Spike, I didn't know, and I'm pretty sure the vast majority of people had no knowledge of this role you are apparently playing in 'spicing' up this year's CC in Basildon and so I wonder why you thought it necessary to make sure I was excluding you in my comments.
However, since you felt the need to flag your involvement up, can I ask what your expertise is, bearing in mind you are advising the board on a most crucial and sophisticated area of event promotion.
As I see it, one would need considerable experience in marketing and promotion of the required high octane events before the players and vendors could even begin to have confidence in turning it all around and as far as i know, you are full time employed as a tractor electrical engineer are you not?
If this is still the case Spike, you can hardly blame us for having at least, some reservations mate.
OK here we go...
Actually Pete it was meant as an icebreaker or opener but I must admit I don't want to be included in the comments regarding the board as I believe I do listen to and act upon peoples comments and crticisms. In fact I to have some issues with the way in which sometimes the MS carries itself, both as a player and of late involved in the trade industry.
No I don't blame you for having reservations.
As far as advising the board my role has been more of a local guy on the ground. And I can tell you it has been an eye opener in more than one way. It was the fact that I am based locally that I knew who to talk to on the council to get the event scheduled the same weekend as the free music & community festival held locally at the same venue. Council figures claim that last years attendence over the two day for this event alone were 25,000 and this year they are suggesting 30,000. Now this is made mainly of local residents, and I am sure the final figure will be weather dependent, but some of those people may be encouraged to try ball by seeing us there.
Although I am not responsible for this my experience of promotion it is three fold;
It is true for my sins despite pleas from other corners I am still a Senior Design Engineer for the largest agricultural vehicle manufacturer in the world, and my role is now a global one, but this gives me almost 19 years of project management experience and the ability to sell an idea - you should try getting an Italian to invest 1.2million everytime you have a new idea you want to bring to market or a piece of software you want to buy - I can tell you it's tough and frustrating at times. I refer to this as my 9-5 job.
Of course project management is what my role at Procaps is also about. Whilst it might seem to some that I am only working where we have a Trade booth to put up, people that really know me also know what I get up to behind the scenes. My motivation for doing this is no more that the self satisfaction of helping out a friend who I knew from before the days of PC. I jokingly refer to this as my 6-12 and vacation job!
My third string is from when I worked in local Radio some ten years ago. As a former presenter I have an understanding of what I feel can be done to advertise, within the limits of how the media works. Having been involved in a number of roadshows in my time I know how imprtant the right image is. I occasionally still do jock just to keep me hand in. Of course being a trained Hypnotist as well also adds to my ability to communicate and help put the message across.
I also have a rather large set of morals and I believe that: There are always two sides to a story; and although the customer may not always be accurately informed - they are always right.
In respect of advertising this event, someone asked what will be done this year. So far I have arranged the following in conjunction with a council communications officer...
It started in May when the Evening Echo published a 3/4 page article about Basildon being chosen to host the event. It carried pictures of Toulouse and unfortunately it was hi-jacked by a local customer site but it was carried.
Two weeks ago the local Free Newspaper and sister to the Echo carried a picture of Chris Lasyoa ponytail & all and some small linage of when the event takes place and that it is in conjunction with the Basildon Festival. A few people mentioned to me that they saw it.
The echo will run a further story on Wednesday before the event primarily aimed at promoting the event and addressing the balance following the Camo clad pictures they published last time.
Basildon Council has also been promoting us on their website which is a community resource - what the hits are I coudln't tell you but it is there and it must work as I had someone call me from Norfolk asking if they could buy tickets to come and see "The Paintball" after seeing the information on the website!
For the last three days Essex FM the largest radio station in Essex has been plugging both "The European Paintball Championships" and the "Basildon Festival"
Yesterday I was interviewed on another breakfast show on a community station about the event and all questions asked were devised to dispose of the Rambo wannabe stigma and address any environemntal issues for tree huggers listening. Yes, part of it I scripted but it was to ensure that gave the right impression.
From Tomorrow night Chicago Rock Cafe will be showing specially edited paintball teazers, (previously posted on another thread) with their added logo on. This clearly states when and where the event is and of course the footage is all from one4one's 2007 MS promo video. They will continue to run these up to & throughout the event. It looks wicked on their big screen. Chicago's carries some 2000 covers each night every weekend.
Similar videos are also to be shown in Outback Steakhouse and I am hoping in the Luminar clubs but I wont be able to confirm that until tomorrow (hopefully).
We also have permission to place banners around the town and on major road junctions. These will be going up the week prior.
The event will also be sign posted using AA yellow signs - yes for the first time I know of AA sinage will be used and the site is traffic managed so that one lane of the dual carriageway will be shut off for Festival attendees use only again clearly sign posted. Last brief I saw was that this will be from the M25 junctions.
At the event within the festival enclosure we are setting up a "have a go" field where the local customer site will be enticing peopel to try paintball and hopefully book up a days play. This was also something the council very keen on.
Anglia television are also scheduled to attend the event.
The problem with advertising something is that you have to judge when to do it and then hit it hard without going over the top. If you start too early and it becomes repetitive, you risk boring your potential clients and whilst we all know the local double glazing companies latest sing song offer and freephone number how many of us actually call it or would even consider calling it.
Now why have I chosen to do this thankless unpaid task? Believe it or not because I care about what value people get for their money. By doing what I am doing I hope I am adding to that value in someway. I also believe that with the right promotion and partnership with an event like the festival we have the potential to attract more new customers and of course this could eventually lead to higher paint sales. Higher volumes will eventually mean more cost effective play.
Incidentally Basildon Council have already suggested that next year they would like to feature the tournament more and potentially extend the music portion later into the night.
Seriously Pete I wouldn't mind sitting down and sharing some of our views, and I don't just mean about Ulrich
It could be educational, afterall you used to be a teacher did you not?
Well after that War & Peace I am a few minutes over my midnight finish so I will retire and wait for the flames in the morning!
