I'm Changing Our Events Strategy Forever

Cleetus2 McFarland

28 Apr 202408:21

Summary

TLDRThe speaker discusses the changing landscape of racing events, emphasizing that traditional races are no longer enough to draw crowds. They share their experience from the Freedom 500 event, which was a success due to its variety of attractions beyond racing, such as concerts and fireworks. The speaker reveals that for their upcoming Cletus event at the Indianapolis Raceway, they've made last-minute additions like a fireworks team and a van Prix to enhance the experience. They express a desire to see other racetrack promoters innovate and invest in creating a more engaging 'show' to fill seats and ensure the sustainability of racing events. The summary calls for a shift in mindset to prevent empty stands at future races.

Takeaways

🏎️ The speaker believes that traditional racing events are no longer sufficient to draw crowds due to the ease of watching highlights and replays at home.
🎉 The Freedom 500 event was a success because it incorporated concerts, fireworks, monster trucks, a van Prix, and burnouts, creating a multifaceted show that sold out.
📈 The speaker has decided to enhance their own racing events by adding fireworks and a van Prix to the lineup for the upcoming Cletus event at Indy.
🔥 They have also expanded the burnout pad to make the event more engaging and to give people a reason to attend beyond just the races.
📲 The speaker acknowledges that people can easily watch racing events from their phones, which makes it a challenge for physical events to compete.
💰 There is an emphasis on making the event worth the cost for attendees, considering the expenses of admission, food, and other potential costs.
🚧 The speaker is calling for other racetrack promoters to innovate and invest in their events to prevent declining attendance and financial struggles.
🚀 The brand CLE McFarland is committed to no longer doing the same thing they have been doing for the past 15 years and is looking to continuously improve their shows.
🎟️ The speaker encourages people to buy tickets for the upcoming event at Luke Sol Raceway, promising a better experience than the previous year.
🏆 There is a mention of a yet-to-be-determined prize for the event, indicating that there will be more than just the racing to look forward to.
🌟 The speaker aspires to create an event that is not just a racing event but a show, using examples like Taylor Swift and the Savannah Bananas to illustrate the concept of reinvention and added entertainment value.

Q & A

What is the main topic of discussion in the transcript?
-The main topic is the speaker's opinion on the current state of racing events and the need for innovation to attract audiences.
What is the event called 'Cletus' scheduled for?
-The Cletus event is scheduled for the weekend of May 3rd and 4th.
What changes were made to the event at the last minute?
-The last-minute changes included adding fireworks, bringing in a van Prix, and expanding the burnout pad to make the event more appealing.
Why does the speaker believe that just racing is not enough to attract people anymore?
-The speaker believes that with the availability of high-quality entertainment and replays at home, racing events need to offer more than just the race to get people out of their houses.
What was the speaker's experience at the Freedom 500?
-The speaker found the Freedom 500 to be mind-blowing, with a concert, fireworks, monster trucks, a van Prix, racing, and burnouts, which contributed to its sold-out status.
What is the speaker's strategy to keep people coming back to their events year after year?
-The speaker's strategy is to continually add new elements and experiences to the events, such as concerts and fireworks, to keep them fresh and exciting.
Why is the speaker concerned about the future of racetracks?
-The speaker is concerned because they believe that if racetracks do not innovate and offer more than just racing, they may struggle to fill seats and could potentially face financial difficulties.
What does the speaker suggest other racetrack promoters should do?
-The speaker suggests that other racetrack promoters should invest in making their events more than just races by adding entertainment elements to create a show that is worth the audience's time and money.
How does the speaker plan to make the upcoming event at Luke Sol Raceway different from the previous year?
-The speaker plans to make the event different by adding more attractions such as a concert, which was not present in the previous year.
What is the speaker's view on the importance of investing in the event experience?
-The speaker views investing in the event experience as crucial for the survival and success of racing events, as it can help to prevent empty stands and financial struggles for racetracks.
What examples does the speaker give to illustrate the need for reinvention in entertainment?
-The speaker cites Taylor Swift's evolving shows over 20 years and the Savannah Bananas baseball team's reinvention of baseball with entertaining antics as examples of the need for reinvention in entertainment.

Outlines

00:00

🚗 Evolution of Racing Events: Adding Entertainment Value

The speaker discusses the need for racing events to evolve beyond just the races to attract audiences. They mention their upcoming Cletus event at Indie on May 3rd and 4th, which includes a Crown Vic race and a burnout rivalry. Acknowledging that traditional racetracks are not as appealing as they once were, they share their experience at the Freedom 500, which was a sold-out event due to its diverse entertainment offerings, including concerts, fireworks, monster trucks, a van Prix, and burnouts. The speaker emphasizes the importance of providing more than just racing to get people out of their houses and into the stands. They have decided to add fireworks and a van Prix to their event, and have expanded the burnout pad to create a more enticing event. The goal is to continually improve and add new elements to each show to keep the audience engaged and coming back year after year.

05:02

💰 Investing in Entertainment to Fill the Stands

The speaker urges other racetrack promoters to invest in making their events more than just races, to ensure they can fill seats and remain financially viable. They express concern about the potential decline of racetracks due to a lack of audience engagement. The speaker's team has decided to invest in enhancing their events, aiming to create an experience that is worth the audience's time and money. They highlight the importance of offering a show that goes beyond racing, using examples like Taylor Swift's concerts and the Savannah Bananas baseball team, which have reinvented themselves to draw in crowds. The speaker is determined to move away from the traditional racing event model and create an experience that is memorable and entertaining. They also mention a star-studded driver's list for the upcoming event, indicating the level of investment they are making in the entertainment aspect of their racing events.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Cletus Event

The Cletus Event is a racing event that the speaker is organizing and discussing in the script. It is a key part of the narrative as the speaker talks about the changes and additions made to the event to attract more attendees. The event is used as an example to illustrate the need for innovation in racing events.

💡Racing Evolution

Racing Evolution refers to the changes and evolution that the speaker believes are necessary for racing events to remain appealing to the audience. The speaker suggests that simply racing is no longer sufficient to draw crowds and that events need to offer more diverse entertainment to be successful.

💡Freedom 500

The Freedom 500 is mentioned as an example of a successful racing event that incorporated additional entertainment elements such as a concert, fireworks, monster trucks, and a van Prix. This event was sold out and is used to highlight what the speaker considers a successful modern racing event that goes beyond traditional racing.

💡Van Prix

Van Prix is a type of racing event that was added to the Cletus Event at the last minute. It represents one of the new attractions that the speaker believes will help to draw a larger crowd and make the event more appealing. The addition of Van Prix to the Cletus Event is part of the strategy to transform the event into more than just a race.

💡Burnout Rival

Burnout Rival is an event that was part of the original plan for the Cletus Event. The speaker mentions plans to make the burnout pad bigger to enhance this part of the event. It is an example of how the speaker is trying to improve and expand on traditional racing event elements.

💡Fireworks

Fireworks are mentioned as one of the additional entertainment features that the speaker decided to include in the Cletus Event. They are part of the effort to make the event more than just a race and to provide a more comprehensive entertainment experience for attendees.

💡Investment in Entertainment

The speaker talks about the decision to invest money in enhancing the entertainment value of the racing events. This includes adding new features like fireworks and Van Prix, and making existing features like the burnout pad bigger. The investment is seen as necessary to compete with the ease of watching races from home and to fill seats at the events.

💡Empty Stands

Empty stands represent the problem that the speaker is trying to address through the changes made to the Cletus Event. The term is used to describe the decline in attendance at racing events, which the speaker believes is due to the lack of innovation and entertainment beyond the races themselves.

💡Racetrack Promoters

Racetrack promoters are the individuals or organizations responsible for organizing and promoting racing events. The speaker calls on these promoters to innovate and invest in their events to prevent declining attendance. The term is used to address the broader industry and encourage a shift in how racing events are presented.

💡Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift is used as an example by the speaker to illustrate the success that comes from constantly evolving and reinventing one's show. The speaker compares the need for racing events to evolve in a similar way to maintain interest and fill seats, drawing a parallel between the entertainment industry and racing events.

💡Savannah Bananas

The Savannah Bananas are a baseball team known for their entertaining approach to the sport. They are mentioned as an example of how reinvention and added entertainment can attract a crowd. The speaker uses them as an inspiration for how racing events can become more than just races, turning them into a show that people will want to attend.

Highlights

The speaker believes that traditional racing events are no longer enough to attract people to leave their homes.

The Cletus event at Indie on May 3rd and 4th includes the Crown Vic race and burnout rival.

A last-minute change of plans was made to the event to make it more appealing.

The speaker attended the Freedom 500 and was inspired by the variety of entertainment offered there, including concerts and fireworks.

The event at Indie will now feature fireworks and a van Prix, in addition to the racing.

The burnout pad at the event has been made bigger to enhance the experience.

The speaker argues that racing promoters need to innovate and offer more than just racing to get people to attend.

The speaker discusses the challenges of getting people to attend racing events when they can easily watch from home.

The Cletus brand is committed to not repeating the same events and is focused on adding new elements to each show.

The speaker urges other racetrack promoters to invest in making their events better to attract spectators.

The speaker mentions that they are willing to spend money to improve the quality of their events.

The event at Luke Sol Raceway promises more than what was offered last year, aiming to provide better value for attendees.

The speaker talks about taking a year off from Bristol due to declining attendance in the second year.

The speaker emphasizes the need to make events worth the cost for families, considering the expenses involved in attending.

There is a call to action for other track owners to be brave and invest in their events to prevent empty stands.

The speaker shares a list of notable drivers who will be participating in the event, indicating a high-profile lineup.

The speaker is seeking ideas for a prize for the event, showing engagement with the audience.

The speaker compares their approach to event organizing with successful examples like Taylor Swift and the Savannah Bananas baseball team.

The overall message is a commitment to creating more than just a racing event, but an entertaining show to prevent empty stands in the future.