Tournament attendance help

[indiana-utah]

Hi all,

In 2015 Yorkshire went from being a local league only community, and joined the wider world of NAF tournaments, we've had steady growth over the last couple of years, but seem to end up with 80%+ local players (which is good as we are bringing in new local coaches), but we seemed to have hit a plateau and can't seem to increase numbers from the wider community.

We try and get out to other events, and had 2 teams at EuroBowl, and are sending out a team to the World Cup, so we are trying to get our name out their, but for some reason WYBBL still seems to be a local thing and we don't seem to have the network that some of the more established leagues and players have.

Our next event is Wibble Bowl on the 19th of May, I have capacity for 48 coaches, 25 declared, but only 12 paid up.

Hornswoggle on the 7th of July is the same, but only 4 paid up (50% being me and my eldest son!)

We really want to continue with events, but it's getting quite disheartening when we see other events sell out in days, and we can't figure out what we are doing wrong. Even more infuriating is UKTC (we love it, so this isn't a dig), it's in Yorkshire (but not run by a Yorkshire league or coach), but attracts hundreds of people from all over Europe, so clearly Yorkshire itself isn't the issue.

Over in South Yorkshire, they have (pretty much) abandoned the NAF, they see it as on old boys club, and feel that they aren't in the click, so why bother. That's their choice, and part of me does see their point, however in West Yorkshire we don't quit, and from the people I've met in the wider community the last four years, I honestly think the community is great, and does try and help everyone, new and old.

As my time is full with work, family, and running the WYBBL league, we've asked Spleggy (who is well known to many in the wider community) to help out with tournaments, so hopefully we'll fly the flag even harder in 2019, but we would like to ask the community for help. What more can we do? How can we entice you to our tournaments in West Yorkshire? We want to make West Yorkshire a strong presence in the BB community, but we need help...

Thanks for taking time to read this, and I hope to see you at future tournaments, both in, and outside of Yorkshire!

Regards,

Christoph (Indiana-Utah)

[sann0638]

It's a long way from Swindon! I travel to Waterbowl, because it was one of my first tournaments, and UKTC, because it's become a flagship, plus NAFC. Anything else would need a huge pull for me to travel, and there is so much South West action that there is no need.

I guess the contrast you're looking for is with Stranglebowl maybe? Any other particular tournaments spring to mind as you not understanding the difference between theirs and yours? I didn't go to SB1, so no idea why it sold out so quickly!

[indiana-utah]

Hi Mike,

That's the thing, the pull of a tournament, what gets you that 'pull'? Your 'pull' north is full with existing events, so what would it take to for another event to muscle in?

I understand the draw of Waterbowl and UKTC, and don't begrudge them of their attendance numbers, it's great they fly the flag for the game, and they are well known and well organised events.

Strangle is a mystery to me, as is stone Bowl, they seem to have popped up from nowhere and taken the community by storm, so yes, it confuses us in WYBBL to what they have that we don't.

Maybe the future of the game is for just a few big events to exist on a year on year basis, while everyone else fights for the scraps before disappearing? No issues if that's the case, and if so then maybe Yorkshire needs to go back to just concentrating on being a local league like it has for the past decade.

[Burtblahblahblah]

Hi Christoph,

I played you at the Clash at Kingston a few weeks back. I'd be really keen on coming to a one day tournament over in West Yorkshire, the only thing that stops my signing up is that it's a late finish on a Sunday. Are Saturdays a possibility? I don't know if others are in the same boat, but travelling late on a Sunday and then working on a Monday isn't great.

Do you think you'd be able to get more coaches if it was based in Leeds? Maybe better transport access? South Leeds is on the M62 and M1 so could potentially attract coaches from Manchester way?

Just my thoughts. Hope all goes well.

[Jip]

The guys running Strangle and Stone have a really active social media presence, which I think contributes to their tournament numbers. Some people will go to tournaments because everyone else is going. Leicester and the midlands beyond are really kicking off with regards to Blood Bowl tournaments and leagues (and podcasts), which creates a lot of hype, too.

I think it’s about promoting your tournaments and leagues across as many platforms as possible - twitter, Facebook, TFF (including your autosignature - plug!), podcasts, FUMBBL, local hobby stores, at other tournaments, etc. I switch off if things are over-plugged (the World Cup countdown, for example...), but you’ll inevitably increase footfall if you widen the potential audience a little.

Also, I think sharing updates when tournaments are actually taking place can create FOMO and interest for subsequent years. I ran a video diary following Twelfthman after every round at Coffee Cup which people seemed to dig.

Maybe try running a couple of events just within your league to try and kickstart the tournament mentality, locally.

[Chilli]

I’ll try sharing on twitter and in Waterbowl if you fancy chap.

[deeferdan]

Although I agree with a lot of what Jip is saying I was astounded the Stone filled up in less than 12 hours.
Much of the uptake for that relates to me being a lunatic and travelling to BOTH Derby and Stockport for real life leagues. Probably close to 50% of the ticket sales are league mates.

The other things is the quantity of events. I run one a year, and am considering 2 only because I have a reserve list as long as my arm already for Stone - although in all honesty I'll probably just stick with one. Perhaps to some extent less is more?
Although West Yorkshire is quite close its still a 4 hour round trip in the car. I can see myself doing that once or twice a year at most personally. And the same goes for the other direction, I had 1 attendees from your neck of the woods, and that is primarily because Adrian and I have been chatting and playing a lot of BB online.

I'll be looking to come to one of the West Yorks events again later in the year. Sadly though the next two either clash with other things or are too close the the NAFC.

Good luck with your continued tournaments, and I really hope you don't abandon the NAF - I only went to the Sheffield event in Jan because I'm from the City and was going with mates - if it hadn't been for that I would have forgone it due to lack of NAF action.

[deeferdan]

I didn't go to SB1, so no idea why it sold out so quickly!

I think it sold out quickly because of the swag and theme, and, most importantly, because there aren't that many comparable 1 day events in the East midlands.

[Danny]

I didn't go to SB1, so no idea why it sold out so quickly!

I think it sold out quickly because of the swag and theme, and, most importantly, because there aren't that many comparable 1 day events in the East midlands.

I like to think it sold so quickly on the basis of last year! Still one place left btw!

[Chilli]

With regards to the popularity of Some of the midlands tournaments

Stone is run by Deeferdan of the double skulls podcast. He is also heavily involved in Derby and Waterbowl leagues and travels to a lot of tournaments so is fishing from a lot of ponds.

Stranglebowl is e Leicester league (LBBL) and the coaches there have also played in Derby and Birmingham leagues. They also did the hugely popular ‘Justin for champ’ campaign and one of the organiser also was in charge of Kickstarter ‘coins of corruption’. So there’s the LBBL of about 40 coaches plus brum and derby and all the social media coverage.

Holmfirth is about 30-40 min drive from Stockport so I think it’s the Waterbowl coaches to be focussed on. But lack of public transport / it being a Sunday could be an issue.

Happy to help push the events on Twitter if that helps and I’ll be there to defend my crown!

[indiana-utah]

Hi Christoph,

I played you at the Clash at Kingston a few weeks back. I'd be really keen on coming to a one day tournament over in West Yorkshire, the only thing that stops my signing up is that it's a late finish on a Sunday. Are Saturdays a possibility? I don't know if others are in the same boat, but travelling late on a Sunday and then working on a Monday isn't great.

Do you think you'd be able to get more coaches if it was based in Leeds? Maybe better transport access? South Leeds is on the M62 and M1 so could potentially attract coaches from Manchester way?

Just my thoughts. Hope all goes well.

Hi,

We don't have the numbers to cover central Leeds costs, we've run at a church just outside of Leeds on Saturday, but space is limited to 16.

We picked Sunday as it runs within Holmfirth's opening hours (and works with parking space, which is limited on a Saturday, but plentiful on a Sunday). The late finish also means people get a more relaxed start on a Sunday morning.

Holmfirth is actually nearer to Manchester than Leeds (assuming you have a car)

[Danny]

With regards to the popularity of Some of the midlands tournaments

Stone is run by Deeferdan of the double skulls podcast. He is also heavily involved in Derby and Waterbowl leagues and travels to a lot of tournaments so is fishing from a lot of ponds.

Stranglebowl is e Leicester league (LBBL) and the coaches there have also played in Derby and Birmingham leagues. They also did the hugely popular ‘Justin for champ’ campaign and one of the organiser also was in charge of Kickstarter ‘coins of corruption’. So there’s the LBBL of about 40 coaches plus brum and derby and all the social media coverage.

Holmfirth is about 30-40 min drive from Stockport so I think it’s the Waterbowl coaches to be focussed on. But lack of public transport / it being a Sunday could be an issue.

Happy to help push the events on Twitter if that helps and I’ll be there to defend my crown!

The majority of the 83 signed up are not from LBBL or Derby. The first year was hard work, a lot of marketing and effort went in. I don’t think it’s fair to just say that there are loads of people nearby and not much else around as that isn’t really how it’s happened. It’s a very different BB tournament than anything else I’ve been to with a lot of effort and attention to details, and I think that is the main pull, personally.

[indiana-utah]

The guys running Strangle and Stone have a really active social media presence, which I think contributes to their tournament numbers. Some people will go to tournaments because everyone else is going. Leicester and the midlands beyond are really kicking off with regards to Blood Bowl tournaments and leagues (and podcasts), which creates a lot of hype, too.

I think it’s about promoting your tournaments and leagues across as many platforms as possible - twitter, Facebook, TFF (including your autosignature - plug!), podcasts, FUMBBL, local hobby stores, at other tournaments, etc. I switch off if things are over-plugged (the World Cup countdown, for example...), but you’ll inevitably increase footfall if you widen the potential audience a little.

Also, I think sharing updates when tournaments are actually taking place can create FOMO and interest for subsequent years. I ran a video diary following Twelfthman after every round at Coffee Cup which people seemed to dig.

Maybe try running a couple of events just within your league to try and kickstart the tournament mentality, locally.

We have the leagues, and run 4 events a year - so locally we are doing very well. Outside of our borders, not so much. We even had our own model (a fling) made by Pedro Ramso and Hungry Troll last year, that flopped too! It's as if the hype train has been detoured around Yorkshire, and no matter how much we shout from the roof...

A diary or blog might be a good idea though, will set the committee looking at this.

[indiana-utah]

I’ll try sharing on twitter and in Waterbowl if you fancy chap.

That would be great

[indiana-utah]

Although I agree with a lot of what Jip is saying I was astounded the Stone filled up in less than 12 hours.
Much of the uptake for that relates to me being a lunatic and travelling to BOTH Derby and Stockport for real life leagues. Probably close to 50% of the ticket sales are league mates.

The other things is the quantity of events. I run one a year, and am considering 2 only because I have a reserve list as long as my arm already for Stone - although in all honesty I'll probably just stick with one. Perhaps to some extent less is more?
Although West Yorkshire is quite close its still a 4 hour round trip in the car. I can see myself doing that once or twice a year at most personally. And the same goes for the other direction, I had 1 attendees from your neck of the woods, and that is primarily because Adrian and I have been chatting and playing a lot of BB online.

I'll be looking to come to one of the West Yorks events again later in the year. Sadly though the next two either clash with other things or are too close the the NAFC.

Good luck with your continued tournaments, and I really hope you don't abandon the NAF - I only went to the Sheffield event in Jan because I'm from the City and was going with mates - if it hadn't been for that I would have forgone it due to lack of NAF action.

I hope we can keep doing events, I love running them, and we have a thirst for them in WYBBL, but unless we got more footfall, then we are dead in the water