What is it about European paintball?

[Balls Out Promotions]

Thought I would throw this out there and see what you have to say. By the way it's not Rich so don't blame him!

Currently we have the Millennium series running the major tournament in Europe - it strikes me that the majority of cost associated with these events is down to the venues and cost of transporting equipment, running and manning etc.

So, is it the venue or the competition which is most important? If for example, you could play the same teams but at existing select venues (sites) across Europe (at a reduced cost) would this be good enough or do we need the 'high profile' venues to encourage participation and exposure?

I ask as I have never been to a Millennium event (other than Crystal Palace back in the day) and Paris some years ago and I am curious as to peoples perspective on this. Do the high profile venues attract significant 'non balling' crowds to increase awareness or is it the same old crowd of loyal ballers? Is it that there isn't anything else etc etc?

The question os born out of curiosity, partly due to the uptake, or lack of, of Blackpool last year - a great venue etc etc but not enough to attract large numbers of teams.

discuss.....

 

[Andygoth]

To run an international event you need somewhere with a budget airport, cheap hotels, flat piece of ground and a cash machine. Paintball being legal would be a good idea to.

You really need something more than muddy field with bad facilities in the middle of nowhere, that doesn't have the appeal, especially if you also want to draw people in to watch and get some PR going.

 

[onasilverbike]

I ask as I have never been to a Millennium event (other than Crystal Palace back in the day) and Paris some years ago and I am curious as to peoples perspective on this. Do the high profile venues attract significant 'non balling' crowds to increase awareness or is it the same old crowd of loyal ballers? Is it that there isn't anything else etc etc?

The question os born out of curiosity, partly due to the uptake, or lack of, of Blackpool last year - a great venue etc etc but not enough to attract large numbers of teams.

discuss.....

To generate the desired amount of non-participant crowds in the bleachers and trade area you have to have a location that the public pretty much can't avoid or are heavily encouraged to attend. This happens to some extent in Fuengirola with the fields right below a promenade, it doesn't however happen at Disney Paris where everything is contained in the overflow car parks.

Personally I think Blackpool would have been more well attended if it wern't for the fact that you were running a new league, the majority of UK teams had already committed themselves to themselves to one or other of the Federation sanctioned leagues, the Fed Cup and, in many instances, Campaign Cup.

 

[Robbo]

I think times are a changing and the ground is a lot more fertile in terms of promoting events at the next level.
Blackpool was a first timer and I am pretty sure you will have doubled [at least] the team entry list if you had held it the following year.
Also, if you do decide to go down this road, your CPPS pedigree will underwrite any doubts people might have as to the professionalism of the event.
You need to research this problem extensively and then decide what it its you actually wish to run.

 

[spangley_special]

I think a certain appeal of the Millennium is a mix of ego and illusions of grandeur, the big venues and spectacle of it all allows people to buy into their own fantasy's of being a professional athlete, of being somebody (I mean professional in the wider, sense of the term rather than simply playing CPL).

The exception to this I would have thought would be CPL and SPL teams who have generally put in the time and are at the level where little competition is available domestically.

That being said, the Millennium Series have repeatedly proven themselves to be entirely (in my opinion at least) inept, so perhaps now is the time for a low key competitor to emerge in the euro league scene

 

[Gassy]

Personally I think Blackpool would have been more well attended if it wern't for the fact that you were running a new league, the majority of UK teams had already committed themselves to themselves to one or other of the Federation sanctioned leagues, the Fed Cup and, in many instances, Campaign Cup.

I think this is the point exactly with Blackpool last year and I reckon if it was run again the take up by teams would be much greater,hell I went as a spectator and loved the whole weekend.

Something like the blackpool event has to be planned for by teams as people may need time off work and its more expensive than a normal event with the need to sort out accommadation and budget for a night out with Lump and Lemon

More teams know of CPPS and the value and atmosphere it offers this year so a blackpool event would not be an unknown quantity as it was last.

 

[Biscuit]

heres my take on it coincide it with other events i;e other extreme sports
facilities like plenty have said airport, hotels/camping etc
but you do not need a london/paris venue
if you think about it ,letsb say campaign cup does it have to be held in london which is costly

i;e how about say leeds ,roundhay park middle of country excellant location plus all the amenaties

as you say about blackpool ,yes alot more would attend this time but would you be better attaching it to an event .near a major city (not down south were it,s expensive) this can apply to any part of europe
find the right facilities for the event airport ,cheap hotels/camping and beer and you have it cracked obvious one good fields and they shall come

 

[Tony Harrison]

I think running a tournament alongside an extreme sports or music event might be the way forward - you would have spectators on tap, and that age group would be likely to give paintball a try.

 

[evoonline]

v-festival

 

[Vox900]

NASS Festival possibly a good candidate if you went down that route.