Lake Placid Attendance

[KeithK]

i know many people who stopped going once it moved out of boston. so much more to do and so much easier to get to and get around in. if want to make it crazy go to toronto or montreal.  its a drive but at least it would be different and so many of the canadian fans would love it.  why not philly? would that be much different than LP for many?

My contention is that convenience is more important than "craziness" (or event-focus, or whatever people want to call it). Does anyone actually think there are more people willing to make a 4 day weekend vacation out of the ECACs than there are people who'd go if they could cut out of work early on Friday and return Sunday morning and not have to drive 10-12 hours?

Given the choice between losing one or two vacation days driving to Montreal or Philly (or AC, or LP) and watching on TV or internet... TV gets my vote. I just don't want to spend that much time in the car for what could be a single game. The downside risk is too great.

I'd be much more likely to go to Toronto or Montreal.  But then I would have to fly anyway. Most fans who attend don't.

[Trotsky]

This discussion has to be our version of the "College Hockey Video Game" topic on the USCHO board.

You recall what the other one was, though, right..?

[Jeff Hopkins '82]

Since we're going down the familiar path yet again, I'll put in another facetious plug to have it at the PPL Center here in Allentown.  

We've got everything that Albany has:  an unexciting industrial town?  Check.  Nothing to do between games?  Check.  And none of the New York or Philadelphia fan bases actually have to stay here overnight!  Better yet, it's a smaller rink (~8,500) so it won't look as empty as Albany, too.

Just sayin'.  ::deadhorse::

[Scersk '97]

USCHO on tournament attendance over the years.

It's just hilarious that the "Cornell championship spikes" are so obvious.

I will add that it's all about ticket price for me. I was in Lake Placid this last weekend with a group of folks. We skied and enjoyed ourselves but didn't attend the games. If the ticket price had been lower, I probably would've gone, but $55 for both sessions or $33 for a single session (Was it? I can't remember, but it was more than half) is too much. I'd rather hit the hot tub and take a relaxed attitude toward the evening.

I think something around $15 per session would engage my casual ECAC fandom.

[upprdeck]

they seem to price things in ways that make you wonder.  but part of me understands it too.

there is x% that will come because the team they follow is in it.  if it was $15 or $40 it really wont make a difference thats very large since travel hotel make a much larger piece of the puzzle.
 
there is y% that will come on a whim and for them price does matter.  

if they sold the tickets for $15 they get a few more of the Y but do they make up the money they lose on the X? i dont think so.

you also have to think that being in LP there are far less of the casual fans showing up on a whim.

[Trotsky]

To be honest they are lucky to have been getting 5k with Cornell, Clarkson and RPI all home.  Let's see how a HE tourney with Merrimack, Lowell, UMass, and {PROVICED does.

[Scersk '97]

they seem to price things in ways that make you wonder.  but part of me understands it too.

there is x% that will come because the team they follow is in it.  if it was $15 or $40 it really wont make a difference thats very large since travel hotel make a much larger piece of the puzzle.
 
there is y% that will come on a whim and for them price does matter.  

if they sold the tickets for $15 they get a few more of the Y but do they make up the money they lose on the X? i dont think so.

you also have to think that being in LP there are far less of the casual fans showing up on a whim.

Yeah, I understand those types of calculations, but I feel like the same thing is going on here that has gone on with the D-I Lacrosse Championship—ticket prices have risen so much that the casual fan doesn't even think of going. Hell, I'm not even a casual fan, really.

I don't know how the numbers are set, but I feel like there is still money being left "on the table," particularly when you factor in concessions. Whatever happened to "butts in seats?" They're going for the sure money rather than trying to make it an event. It's a choice, I suppose.

[underskill]

or 4-5k attendance is the new normal for these events, given the way attendance is sliding across college sports in general, and how much easier it is to watch college hockey online and on tv as compared to say 10-15 years ago.

[Trotsky]

or 4-5k attendance is the new normal for these events, given the way attendance is sliding across college sports in general, and how much easier it is to watch college hockey online and on tv as compared to say 10-15 years ago.

This is probably a big part of it.

Even beyond sports, road tripping seems to have been decreasing as a college activity for about 50 years.

[Towerroad]

they seem to price things in ways that make you wonder.  but part of me understands it too.

there is x% that will come because the team they follow is in it.  if it was $15 or $40 it really wont make a difference thats very large since travel hotel make a much larger piece of the puzzle.
 
there is y% that will come on a whim and for them price does matter.  

if they sold the tickets for $15 they get a few more of the Y but do they make up the money they lose on the X? i dont think so.

you also have to think that being in LP there are far less of the casual fans showing up on a whim.

Yeah, I understand those types of calculations, but I feel like the same thing is going on here that has gone on with the D-I Lacrosse Championship—ticket prices have risen so much that the casual fan doesn't even think of going. Hell, I'm not even a casual fan, really.

I don't know how the numbers are set, but I feel like there is still money being left "on the table," particularly when you factor in concessions. Whatever happened to "butts in seats?" They're going for the sure money rather than trying to make it an event. It's a choice, I suppose.

The plain fact is that they are into revenue maximization rather than attendance maximization. To do that they have to be able to make sure that the people that will travel do think they can get a $40 ticket for $15 when they get there. This is about money not sport.

[Trotsky]

The plain fact is that they are into revenue maximization rather than attendance maximization. To do that they have to be able to make sure that the people that will travel do think they can get a $40 ticket for $15 when they get there. This is about money not sport.

Seems shortsighted from a revenue POV.  Lower prices --> Higher attendance --> Better atmosphere --> Higher attendance --> Higher revenue.   Higher prices --> Lower attendance --> Worse atmosphere --> Lower attendance --> Lower revenue.

[Chris '03]

Cut prices. Sell beer. Profit.

[KeithK]

The plain fact is that they are into revenue maximization rather than attendance maximization. To do that they have to be able to make sure that the people that will travel do think they can get a $40 ticket for $15 when they get there. This is about money not sport.

Seems shortsighted from a revenue POV.  Lower prices --> Higher attendance --> Better atmosphere --> Higher attendance --> Higher revenue.   Higher prices --> Lower attendance --> Worse atmosphere --> Lower attendance --> Lower revenue.

That's assuming that a better atmosphere does actually produce higher attendance.  That may be true for regular season games but I'm not sure it follows for the tournament. Or at least I doubt it has enough of an effect to make it worth lowering prices.

[Jeff Hopkins '82]

Does attendance even matter?  Isn't everything about TV revenues?

[underskill]

what TV revenues could these conferences possibly be getting for college hockey though? especially the ECAC