05:05:30pm, Saturday, May 04, 2024
|
Help for a Small Association
|
Help!?!
|
There are really no forums or places to talk to other Pulling groups about how they operate. Hoping to get some ideas here.
We are a small pulling organization and have various weights of 3 different classes: Farm Stock, Altered Farm, and a 3000 RPM go fast class. We typically get 65-85 hooks per night. We charge $4000 for a show which includes the sled so we are pretty affordable for small county fairs etc. we just don’t have a lot of staff. Looking for some advice on the following issues. 1. Struggle with attendance at county fairs. Some of these places are having trouble making a profit on the event. What can we do to help improve the crowd turnout? 2. Policing the rules. How do you police RPMs and speed in an RPM limited or Speed Limit Class? 3. What is the best way or place to advertise? A lot of our events look to us to do this and we are struggling. 4. Is anyone using PayPal or Venmo to simplify pay in and pay out?? 5. Would appreciate any advice or anything unique and different other clubs are doing to improve their offering. Thanks in Advance. |
|
Re: Help for a Small Association
|
Registered: 07/17/2018 Posts: 15 |
Speed and Distance displays from Agri-Tronix have helped our group with the speed limit issue. It posts the top speed at the end of the run and if you are over, it’s pretty black and white.
[www.agritronixcorp.com] |
|
Re: Help for a Small Association
|
Registered: 10/30/2018 Posts: 749 |
Advertise the local radio stations and news paper advertisement is a must and looks like you fairs should be taking care of .We just pulled a NQS garden tractor pull light on spectators just 22 miles from my house know one knew anything about it a great show but know advertisment one guy told me he lived across the street and just came over because he saw all of the trailor,s in the parking lot |
|
Re: Help for a Small Association
|
$$
|
The problem is, at $4000 you aren’t left with much for advertising. $2500 for sled $500 for Staff and Insurance. $1000 purse is pretty skinny.
Do you have any sponsors?? Also, are you trying to advertise each event separately or your whole season in one shot?? |
|
Calling Jason Schultz!
|
BMPT
|
Beer Money should have a page for associations to share ideas. Help standardize show contracts. Train track crews. Advice on advertising. A place for promoters and associations to share ideas. |
|
Re: Help for a Small Association
|
what organization are you and where are you located? |
|
Re: Help for a Small Association
|
Pull Fan
|
First off Farm Stock and speed limit classes typically do not draw a crowd. I was at a pull in southeast Ohio this year where they had a bunch of speed limit classes. I overheard several other people sitting in the grandstand saying how they hated watching the speed limit classes that they should turn them loose and let them pull their best. Now I do understand why they have the speed limits, but speed limit pulling is actually worse than watching a dead weight pull. Most of the pullers land within a foot or 2 of each other and many cases inches. Which provides a pretty boring show for the average spectator. These classes are for the pullers and not the spectators just as dead weight pulling is. If you mix in some "fast" classes, then that ads some excitement for the viewers. Not being a butt, just stating the truth. Best wishes with your pulls. |
|
Re: Help for a Small Association
|
Registered: 08/27/2019 Posts: 212 |
Agree w/ ya for the most part. I've gotten involved with deadweight pulling, and it's an event for the pullers, for the most part, except for those who "like" deadweight pulling...... they will stay and watch. The only transfer pulls I'll take part in are the ones with a really slow speed, as my tractors not turned up much at all. I've often though classes with really slow speed limits, should only run 100' to 150'.......making the trip down the track a "quick" run , thus speeding things up. Running all the way down a 300' track at 4 to 8mph and being stopped at around 250' to 300' .....well....what's the point in that? The first 100' to 150'......(and even 200' in some cases) is meaningless, and, as stated above, boring. The last 100' to 150' is where the actual "pulling" is taking place, but that's just me. Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/23/2022 02:28PM by JDpowershift. |
|
Re: Help for a Small Association
|
Registered: 08/14/2013 Posts: 203 |
MO if you have mix of speed limit classes and go-fast classes mix them up order. Example maybe 1 or 2 speed limit classes and the fast one. This would help get the crowd excited. I have numerous people tell me that they had to get their children home before any of the go-fast classes run. In full discloser I run one of those hated LLSS. Hope everyone has Happy Thanksgiving. |
|
ADVERTISE!!
|
Registered: 07/06/2017 Posts: 369 |
A lot of these promoters magically think that the pulling organization they hire is gonna bring the crowd with them. A little old fashioned leg work goes a long way towards gathering a crowd. Little generic yard signs that you can read isn’t the answer either. Pullers sharing Facebook posts isn’t the solution. You have to reach people outside the pulling circle. |
|
Re: ADVERTISE!!
|
longtime puller
|
100% agree with you yard signs and social media help some but there are also still lots of people who rely on flyers, radio ads, newpaper and banners. Over the years there have been several pulls i wanted to attend but didn't know about them till they were over. Alot of fans do not follow pulling like the pullers do. |
|
Re: ADVERTISE!!
|
Good Ideas
|
These are good ideas. We hit social media hard, but don’t go much outside of that.
Think for next year we will try to do some radio ads as well. Do people make banners for each town and set them up a week or so in advance on a Main Street? Any other creative ideas on Advertising that is budget friendly? |
|
Re: ADVERTISE!!
|
longtime puller
|
Alot of times the banners we've used have had the dates where they can be changed for the next event. The best places to put them depends on location of the fairgrounds or venue if it is on the main drag always try to put it there so people know where it is and that something is going on but also depends to if your town/event location is on main drag or off of the interstate/byway |
|
Re: ADVERTISE!!
|
Registered: 07/06/2017 Posts: 369 |
I get a local guy to make a nice & informative flyer & post it in ever local buy/sell/trade group I can find on Facebook. There’s also numerous local “what’s happening” pages on Facebook. Those are the local folks that need to know. Most radio stations have a local events section & will mention your pull for free if you’ll email them the info ahead of time. PUT UP SIGNS DIRECTING YOUR SPECTATORS TO YOUR PULL!!! Just because you know where it is, doesn’t mean that people from town know. Don’t waste your time posting your pull on every tractor pulling page on Facebook. The pullers know. Have some nice sized flyers professionally printed & post them at every gas station/convenience store/equipment dealership/restaurant in a 50 mile radius. It takes time & effort but it costs very little money. If you’ll get the crowd, you’ll have more pullers show up than you can handle. |
|
Re: ADVERTISE!!
|
Moderator Registered: 03/25/2008 Posts: 1,446 |
I am by no means an expert of the topic. However as a fan I always look to see if they are running the vehicles that I enjoy. I realize that not every event is going to run 5000 HP vehicles, yet I do want to see a pretty good level of power. Not every class for sure but at least a couple. Dick Morgan www.PULLOFF.com Independent Pulling News |
|
Re: ADVERTISE!!
|
Registered: 10/10/2022 Posts: 46 |
Someone should make a checklist for a great flyer. I see so many that don't show the location, or you're supposed to know where the Boonedocks Fair is located. |
|
Re: ADVERTISE!!
|
$
|
(some) Beer distributors will print posters for free, if the event is selling their brand.
However, Title branding headline (top of the poster), takes up 25% of the print space. Making the poster to large, for some businesses bulletin boards. (Folding it under or trimming it off, makes hard feelings with the distributor.) Not all boards allow product (beer) branding. Putting the poster's out to early, is almost as bad as too late, |
|
Re: ADVERTISE!!
|
Registered: 04/13/2014 Posts: 405 |
This^^^ Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/27/2022 11:23PM by Stretch. |
|
Re: ADVERTISE!!
|
Longtime Puller
|
Flyer Checklist This Info Should Always Be on flyer 1. Location and Address 2. Admission Price adults and kids 3. Hook Fee 4. Classes 5. Charity or Cause if a Benefit Event 6. Primary Sponsors Flyer needs to have something to catch your eye as well not just a plain one with a bunch of writing on it I'll overlook that |
|
Re: Jason Schultz doesn't promote pulling he promotes Jason
|
Jason has gotten more about promoting Jason than pulling. Want help to promote you'll have to pay him. |
|
Re: Jason Schultz doesn't promote pulling he promotes Jason
|
Registered: 01/04/2022 Posts: 93 |
Jason has grown the sport of truck and tractor pulling more than anyone. He is putting people in the seats and exposing the sport more than anyone in the country. I don't blame him one bit for what he is doing for the sport, even if he is making something from it. |
|
Re: Help for a Small Association
|
Board member
|
Here’s my opinion on this… stop starting new associations find an existing organization that you fit into and run with them or bring your classes to them and see if they are willing to add them most associations will take a chance on new classes if they have numbers and it makes fiscal sense. We as a sport are doing nothing but diluting the pulling pool by adding new associations who have small certain niches. We continually add new classes with pretty much the same rules except one certain thing like a different pump or cubes (my personal favorite 510 instead of 466 or only a pumps instead of p pumps) then those small associations fizzle out and do nothing but drive the price down. I think there is an association for everyone being the cheapest association does nothing but drive the purse down across the board. Like I told a fair board member who recently came back to my association after the cheaper association folded “you get what you pay for” I understand that all fairs are hurting and pulling is sometimes not the highest priority and that we can’t price ourselves out of a sport but when one association charges 10-20k and another charges 4k all that does is make pulling not worth the cost for competitors. I know I wouldn’t travel 100s of miles for little to no purse no matter how much I love the sport. We all have too much invested in our pulling teams to devalue ourselves like that. You will never make money in this sport .., or break even but why run the purse farther down unnecessarily |
|
Re: Help for a Small Association
|
To Board Member
|
Totally disagree with this, we are not devaluing anything.
For example: Our $4000 show consists of Farm Stock, Local Pickups, and Improved Farm, and Some hot street 4x4s. It is a TRUE entry level. Fairs and towns that CANT AFFORD a $12000 show still have the ability to put on an event. Do you get Super Farms and LPS and Modifieds for $4000???? NO So what is the problem?? |
Website Statistics
Global: Topics: 38,697, Posts: 229,805, Members: 3,329.
This forum: Topics: 37,081, Posts: 225,959.
Global: Topics: 38,697, Posts: 229,805, Members: 3,329.
This forum: Topics: 37,081, Posts: 225,959.
Our newest member CBeard
