removed. Have we not seen this before, where you started out great, and faltered at the end? I warn you, this cannot be tolerated and you must put a stop to this. The beginning of a new power in the Big 10 is within your grasps, but you must grip it firmly. While it may be true that some will question your strength of schedule, none can argue the heart of the Spartans. We saw that movie “The 300” and we know the power and heart of the Spartans…but we also know that at the end of the movie, they lost. History also says that those Spartans were slaughtered after a short stand…will you fall along the wayside as well, or will you take control of your destiny?
But what destiny remains for Michigan? Your post season is almost gone, and the only way to get it back is to win 4 of the last 5 games. You cannot afford to lose more than one game…ONE GAME. And yet, who will give you hope when you must defend your turf against Michigan State this week, and then play Minnesota, Northwestern and Ohio State the last 3 games of the season. Currently all three of these teams are ranked, but many will still question the strength of Minnesota and Northwestern. These could be games you can take if there is heart left in the Wolverines.
But I warn you, you are allowed only ONE loss…any more and your season is over. Take heed.
I hope I am not too late to warn some of these teams, usually I post this earlier than on a Friday afternoon. I was so busy watching the Auburn vs. West Virginia game that I completely forgot to give my warnings.
So I better get on with it, because as we get closer and closer to the end of the season, there will be many teams that are on the edge of qualifying for a bowl, but won’t make it. There will be teams that think they have a shot at a BCS bowl that won’t make it, there are teams that think they have a chance at the BCS Championship, but won’t make it. Who will tell them of the impending danger?
Shall anyone warn Texas Tech of the danger that could happen? Playing a morning game vs. ranked Kansas in their house could be a problem, but surely not for such a team that scores 799 points a quarter? But then there’s that kicking game… what shall you do if a game comes down to a field goal? What shall you do?
And yet, perhaps greater warnings go to Kansas. You sit on top of the division ONLY because you have yet to play Missouri. Few give you any chance to beat Missouri, but that would be a moot point if you fail to defend your home against the high scoring Red Raiders…one ranked team WILL fall at the end of this game.
Has anyone warned Ball State of the huge implications of their game? While there is almost no chance to go to the BCS Championship, there is a good chance to go undefeated. Yet in your own division you are not the best team (technically). This could be a very slippery trap for you should you fail to handle your business at home against Eastern Michigan. The eyes of the NCAA will be watching….
Take care of your record Northwestern, for losses can add up faster than your calculators….
For years you have been compared to Duke when it comes to football, but this year can indeed be magical. Only one loss, and that to a quality team that was ranked, but now you must play just as hard against the worst team in the conference. It’s easy to get up for the big games, but can you get up for the small ones…every game matters you know. You are eligible for a bowl right now, but can you shoot for a higher profile bowl? It would me a lot to the future of your program. Lose this game to Indiana and we’ll be forced to say that famous phrase of Dennis Green…
“They are who we THOUGHT they were”
And who shall travel to Chapel Hill to warn both Boston College and UNC? Weren’t these two teams ranked sometime this year, and yet neither are on the top 25? Who will stand up for this conference and declare supremacy, or are we forced to see the best of a bunch of AVERAGE teams? Boston College has the unique chance to shake the foundations of the ACC and the BCS. With only one loss (Georgia Tech), they must now play 5 of 6 teams that has been ranked or currently ranked, plus the game vs. Notre Dame. Win all these games and you’ll be in the ACC Championship and sports media will sing your praises. But if you are as average as many think, you may struggle to split these games, lowering yourself to a mediocre bowl.
And what of YOU, Tarheels? Are you not just a fingernail from the post season? Yet you have two losses, one just recently to Virginia. You have a tough schedule ahead, with games vs. Boston College, Georgia Tech and Maryland. We know when it comes to state rivals such as NC State and Duke, anything can happen (well, don’t really know about that Duke game..) so which UNC team did we see? The one that made it inside the top 20, or the one that fell out last weekend? We shall see.
We shall also see what Wisconsin is really about…lately is has not been much. I warn you Wisconsin Badgers, do not fail your fans this weekend in your house vs. Illinois. Four losses in a row, all to Big 10 opponents, cannot be tolerated any more by this once proud team. Where then is the pride? There is still a chance that Wisconsin can play in the post season, all they need is 3 more wins. Surely you can make a home stand against Illinois to begin the road to recovery? But if you fail this weekend, what then will they whisper about your greatness when there was none shown this year?
And who shall inform Wake Forest of the dangers of playing in Florida? Wasn’t Wake Forest the best team of the ACC for a portion of this season? Were they not seen as the darlings of the ACC and almost guaranteed a BCS bowl? Where then is that same team? With 6 games left, can we all pencil you in for a bowl? We KNOW you can get at least two more wins, right? But we wonder about your offensive power…or lack of it. The ACC needs leaders to bring credibility to the conference, and you must be the carriers of such power. But lately there have been stories of your weakness…and that loss to Virginia raises eyebrows. Indeed, we wonder of your scoring, scoring only 19 points in your last 3 ACC contests…that’s an average of just over 6 points.
I warn you, find more points or there may be yet another loss this weekend….
And who desires to warn either team at the Duke vs. Vanderbilt game?
Did I not criticize Duke weeks ago for jumping on one of their players when he dove in the end zone, drawing a penalty? Didn’t Duke WIN that game against Virginia? Who told Duke that they were worthy of the top 25 and thus swelled their egos? Since then, they have not seen a victory. You now must play to make the post season bowl, but with 5 of the remaining 6 games being of teams that have been ranked this year, how then will you find 3 wins? If ever there shall be any hope of this team, it must come in a quality win. Lose this game, and it will be nearly impossible to see 6 wins…or even 5.
But laugh not at Duke, ye of Vanderbilt? We sang of your glory earlier this year as you jumped to a 5-0 start, with quality wins over South Carolina and Auburn, but those games have been put away, as well as your winning ways, losing your last two games. You need only one more victory to qualify for a bowl, and it seems to have been hand-delivered to you in the form of Duke. But take care, for some say that your wins over Auburn and South Carolina may have been based on those teams underestimating you…is there any truth to that?
If so, then wouldn’t YOU be doing the same if you underestimated Duke? You know they are starving for a bowl, and need a win over YOU to make it happen…will you see them as an easy win, or take them seriously as you should every opponent. We shall see.
And finally, a great caution goes out to the entire state of Michigan. Where has all the football spirits gone in this state? Let us not mention the Detroit Lions for starters, but who can explain the failure of mighty Michigan?
And yet, we also fear for Michigan State. Both must play each other this weekend, and one must lose.
Michigan State will be in a bowl, to be certain, but some of your sting has been removed. Have we not seen this before, where you started out great, and faltered at the end? I warn you, this cannot be tolerated and you must put a stop to this. The beginning of a new power in the Big 10 is within your grasps, but you must grip it firmly. While it may be true that some will question your strength of schedule, none can argue the heart of the Spartans. We saw that movie “The 300” and we know the power and heart of the Spartans…but we also know that at the end of the movie, they lost. History also says that those Spartans were slaughtered after a short stand…will you fall along the wayside as well, or will you take control of your destiny?
But what destiny remains for Michigan? Your post season is almost gone, and the only way to get it back is to win 4 of the last 5 games. You cannot afford to lose more than one game…ONE GAME. And yet, who will give you hope when you must defend your turf against Michigan State this week, and then play Minnesota, Northwestern and Ohio State the last 3 games of the season. Currently all three of these teams are ranked, but many will still question the strength of Minnesota and Northwestern. These could be games you can take if there is heart left in the Wolverines.
But I warn you, you are allowed only ONE loss…any more and your season is over. Take heed.
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