How Do We Attract A New Young Audience?

[Skid Sprocket 243]

I don't know how you attract the you attract the the kids, but once you have if you want to keep them look no further than the actions of Bomber at the ELRC tonight. He had a massive queue of starry eyed kids queueing behind his car for a Bomber goody bag, photo opportunity and autograph.

Lets hope that the school/college promotion plan helps and all the permissions can be obtained, then if other riders can be persuaded to follow Bombers example.....

[Local Boy 36]

Before attempting to attract any audience perhaps you should think about how you retain an audience. One way is to apply my wife's barometer of acceptability of a venue i.e. will we eat there/go there again/use it for functions?

 

She applies a simple approach:

 

"What are the condition/standard of the toilets?"

 

If they pass this acceptability test they are in;if not they are out. This approach is based on the view that if an organisation keeps their toilets in order everything else is probably in order.

 

Now apply that approach to the speedway stadiums of the UK and ask yourself a simple question would you use their lavs or would you do your best to hang on until you get home?

 

Today, people young or old, will not put up with lousy facilities! Fix the fundamentals first.

[Guest]

Before attempting to attract any audience perhaps you should think about how you retain an audience. One way is to apply my wife's barometer of acceptability of a venue i.e. will we eat there/go there again/use it for functions?

 

She applies a simple approach:

 

"What are the condition/standard of the toilets?"

 

If they pass this acceptability test they are in;if not they are out. This approach is based on the view that if an organisation keeps their toilets in order everything else is probably in order.

 

Now apply that approach to the speedway stadiums of the UK and ask yourself a simple question would you use their lavs or would you do your best to hang on until you get home?

 

Today, people young or old, will not put up with lousy facilities! Fix the fundamentals first.

 

That's a good point in regard to the standard of toilet facilities. But in most case it is not up to the speedway promoter - it is the concern of the stadium owner to ensure the toilets are up-to-stnadard. All a promoter can do bearing in mind he is probably only a tenant is to pass on the concerns to the stadium owners if they choose not make improvements, what else can the speedway promoter do?

Sadly,I doubt that a threat to take the speedway elsewhere if the stadium fails to make improvements will have little effect. The stadium knows that at the end of the day there are no other suitable places for speedway.

It's sad that this happens, but it does - and in some cases - will continue to do so.

Edited October 10, 2016 by Guest

[Vince 9,454]

I would think that a few quid getting somebody in to at least clean the toilets very thoroughly before and keep them that way during a meeting would be a good investment. You can get away with sub standard facilities if they are very clean.

Edited October 10, 2016 by Vince

[Trees 2,814]

The cleanliness of the loos have never bothered me particularly. Always about supporting my team, the quality of racing and crowd interaction ..... ok so I like a half decent cuppa but that's it lol

 

Tell ya wife to hover or line the seat, get out as quickly as possible and enjoy the racing

[uk_martin 1,606]

I don't know how you attract the you attract the the kids, but once you have if you want to keep them look no further than the actions of Bomber at the ELRC tonight. He had a massive queue of starry eyed kids queueing behind his car for a Bomber goody bag, photo opportunity and autograph.

 

OR...you do what BSI do at some of their events. You ditch the stadium sound system for inter-heat music, and use it for announcements only. Leave the music to some "name" DJ's who can be pulled-in from local nightspots, with their own mobile DJ rigs, playing the music that kids actually listen too. I recall at the SWC in Prague, they had a different DJ doing his thing on each bend of the stadium.

 

Too bad if you are Perry Como's #1 fan, or if Roy Orbison is what floats your boat. You can listen to them whilst supping your cocoa at the Derby & Joan Club after the meeting. Or you can tune into Classic FM on your car wireless on your way home.

Today, people young or old, will not put up with lousy facilities! Fix the fundamentals first.

 

Birmingham's toilets are spotless (or they are before people start using them lol) - and yet we still have one of the oldest average crowd ages in the country.

[Trees 2,814]

OR...you do what BSI do at some of their events. You ditch the stadium sound system for inter-heat music, and use it for announcements only. Leave the music to some "name" DJ's who can be pulled-in from local nightspots, with their own mobile DJ rigs, playing the music that kids actually listen too. I recall at the SWC in Prague, they had a different DJ doing his thing on each bend of the stadium.

 

Too bad if you are Perry Como's #1 fan, or if Roy Orbison is what floats your boat. You can listen to them whilst supping your cocoa at the Derby & Joan Club after the meeting. Or you can tune into Classic FM on your car wireless on your way home.

Jesus, that sounds terrible, the music at the Under 21s in Gdansk did my head in, some up to date stuff is fine but not the ott poop lol

[Guest]

Jesus, that sounds terrible, the music at the Under 21s in Gdansk did my head in, some up to date stuff is fine but not the ott poop lol

 

​I think The Lord has more important matters to consider than the music being played in Gdansk!

Edited October 10, 2016 by Guest

[iris123 20,972]

 

​I think The Lord has more important matters to consider than the music being played in Gdansk!

The Lord probably has,but obviously the Devils Advocate hasn't eh?

[SCB 0]

Before attempting to attract any audience perhaps you should think about how you retain an audience. One way is to apply my wife's barometer of acceptability of a venue i.e. will we eat there/go there again/use it for functions?

 

She applies a simple approach:

 

"What are the condition/standard of the toilets?"

 

If they pass this acceptability test they are in;if not they are out. This approach is based on the view that if an organisation keeps their toilets in order everything else is probably in order.

 

Now apply that approach to the speedway stadiums of the UK and ask yourself a simple question would you use their lavs or would you do your best to hang on until you get home?

 

Today, people young or old, will not put up with lousy facilities! Fix the fundamentals first.

Might seem silly to some but ask both of my sisters what puts them off speedway most (having attended most weeks when speedway first returned to Newport) and they'll tell you going to toilet in a shed without any lights. Ladies tend to be quite snobbish about where they go to toilets, unlike us men who in the main don't care! That said, walking through puddles of what could be other people piss is not what you want and at some tracks you just cant be sure that puddle in the bogs isn't exactly that!

[SpeedwayTShirts 307]

Having attended 2 meetings in 2 years one at Wolverhampton and one at Belle Vue (both thoroughly enjoyable), it's time to realise that the sports an open wound, the powers that be aren't interested in improving the image to attract a younger audience.

And many people know the passion I had for the sport in the past and the lengths I was willing to go to to make an evening at the track more entertaining.

2 meetings in 2 years, you'd never have believed it 3 or 4 years ago......

[New Science 1,059]

Having attended 2 meetings in 2 years one at Wolverhampton and one at Belle Vue (both thoroughly enjoyable), it's time to realise that the sports an open wound, the powers that be aren't interested in improving the image to attract a younger audience.

And many people know the passion I had for the sport in the past and the lengths I was willing to go to to make an evening at the track more entertaining.

2 meetings in 2 years, you'd never have believed it 3 or 4 years ago......

If both of your experiences were "both thoroughly enjoyable " what are the issues ?

[waiheke1 4,295]

If both of your experiences were "both thoroughly enjoyable " what are the issues ?

My guess is that he is not part of the "younger audience."

[uk_martin 1,606]

Jesus, that sounds terrible, the music at the Under 21s in Gdansk did my head in, some up to date stuff is fine but not the ott poop lol

 

You're just getting old!

If both of your experiences were "both thoroughly enjoyable " what are the issues ?

 

Something to do with the referred to "powers that be", perhaps?

[Sings4Speedway 3,247]

Independent music for me is a definite no. Been to local grasstracks where it was tried, played music when results were being read out and worse when riders were prone injured on the track.

Toilets especially the ladies need to be addressed.

Food? Give the public the chance to have lunch/dinner at venues rather than grab a quick bite on a wobbly plastic chair?

 

For me a big way of gaining younger attention is merchandising especially in a professional current way. More importantly make it affordable. Football easily associates teams via expensive replica kits and its a multi million pound business.

Speedway shifts a few scarfs & hats that an individual keeps a lifetime so hardly a recurring sales model.

 

Produce good affordable speedway merchandise either generic or club specific to create an identity. Give away some kind of collector memorabilia to kids each meeting? Meet & greet with a different rider each week at the turn styles?

 

None of the above are the finite answer but speedway has fallen a long way and needs to climb back up step by step.