Raiders & Invaders in Leonardtown

[mitzi]

Question if anyone knows. Last weekend was the bike races. Saturday night there was a movie night on the lawn in the square. Good idea, but the movie? I checked into it and it was something (can't even recall the name) made in 1979. My two cents it that would be a good idea if it was a family movie. I don't think there was hardly any turn out for that and can see why.

 

[DoWhat]

No idea. I never saw it advertised (that I recall) until this morning. Never heard any friends mention it either.

First time hearing about it too.

 

[kom526]

Speaking from someone that is on the organization side of large(ish) county events Vrai, Hessian et. al, are exactly correct in assuming that people get pulled to different events because there is already so much going on in SoMD.

From my club's POV here is what I present to all of you:

28 Jun is the 3rd Annual 'Price of Freedom Music Fest'. Our first year of doing this was not on the last Saturday in June, but now this is going to be our date.
>>>Downtown Tunes is same day

1 & 2 AUG we are hosting for the 8th or 9th year, Lawn Mower Racing at Bowles Farms.
>>>SoMD Brew and Que is the same weekend. We will get crushed at the gate I fear. They even asked our club if we were interested in setting up a booth and doing some work for them in exchange for a donation to the club. The Lawn Mower Races earns almost enough money as the Blessing of the Fleet.

Also on 2 Aug is Children's Day at the St. Clements Island Museum. I've never seen more than 150 people there, ever. The Museum folks bust their asses to provide free family entertainment for a while and even selling sodas, hot dogs, burgers etc for .50 we still do not generate the traffic that you would think you could generate by offering this event.

4 & 5 OCT is the Blessing of the Fleet. We've been doing this one for 45 years. Everybody and their brother knows this.
>>>Sotterly has held their wine tasting event on this Saturday for the past couple of years which hurt a bit, but when PRAD was the same day, that really hurt.

You can advertise all you want, not everyone is going to see it for one reason or another. You can up the ante with your entertainment, but then you have to up gate prices. There are no real go to tricks to get someone to attend your event no matter how appealing it is, sometimes you lose out on sales just because your neighbor is going to the wine tasting instead of the Blessing.

 

[ltown81]

Don't ask for feedback if it is going to hurt your feelings.

Sounds like maybe you made the mistake of assuming people paid more attention than glancing at a sign driving down the highway. I see a sign in Leonardtown, and it says Raiders, I assume high school. Maybe it's a high school play or something? You also made a bad assumption people would know that the invasion of southern MD during the battle of 1812 happened in 1814. The war itself is not even one of the ones emphasized in history class. Too many people out there cannot name state capitals or congressman....and honestly known very little about this war. To get these people out, you need to sell the fun events aspect of it more than the history end.

I get that a lot of planning went into it, and it appears what was done, was very well done. However if attendance is your issue, and you feel the event was well done, the problem is, your marketing did not reach enough people or you got the date wrong. I am willing to bet if there was a way to sample people who did not go, but saw the signs, and ask them what they thought the event was about, you would see the event was not properly marketed.

Itown81,...it might have been a few years since High School History but 1814 was the major invasion of the Bay by the Brits...this is a bicentennial. The name.....had NO effect on turn-out. I am certain.

"Nothing really explained what is going on? Was it a festival? Was it a history reenactment? A 60's British rock band? What vendors were there, and what did they offer? I think from what I see posted here, it was like the beach party, but with a history theme."

Ummm, did you look at the extensive website? It explained a LOT of the activities,...the "newspaper" had helpful maps & highlights. The schedule was posted a WHILE back.

I hope you find something amazing...because it is VERY hard to get a festival up & running,...you just didn't take the time to look over all the information or appreciate the work that went into it. (and you do this for a living????? oh, ok.)

Vrai...
"I'm wondering if it's their marketing or the demographic that's making this somewhat difficult?"
You may have made a run out to Waterford for their October craft fair....the key is RELIABILITY--an annual event that always draws craftsmen from hundreds of miles. They don't re-invent the wheel every single year. Staying with a predictable theme...(Ann Marie gardens??) seems to build every year.--Chemistry has to be created.
I think the other concern I heard was conflicting events...there were other sites that were running events--drawing from the same crowd.

ONE more thing....I have attended LOTs of events over the past 30 years,...every attempt to draw in a Black audience,...has fizzled. Poetry, Singing, a Play, a book signing,...with lots of publicity will always get a trickle of interest from the Black community. I will defer to anyone down at Jeff-Pat for their annual Family day,...I cannot address their success/failure.

 

[ltown81]

Out of curiosity, how much marketing was done on Facebook and Twitter? For instance, say you follow some kind of Southern Maryland news feed on Facebook. A news story on the event in that feed pay get people to read about it. Since it is a history thing, was there any tie ins with the school system. Maybe involve the kids in reenactment's/plays or giving them credit for attending and learning? Make the kids come, and they bring their parents. Lastly, in general a lot of people find history boring, so you need to sell the non history specific events like the vendors and bands.

 

[vraiblonde]

Out of curiosity, how much marketing was done on Facebook and Twitter?

A TON. They were all over FB and Twitter, and had a YouTube channel with vids explaining the event, plus highlighting the entertainment and vendors.

They had local kids as re-enactors - my friend's son was there as a British soldier both days - and I believe the school bands were there as well.

They had stuff all over the county for this - Greenwell, Sotterley, Christ Church, St. Mary's City, etc - so I wonder if that's why the Square wasn't jam packed with humanity like I figured it would be.

I'm tellin' ya, the advertising of it wasn't the problem - it couldn't possibly have been because they were all over every media outlet available. I think you might be correct about the name "Raiders" being associated with the high school since a couple people on here mentioned that as well.

I didn't go because Friday night I was lazy, and Saturday I was at a friend's graduation party. Saturday at around 6:30 we headed down but everything was being packed up by then on the Square and we didn't feel like walking down to the Wharf for the band. Sunday, the weather was too perfect for golf.

 

[ginwoman]

Out of curiosity, how much marketing was done on Facebook and Twitter? For instance, say you follow some kind of Southern Maryland news feed on Facebook. A news story on the event in that feed pay get people to read about it. Since it is a history thing, was there any tie ins with the school system. Maybe involve the kids in reenactment's/plays or giving them credit for attending and learning? Make the kids come, and they bring their parents. Lastly, in general a lot of people find history boring, so you need to sell the non history specific events like the vendors and bands.

I didn't see much advertising anywhere on this. And I am on facebook a lot. The name of the event did not catch my attention the times I did hear of it.

 

[mitzi]

A TON. They were all over FB and Twitter, and had a YouTube channel with vids explaining the event, plus highlighting the entertainment and vendors.

They had local kids as re-enactors - my friend's son was there as a British soldier both days - and I believe the school bands were there as well.

They had stuff all over the county for this - Greenwell, Sotterley, Christ Church, St. Mary's City, etc - so I wonder if that's why the Square wasn't jam packed with humanity like I figured it would be.

I'm tellin' ya, the advertising of it wasn't the problem - it couldn't possibly have been because they were all over every media outlet available. I think you might be correct about the name "Raiders" being associated with the high school since a couple people on here mentioned that as well.

I didn't go because Friday night I was lazy, and Saturday I was at a friend's graduation party. Saturday at around 6:30 we headed down but everything was being packed up by then on the Square and we didn't feel like walking down to the Wharf for the band. Sunday, the weather was too perfect for golf.

I will say the first time I saw the sign I thought it was something associated with the high school. Then I paid more attention when I saw it again. Shortly after, advertising was on FB, the county papers, radio, etc. Then again, I'm always looking for something to do close to home.

 

[ltown81]

I wonder how many people actually know that St. Marys was invaded in 1814 during the war of 1812.

I am just saying..if you know a little history, the advertising makes sense...

But to your average person driving down the highway, a sign that says "Raiders and Invaders" with someone dressed in a revolutionary war era uniform means nothing. Everyone had good intentions here, and I am certain a lot of hard work went into it. Just history will not pull people in Leonardtown like a big car show, or beach party.

 

[Hank]

I wonder how many people actually know that St. Marys was invaded in 1814 during the war of 1812.

I am just saying..if you know a little history, the advertising makes sense...

But to your average person driving down the highway, a sign that says "Raiders and Invaders" with someone dressed in a revolutionary war era uniform means nothing. Everyone had good intentions here, and I am certain a lot of hard work went into it. Just history will not pull people in Leonardtown like a big car show, or beach party.

Do you like movies about gladiators?

 

[RoseRed]

I wonder how many people actually know that St. Marys was invaded in 1814 during the war of 1812.

I did. :shrug:

 

[bilbur]

My sisters took their kids and they said they all had a good time, I didn't ask them about crowds though.

 

[kwillia]

we didn't feel like walking down to the Wharf for the band. Sunday, the weather was too perfect for golf.

The band was soooo awesome and played sooooo many fun songs that my sis and I were singing along to just about every single one of them! You would have had a blast!

 

[Tilted]

I live just a couple miles from Leonardtown and had no idea that this was going on there until a tried to drive into downtown Leonardtown Saturday on my way back from golf and was told by a sheriff's deputy that I couldn't do so. I'd seen the signs many times, but it didn't register with me what they were about - I suppose the small portion of my brain that paid attention to them thought it likely they referred to something going on at the Calvert Marine Museum, that Raiders & Invaders was the name of some kind of performance group. I'd add that no one I've spoken to about it since - other people that live fairly close to Leonardtown - was aware that something was going on there on Sunday or what Raiders & Invaders was, though that sample is pretty small.

Yes, if I'd taken the time to read the signs I'd probably have better understood what Raiders & Invaders was about, and that some of it was going on in Leonardtown. But the thing about people's interest is this, people aren't interested in something unless and until they're interested in it. And capturing that interest where it doesn't exist to begin with is a bit of an art. Often it isn't enough just to provide the relevant information, even if you provide it plentifully and widely. As a general operating mode, people typically only leave open a small brain-space window during which unsolicited notions are allowed to plea for their interest. That interest has to be grabbed, usually quickly, before someone will care enough to figure out what something is or consider further details about it. It doesn't matter how appealing something may be, or how interested in it someone might be if they were fully aware of it, often that initial interest is seized unwillingly. In other words, people don't generally go around looking for things to sort through in order to determine how interested in them they might be. It's not enough to give them what they need in order to figure out whether they're interested. You have to plant that interest in them, and a lot of the time that means completing the interest seed implementation job quickly before they have a chance to stop your intrusion into their brain-space. As I said, there's an art to it.

Anyway, I hope most that attended enjoyed themselves and I hope the organizers, regardless of turnout, are pleased with their efforts.



EDITED: I realize it must have been Saturday not Sunday that I was trying to get to downtown Leonardtown.

 

[RoseRed]

I do have to chuckle and shake my head when people say that there is never anything to do around here. There are plenty of things to do, one must open there eyes and just look around and pay attention.

 

[Hessian]

Tilted....I think you hit upon a key truth.

Can wee switch over to the NATIONAL story of the mystery person stashing cash in random places around California...story catches on like a prairie fire in August.
I think if there was some type of hidden "plunder" that was planted around town...that was woven into the Raiders-Invaders narrative--it might have added a bunch more people (frantic people?)

Anyway...I suppose wee get blasted with SO MUCH advertising: we are conditioned to filter out 90% or more...interesting problem for advertizers!

RoseRed,....VERY true!

 

[vraiblonde]

But the thing about people's interest is this, people aren't interested in something unless and until they're interested in it.

Very true and nicely put, which is what makes marketing so tricky. You can spend a #### ton of money, and it may or may not get you a return because creating interest is, as you said, an art.

 

[DoWhat]

When I first saw the title of this thread, I thought it had something to do with some kind of youth sports.
So I didn't even read it.

 

[Tilted]

I do have to chuckle and shake my head when people say that there is never anything to do around here. There are plenty of things to do, one must open there eyes and just look around and pay attention.

I think 'there's nothing to do around here' is often code (albeit perhaps unrecognized by the code-speaker) for: I'm too lazy or unimaginative or unadventurous to find something to do, I want to trip over convenient - same old same old type - things to do no matter which way I turn.

There's always things to do. Sometimes people aren't looking for interesting things to do so much as they are looking for easy stopgaps to make that annoying sensation of boredom go away.

 

[Tilted]

Tilted....I think you hit upon a key truth.

Can wee switch over to the NATIONAL story of the mystery person stashing cash in random places around California...story catches on like a prairie fire in August.
I think if there was some type of hidden "plunder" that was planted around town...that was woven into the Raiders-Invaders narrative--it might have added a bunch more people (frantic people?)

Anyway...I suppose wee get blasted with SO MUCH advertising: we are conditioned to filter out 90% or more...interesting problem for advertizers!

RoseRed,....VERY true!

Yeah, there's a lot competing for our fleeting interest these days.

It's not like the old days when the ponytails on the girl from the next farm over were cause for undying curiousity because, well, she was the only female of compatible age within two hours travel of the world you lived in. That girl has to work a little harder to hold your attention now, and you hers.