[ SHOWGSD-L ] Re: New GSDCA Revenue - new trend
- From: "Kathaleen Strong" <inflight@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 6 Dec 2010 08:27:02 -0800
I spoke with Nadine Grady yesterday. We are not "short on funds". Based
upon the numbers she told me, we are slightly less than we normally have
been for the last 15 years, but after two nationals which have been less
than seriously profitable, and all these damn lawsuits (anyone care to guess
what our insurance rates are at yet???), what do you expect?
I think the issue is that the B&F is trying to develop ways to increase
revenue so that events like the 2013 Celebration (which by all accounts,
PROPERLY MANAGED AND MARKETED should be a highly profitable event aka far
more profitable than well attended nationals in the past), will not put the
club into a situation where the normal cash assets the club has on hand has
to be dipped into to put it on.
Clearly, they are trying to be proactive in their assessment of the
situation. However, I do not appreciate the chairman's use of "the sky is
falling" message technique to portray the club as being in dire straits.
Sounds exactly like the same message when he was President and the club was
in "a terrible fiscal situation after mismanagement". Not sure if anyone
remembers that, but I do.
Long and the short, we are in different economic times and it is good that
we understand and work to surmount any potential pitfalls to keep the club
fiscally strong. However, that still does not define the reason why people
are feeling like "what's the point of being a member".
Club Membership Moral is not particularly high right now, and while the
folks at the top continue to only consider revenue issues as being the
primary problem for the club, they best figure out the pulse of the
exhibiting active membership and deal with insuring that people feel like
they are not only needed but clearly belong to the organization, that they
are valued, that they are respected as contributing members, that they are
more than just a member's dues check and a number in the roster. A lot of
people maybe in some financial distress. Some people may be looking at the
situation and saying, "I'm not enjoying showing as much as I used to, why
bother being a member." As far as the heavily beaten "Join the Club to
support the breed" -- Well I'm gonna steal something someone else said -- "I
support the breed every day - I go out there, feed them, water them, take
care of them. If that's not supporting the breed, then what is?"
Market Research would be a good idea. You know.. you have a great website
with a talented webmaster. I'm pretty sure she could put up a 3 question
survey in the members section which allowed members to speak anonymously --
that's the key -- a lot of people are ready to abandon your ship, but won't
be abandoning their dogs -- so... they still want to show and win -- so are
probably unlikely to say or do anything which will "potentially" ruin their
chances when showing.
Ask them -- Are you planning on renewing your membership? If yes, ask them
what events they compete in, and ask them, do they feel they are a valued
member of the organization. If no, Ask them why -- list several reasons why
they maybe declining to renew. I was always surprised when I sent out my
"after event" surveys for the trade association, the results that came back,
but the key was -- we took that information and we tried to make the event
better the next year. First year I did the event, we broke even. By the
last one -- we made a $30K profit on an event with a total membership less
than 200.
Kathaleen
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