On Global noon news today a report on the Giants covered among other things some 12-15 [can't recall the exact #] of outside of the game key events planned for this season to give the owners of a ticket on those nights a worthwhile and enjoyable "experience". Can any correlation be made with Giant management's honest effort to understand their patrons needs and the increase of a whopping 1000 season ticket holders this yr. over last. The demand for seats is so strong they're looking at opening the upper deck that has been shut down since the team's arrival.
Now some sceptics may say it's because the WHL game has become the alternative to the likely laps in NHL games in town, while others would point to the probable blockbuster season these guys will have from not only their maturing depth of talent but also as a result of their visible commitment to win when they brought in Don Hay, a proven people manager and success story.
Interesting the Giant organization realize a need for, and put so much importance on real value added events even with all that other wonderful stuff happening. Hmmmm.

in reponse i attend 5-6 gaints games every year there comercial and pubic input is in money and support is hard to believe, we are talking dollars compared to nickles and dimes here, the other main factor to mention here is the world jr. championship to be held here, as of now all prior exsisting giants, and canuck ticket holders have dibs on tickets, all new season ticket holders will go into a lottery ive been told, i bought a share with 4 other people, 2 years ago on season tickets and will get to see a couple of games, that and the pending nhl strike have increased intrest in all the jr. teams in the lower mainland.

A question.
Am I correct when I hear you saying that people are drawn to that rink only because of some very special dynamics taking place this yr. in the hockey landscape down there and little to do with the spice thrown onto the steak by mgmt?
"If so" would it be reasonable to assume then that once all these distractions are history, season ticket sales will fall back to levels of the past season or at least take a big hit of, for the sake of argument 50% or more?
Ergo, if ticket sales do not shrink next season to 03 levels, could we safely assume than that management's efforts to provide a full meal deal have in fact not fallen on deaf ears and was a worthwhile endeavor?
How do you see it? BJ

bj , im now repeating myself if you had prior season tickets for giants or canucks,you have dibs on world jr. tickets, how many season ticket holders gave up there seats from last year, i would venture a guess next to none,due to that fact they have maintainedthere base,(by the way the canucks also sold another 1000 season tickets also ),those who by season tickets this year but have a chance in a lottery draw, ihave been told, vancouver always has give aways, ( they have 2 or 3 draws in there lobby every game ) this year due to the fact they have a very good team, and a pending lockout or strike ticket sales are up, but there up all over from bchl to jr. b, after this world jr. tournament idont believe ticket sales will drop much at all, and if chilliwack, gets a whl team the rivalry will be intense.

It wasn't necessary to repeat yourself I understood your msg. the first time it went up.
I'll take a different tact. What I'm asking is, do you see any point "at all" in the value added activities that Giant mgmt. have planned for the upcoming season or do you believe they could have saved themselves a lot of effort as the fans were bound to flock there in any event because of the reasons you discussed?

bj, any extra give away or draw has appeal to draw fans , when your a big money market team with lots of money these things come easy, small market dont have the same opition, one thing forgot to mention is when buying a season ticket you allso have included a ticket, to yhe top prospects game
in otherwords 37 home games. this is there quote on buying season ticket quote (( ability to reserve your seatsfor your place incanadian hockey historyat the 2006 world juniors,your giantseason tickets purcase DATE will determine just how good your seats will be )), wow is that not an incentive to get out and buy season tckets early. and they have , promos and give aways will always sell, but when you already have the roast beef and gravy every onesknocking at your door.

nm.

This is a good argument. For example, I understand Vancouver Giants have radio advertising that is attention getting and lots of fun. An example of Sizzle.

Kootenay Ice doesn't even have the exhibition schedule on their website. (Unless I am missing something buried somewhere.) How would anyone know when a game is being played...

What a contrast between the two teams in marketing their product...excellence and mediocrity.

The product on the ice is good, but it does not seem supported by a grass roots Kootenay area marketing effort.

The good news is that there is an opportunity here. Kootenay has lots to brag about!

Apparently you don't listen to the local Radio Station its on more then enough times per day. Plus Jeff Hollick has been on lots with training camp reports.
The Daily townsman has listed all the games too.You must not get out very much, cause it seems everyone talks Kootenay Ice hockey here.

See you at the game Sat the 11th Ice & Hitmen 7 pm.

Anonymous. Firstly, it would make for better discourse if we knew you as somebody. The term anonymous simply lumps you into a group who appear outwardly that you don't want to be seen as an individual. People would respect your input more if you had a handle and I wouldn't have thought twice, as I did about aknowleging your post.
Now the meat of the matter. The gentle shot on "Acery" for, "apparently you don't listen to the local radio station it's on more than enough times per day" also applies to myself [a regular at the games] and falling in with likely a large cross section of fans in my age group who hold those much discussed season tickets. Demographry [statistical science dealing with distribution, density, vital stastics] would be something that a good IR would understand as relates to his/her market and how it applies to the product he's pushing. I like the people at the radio stn. but don't care for the programing on the whole. Consequently we miss hearing those ads and Ice talk. Management have to have a better way to get the word out along with some screaming hype. A good IR would know he's missing this slice of the population and would simply address it. It's not acceptable that the info isn't on the KI website. A simple fix.
The paper has talked about dates in a clinical, factual way. Again poor hype but no fault of the people at the paper.
Is the leader board at the corner of the Ice lot lit up with game hype or is it not being used or like last season not kept up to date. Very poor mktg. effort.
If as you say KI hockey is talked about by "everyone" but clearly "everyone is not in the rink" there's an unfilled need amongst the public and an extraordinary OPPORTUNITY just waiting to be tapped.
You will indeed see me at the Sat. game even well before the puck is dropped.

Good points. Maybe there marketing is not so bad. So why are people staying away? The product on the ice is pretty good, and by all accounts getting better.

If you live a little farther away, for example in Radium, Fernie or Creston, the team does not seem to get as much press.

Actually, I am not that negative on the teams marketing program. They do good, sound, basic work. I just see an opportunity to make it better. More creativity. More sizzle.

Vancouver is just an example ...creating excitment around their players like Courchaine and Brule. Outside activities. Innovative marketing. It sounds like Everitt is doing a good job as well.

Obviously Kootenay has to go a differet route, using a small market grass roots strategy targeted at drawing in people from the whole East Kootenay area. People have to get excited about watching future NHL stars. The absence of NHL Hockey is a great opportunity for Kootenay to take advantage of..

ps I still wonder why the exhibition games are not on the website...

the Exhibition schedule is on the web page and has been there for as long as i can remember, check the articles in the middle of the page.

it isn't on the calender on the side but it is there.

Thanks for the info Spungy. Pleased to hear the sched. is on the KI site.

Spungy, I must be blind.

I can see the regular schedule, but can't find the exhibition schedule on the web page.