This is the sort of thinking! Another Saintsationalist who 'gets it' re the possibilities.Siposstar#2 wrote:We should try to incorporate a backpackers hotel into the facility. A way of getting young tourists supporting our club whilst in the country, offer 3 game memberships?
Stkilda is a backpacking hotspot for tourists from all over the world.
We have the chance for this extra revenue that no other club has.
We could also do packages with tours of facilty\accom\ meet with players. international sports enthusiasts would like packages like this I'm sure!
This land is prime real estate and needs to be used accordingly to bring in extra revenue.
Whilst running a backpackers is probably straying from that weasel word term 'core business', we don't need to anyway. There's even one right over the road.
Ok, IMHO, here is why I want to get back to our Junction Oval in our St Kilda. Here is the end game...
To anyone who worries about the transient nature of tourists, I'd say that's actually also a good thing. It's a numbers game, and St Kilda and surrounds has the numbers.
Picture a tourist having a great stay in Australia. Memories that will last a lifetime.
And if part of those memories is time spent in St Kilda...
and if part of that happy time in St Kilda is derived from happy memories involving interactions with our cool and funky footy club...
maybe... seeing a band, having a meal, watching a training session and getting a tour of the joint, big screen in the middle of the oval viewing a Saint's interstate game, big screen in the middle of the oval viewing a movie, seeing a live game (most preferably at the Junction, but could be Dockedlands)... the list goes on...
We can become a part of these people's wonderful time and experiences in Australia. And when they return home, with the internet and all, some will be keen to keep in touch with how the club is going. Having an Aussie Rules team could become an on-going 'souvenir and continuation' of their time in this country. And guess which team they will follow... maybe even taking out an international membership. Or just boosting traffic to the Saint's website, and hence boosting sponsorship.
If only 1 or 2 in 100 tourists do this, the word will slowly filter out. They will tell their mates back home, some of them will follow in the same footsteps. The 'St Kilda FC experience' could eventually become akin to the 'Secret Lives of Us' or 'Neighbours' must-do list for many who come to Melbourne.
This is where the whole thing comes in about how we could eventually become the best known Australian club... worldwide.
No other club has the name nor suburb of St Kilda. Handled correctly by us... this is gold!
It's a numbers game, and St Kilda and surrounds has.the.numbers!
PS: Eventually, I WANT chosen boutique St Kilda home games played at our Junction Oval. And with a bit of sensible give n' take from the various parties involved, a can't see a good reason why not, only many many mutually-beneficial-for-all reasons why yes.
That said, the tapping into our SOUL to connect our uniquely marketable club, eventually with not only a national, but an international supporter base, requires us to be based in St Kilda. It does not actually depend upon us playing matches at the Junction Oval.
PPS: Again, please forgive the clumsy wording, but I do sincerely hope that I've been able to get across the basic idea of what is eventually possible for our club.
That's why I posted that St Kilda getting back to the Junction can be the defining moment in AFL history... the seminal move that can lead our club to a huge national profile, but also lead to our club being the first to gain an international profile.
I can't see any of the vanilla entities being able to do what we could do. That's what Austinnnn was referring to in his posts in the 'Saints homeward bound!!' thread.