Post by IdahoBoy on Dec 9, 2005 19:04:42 GMT -5
ugopher said:
Disadvantages to holding the championships in Hawaii on a perm or semi-perm basis:Trying to mourn the loss positively, so here's my two cents.
1. Travel logisitics - no matter where the championships are held on the mainland people would be able to drive to the site
Yes and no. There are always weather concerns at this time of year especially in the northern states. Driving may be an option, but in the winter time, during a work week, not a viable option for most people. If it's in a cool-weather region, the drive time is multiplied by a factor of the weather's severity, right? In Hawaii, this time of year, rain is the biggest weather feature, and it's still 80-degrees out.
2. Airfares - similar to #1 flights to Hawaii may not be as advantageous as some sites on the mainland, both in terms of price and availability
Flights are more expensive, from beyond the MST. I'd say it's nearly a wash from PST states going to the EST states. Not much more than flying into CST states, either.
3. Accomondations - I will admit that I am ignorant on this subject but I would imagine that hotel prices in Hawaii are slightly high than in San Antonio, Omaha, Sacramento, etc.
Yeah, on average, probably. However, Hawaii hotels would likely be big sponsors and cut great deals for tournament attendees and fans. Also, online travel benefits are amazing sometimes making the hotel cost negligible when booking with a flight.
4. Game times - if we do want to try and build the sport via television you would need to start the semi-finals at what time in Hawaii to make sure that the matches could be seen on the mainland - 1:00? Same for the championship match
When has this ever been a concern for the TV market? Just take a look at the gametimes for the ESPNU regional broadcasts for volleyball. How many times has ESPN2 shown Volleyball at 11 pm PST?
Hawaii in December would be great. However, I think the location would greatly limit exposure to primarily those living on the island.
How would it limit exposure to Hawaiians? Not sure what you mean by this. However, there are many logistical problems with hosting semi-permanently in Hawaii.
I think that the SSC only holding 10,025 would be a problem, as well.