I went to the outdoors show on Friday, and I have to say that there wasn't much about what was on show orienteering wise that would make me think 'hmm ... orienteering, that's what is missing in my life.' There was a decent presence on both the stall and at the mini-event, and the people were friendly, but nothing on show gave any impression that any adrenaline may be involved in the sport. Yes, there were fun posters, and it was good to see enthusiastic internationals, but there was just something a bit Brady Bunch about the whole thing. Nothing to intice twenty somethings with a pair of trainers and an expendable income. They were all adventure racing or browsing funky canoeing / climbing vids.
The 'come and try it' event at a glance seemed to be a 0.4km White course (correct me if I'm wrong), and though the people running it were very welcoming and nice, it's hard to get excited about a 0.4km White course. Couldn't it have been a bit more challenging? Some sort of trail O' or Norweigen O'. Something that gave the impression that navigation is an important part of the game? And couldn't there be some more dynamic marketing at the stall? Everyone else had thumping music and funky promotional videos. Surely BOF could throw a couple of crates of beer to some Nopein students to take a video camera out into the woods and put a sound track over the top? It can't be that hard (hey snowboarders do it all the time). A competitors eye view of a night event at 4x the speed (with some juicy tunes over the top) is going to beat some posters any day.
I don't want anyone to feel that I'm putting down the hard work that was done at the stall or at the mini event. Everyone was nice and welcoming and friendly. I just feel that the way the sport was sold didn't hint that any dynamism is involved. I think a smattering of the NopeSport razzamatazz might have gone a long way ...
The outdoors show
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The outdoors show
"Don't try and fulfil your maximum potential, it's disappointing when you realise that all you are capable of doing is eating less cheese." Dylan Moran
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Migsy - white
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outdoor show
well said - when I got there Pauline Olivant and Peter Bylet were on the stall - very nice people but hardly cutting edge athletes - Dan Haliday in his GB kit was outside manning the course where no-one would see him unless they'd already decided to walk miles and have a go - surely some of the elites who are getting financial support through BOF could have repaid a few dues - and you right a bit of noise and action was called for.
- Guest
I hope the nope banter can start a trend. At the weekend it was well recieved by the members of the general public at the Trossachs Pier. They help generate an atmosphere & there was a reasonable number of bikers etc etc who must have been impressed with the blood & guts side of our sports as the finishers came into the car park covered in mud etc etc.
The Lithuanians were amazed when I said that the SHI was probably the FIRST competition in UK to feature Europop...
I have experienced any number of these public shows & being honest a nice stand doesn't count for much. If you are targetting the 20 to 30 year olds you need to compete for thier business at thier level, you need to SELL orienteering. I might be wrong but I don't know if anyone in BOF actually set a target market for the show & do BOF have a measure to judge success by??
The Lithuanians were amazed when I said that the SHI was probably the FIRST competition in UK to feature Europop...
I have experienced any number of these public shows & being honest a nice stand doesn't count for much. If you are targetting the 20 to 30 year olds you need to compete for thier business at thier level, you need to SELL orienteering. I might be wrong but I don't know if anyone in BOF actually set a target market for the show & do BOF have a measure to judge success by??
Go orienteering in Lithuania......... best in the world:)
Real Name - Gross
http://www.scottishotours.info
Real Name - Gross
http://www.scottishotours.info
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Gross - god
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Well most of the squaddies were in Sweden training. Otherwise Helen Winskill was on hand on Friday. And Jamie definitly got out his pen for a few young uns on sat/sun....though he was knackered...like me.
All in all i rekon the people from BOF did pretty well. The girls from the office don't even orienteer themselves, so considering this they did a grand job. Ok so some banter/raz was needed to spice things up, but did anyone come forward to offer this?....surely people of orienteering GB should be dropping everything to create some razmatazz.
All in all i rekon the people from BOF did pretty well. The girls from the office don't even orienteer themselves, so considering this they did a grand job. Ok so some banter/raz was needed to spice things up, but did anyone come forward to offer this?....surely people of orienteering GB should be dropping everything to create some razmatazz.
Tetley and its Golden Farce.
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Nails - diehard
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Ok so some banter/raz was needed to spice things up, but did anyone come forward to offer this?....surely people of orienteering GB should be dropping everything to create some razmatazz.
Surely it is upto BOF to promote the sport, not well meaning individuals (although they of course help). If something like a promotional video was to be made, BOF should approch a university team or whoever and say 'here are some pennies, here is some AV equipment, make us a video that promotes orienteering to young people'. It shouldn't be dependent on individuals to present such things to BOF.
Just to echo my sentiments from earlier, I don't want to knock those who spent all day on the stand and at the mini event, they clearly put in a lot of time and effort. It's just the product that they were selling felt a bit flat in the context of all that surrounded it.
"Don't try and fulfil your maximum potential, it's disappointing when you realise that all you are capable of doing is eating less cheese." Dylan Moran
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Migsy - white
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I'm with Misgy on this one. Certainly no complaints at those who manned the stand but unfortunately not the right image. There was a video of Jamie running around streets, nothing wrong with this but the music was crap and it was on a 14" tv. Where were the 52" plasma screens, where was the modern music, where were the elites racing through really rough terrain. All this can be done for little expense (companies specialise in hiring equipment for shows) but you need someone with flair to put it together: looking at nopesport there are certainly some people in our sport who could do it. BOF should have a professional to do this, either full time (money well spent) or hired in for certain events.
- Steler
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Surely it is upto BOF to promote the sport, not well meaning individuals (although they of course help). If something like a promotional video was to be made, BOF should approch a university team or whoever and say 'here are some pennies, here is some AV equipment, make us a video that promotes orienteering to young people'. It shouldn't be dependent on individuals to present such things to BOF.
I can understand your frustration Migsy if you feel that something is not being done the way you think it ought to, but if you're a member of BOF, then you are part of BOF, and it IS up to you to present such things to those working on your behalf. How else are they to know that you think it should be done a different way?
Equally, Steler, those with the flair need to have their names put forward. I'm sure that those involved in the Adventure show would be delighted to hand over to somebody with greater expertise. But I also remember the picking up of pieces that was needed last time this was done.
Regards, Andrew
Andrew
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awk - god
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outdoorshow
awk wrote: But I also remember the picking up of pieces that was needed last time this was done.
Andrew
Mmmm sounds juicy - care to expand otherwise the gravity of the point is somewhat wasted
- guest
Simply that there have been numerous times in the past (and a previous Outdoor Show was one of them) when marketing/publicity work has been given over to volunteers, and the results have not been overly impressive, and it's the staff at the office who have had to pick up the pieces. The suggestion
has a rather all too familiar ring along these lines. It's exactly that approach, that piecemeal style of doing things, that got BOF nowhere fast in the past.
The BOF presence at the Adventure Show was just one single event in the calendar. I'm sure it could it be improved - these things always can. I'm sure Sophie would appreciate constructive feedback from someone who attended part of it. Give her a ring.
approch a university team or whoever and say 'here are some pennies, here is some AV equipment, make us a video that promotes orienteering to young people'.
has a rather all too familiar ring along these lines. It's exactly that approach, that piecemeal style of doing things, that got BOF nowhere fast in the past.
The BOF presence at the Adventure Show was just one single event in the calendar. I'm sure it could it be improved - these things always can. I'm sure Sophie would appreciate constructive feedback from someone who attended part of it. Give her a ring.
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awk - god
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Although the stand at the ODS had been very well organised and planned. I also thought that orienteering was portrayed as the 'fun adventure sport for all the family' as apposed to the 'highly competitive racing navigation' side that would appeal more to the 20+ year old fell runners and mountain bikers that would be im sure interested in the sport if they knew truly what it was about?!
I dont no. Because this way bof will get more families involved and perhaps the outdoor enthusiast hikers with their hiking poles. But competitive adreneline seeking people will be going for the adventure racing, mouintain bikng, canoing etc and o will be left with the bland image of a fun sport for all?!
I dont no. Because this way bof will get more families involved and perhaps the outdoor enthusiast hikers with their hiking poles. But competitive adreneline seeking people will be going for the adventure racing, mouintain bikng, canoing etc and o will be left with the bland image of a fun sport for all?!
- Bushpants
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Bushpants wrote:I also thought that orienteering was portrayed as the 'fun adventure sport for all the family' as apposed to the 'highly competitive racing navigation' side that would appeal more to the 20+ year old fell runners and mountain bikers that would be im sure interested in the sport if they knew truly what it was about?!
This seems to be the problem that BOF have - having to advertise the sport to everyone, of all age groups and fitnesses, at one event. This is difficult. From what people are saying, then it seems that at the ODS the the family was chosen as the main focus - is this a general plan of action of BOF marketing or was it based on the people that were expected at the show? I would have expected quite a few people in the 18-25 age group there as well. So perhaps the focus should be split two ways:
1) Advertising orienteering as at the outdoors show would attract the families
2) Advertising orienteering as a highly competitive sport, with one of the toughest physical and mental challenges known, could attract in the 18-25s.
whether it would be possible to split one stall at an event like the outdoors show to portray those two "aspects" of the sport is the difficulty...
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distracted - addict
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most of the report on the show on the BOF Website features the Adventure Race & how the orienteering team performed in it. A bit strange to me... should be promoting orienteering & not telling existing orienteers how good the opposition is & should you have a go. To my mind all that this has achieved (and I'm looking from the outside) is to direct orienteers to another place away from the forest
Go orienteering in Lithuania......... best in the world:)
Real Name - Gross
http://www.scottishotours.info
Real Name - Gross
http://www.scottishotours.info
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Gross - god
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Gross I agree with you.
Surely we should have been telling the people interested in adventure racing how important orienteering is if they want to succeed at AR. Certainly don't tell orienteers how good AR is, we are loosing people to this exciting new sport already.
Surely we should have been telling the people interested in adventure racing how important orienteering is if they want to succeed at AR. Certainly don't tell orienteers how good AR is, we are loosing people to this exciting new sport already.
- Steler
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