Shock! Horror!

[awk]

Top price tickets are £17 each.

Or £28 if you look at the website ...

Looks like your £12 is a bit like the BOC Blue course (only more expensive) and £28 is the British Champs course equivalent (only more expensive).

I rest my case!

Looking at the first three nights (including a Saturday): top price £17. They may go up later, but on the nights we're going these are the best seats. My Playhouse membership (£20 for the year - similar membership fee to BOF) gives you 20-30% discount on these prices. Don't see much discount from BOF nowadays.

The £12* tickets aren't the equivalent of the Blue course. We're getting the same performance (same course).

Of course, these sort of comparisons don't really tell the story - it's far more about what people perceive as being good value: for some a £25 run round a Championship course will be fine, for others too expensive. Equally, £12 each spent on Of Mice and Men for us is good value, for others (including offspring!) a complete waste of money. So the crunch will be what value people see it as.

I think part of the problem is that such a big price hike will prompt a lot of people (including us) take a long hard look at the overall cost of the weekend: it may only be a fraction, but it's the headline. Yes, you're right David, a £6 price rise within the context of the weekend might not be much, but these £6s are starting to add up across the board, and when one looks at the cost of the weekend it starts to look rather a lot. So the British isn't equivalent to one theatre visit (or whatever), it's equivalent to half a dozen or more.

BTW, we haven't decided yet. All I'm saying is that after three years of a pay freeze for both of us, we're thinking very hard about this sort of cost, and we haven't really done that before for domestic orienteering. I don't think we'll be the only ones!

Later edit: OH reminds me that we had our 20% discount on these - so the tickets actually cost us £9.60 each

[mykind]

What's all the fuss about. We clearly need to pay these fees to pay the salaries of those who make such a wonderful job of running our sport. Why do we keep comparing this with going to the theatre? Or going to watch Sunderland? Compare it with a similar standard event which will cost under £20 so why the extra tenner?

[andypat]

Agree with some of the sentiments above that the argument about whether to offer medals for short courses is really the wrong argument. If you are offering short courses then they deserve the same treatment as the long courses. If not then remove them and offer colour coded, although I suspect the attendance would drop significantly.

[Gross]

If you are offering short courses then they deserve the same treatment as the long courses.

Not in the example of BOC. BOC is the British Championships to determine the champion of each age class. It is not the British Short Course Championships. There are other races and Championships for those who do not want to compete in the British Championships.

[Mrs H]

Yes I agree but I guess the question is what do you want the event to look like? A really big flag ship event or a stripped down elite age class competition? If its the former then you have to consider how much the also rans are prepared to fork out to attend (and that includes travel, accom etc).
I wonder how much it is costing most people for the weekend £100 each? More? I had a wonderful week in Menorca in March 2012 for £110 each (fabulous neolithic sites and wonderful flora and fauna) and am of to Lanzarote next month for £170 each (check out Cesar Manrique ). That's probably only two football matches and a theatre trip - or one BOC

[Sunlit Forres]

I asked the wife again after Silent Witness was finished and she didn't ignore me this time. £25 she said. And she's not even a Sunderland fan.

[awk]

That's probably only two football matches and a theatre trip - or one BOC

One of DJM's trips or one of ours?! (We seem to be able to get three top performances/courses to his one, even in the same theatre!).

Hope you have a brilliant time in Lanzarote. Sounds a bargain - presumably not during half term!

[nooomember]

If you are offering short courses then they deserve the same treatment as the long courses.

Not in the example of BOC. BOC is the British Championships to determine the champion of each age class. It is not the British Short Course Championships. There are other races and Championships for those who do not want to compete in the British Championships.

So i say yet again; Surely it makes it unfaur to charge the Short course competitors the same, over-priced entry fee?

[andypat]

If you are offering short courses then they deserve the same treatment as the long courses.

Not in the example of BOC. BOC is the British Championships to determine the champion of each age class. It is not the British Short Course Championships. There are other races and Championships for those who do not want to compete in the British Championships.

So i say yet again; Surely it makes it unfaur to charge the Short course competitors the same, over-priced entry fee?

Yes or simply don't offer them, but take the hit on attendance.
The scottish champs last year did have podiums for the short courses which was a nice surprise - had I known I would have tried harder....

[buzz]

any average orienteers (such as Lostagain )

I think 'average' is a bit generous for Lostagain

[LostAgain]

any average orienteers (such as Lostagain )

I think 'average' is a bit generous for Lostagain

Beating you keeps me average

[sketchweppers]

Surely the question should be why are there short courses?
Doesn't it make more sense to plan the A class for every age group and those who can't/don't want to run their course run n/c on a different course as they would at any local/badge/regional event..?

Totally agree.
If a British Champion is the person who wins their course, there is absolutely no need for a short course for each age class. Seeing as blue and green courses are available, why not abandon the idea of short courses and offer a full range of colour coded courses for everyone who is not capable of competing on the long courses.
The price difference between colour coded is too large. The blue and green courses are going to be far too popular.

[bewildered]

Wouldn't it make it easier to plan and organise if there were no short courses, just the normal colour courses.

You could give prizes on them, perhaps?

[SeanC]

I guess the idea is also that competitors who aren't experienced/fit enough to do their age class B course could do green or blue, ie replacing the confusing M/W21V. This seems a good idea.

But I suspect these people would be as happy as the rest of us (possibly more so) to pay £25 if the quality is explained. After all it's not just a bog standard blue/green at a small regional, it's a top map, top area, top organisation....

A bit of re-branding might work. Championship Green/Championship Blue? Make sure the courses are given the same quality assurance by the controller and planner as the other courses, then up the cost of blue and green to same or at least near to the other courses?

[aiming off]

Sounds a great way of ensuring that the gap in participation between the JK & 6 day on the one hand, and the British on the other widens further.

The JK & 6 day have an attitude that is inclusive, and maintain participation.

The attitudes here are exclusive, and are likely to reduce participation in the British further.

As Mrs H said, it depends on what sort of event you want. And with the numbers capable of participating on M/W 21 elite, this event seems too fragile to deliberately drive people away.