YWP have announced today that Olly Murs is performing at one of their concert nights next summer. After the recent talk of cutbacks combined with the terrible PR after the Steps concert this year, I'd hoped they wouldn't be doing this nonsense again and would focus on being a top class zoo... apparently not!
Yorkshire Wildlife Park Concerts at Yorkshire Wildlife Park
- Thread starter Sand Cat
- Start date
You mean, other than being a massive waste of money the zoo could put into something more worthwhile?
You mean, other than being a massive waste of money the zoo could put into something more worthwhile?
Yes i do agree with most people about the fact they could be spending money on something else, that definitely should be the case. They have chosen to do the event but they need to sort out the audio to make it better
Alwaysevergreen
Well-Known Member
What people have to realise is, YWP have gone down the commercial route, knowing that they have to bring in a lot of money to support the size of zoo they have created.
Public footfall alone wont do this. They simply haven't got the money to start building new exhibits, and importing animals, they have expanded and expanded but there is only so much you can do, before you need to be getting money in.
The hotel and conference centre have barely been finished and they need these being booked up regularly to bring in the finances they need to continue to grow the collection.
People can say they should spend the money on the collection, but people don't seem to get it, THEY HAVE NO MONEY TO IMPROVE THE COLLECTION! They have had to cutback on staff, they have scrapped future plans of things. This is about needing to get what they have got, operational. Now people may think gigs costs a fortune but they bring in big revenue. Say 10,000 people pay £50 to see Olly Murs (or whatever it costs), that brings in 500K, of which it probably cost them 200-300K to put the show on with staff, stages and everything. This is 200K will the zoo can utilise into many things.
If they spend 100K on a new exhibit and importing an animals and so on, do you really think a new species, is going to generate that much interest that 4000 new visitors they weren't have already got are going to come to fund it, no.
Yorkshire has got big quick. They don't have 140000 members like Chester has, lets not forget Chester gets 12m a year in just memberships!
Yes its a zoo and everyone wants to see new animals, but they went down the commercial route to help fund the park, this is a business, not a mega rich person's play thing!
YWP have spent millions in recent years to get the collection where it is, they now need to start clawing that back before animal improvements can be made, I fail to see how people don't understand and get that.
People say they are spending money on stuff, when it should be spent on the zoo, but what they are spending money on, brings in money, which funds the zoo! Huge exhibits and new species costs hundreds of thousands of pounds and is not sustainable without incoming money. It's not a case of money is in the bank and its there to spend on whatever is needed, it's a case of spending money to bring in money, to help fund the park.
If the money spent on Safari nights was not spent on Safari nights, it will not be spent on the collection, as there is not that level of return from it. But 1 or 2 years of very successful Safari Nights and there may just be a few hundred grand to start looking at new animals and exhibits, but that right now is not going to be happening, and the sooner people realise and accept that, the less they will be disappointed.
I agree that zoos need other money streams to bring in the money. I'm a little wary of concerts but that is my own preference. However, even Chester Zoo with their 140,00 members is looking for other money streams that don't rely on gate money. Chester has nearly completed a new wedding venue. Also, they are to include a conference area under the restaurant and overnight stays as part of Heart of Africa. Lanterns and the recently trialled evening openings are another way of bringing in the money. This seems to work with the building/improving of enclosures ongoing all the time.
My big concern is that things like gigs are by no means a surefire money spinner. This year they were offering half-price tickets a day before some of the shows, suggesting that sales were very poor. Its a gamble - get it right and you make big money, get it wrong and you still have to pay artists, crew etc. and then you find yourself out of pocket. Factor in all the bad publicity they got from the Steps show (which many people are still discussing on social media and expressing reluctance to attend a show there again), and I'm not remotely convinced that YWP will see a profit on these events.
I think that being just commercial enough is a tricky balancing act for zoos, and YWP have gone way too commercial. Anyway, the park doesn't really need to expand or bring in more animals in the short term - its really good as it is, in fact some would argue it has already become too big. I would rather they just stuck to doing what they already do best, and doing it really well, personally.
Alwaysevergreen
Well-Known Member
What gigs were they offering half price tickets for?
I went to Russell Watson which was quiet but I would be amazed if they could get away with offering tickets cheaper than what everyone else has paid or they could be liable to have to partially refund others ?
Alwaysevergreen
Well-Known Member
Don’t be fooled on knowing that you have a regular £12m coming in off memberships each year.
This will enable them to make a lot of plans and additions as it is money that they receive near on every year.
The annual memberships and the amount of people who buy them is huge, without that level of support they would not be able to do half the things they do.
Yea those new things are extras and good additions but those alone aren’t funding the expansions, a sold out experiences plan . 45 weeks of 9 £250-280 , also help. The keeper for a day scheme which sells out in days brings in over 100k alone for the zoo.
I think they did for Russell, and that Whitney Houston tribute one. Might not have been half price but certainly a very hefty discount.