Solution to empty seats

[Minotaur]

The Crows often "sell-out" a stadium that still has 10,000 empty seats. Here is a solution. Why doesn't the club -or whoever actually does the ticketing and membership- have a seat buy back scheme. The way this would work is that if as a member you are not going to attend a game you could call a number a day or two in advance and cash in your ticket. Lets say half the value of the ticket would be credited to your account. The club could then re-sell the ticket. You could even have cheaper "on the day" ticket sales.

This would benfit the club as they would effectively be selling the same ticket twice. It also provides a financial incentive to the member to make sure the ticket is actually used. Whadda reckon?

 

[bringbackbucky]

Bloody good idea!

I can only dream of the day when the PAFC is in a position to sell a ticket twice...

 

[Jars458]

Its a good idea but I reckon it was tried in teh past

The first step is to get rid of Catergory One membership and so Port supporters don't have tickets for Crows games and vice versa.

 

[Alex99]

The first thing the SANFL should do is stop selling ‘category one memberships’ and only having a membership ticket for the Adelaide Crows and Port Adelaide Power. Eliminating the 10% of category one members who support the Power would allow extra 7,000 extra members for the Adelaide Crows. It is a joke that the SANFL offer a membership to both the power and the crows, make them pay for both and have individual membership packages. That will go along way to lifting the maximum attendance, going every week it is in the members that is empty not the new northern stand or the outer that is decreasing the attendance.

 

[Alex99]

Its a good idea but I reckon it was tried in teh past

The first step is to get rid of Catergory One membership and so Port supporters don't have tickets for Crows games and vice versa.

Sorry started this and then got interrupted and didn’t read what you just put , sorry jars458 would not have put my post had I noticed yours.

 

[CaptainDangerfield]

Sounds like a plan. To generate extra cash, why not have a scheme whereby Crows supporters can bequeath some of their hard earned to the club - nah, on second thoughts, that's a terrible idea, really scraping the barrell. Even the Dodgey brothers wouldn't sell a scheme that distastful.

 

[Minotaur]

Who buys the CAt 1 Memberships?
Unless you wish to attend every Port and AFC game - which presumably is unlikely- what is the advantage.

Who sells the tickets? Is it the club, the SANFL or the AFL?

 

[Jars458]

Who buys the CAt 1 Memberships?
Unless you wish to attend every Port and AFC game - which presumably is unlikely- what is the advantage.

Who sells the tickets? Is it the club, the SANFL or the AFL?

SANFL sell them. It also gets you access to all SANFL games there. ie finals and the grand final.

Some people like to go to both I guess. Weirdos

 

[bringbackbucky]

I for one have a category 1 members ticket. This allows me to watch all Power games, both Showdowns, the SANFL Grand Final, 4 SANFL matches at any of the suburban grounds plus any of the (blockbuster) Crows matches i want to see that fit conveniently into my schedule. For me, the extra $100 between cat 1 & 3 is worth it.

I would assume most of the Crows people that buy Cat 1 are on the waiting list for a Cat 2, but are happy to pay the extra until that becomes available.

I reckon your first idea was feasible...

 

[bringbackbucky]

Some people like to go to both I guess. Weirdos

Guess im one of the weirdos. Having most of your mates support the Crows is another reason to go - plus watching a game as a truly nuetral supporter is quite a good experience - you appreciate twice as many goals!

 

[arrowman]

Sounds like a plan. To generate extra cash, why not have a scheme whereby Crows supporters can bequeath some of their hard earned to the club - nah, on second thoughts, that's a terrible idea, really scraping the barrell. Even the Dodgey brothers wouldn't sell a scheme that distastful.

I'm guessing from this and other posts that PAFC is touting for bequests as part of their fundraising activities. Since I have friends in the fundraising and development profession, I have to say - there's nothing at all unusual or wrong with that. Any organisation that doesn't pursue all fundraising possibilities, including bequests, needs to hire a new development manager.

As for ticket resales - absolutely, it has to be done. I've posted before on "no shows" and my belief that the idea you should simply "lend your ticket to a friend" has very limited practical value. Unless there is the option to resell tickets, the no show rate will stay as it is, and it's nothing to do with the Crows, it's inevitable with any stadium that's sold out largely to members and season ticket holders. A 10-15% no show rate is IMHO the minimum.

 

[Mong]

Some people like to go to both I guess. Weirdos

I know someone who does. A Port fan who likes watching the Crows too. But in reality probably only attends 4 or 5 Crows games a year.

There is also the thing of those tickets being in demand, and there is a waiting list. People hang on to them for that reason. An example of that type of thing is another person I know who has members tickets but has moved overseas, perhaps for up to a few years, but is continuing to renew the membership. The simple reason is once you relinquish them, it is not so easy to get them back.

 

[GoSarge]

SANFL sell them. It also gets you access to all SANFL games there. ie finals and the grand final.

Some people like to go to both I guess. Weirdos

Businesses would have these kind of tickets and send clients to football matches to strengthen business relationships.

 

[Jars458]

Businesses would have these kind of tickets and send clients to football matches to strengthen business relationships.

Good point. Still don't think they should exist, but I know not everyone agrees as some people seem to think supporting both teams is acceptable.

 

[Mong]

Good point. Still don't think they should exist, but I know not everyone agrees as some people seem to think supporting both teams is acceptable.

If people want to pay full price for two sets of memberships then I don't have a problem with that. What I have a problem with is that someone who pays for one team can get seats to see the other team at a huge discount. As bringbackbucky pointed out it's not that much of a price to pay and therefore they don't really care if they only use it for a few games of the 'other' team.

But if they charged full price for two memberships the problem for the SANFL then would be some would drop off and not pay the full price and the waiting list may not be enough to cover the dropoffs. There is no way the SANFL would want the members area to be undersubscribed because once there is no waiting list there's no need to become a member.

 

[outback jack]

Think this is a great idea and not sure why it hasnt been done. I'd imagine the setting up costs would be significant, i would add that if a seat isnt taken by say half time, that the stadium is sort of thrown open to the general public. This may be happening already. Basically no reason not to have 50,000 there every week.

 

[Macca19]

Im a Cat 1 member as well. We get a very good friends Cat 1 tickets for Port games and she gets our Cat 1 tickets for Crows games.

 

[CaptainDangerfield]

I'm guessing from this and other posts that PAFC is touting for bequests as part of their fundraising activities. Since I have friends in the fundraising and development profession, I have to say - there's nothing at all unusual or wrong with that. Any organisation that doesn't pursue all fundraising possibilities, including bequests, needs to hire a new development manager.
As for ticket resales - absolutely, it has to be done. I've posted before on "no shows" and my belief that the idea you should simply "lend your ticket to a friend" has very limited practical value. Unless there is the option to resell tickets, the no show rate will stay as it is, and it's nothing to do with the Crows, it's inevitable with any stadium that's sold out largely to members and season ticket holders. A 10-15% no show rate is IMHO the minimum.

Yeah it's a great idea when the funds are going to a charitable organisation. But when 50% of the funds go to a business it reeks of hearse chasing IMO.

 

[macca23]

Guess im one of the weirdos. Having most of your mates support the Crows is another reason to go - plus watching a game as a truly nuetral supporter is quite a good experience - you appreciate twice as many goals!

I must be too.

I go to quite a few Port games, particularly those against the good teams, and thoroughly enjoy them and the atmosphere as well.

I must say though, when I'm a neutral supporter at these games, the umpires seem to umpire so much better.

When you're surrounded by so much teal, black and white, it almost feels like you've infiltrated behind enemy lines.

They're not a pretty sight close up.

 

[lincsPJ]

Im a Cat 1 member as well. We get a very good friends Cat 1 tickets for Port games and she gets our Cat 1 tickets for Crows games.

was waiting for someone to mention this. i know quite a few ppl that have this arrangement.

as more cat1 having a waiting list, i dont think they do. my brother put in for some 1 or 2 seasons back and got an offer 2 weeks later.

 

[arrowman]

Yeah it's a great idea when the funds are going to a charitable organisation. But when 50% of the funds go to a business it reeks of hearse chasing IMO.

PAFC doesn't qualify as a charity case?

Won't anyone think of the rookies ???

 

[Markthirtytwo]

Why not have a lottery for Cat 2 members who attends every game.
Their seat numbers would go into a barrel at the end of the year and win a big prize. ie Toyota could put a car up as a prize or something. Give everyone an incentive to either go to every game or pass their tickets to someone they know to go when they cant.

 

[CaptainDangerfield]

PAFC doesn't qualify as a charity case?

Won't anyone think of the rookies ???

Good point

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

The Crows often "sell-out" a stadium that still has 10,000 empty seats. Here is a solution. Why doesn't the club -or whoever actually does the ticketing and membership- have a seat buy back scheme. The way this would work is that if as a member you are not going to attend a game you could call a number a day or two in advance and cash in your ticket. Lets say half the value of the ticket would be credited to your account. The club could then re-sell the ticket. You could even have cheaper "on the day" ticket sales.
QUOTE]

Sydney tried this in the late 90's at the SCG. They stopped it after a couple of years for three reasons. The cost and administration required was greater than expected, as Sydney became less competitive less memberships were taken up, and a few years ago 2,000 or 3,000 seats were added. Maybe some new software has been developed since then so it can be all done over the phone using an automatic system.

I have lived away from Adelaide for 13 years now. I still have my Category 1 membership which my sister pays. She gets together with my other sister and friends and they organise to sell their away games for the difference between the Category 1 price and the Category 2 & 3 price which is about $100. So she organises tickets from Crows supporters for her friends who get to watch 11 games for $100 and vice versa with her ticket.

My understanding is that there are 9,000 category 1 members and the split is roughly 2 to 1 between Crows and Port supporters. So if they scrap Category 1 you wont get 7,000 nw seats.

 

[Minotaur]

It just strikes me that there must be dozens of better solutions than an appeal for people to pass on their tickets when they dobn't use them. This is just too much hazzle. I don't see why this would be that expensive. I would envisage a fully automated system where you get a proportion of the ticket prize back depending on how much warning you give. Most people would make a phone call if they were to get $$$ back.

Another idea, would be to have more flexible membership options. Particularly for Port. Why not have a five game membership where you get to nominate at the start of the season what games you want to go to.

A final point. The system for selling tickets on the day is really bad. I suspect that this more of an issue for Port who have a larger turn up crowd (I imiagine) -