Win The Event?

[Gris-Gris]

Step one, simply build Disney World.

Lafayette can’t even draw a decent tourist count. They don’t need Disney world but the standards here need to change. Our culture is too “I’ll get to it when I get to it”.

[zeppelincajun]

I promise you he isn't an admin. But he was one hell of a football player.

Should’ve been clearer. Was just sending that message out to the admins viewing RP. Not saying Lannister is one. The people in charge need to be paying mind to the people who have left or are on the edge.

[JMV JustMyView]

Should’ve been clearer. Was just sending that message out to the admins viewing RP. Not saying Lannister is one. The people in charge need to be paying mind to the people who have left or are on the edge.

Gotcha.

[cajun_lannister]

You must love pop corn.

For my 4 year old he is content and it let's me watch the games from my seat

[LouisianaB]

I think it is time to re-think everything we do from a fan experience perspective. We have hit a wall. There are so many issues that you just need to rip everything up and start over.

First, Maggard should start forming internal and external committees. Internal committees would be made up of anyone who works in the department. External committees will be made up on three pertinent demographics: (1) long-time fans, (2) new fans, and (3) students. These committees will be referred to as the “gameday committees”, and include:

Promotion and marketing: how to get people excited about UL Athletics and to come to events.
Tailgating: how to make it thrive like it used to.

In-game experience: how to get people to the game and stay for the game.

The internal committees need to take a look at what we are doing, and what we can do better on. The external committees need to discuss their experiences and make recommendations on how to make the events more fan-friendly. They should do this separately. Then they meet up. The phrase “we cant do that” cannot be stated unless there is a damn good reason that follows. The committees shouldn’t be focused on everything we did wrong in the past, but rather, focused on the future and how to make the gameday experience better.

Once we have a plan in place for these four main gameday items, we can start focusing on age demographics. You need to talk to kids (5-12), teens (13-14), high schoolers (15-18), college-aged (19-26), young adults (27-35), middle-age adults (36-45), adults (46-59), and seniors (60 and up). The four gameday committees objective here will be to attract and retain the age groups

The next focus should be on region. You start with Lafayette Parish, which has a population of 240,000. The parish has multiple cities. People in Carencro are different than the people in Youngsville. What do people want to see? What do they like? What don’t they like? Once you determine Lafayette Parish, you move on to the five surrounding parishes and do the same. These include Acadia (57,576), St. Landry (82,540), St. Martin (51,767), Iberia (69,929), and Vermilion (57,359). You get buy-in from the city councils and mayors.

I think a lot of people get caught up in trying to do too much at one time. We have a very limited staff. It is a fact. You need to start with one thing (how to make gameday experience better), then move on to demographics and region. You need to perfect your product before you sell it. We have not perfected our product.

The goal cannot be to fill up a football stadium. The goal should be to grow the fan base, one-by-one, through the athletic department’s six largest events in the fall. We don’t need surveys. Surveys give us averages. We aren’t going after the average person. We are going after a person. A fan base must be built one-by-one.

[Esqueleto]

I think it is time to re-think everything we do from a fan experience perspective. We have hit a wall. There are so many issues that you just need to rip everything up and start over.

First, Maggard should start forming internal and external committees. Internal committees would be made up of anyone who works in the department. External committees will be made up on three pertinent demographics: (1) long-time fans, (2) new fans, and (3) students. These committees will be referred to as the “gameday committees”, and include:

Promotion and marketing: how to get people excited about UL Athletics and to come to events.
Tailgating: how to make it strive like it used to.
In-game experience: how to get people to the game and stay for the game.

The internal committees need to take a look at what we are doing, and what we can do better on. The external committees need to discuss their experiences and make recommendations on how to make the events more fan-friendly. They should do this separately. Then they meet up. The phrase “we cant do that” cannot be stated unless there is a damn good reason that follows. The committees shouldn’t be focused on everything we did wrong in the past, but rather, focused on the future and how to make the gameday experience better.

Once we have a plan in place for these four main gameday items, we can start focusing on age demographics. You need to talk to kids (5-12), teens (13-14), high schoolers (15-18), college-aged (19-26), young adults (27-35), middle-age adults (36-45), adults (46-59), and seniors (60 and up). The four gameday committees objective here will be to attract and retain the age groups

The next focus should be on region. You start with Lafayette Parish, which has a population of 240,000. The parish has multiple cities. People in Carencro are different than the people in Youngsville. What do people want to see? What do they like? What don’t they like? Once you determine Lafayette Parish, you move on to the five surrounding parishes and do the same. These include Acadia (57,576), St. Landry (82,540), St. Martin (51,767), Iberia (69,929), and Vermilion (57,359). You get buy-in from the city councils and mayors.

I think a lot of people get caught up in trying to do too much at one time. We have a very limited staff. It is a fact. You need to start with one thing (how to make gameday experience better), then move on to demographics and region. You need to perfect your product before you sell it. We have not perfected our product.

The goal cannot be to fill up a football stadium. The goal should be to grow the fan base, one-by-one, through the athletic department’s six largest events in the fall. We don’t need surveys. Surveys give us averages. We aren’t going after the average person. We are going after a person. A fan base must be built one-by-one.

Great post!

[ULvictory]

I think it is time to re-think everything we do from a fan experience perspective. We have hit a wall. There are so many issues that you just need to rip everything up and start over.

First, Maggard should start forming internal and external committees. Internal committees would be made up of anyone who works in the department. External committees will be made up on three pertinent demographics: (1) long-time fans, (2) new fans, and (3) students. These committees will be referred to as the “gameday committees”, and include:

Promotion and marketing: how to get people excited about UL Athletics and to come to events.
Tailgating: how to make it strive like it used to.
In-game experience: how to get people to the game and stay for the game.

The internal committees need to take a look at what we are doing, and what we can do better on. The external committees need to discuss their experiences and make recommendations on how to make the events more fan-friendly. They should do this separately. Then they meet up. The phrase “we cant do that” cannot be stated unless there is a damn good reason that follows. The committees shouldn’t be focused on everything we did wrong in the past, but rather, focused on the future and how to make the gameday experience better.

Once we have a plan in place for these four main gameday items, we can start focusing on age demographics. You need to talk to kids (5-12), teens (13-14), high schoolers (15-18), college-aged (19-26), young adults (27-35), middle-age adults (36-45), adults (46-59), and seniors (60 and up). The four gameday committees objective here will be to attract and retain the age groups

The next focus should be on region. You start with Lafayette Parish, which has a population of 240,000. The parish has multiple cities. People in Carencro are different than the people in Youngsville. What do people want to see? What do they like? What don’t they like? Once you determine Lafayette Parish, you move on to the five surrounding parishes and do the same. These include Acadia (57,576), St. Landry (82,540), St. Martin (51,767), Iberia (69,929), and Vermilion (57,359). You get buy-in from the city councils and mayors.

I think a lot of people get caught up in trying to do too much at one time. We have a very limited staff. It is a fact. You need to start with one thing (how to make gameday experience better), then move on to demographics and region. You need to perfect your product before you sell it. We have not perfected our product.

The goal cannot be to fill up a football stadium. The goal should be to grow the fan base, one-by-one, through the athletic department’s six largest events in the fall. We don’t need surveys. Surveys give us averages. We aren’t going after the average person. We are going after a person. A fan base must be built one-by-one.

All of This. Every single word.

Great post.

[CajunVic]

I think it is time to re-think everything we do from a fan experience perspective. We have hit a wall. There are so many issues that you just need to rip everything up and start over.

First, Maggard should start forming internal and external committees. Internal committees would be made up of anyone who works in the department. External committees will be made up on three pertinent demographics: (1) long-time fans, (2) new fans, and (3) students. These committees will be referred to as the “gameday committees”, and include:

Promotion and marketing: how to get people excited about UL Athletics and to come to events.
Tailgating: how to make it strive like it used to.
In-game experience: how to get people to the game and stay for the game.

The internal committees need to take a look at what we are doing, and what we can do better on. The external committees need to discuss their experiences and make recommendations on how to make the events more fan-friendly. They should do this separately. Then they meet up. The phrase “we cant do that” cannot be stated unless there is a damn good reason that follows. The committees shouldn’t be focused on everything we did wrong in the past, but rather, focused on the future and how to make the gameday experience better.

Once we have a plan in place for these four main gameday items, we can start focusing on age demographics. You need to talk to kids (5-12), teens (13-14), high schoolers (15-18), college-aged (19-26), young adults (27-35), middle-age adults (36-45), adults (46-59), and seniors (60 and up). The four gameday committees objective here will be to attract and retain the age groups

The next focus should be on region. You start with Lafayette Parish, which has a population of 240,000. The parish has multiple cities. People in Carencro are different than the people in Youngsville. What do people want to see? What do they like? What don’t they like? Once you determine Lafayette Parish, you move on to the five surrounding parishes and do the same. These include Acadia (57,576), St. Landry (82,540), St. Martin (51,767), Iberia (69,929), and Vermilion (57,359). You get buy-in from the city councils and mayors.

I think a lot of people get caught up in trying to do too much at one time. We have a very limited staff. It is a fact. You need to start with one thing (how to make gameday experience better), then move on to demographics and region. You need to perfect your product before you sell it. We have not perfected our product.

The goal cannot be to fill up a football stadium. The goal should be to grow the fan base, one-by-one, through the athletic department’s six largest events in the fall. We don’t need surveys. Surveys give us averages. We aren’t going after the average person. We are going after a person. A fan base must be built one-by-one.

Hey B, we agree again . . .

[LouisianaB]

Hey B, we agree again . . .

Happens more than you think, bud.

[CajunRage]

I think it is time to re-think everything we do from a fan experience perspective. We have hit a wall. There are so many issues that you just need to rip everything up and start over.

First, rip up the Sodexo contract

Second, Maggard should start forming internal and external committees. Internal committees would be made up of anyone who works in the department. External committees will be made up on three pertinent demographics: (1) long-time fans, (2) new fans, and (3) students. These committees will be referred to as the “gameday committees”, and include:

Promotion and marketing: how to get people excited about UL Athletics and to come to events.
Tailgating: how to make it strive like it used to.
In-game experience: how to get people to the game and stay for the game.

The internal committees need to take a look at what we are doing, and what we can do better on. The external committees need to discuss their experiences and make recommendations on how to make the events more fan-friendly. They should do this separately. Then they meet up. The phrase “we cant do that” cannot be stated unless there is a damn good reason that follows. The committees shouldn’t be focused on everything we did wrong in the past, but rather, focused on the future and how to make the gameday experience better.

Once we have a plan in place for these four main gameday items, we can start focusing on age demographics. You need to talk to kids (5-12), teens (13-14), high schoolers (15-18), college-aged (19-26), young adults (27-35), middle-age adults (36-45), adults (46-59), and seniors (60 and up). The four gameday committees objective here will be to attract and retain the age groups

The next focus should be on region. You start with Lafayette Parish, which has a population of 240,000. The parish has multiple cities. People in Carencro are different than the people in Youngsville. What do people want to see? What do they like? What don’t they like? Once you determine Lafayette Parish, you move on to the five surrounding parishes and do the same. These include Acadia (57,576), St. Landry (82,540), St. Martin (51,767), Iberia (69,929), and Vermilion (57,359). You get buy-in from the city councils and mayors.

I think a lot of people get caught up in trying to do too much at one time. We have a very limited staff. It is a fact. You need to start with one thing (how to make gameday experience better), then move on to demographics and region. You need to perfect your product before you sell it. We have not perfected our product.

The goal cannot be to fill up a football stadium. The goal should be to grow the fan base, one-by-one, through the athletic department’s six largest events in the fall. We don’t need surveys. Surveys give us averages. We aren’t going after the average person. We are going after a person. A fan base must be built one-by-one.

One edit, but otherwise 1000000% agree

[fanof71]

LouisianaB with great ideas!

[LouisianaB]

One edit, but otherwise 1000000% agree

I’m speaking realistically. You can’t just rip up a contract without other consequences. It’s my understanding that the contract is up for renewal soon (or at least someone said that). There needs to be a serious discussion with their reps about what is acceptable and not. If they cannot meet the standards, they should not have the rights.

I’ve always said that UL events should have some of the best food around. If it was up to me there would be Judice Inn burgers, Olde Tyme poboys, Deanos pizza, etc. hell, I’d even find a way to make Fridays during lent crawfish boil days. Our events need to be a celebration of our culture, which includes food. We should be known for our concessions.

[ManAboutTown]

The list is great, but it is a summation of what we've all been saying around here for a decade. And yes, rip up the damn Sodexo contract. There is no amount of financial penalty worth staying in business with a partner that has failed to deliver as often as Sodexo.

[LouisianaB]

The list is great, but it is a summation of what we've all been saying around here for a decade. And yes, rip up the damn Sodexo contract. There is no amount of financial penalty worth staying in business with a partner that has failed to deliver as often as Sodexo.

Trying to not make it a list, per se, but a process. If we approach it from “this is a list of everything that sucks”, we spend all of our time on explaining why it sucks. If we start anew, we will have more time to plan based on what we need and what works.

My post was purely about next year. It’s not too late to change things here and there for our three remaining home games. However, with all the ideas it’s like drinking from a fire hydrant. We need to focus on a few things that we can change from game to game this year, and then overhaul everything next year. Nothing is safe. Everything is on the table. Everything needs to be explained. Why do we do this, that, etc.? Focus on the process, not the specific things we think are the “solution”. When something is rotten, you gotta take it apart to toss out the rot and then see what else is rotten.

Next fall, we should have six festivals at Cajun field that are meticulously planned by both fans and staff. If it doesn’t increase attendance, then I’m not sure anything short of money giveaways will.

[ManAboutTown]

Trying to not make it a list, per se, but a process. If we approach it from “this is a list of everything that sucks”, we spend all of our time on explaining why it sucks. If we start anew, we will have more time to plan based on what we need and what works.

My post was purely about next year. It’s not too late to change things here and there for our three remaining home games. However, with all the ideas it’s like drinking from a fire hydrant. We need to focus on a few things that we can change from game to game this year, and then overhaul everything next year. Nothing is safe. Everything is on the table. Everything needs to be explained. Why do we do this, that, etc.? Focus on the process, not the specific things we think are the “solution”. When something is rotten, you gotta take it apart to toss out the rot and then see what else is rotten.

Next fall, we should have six festivals at Cajun field that are meticulously planned by both fans and staff. If it doesn’t increase attendance, then I’m not sure anything short of money giveaways will.

Agree. In fact, I'd go as far as saying every game prior to the opening of a renovated CajunField should be used as a testing ground for new ideas. Moving tailgating, implementing your process, revamping concessions (and the partner we currently use), etc.

This could be viewed as an opportunity. You make a good point about so many ideas and issues being discussed at once. I think the frustration has mounted to a fever pitch and our supporters have reached a breaking point. I don't want to sensationalize, but I've never seen so many people speak out. We have to find a way to harness this.