Just got back and had a wonderful time. Would go again in a heartbeat…
but Vegas won’t be hosting any time soon. The SJ seats were not full. It was a shame… but was really hoping that the WC would be in North American again soon.
Any insight?
I saw all those empty seats while watching the live stream and thought “hmm not good”. I am really surprised they could not fill those seats. Would it have been sold out in a different venue? I mean, if you can’t lure people to Vegas to watch a sports event, where else in N.America could you get a full arena?
I can. 
It’s all in the WC programme. John Q put it very nicely. it explains a lot.
"Here’s the game. Only weeks ago, because of the uncertain conditions worldwide, Las Vegas Events, a semi-government, non-profit corporation with business and community responsibilities, withdrew its special bid, with its volunteered extra prize money and extraordinary contribution to the FEI project supporting the sport in smaller countries, with the hope of negotiating a “normal” bid for the 2011 and 2013 World Cup Finals of show jumping.
The FEI has subsequently announced that, with the 2010 final already assigned to Geneva, 2011 would go to Leipzig, Germany and 2013 to Gothenburg. Since we aim for only the odd years, the non-Olympics and non-World Games years, the next possibility for us is 2015. There it is, after five successful Finals at Las Vegas, heralded as perhaps the best ever, the grand run comes to an end."
Translation - We (the US and any of our representatives) are required to pay MORE than anyone else, for the same thing, when we’re already subsidizing competitions in other countries as well as adding prize money when the WC competition is here. Oh, and then we get bashed for it. :rolleyes:
Politically speaking, same $h!t, different day. :dead:
I’m going to write a letter to Pat Christenson, the president of Las Vegas Events. I’m going to let him know that I applaud his decision to reject the FEI’s requiring further extortion from his company in order to continue providing a damn near perfect venue and accommodation for the WC finals. Anyone who would like to join me in doing so, PM me for the contact information.
And I’m willing to bet that the riders might have something to say about where the finals are held. From what I’ve heard, all of them love the venue. Let’s see if they are willing to kick up a fuss to keep it.
Wow, isn’t that akin to what the International Olympic Organizing Committee was doing? Well, not quite as bad, I guess. Members of that committee were being wined and dined, if not out right BRIBED, by the countries competing to host the games. :no:
Well…if I may play the Devil’s Advocate…would those seats have been full if it had been in Europe? Is there a reason they want a “premium” from a N.American organizer?
Yes, had the WC been in Europe, the seats would have been full. The night classes at the big shows in Europe have full houses. From what I’ve heard from the riders, they love coming to Las Vegas, but don’t love the actual facilities all that much, and Las Vegas isn’t particularly convenient-- they can’t really plan on sending the horses to other shows close by once they’ve gone all the way there, and there’s a lot more travel involved than if the WC was somewhere in W. Europe, which means more time spent away from their business at home. When you consider that a large proportion of the competitors spend either their whole year, or at least a good portion of the spring/summer showing in W. Europe, it does make a fair amount of sense to keep the WC Final in W. Europe.
And, IMO, if Las Vegas really wanted to keep the WC there so badly, they’d be willing to accept hosting during Olympic or WEG years. Someone’s gotta do it.
It’s not a question of “willing to accept” hosting in the off years - it’s a question of not competing with the Olympics or WEG. Read again, please.
And, sorry, but how much more must LVE pay, to prove they want the event there? No one else has to do it - why should they? There’s more prize money in LV, and because of them, more money to other WC venues, too. Until now, when, of course, they don’t want to pay extra for the privilege of hosting WC. :rolleyes:
I was there on Friday and the place was far from being full. Someone told me they needed to attract a certain # of visitors to break even and they were 10,000 short. That is a big gap and a lot of money to lose in a bad economy.
You’re quite right. That’s apparently what LVE thought, too, and why they didn’t offer to pad their bid enough to get the Finals again.
[QUOTE=ESG;4038742]
It’s not a question of “willing to accept” hosting in the off years - it’s a question of not competing with the Olympics or WEG. Read again, please.
And, sorry, but how much more must LVE pay, to prove they want the event there? No one else has to do it - why should they? There’s more prize money in LV, and because of them, more money to other WC venues, too. Until now, when, of course, they don’t want to pay extra for the privilege of hosting WC. :rolleyes:[/QUOTE]
I completely agree that LVE shouldn’t have to pay any more to prove that they want the event.
But, you are making it sound like no one at all attends the WC final in Olympic or WEG years, which is simply not the truth. Will there maybe be a few people that choose not to attend, or who choose to bring not their top horse? Of course, but that happens every year for various reasons (such as Beezie Madden bringing Danny Boy this year, instead of Authentic or Judgement). The people who are actually there riding at the WC final do not look down on the venues that host in Olympic or WEG years as being somehow inferior-- Gothemburg, for example, has hosted in both Olympic/WEG years, as well as odd years.
I agree with you, Words of Wisdom! Besides, as somebody else mentioned… the three locations in Europa - Geneva, Leipzig, and Goetheburg have beautiful facilities and are much more accessible for the majority of Word Cup competitiors.
How do we get information on tickets for the WCs to be held in Europe these next few years? Anyone here been overseas for a previous WC, and have any suggestions/recommendations?
[QUOTE=Paris;4038455]
Just got back and had a wonderful time. Would go again in a heartbeat…
but Vegas won’t be hosting any time soon. The SJ seats were not full. It was a shame… but was really hoping that the WC would be in North American again soon.
Any insight?[/QUOTE]
I tried to switch my seat for the final because we had had some obnoxiously loud people behind us the whole event, and I was told by the box office people that all the good seats were sold out! I also saw another couple trying to get seats together. I think a lot of people just didn’t show up for whatever reason.
Do please read for comprehension. LVE doesn’t want to COMPETE with the Olympics or WEG, and so doesn’t bid for those years. I never said a thing about no one attending WC finals in those years.
Will there maybe be a few people that choose not to attend, or who choose to bring not their top horse? Of course, but that happens every year for various reasons (such as Beezie Madden bringing Danny Boy this year, instead of Authentic or Judgement).
Um, Danny Boy was not expected to earn a top 5 placing. Authentic was rested after the Olympics and through the winter, which was why she brought DB, who was top Young Horse at Aachen in 2008. Hardly an issue. And she did bring Judgement (and Onlight) as backups.
And of course Anky, who chose to rest Salinero and then was caught short when she qualified Painted Black, but not Salinero because of a back injury (hers).
The people who are actually there riding at the WC final do not look down on the venues that host in Olympic or WEG years as being somehow inferior-- Gothemburg, for example, has hosted in both Olympic/WEG years, as well as odd years.
Well, since I never said anything of the kind, I’m assuming you weren’t responding to my post, and ignore this last. :winkgrin:
The point you seem to be missing (on purpose? :p) is that no one else except LVE gives extra prize money or financial support to the other venues. And now that they can no longer afford to do so, due to the current economic situation, the WC Finals were suddenly relocated. LVE didn’t want to pay extortion money any longer, and I say more power to them.
this is not true, I had a long talk with a FEI official friend in Vegas this weekend… and Las Vegas just removed its application for lack of financing… it is that simple. In fact, she told me that the organizers would have to pay a huge fine if they won the World Cup and they were not able to organize it in the end… Las Vegas is being hit very hard by the crisis and they felt it coming a while ago and wisely removed their application.
Also, I believe it is fair for European people to be able to watch the World Cup too… It’s been in Las Vegas for a while!
I’m only reporting what those in the know have printed. LVE gave extra prize money and subsidized other WC venues. LVE can no longer afford to give extra prize money and subsidize other venues. FEI suddenly yanks WC Finals from LVE, the minute they want to put in a “normal” bid, without the “padding”. You figure it out. I don’t have any problem putting two and two together.
scalpers bought blocks - you could get good seats for cheap from scalpers at the last minute.
Ummm - it’s in Europe every year it’s not in LV. I think the Europeans have plenty of opportunity. :winkgrin:
[QUOTE=ESG;4039590]
Ummm - it’s in Europe every year it’s not in LV. I think the Europeans have plenty of opportunity. :winkgrin:[/QUOTE]
ummmm, Europe is a continent, the US is a country… I forgot it represented half (and often more) of the world in some American people’s minds… :lol:
What other places in the US would be good options besides LV?
NYC?
Syracuse?
