Attendance

[chicken]

Who in the hell is reporting the attendance ? None of this is correct

[gatorgal]

I was wondering wth when I saw the attendence. I didn't make the game last night so I was hoping it was not true!!! 412!!!???

[chicken]

I was wondering wth when I saw the attendence. I didn't make the game last night so I was hoping it was not true!!! 412!!!???

igeaux.mobi

[dannysmith]

Those who were there know what the crowd was like. Who else matters?

[chicken]

Yeah great crowd !! The more i thought about it i understand.. I like the way things are looking

[sambo722rt]

I am on a 7 day work stretch, so I did not make the last few games. (before someone makes a dedication "true fan" comment, those are 12 hour shifts in an ER dealing with sick screaming babies all day) If there were nice crowds and only 400-800 reported for the last few game, am I to assume that the rest were freebies?

[dannysmith]

No

[justjoshin]

With all the talk of attendance, I thought I would share this article. The Rapid City Rush are in 2nd place for attendance in the CHL right now. Here is a little story on the Rush that also talks about a couple old Louisiana teams:


The Rapid City Rush introduced hockey to a high-energy, sellout crowd Saturday, but long-term success can be a slippery proposition for minor-league hockey franchises.
And it has little to do with the action on the ice.
"The biggest key is having an owner who is willing to shell out the money and not be in it for the money himself," said Todd Newman, owner of the Monroe (La.) Moccasins. "It needs to be an ego-booster for someone who is civic-minded with deep pockets, not a moneymaker. Buy it for ego, not because it was a good business decision."
Newman, who had the team for two seasons before it folded, bought the Moccasins from the original owners who were nearly ready to pull the plug on the Western Professional Hockey League. The WPHL was absorbed into the CHL in 2001.
"I took over midstream in the third season, and it lasted for two more years, but it was difficult with the previous outside ownership because they weren't involved in community or trying to support those they were hoping would support the team," Newman said.
Regardless of which hockey league a team plays in, the chorus from those in positions of power within the organizations is nearly always the same: Involvement in the community, getting players out in public and treating the game not as a sporting event but as a piece of an overall entertainment package for the fans.
The Lake Charles (La.) Ice Pirates enjoyed plenty of early success before changes at the top turned a profitable team into one that folded a few seasons later.
"The Ice Pirates were successful for the first two years, making over $4 million dollars because we focused on group sales, had a great operations staff in place, reached out to the community, and the coaches and players were part of the marketing plan," said Thom Hager. He was the only managing director working actively with the team among the 10 who originally purchased the team. "We made it a grass-roots effort and had the support of the media. We realized the business was only as good as the people.
"The second year, they added 10 more managing directors, which was a huge mistake because there was too many voices. Then the owners changed who was doing the marketing, and it was terrible; the director of sales and marketing had no experience, and they stopped treating the customers well."
Hager said one of the keys to success is to focus on the family and make it an entertainment event, because when you only focus on the hockey, it is just a game.
Not all CHL team have struggled to find the right business model.
The Arizona Sundogs average 4,000 fans in an arena that holds 4,800. The Sundogs have also experienced success on the ice, winning the league championship in only their second year.
"Our situation is similar to Rapid City because we are in an area that does not have a lot of traditional support for hockey," said Shane Ferraro, Arizona Sundogs' director of public relations. "The biggest thing is that we got involved in the community, and we're big into player appearances at schools and other places. It also certainly hasn't hurt that we made the playoffs our first two years, which builds a fan base and keeps them wanting to come back."
Like Rapid City, Arizona held a number of meet-and-greets with its coaches and players, hockey 101 sessions, ladies nights and other events to educate the general public on a sport that is not as well known in the area. The Sundogs also have instructional videos they show throughout their games during breaks in the action to continually help their fans better understand the action on the ice.
"Our arena wasn't ready for us, either, when we started our season but we worked to build up a lot of excitement there for opening night within the community," Ferraro said. "We lost that first game 6-0, but not one fan left, and they gave us a standing ovation after the game. And to this day, after every home game, our coach gathers the players and sends them out to center ice to salute the fans."
Ferraro also points to the Sundogs' attempt to make each game an all-around entertainment experience. "Our cheapest ticket is $14, and we are always giving away prizes, gift certificates, jerseys and bringing in entertainment acts in between periods," he said.
For the Rush's inaugural season, fans can attend home games for as little as $15 a ticket.
The Rush's new arena may help drive early sales, but the future of the franchise will be determined after the second or third year.
"Every franchise is different with the location and the agreement they have with the arena and what kind of partnership deal they have with the city," said Mark Adams, who owned the Lubbock (Texas) Cotton Kings from 1999 to 2007, before arena issues led to its demise. "We were unable to get the support of the city of Lubbock, and we were in a building that was 50 years old, and we didn't get any concession money."
Adams also pointed out he had to contend with Texas Tech University and the arrival of Bobby Knight during that time, which meant more entertainment competition.
Adams believes the management team that Rapid City has in place is one big advantage it has to secure long-term success.
Both Rush general manager Jason Rent and head coach Joe Ferras have made previous stops in the CHL. Rent enjoyed a successful run with Shreveport-Bossier and Ferras with Amarillo.
"I think having someone like Jason - because I had him on my staff, he is an excellent manager and leader - is real key, and having a new arena is a great franchise that can endure for a long time," Adams said.
From the league perspective, the Rush are off to a great start despite having skated just once in front of the hometown fans.
"It is about building a strong reputation with the fans, being a part of the community and working to entertain the fans the whole time they are in their building," director of communications for the CHL Bob Hoffman said. "From what I have seen and heard, they are off to a great start."

[sambo722rt]

No

Thanks for your response