Track entrance fees - The best things in life are free?

Watching Keeping Track last night and heard Clyde Basel refer to Phumelela considering an admission charge for racegoers in return for a betting voucher.

On the one hand, you could say we should consider ourselves fortunate not to have to pay the entrance fee that UK racegoers do.

On the other, P are seemingly awash with money after track closures, current attendances in SA are poor, has SA really used free entry as a marketing tool to attract new punters, some of whom may turn into new owners in the future?

The best things in life are free as the saying goes, but should they be?

Let's have a decent debate on the pro's and con's of an entry fee, P and the RA will be reading this so please keep the thread "on topic" so we can help their marketing people out.

Cheers
Chris

Morning Chris and ALL, I feel where Clyde is coming from is where we are trying to go back in time, to the "good old days".
I remember wearing my badge with pride and it was nice to feel important and if the racing experience can be felt, it will bring the crowds back.
If we consider you cant go racing FREE anywhere else? In addition which soccer, rugby, cricket game can you watch free, LIVE?
Not an easy question, I think the thought process was to have FREE entry to bring people back and it did not work?
It would appear by going back to the roots, members section, owners section, trainers, dress code, its an attempt to bring the ethos back?
As I said not an easy formula to get right?
From my own point of view looking forward to the new facilities.
I am sure we can have many other inputs.

scotia.

Problem with free entry is that you get undesirables attending and can be off putting to someone who is out to enjoy the day.

Betting Vouchers would work well.

SA has unique challenges that dont face UK. Transport to and from the venues is problematic. Seeing that Vaal in the sticks and Turfies in Beirut.

UK hop on a train bus etc.

PE tracks little more Accessible

Kimberley will never be a hub for on course attendance. Give up now.

Perhaps some sort of transport scheme to and from the venues with the local councils. Pick up at the local TAB branches etc. Park and Ride scheme.

Uplift the venue Vaal IS SHOCKING. 9.99 plastic chairs are more comfortable than the ones at the vaal.. Fix the roads etc.

Turfies probably similar challenges.

The areas where the non members etc are allowed need to be tidy clean etc.

When it comes to marketing.

What Marketing ?? Marketing is non existent.

We don’t market ourselves outside of the industry. Guess what we are already here. More marketing not going to make us spend more. We need new blood!!!!

People outside of the industry know about the July and the Met.

Consider the industry to be corrupt and dirty. My opinion of what they think. I personally find the industry an exciting challenging environment.

We need to change public perception.

Highlight the Good the industry does. Be it the Nic Rey foundation.
Various other charities.
The Police/ Big P initiative.
Use Bid vest as a channel for marketing.

well put sylvester,you will not get people going back to the course especially in the phumelela region..we need to look at the very successful 20 20 world cup and take out the points which made it so successful..as you rightly say the people in marketing in gold circle and phumelela are pathetic and they need to be turfed out..i recieved a letter from gold circle this week about membership which was a disgrace considering that i am a colour holder and punter.they cant look after their own members so how the hell will they attract new ones

what they need to do is put their efforts and money into tellytrack as television is a powerful tool..the problem is kritsiotis and his fellow clan are simply not good enough..imagine outsiders watching these palukas and comparing them to other supersport presenters such as gary bailey naas botha etc..the quality of the presenter must be a clyde basel or a robin bruss.we missed a big oppurtunity when neil andrews left tellytrack

excellent idea and what they could do is perforate the ticket, the top half to claim their betting voucher and the bottom to go into a bin where perhaps certain sponsors can do their own advertising by giving vouchers to winning ticket holders which are drawn out after each race or as the racing club feels warranted

Personally I think that getting the 'masses' back to the track is a pipe dream; people nowadays are looking for non-stop action. I attended the T20 final yesterday and the crowd got restless if one over went by without a boundary or a wicket; also note the abysmal (big English word for an Afrikaans guy!) attendances at test matches (cricket that is). Only the real enthusiasts attend, and I think the same holds true for racing.

So to get people to the track where one race lasting a couple of minutes (or less) occurs every half hour, there would need to additional events (for lack of a better word) filling up the time in between races; lucky draws as suggested by Big Dad should help, but I think we need something more. More and bigger screens broadcasting other meetings (Tellytrack) may also help. Just don't bring in the parachutes again!

I don't think that charging entry fees (with or without betting vouchers) will do anything to bring the crowds back, but I have to agree that this can help to restore the 'ethos'.

Liked the point that Clyde made about getting the young ones involved.

Difficult one to get right; have to admire Clyde for his intentions and attitude.

about a year ago at clairwood where entrance is FREE they even gave out free 20 RAND betting vouchers and it made no difference to the on course attendance

really one must admire clyde for trying and if we as a forum can assist him by giving him encouragement and our advice and honest opinions as some of us are doing their is no doubt in my mind we will have a happy racing fraternity

Hi Frodo, think the point you made about punters keeping busy?
They have put slots at the big T but not my cup of tea, plus plenty races in between , Ngong, Sweden, etc, but they should be replaced by the International Channel, showing good races with established markets.
I like nothing better than having the both t.v.s on at the track, tellytrack and the International feed, plus looking out the window for the live canter past and good food and drink.

If you offer someone, something for free, it might mean something.

But if you offer someone nothing, and tell him/her its free.... ?

Scotia

I am also content with watching QUALITY racing being shown on the T.V while enjoying good food and a drink; but let's face it, casual racegoers who do not belong to the RA and just want to enjoy the day without having to fork out the money to get a table, do not have ANY GOOD food available.

So while upgrading the RA facilities is great news, I believe the facilities, etc. for the casual punters are terrible. If I can not get a table in the Elevation room, I do not take my family racing (although would be able to force myself to go if on my own!)