August Magic Venues

[GUBRATS]

21 minutes ago, yipyee said:

PNE ?

Not big enough 

[Chilli Sauce]

4 minutes ago, GUBRATS said:

It didn't rain 

Very valid point!

 

(and one that should have occurred to me )

[David Shepherd]

1 hour ago, Man of Kent said:

Why one day? To be an unmissable orgy of rugby league for all fans of Super League, with no half-empty stadium!

I'd say you need two days to get buy in from the host city. Selling lots of food, drink and accommodation makes it far more attractive if we want cities to bid for the privilege.

We really need to be pushing more travel packages (coach or rail, maybe even get an airline involved to service the French fans), hotel packages etc. These are the types of commercial relationships that show our value to potential future sponsors.

A stand alone ticket should be the sale of last resort.

 

Edited June 6, 2023 by David Shepherd

[GUBRATS]

4 minutes ago, David Shepherd said:

I'd say you need two days to get buy in from the host city. Selling lots of food, drink and accommodation makes it far more attractive if we want cities to bid for the privilege.

We really need to be pushing more travel packages (coach or rail, maybe even get an airline involved to service the French fans), hotel packages etc. These are the types of commercial relationships that show our value to potential future sponsors.

A stand alone ticket should be the sale of last resort.

 

Rail ?

[David Shepherd]

1 minute ago, GUBRATS said:

Rail ?

Well, when they can be arrised to turn up for work. You'll have to go on the bus anyway.

Edited June 6, 2023 by David Shepherd

[GUBRATS]

18 minutes ago, David Shepherd said:

I'd say you need two days to get buy in from the host city. Selling lots of food, drink and accommodation makes it far more attractive if we want cities to bid for the privilege.

We really need to be pushing more travel packages (coach or rail, maybe even get an airline involved to service the French fans), hotel packages etc. These are the types of commercial relationships that show our value to potential future sponsors.

A stand alone ticket should be the sale of last resort.

 

In my Grand plan from 15 years ago I suggested a 9 s ' Ryanair ' cup held in northern Spain between the then ' ostracised ' non SL teams and some French teams 

Edited June 6, 2023 by GUBRATS

[Damien]

19 minutes ago, David Shepherd said:

You cited social media as your source for the negativity.

The people that comment on social media are not representative of wider society.  Very unwise to only use one source (and one that is inherently negative by nature - 95% of social media posts I read are moans, whines or negative for the sake of being negative).

That's weird because I also cited about IMG, their recomendations on the back of the fan survey, attendances and other stuff. Strange to completely ignore that.

[Hanover XIII]

If the idea is for a new event with silverware I'd build towards the opening of Everton's new stadium on the waterfront in Liverpool and be liaising now with the city's marketing and tourism people about what sort of offer/package can be rolled up for visiting fans in terms of reduced price city attraction tickets, weekend passes and so on.

A 9s weekend involving existing teams, women's teams, invitation squads held over two days with qualification rounds followed by plate, bowl, champions fixtures on day two.

Then there's the waterfront attractions to visit outside of competition - Beatles Story, Tate, British Music Experience, Maritime Museum, Royal Albert Dock and a lot of places to eat and drink.

The city is built for events, has good rail and road links and the new stadium will be the right sort of capacity, in the right location.

[graveyard johnny]

9s tournaments are for pre season and nothing more - would just be seen as a distraction to the season 

[Damien]

56 minutes ago, yipyee said:

PNE ?

Surely the whole point and appeal of Magic is it being played in a big stadium? I really don't see the point of playing it at somewhere smaller than the DW, or anywhere less than 40k for that matter.

[GUBRATS]

3 minutes ago, Hanover XIII said:

If the idea is for a new event with silverware I'd build towards the opening of Everton's new stadium on the waterfront in Liverpool and be liaising now with the city's marketing and tourism people about what sort of offer/package can be rolled up for visiting fans in terms of reduced price city attraction tickets, weekend passes and so on.

A 9s weekend involving existing teams, women's teams, invitation squads held over two days with qualification rounds followed by plate, bowl, champions fixtures on day two.

Then there's the waterfront attractions to visit outside of competition - Beatles Story, Tate, British Music Experience, Maritime Museum, Royal Albert Dock and a lot of places to eat and drink.

The city is built for events, has good rail and road links and the new stadium will be the right sort of capacity, in the right location.

I put yesterday the Magic will be held at Everton's new stadium in 2025 , 1 st weekend in June 

[idrewthehaggis]

3 hours ago, Tommygilf said:

I'm not doubting any of that, I'm merely questioning whether that view came out of the fan survey specifically. 

I had a rather long google and the best I could find to suggest such was a quote from Dwyer from IMG saying:

“There’s some evidence and a perception that we’re potentially cannibalising ourselves with our events.

“Our focus is to revive the Challenge Cup. As a concept, we’re not negative to Magic Weekend. It’s something we’d like to see how we can work in going forward.

“But it’s not part of the short to medium term. We need to bring a degree of scarcity to our key match ups.”

To me, that just covers the rest of the views you list, rather than as a direct outcome of the fan survey they conducted?

Is it not IMG's suggestion to replace Magic with a Nines trophy and have group stages in the Cup?

Scarcity? 

[GUBRATS]

3 minutes ago, idrewthehaggis said:

Is it not IMG's suggestion to replace Magic with a Nines trophy and have group stages in the Cup?

Scarcity? 

If ever there was a definition of rearanging the deckchairs on the Titanic , then this is it 

[gingerjon]

9 minutes ago, idrewthehaggis said:

Is it not IMG's suggestion to replace Magic with a Nines trophy and have group stages in the Cup?

 

Nope.

[JohnM]

1 hour ago, Damien said:

He isn't, he said everyone. I mean that is quite a clear statement.

Have you a link to say the 'silent majority' are in favour? If what you claim is the case then why would IMG be recommending it be scrapped? Or did this 'silent majority' not fill in the fan survey either and put their views across.

Look if Magic had been a resounding success for 17 years then this wouldn't even be up for debate and IMG wouldn't have recommended it be scrapped. Rhodri Jones wouldn't be interviewed saying that Magic doesn't make enough money and wouldn't be saying that IMG/RL Commercial think that they can do something better. If attendances were larger and it was a huge commercial success then this wouldn't even be a debate.

The fact is Magic is still gets questioned because it is none of these things. Yes it provides a great day out, particularly when the weather is great and some love it because it is a 1 or 2 day boozeathon. And yes it very often produces some outstanding Rugby League games, which we get at other times anyway. However it is only right that its value and place in the calendar is questioned if the sport can do things better. That is the whole point of IMG being brought on board with a 12 year strategic plan.

No, You look. You know very well that the silent majority would not be the silent majority had they filled in a questionnaire.Just look at this forum, where the vast majority of members just read our guff rather than commenting on it. 

Of course the success or failure of any event has to be assessed against success criteria agreed in advance. I'm sure you can provide links that reveal these criteria and associated scores.

It may well be that logistics connected with the rescheduling of the Challenge Cup Final may prevent the running of Magic Weekend as currently configured. All part of IMGs "re-imagining" strategy.

[idrewthehaggis]

1 minute ago, GUBRATS said:

If ever there was a definition of rearanging the deckchairs on the Titanic , then this is it 

Yup in a nine month season we have only Magic, the Cup Final, then the Grand Final.

The NRL has its own Magic, the SOO, Anzac, All Stars, indigenous and heritage rounds and Grand Final.

IMG's job is increasing revenue streams not restructuring the calendar. 

[JohnM]

28 minutes ago, Damien said:

That's weird because I also cited about IMG, their recomendations on the back of the fan survey, attendances and other stuff. Strange to completely ignore that.

Strange to ask for links but then not provide them to your sources.

[idrewthehaggis]

6 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

Nope.

If so good.

If Jones queries whether Magic doesn't bring enough money, then what then?

We aren't likely to get Australia touring in our summer. 

[Damien]

6 minutes ago, JohnM said:

Strange to ask for links but then not provide them to your sources.

As the IMG proposal to scrap Magic is public knowledge, and was discussed throughly on here, and the attendance figure is public knowledge, again discussed on here, that seems a bit daft. Asking for links to unsubstantiated tripe about a silent majority isn't. You know that though.

Edited June 6, 2023 by Damien

[Jughead]

1 hour ago, yipyee said:

Massive cash prize is easily sorted, new competition,  new sponsorship, seperate TV deal,  winner takes all half a mil,

80-160k ticket prices, small venue, 25-30k tickets averaging 100 is 2.5 -3 mil in gate receipts alone 

If a massive cash prize was “easily sorted” why isn’t there any in northern hemisphere rugby league already? I don’t think it’s that easy. 

[Man of Kent]

1 hour ago, RP London said:

fair point.. both i'd say.. though you get a mix at the challenge cup and grandfinal just not in as much of a mix or relaxed atmosphere. 

1 day just seems like something that would drag towards the end where as spread over the weekend seems something that an area/city would want to have around more. 

The pool games possibly would drag.

Maybe one answer is to have some games at the Mini-Etihad - with women’s and maybe PDRL and wheelchair games (no idea if there is an indoor arena at the Campus) - as a giant one-day/weekend whole-game tournament at the Etihad complex?

Edited June 6, 2023 by Man of Kent

[David Shepherd]

3 minutes ago, Man of Kent said:

The pool games possibly would drag.

Maybe one answer is to have some games at the Mini-Etihad - with a women’s and maybe PDRL and wheelchair games (no idea if there is an indoor arena at the Campus) - as a giant one-day/weekend whole-game tournament at the Etihad complex?

I like your thinking.  Plenty of reasons to stay in the complex and spend money. Loads of hotels, fantastic public transport links. Throw in a stage with some proper bands on and a beer tent that sells interesting ale and it sounds like my perfect weekend away.

[GUBRATS]

7 minutes ago, Man of Kent said:

The pool games possibly would drag.

Maybe one answer is to have some games at the Mini-Etihad - with women’s and maybe PDRL and wheelchair games (no idea if there is an indoor arena at the Campus) - as a giant one-day/weekend whole-game tournament at the Etihad complex?

Indoor arena currently being built , biggest one in the UK , which is bonkers when the existing Manchester Arena is the current biggest

[David Shepherd]

21 minutes ago, Jughead said:

If a massive cash prize was “easily sorted” why isn’t there any in northern hemisphere rugby league already? I don’t think it’s that easy. 

It's not easy, but look at the calibre of people that have been running the elite level of the game for the last 25 years.  That may explain the struggle.

[GUBRATS]

3 minutes ago, David Shepherd said:

I like your thinking.  Plenty of reasons to stay in the complex and spend money. Loads of hotels, fantastic public transport links. Throw in a stage with some proper bands on and a beer tent that sells interesting ale and it sounds like my perfect weekend away.

I don't understand having more than 1 game on at any given time