More like the egg and the egg, as the egg has never been able to hatch into a chick, and grow into a chicken. Rental is dominant because its a proven model that has been replicated time and time again. People know they can make money setting up a rental site. Speak to the average paintballing peops and they won't even know there is a 'next stage'. The lack of Arena facilities is directly linked to a lack of funding in my opinion, or I should say a 'lack of investors'.Baca Loco said:No.
Missy,
While I gladly confess to your vast experience and expertise on this topic I'm curious about a couple of things.
The rental vs. rec thing looks like a chicken and the egg debate to me. If 90% of the paintball available to the UK is rental it's hardly surprising that's what's being played. The question seems to me to be is the rental market so dominant because that's what the prospective players want or simply because they want to play paintball and that's what's on offer? (And rental is what the operators want because that's the easiest way to make money in paintball?) Without other options on offer it seems any conclusions drawn are more speculative than not?
The German model is a good one, as it shows what is possible, even in a country where paintball is strictly controlled. I suppose an untested project is always speculative to an extent, but enough players exist already to make the first arena 'Skill School' happen. I am currently working on one in Detroit, and I hope that model will provide some answers (financial ones) that will translate to the UK.
Yes, certainly parallels, but in this case I think this is a positive one, as I state above. With well organised and professional facilities available the growth of rec-ball in the UK could be the next big boom. Germany has other issues, which make rental paintball an impossibility (or at least extremely difficult) so the German situation should not be veiwed as 'thats what they all want to play' - rather "thats all they can get away with playing legally". There are exceptions, and the rental fields I know in Germany do very well.Baca Loco said:
I don't think the US does it right either. The model I am working on in Detroit will hopefully provide me with some figures that are a little more accurate. Fact is, rec-ball is readily available in the US, and 70% of the players are playing it (figures are 3 years old, but I don't expect they have swung too far). I would like to see the UK rental philosophy of customer service and a structured day transfered onto a rec-ball environment. This, for me, is the best way to ensure this customer base is protected and the maximum amount of people progress from here to playing at the higher levels (and buying high end guns of course)., These skill schools should be where the teams send thier scouts. The Pro's train there, and for a fee they can train any potential paintball team and thus tap into additional revenue streams.Baca Loco said:
Well Southern California has 3 fields (unless I missed any), I know that the North-East and Florida are blessed with a lot of paintball venues, but I don't think that generally applies to the rest of the States. But yes, there is room for an expansion of options in the UK. I just want to see it done well, and in a way that showcases Arena-based paintball as a well-organised sport that can be attractive to a high percentage of rental customers who are used to structured paintball.Baca Loco said:
