Dan i would have to agree with Pat here, Having our own complex is very important, If you read the following Link, you will see that the meadows had there fair share of troubles by getting kicked out of Olympic Park. They had a difficult time and racing was done at Sandown.
EXTERNAL LINK
Being a tenant is not a good option if a lot of money is invested in buiding a track and facilities.

If a minimal cost is injected to get a track and simple facilities going, and a long term lease is offered and the LOCATION is perfect, then it would be worth concidering.

But Injection 10 million Plus into a Rental property, doesn't sound like the right thing to do.

Back to square one...we must OWN our own premises in the 1st instance.

Ray unfortunately i have to disagree, i think its more a case of the people in industry have a perception of wat the general public think, and they as with you are wrong. I suggest you take the time to go to CANNINGTON for eg and look around at who the people are in the crowds. i have had more interest from young people wanting to syndicate dogs in WA than i could believe was possible. we swim and fish in small circles so thats why the fish are running out, we dont think outside the square, we have leaders that cant even put out fires net alone have forward thinking. we fight amongst ourselves in small posys, and we never unite for the better cause. none of this has got to do with public perception, no-one can gain new people into the game in QLD until there is leadership that has racing and the welfare of our dogs as the first and foremost priority.

The Gold Coast splitting and doing their own thing will in the long term do nothing for the majority not aligned to them, they are thinking of themselves & the others can please themselves.

The multi-track self owned racing at least 4 times weekly and trialling inbetween is the way to go.

Further to the above if you can get the land build motel and shop complexis as money permits.
Sandown and the Meadows have done real well out of their Taberet(licenced club) as have Cranbourne, Sale etc.

Brian Kutner Jnr is the right sort of man to lead you in the right direction IMO, getting him to commit might be a task.

Happy Days.

ps, what is the NRL doing out of NSW and the AFL vic.

ps, rugby league is the most watched sport Australia wide.

Next week might be different as soon as the handouts are paid from the govt. They say the bottle shops & pubs/pokies are booming when these have been paid previously to the needy. Now all the rest will get it and hopefully put it thru the tote & buy grog at the track..

Who has been trying hard?

What is that supposed to mean?

I for one dont stop trying. At our local track that is.

On your comment about getting people through the gate... I think it is possible to get people through the gate.

I guess I have nothing new to bring to the table to support my views... just the same old suggestions that never really get implemented and involve considerable financial outlay:

1) good facilities that rival pubs/clubs/restaurants.
2) plenty of exposure in the media (mainstream media)
3) a well planned marketing/advertising campaign (targeted at the general public).

There are many other things that help achieve success which dont envolve as much finacial input such as :

4)support from the greyhound participants to invite and encourage friends and family to attend meetings.

5)at track level there needs to be friendly social clubs who invite outsiders and make them feel welcolme.

6)interactions and sponsoring of local community and sporting groups.

Anyway I hope QLD authorities can implement a plan which will help improve the sport in your state.... its a shame seeing it go downhill like this.

It's the same with greyhound tracks, news of a good meal at a reasonable price travels fast and many who go just for the food will end up having a couple of bets while they're there, they'll even learn it is somewhere they can take the whole family for a good night out and many will make it a regular thing.

What I am trying to get at is this, no matter what, people still love a bargain. Whether it's food or entertainment a cheap telly you name it, give great value and people will find your enterprise.

I don't think your average bloke cares whether he's having fun at the dogs or the pub.

REMEMBER THIS :

IT MUST BE A GENUINE FANTASTIC BARGAIN < NO SMOKE AND MIRRORS

I reckon a crowd could be pulled at the gold fish expo if included in the admission price of $5.00 was a $10.00 lotto ticket and a free beer. Albion Park has an audience at the Brekky Creek pub next door every thursday night, i reckon they could be converted.

You just need to examine the numbers and see whether the excercise would be worthwhile. On my hypothetical above you have invested $8.00 in each person through the gate and say 500 arrived, you've invested $4000.00 I wonder how much revenue 500 people will generate and how much profit would be achieved from those people.
Would it be fair to say each person spends $20.00 on the night as an average? if so you would have recouped your $8.00 by way of profits (40%) however your on costs would have increased staff etc but your fixed costs remain static. What if they spent $50.00???

If it were me I wouldn't want to die wondering! Let's turn the dogs into an exciting enterprise, diversified and profits will come knocking.

BK

Is there a dog track in Queensland where you would be proud to take your non-greyhound friends for a good night out and know that they would want to return again of their own accord? And would they pass the word on to their friends?

Brian C Kutner wrote:

I reckon a crowd could be pulled at the gold fish expo if included in the admission price of $5.00 was a $10.00 lotto ticket and a free beer. Albion Park has an audience at the Brekky Creek pub next door every thursday night, i reckon they could be converted.

Sorry Brian but a half price $10.00 lotto ticket wouldn't even entice me to spend an evening at Albion Park, let alone a gold fish expo lol.

But yes that is the right line of thinking, all of those people sitting down to their meals will also be ordering drinks and for sure will have a flutter on a couple of races, the bar takings will compensate the meals.

IMO Brekky Creek is not as good as it used to be but it beats Albion Park hands down, who knows, if the food at AP was good they will not only win their lost greyhound clientele back, they may even entice a few of the Brekky Creek regulars.

And one very important thing, if the caterer who wins the contract for the food doesn't continue to deliver quality meals......sack them and employ another. That very important issue must be written into any contract because we have seen in the past at many tracks just how the quality of food can slip to an almost inedible level.