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I.S.C. WORLD TOURNAMENT BRINGS 'EM IN |
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I.S.C. WORLD TOURNAMENT BRINGS 'EM IN |
| By: Gordon L. Wise, ISC Information Officer December 3, 2001 One important element of an attraction like the ISC World Tournament is the "pull" of the event. Do people travel great distances to attend? Or is the crowd at the ballpark mainly locals who follow the games? Put another way, a community stands to benefit more economically from hosting such an event when a large chunk of persons attending come from out of town - - preferable far enough out of town that they stay overnight at local motels, eat lots of meals in local restaurants, and spend time (and money) shopping in local stores. Just as important to tournament hosts and sponsors is having the crowds hang around as long as possible - - and for much the same reasons. From that perspective, the 2001 ISC World Tournament hosted by Eau Claire, Wisconsin in August, delivered a very important profile of patrons, as well as participants. Consider the following highlight results from a survey of FANS attending the event: *** Nearly half of them (48%) traveled 500 miles or more to get to Eau Claire; *** Nearly three-fourths of them (71%) stayed at the tournament for six days or longer. In a similar survey done with a sample of PLAYERS from the 40 teams in the tournament, highlights included: *** More than half (53%) traveled 500 miles or more to reach the tournament site; *** Nearly half (47%) stayed at the tournament for six days or longer. Responses from a sample of MANAGERS of teams competing in the tournament revealed that: *** Nearly two-thirds or them (65%) traveled 500 miles or more to the Eau Claire tournament site; *** Over three-fourths (76%) indicated they stayed at the tournament for at least six days, with over one in three (35%) staying for the entire tournament run. How did the teams get to Eau Claire - - - and how many motel rooms did they use??? *** While a majority of teams traveled to Eau Claire by auto (59%), a significant segment (41%) traveled by air to the tournament site; *** Nearly half of the managers (47%) indicated that their teams occupied 12 or more motel rooms each night during their stay in Eau Claire; 18% claimed use of from nine to eleven rooms per night; and 35% indicated their teams had used between six and eight rooms per night during their stay at the event. ISC Executive Director Ken Hackmeister was pleased with the results: "These numbers are impressive from a variety of perspectives. They demonstrate the high level of fan interest beyond the local area They show the economic impact a host city can expect from an ISC World Tournament, and they reflect a high degree of both player and manager interest in the tournament after their own team has been eliminated." This is the first in a series of releases drawn from responses to surveys of fans, players, and managers during the nine-day run of the 2001 ISC World Tournament in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Later releases will address attitudes toward the tournament; the new round robin format; the scheduling, timing, and pacing of games; the seedings for pool play; and satisfaction levels with opportunities to watch important matchups during prime evening times during the tournament. G. Wise mailto:sgwise@woh.rr.com
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