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Changes in the number of people who will be allowed inside Bicentennial Park has led Madison Regatta Inc. to adjust its ticket pricing for children, Regatta President Jak McCormick announced on Wednesday.
Previously, as many as 12,000 people were permitted inside the Bicentennial Park footprint, but recent regulatory changes have cut that number nearly in half to 6,800.
As a result, the Regatta was forced to rethink how it charges for children ages 12 and under. Previously, kids of that age were admitted into all Regatta events free of charge, regardless of when the ticket was purchased. Children’s tickets can still be purchased free of charge until June 24 — the date when Tier 2 ticket sales will end — but after that date and at the gate, children will be required to pay full price.
Children will still be admitted free of charge to the riverfront for the boat races.
McCormick said the Regatta regrets having to make the change but noted with fewer tickets now available in the concert venue, they simply had no choice.
“We looked long and hard at this and this was simply something that we needed to do because there were so many fewer tickets available,” McCormick said. “The good news is that you can still get kids tickets if you purchase them in advance.”
McCormick said that 1,700 general admission tickets have already been sold for the race and music festival, nearly half of the total that was sold for the 2022 event. But he is already mulling ways to sell more tickets and is planning on a marketing blitz over the next few months to get the word out.
According to McCormick, the Regatta plans to allocate $30,000 to market for this year’s event, a sharp increase over recent years. He said spending more money on promotion should equal more fans on the shore. “Our numbers were way down last year and that shows a lack of advertising,” McCormick said. “We’ve been getting help from VMI and the Jefferson County Board of Tourism, but we also need to spend more money and get the word out.”
McCormick said that the Regatta plans on targeting the Louisville, Cincinnati and Indianapolis markets and was seeking input from members on how best to spend the money. The Regatta already has a presence on Facebook but McCormick was hoping to hear ways the organization could maximize its dollars.
“I would love to hear any ideas anybody has,” McCormick said. “I’m all ears.”
In addition, McCormick said that the Regatta has already signed a letter of intent and paid its deposit to H1 Unlimited for “six to eight boats” to complete at this year’s Indiana Governor’s Cup. The Regatta also has already inked a deal with Grand Prix America and the Pro-Lite Series for 10 boats each from those classes.
The next general membership meeting for Madison Regatta Inc. will be at The Boneyard Grill at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 8.
