Resource 2024 Membership thread - it begins - with a kiss

[shintemaster]

I'm confused - this makes it sound like because we use the Quill and Parker rooms for our functions, we're only allowed to have the bays that are directly in front of those rooms?

But again, that's different to what the club has previously told us.

And if this is true, then who is going to be sitting in aisles 35-39?

I think they're on very shaky ground here. Jen appears to be implying in her original response that it is due to the redevelopment when what she is actually saying is that due to the redevelopment they've decided that they can make more money by selling these seats as packages. That's not the same thing at all. The club has decided - unilaterally - that this is the best thing for their bottom line and they do not care about members in those seats. Nor indeed do they care about offering those seats at a higher price. Their equation is that shit dining package with seat will always pay them more than charging more for specific seats.

They're not sorry - they've actively made this decision and their most passionate members are the collateral damage. They'll be on social media begging these people to turn up to <20k attendance games next year, but it's all good because for Good Friday and the 1 other decent game they'll be fixtured they can sell meat and potatoes to some fairweather corporates. Great stuff North.

interesting email. Long way of saying that we want to use these seats to sell to corporates that pay more money, because Marvel are now charging us more money

Exactly - but who exactly do they think is going to turn up? If the people in those seats aren't coming nobody is. The idea that they're going to make bank on corporate packages for as we roll up for our 7th - and final - home Sunday twilight game of the year is laughable. They would have been better off actually offering a product that those in the seats were interested in buying. Can't speak for anyone else but personally I don't relish the idea of turning up 2 hours before a game to drink shit beer and eat roast vegies for the cost of a new car.

Edit: BTW this probably also explains why Carlton and Essendon aren't impacted - or are choosing not to be impacted. Funnily enough people are typically a bit more up for catering and events on Friday and Saturday nights rather than Sunday graveyards or 1pm on Mothers Day. They don't feel a need to turf their members because there is actually some appeal in turning up to their functions due to the timing.

 

[the big lebowski]

So I’m in impacted seats. Just made the switch from 39 to 33.

I fully get the frustration at

1: having to move
2: the way this has occurred
3: the principle of the thing

From a viewing point of view I don’t really care because I’m back to where I was a few years ago.

That said, why is this happening?

Clearly the club is trying to make money.

FYI we need all the money we can get to survive. They arent doing this to boost dividends to shareholders.

This is being done to help us continue to be a club.

Make your decisions accordingly.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

I think they're on very shaky ground here. Jen appears to be implying in her original response that it is due to the redevelopment when what she is actually saying is that due to the redevelopment they've decided that they can make more money by selling these seats as packages. That's not the same thing at all. The club has decided - unilaterally - that this is the best thing for their bottom line and they do not care about members in those seats. Nor indeed do they care about offering those seats at a higher price. Their equation is that s**t dining package with seat will always pay them more than charging more for specific seats.

They're not sorry - they've actively made this decision and their most passionate members are the collateral damage. They'll be on social media begging these people to turn up to <20k attendance games next year, but it's all good because for Good Friday and the 1 other decent game they'll be fixtured they can sell meat and potatoes to some fairweather corporates. Great stuff North.



Exactly - but who exactly do they think is going to turn up? If the people in those seats aren't coming nobody is. The idea that they're going to make bank on corporate packages for as we roll up for our 7th - and final - home Sunday twilight game of the year is laughable. They would have been better off actually offering a product that those in the seats were interested in buying. Can't speak for anyone else but personally I don't relish the idea of turning up 2 hours before a game to drink s**t beer and eat roast vegies for the cost of a new car.

They’ve been caught out.

Tried to play semantics, and been found out again and in the process, have shat on their highest paying members.

 

[Del191229]

First things first let's be clear: I'm not going around proactively emailing journalists.

Secondly, no one is "going to the media" to pot the club. This whole thing originally looked like the AFL had taken Marvel Stadium bays away from AFL clubs, based on what NMFC told members like myself. If anyone was going to get potted in the media, it was the AFL.

If anyone here is making judgements based on 'incomplete or possibly false information' it's you.

Stop looking to insert yourself here - you aren't a paragon of all things.

You're talking to journos, bragging about it and claiming the club has betrayed you ffs.

I know from bitter experience just how much it sucks when you're dealing with a million real problems as the media person, then some whiny dork with a terminal case of Main Character Syndrome runs off to sook to a credulous. moron journalist about some issue that should be kept in house.

 

[shintemaster]

This is being done to help us continue to be a club.

Make your decisions accordingly.

What's that saying about the road to hell being paved with good intentions?

Just because they're making decisions ostensibly for the future of the club doesn't mean they're the right ones. This football club - beyond this admin - has a track record over 25+ years of not giving a flying shit about members and what they want. Constantly selling games, no interest in the value of the home game experience at all. Turfing hard core members so they can sell packages to hypothetical corporates whilst drawing an average of 25k to a game and completely non viable commercial fixtures will not help them. I had to drop Hobart games because the club didn't value my experience - the way we're going people will simply not attend games long term.

You're talking to journos, bragging about it and claiming the club has betrayed you ffs.

I know from bitter experience just how much it sucks when you're dealing with a million real problems as the media person, then some whiny dork with a terminal case of Main Character Syndrome runs off to sook to a credulous. moron journalist about some issue that should be kept in house.

How exactly can it be kept in house? The club had the opportunity to do exactly that, by having an actual, workable and equivalent solution in place before flicking comms out on a Friday afternoon. You're complaining about people throwing the club under a bus when it is actually the reverse that is true. The club has decided on a strategic direction and then made the call that these members are expendable - that's on them and nobody else.

 

[Chadwiko]

then some whiny dork with a terminal case of Main Character Syndrome

The absolute irony.

 

[the big lebowski]

What's that saying about the road to hell being paved with good intentions?

Just because they're making decisions ostensibly for the future of the club doesn't mean they're the right ones. This football club - beyond this admin - has a track record over 25+ years of not giving a flying s**t about members and what they want. Constantly selling games, no interest in the value of the home game experience at all. Turfing hard core members so they can sell packages to hypothetical corporates whilst drawing an average of 25k to a game and completely non viable commercial fixtures will not help them. I had to drop Hobart games because the club didn't value my experience - the way we're going people will simply not attend games long term.

I fully understand.

I don’t disagree.

But maybe the alternative you think of isn’t one in which the NMFC survives.

I don’t know

 

[shintemaster]

I fully understand.

I don’t disagree.

But maybe the alternative you think of isn’t one in which the NMFC survives.

I don’t know

If this club can't survive offering reserved seats to its biggest paying and week in week out attending members then to be quite blunt it won't survive.

I think this is the reverse of what should be occurring. We already have crippled the attendance culture at this club over the last few decades, chasing a non-existent revenue stream won't work with the fixtures we receive. They should be going even harder on getting these type of members attending week in week out and more of them - not chasing a few extra people for the 2 big games a year and having nothing for the other 5 games. I guess that's the result of a Tasmanian based fixture though. We play so few home games that the $ don't even have to make sense. They're just banking Good Friday and going home for the year.

I don’t know

I don't know either but I have seen many companies destroy themselves chasing customers whilst ignoring their existing ones.

 

[Chadwiko]

My questions now are simple:

1. Are members of other Marvel Stadium based AFL teams also losing access to the level 2 wing aisles (as members such as myself were explicitly told on the phone), or is this a decision that NMFC has made in isolation?
2. Will any NMFC members/coteries/corporate partners have access to seating in the level 2 wing aisles, or has the club wholly lost access to these bays? And if so, who will be sitting in these bays on game days?

 

[shintemaster]

My questions now are simple:

1. Are members of other Marvel Stadium based AFL teams also losing access to the level 2 wing aisles (as members such as myself were explicitly told on the phone), or is this a decision that NMFC has made in isolation?
2. Will any NMFC members/coteries/corporate partners have access to seating in the level 2 wing aisles, or has the club wholly lost access to these bays? And if so, who will be sitting in these bays on game days?

Should be good seeing 12 people sitting in the bay dead square in front of the camera as we suit up against GWS next year for our annual blockbuster.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

If this club can't survive offering reserved seats to its biggest paying and week in week out attending members then to be quite blunt it won't survive.

I think this is the reverse of what should be occurring. We already have crippled the attendance culture at this club over the last few decades, chasing a non-existent revenue stream won't work with the fixtures we receive. They should be going even harder on getting these type of members attending week in week out and more of them - not chasing a few extra people for the 2 big games a year and having nothing for the other 5 games. I guess that's the result of a Tasmanian based fixture though. We play so few home games that the $ don't even have to make sense. They're just banking Good Friday and going home for the year.



I don't know either but I have seen many companies destroy themselves chasing customers whilst ignoring their existing ones.

The NMFC standard operating procedure.

 

[DocSholl]

I fully understand.

I don’t disagree.

But maybe the alternative you think of isn’t one in which the NMFC survives.

I don’t know

That doesn't discharge the need to be transparent about it though.

 

[Chadwiko]

Should be good seeing 12 people sitting in the bay dead square in front of the camera as we suit up against GWS next year for our annual blockbuster.

But shinte, you're not thinking compassionately!

The poor corporates only have premium seat access via:

1. AFL gold membership
2. AFL silver membership
3. The Medallion Club
4. Marvel Centre Wing Premium Club
5. Corporate Suites
6. Marvel Stadium Premier Suites
7. NMFC-specific Arden Lounge

That's simply not enough! They need more!

Give so that they may get!

 

[Uncle_Leo]

This may well be the case, but I had assumed (/hoped) that this wasn't the case. The high-end corporate sponsorship/membership section is the 'Arden Lounge' and that was clearly marked on the 2024 membership map.

HOWEVER

I've just noticed that since last week, the club has updated the membership map to move the 'Arden Lounge' from bays 39/40 to 38/39.

2024 Membership Map from last week when the email went out to members:
View attachment 1799943

2024 Membership Map as it appears today:

View attachment 1799945

From the link

"With premium seating located on Level 2 at centre wing and a brand-new function room for 2024 there is no better location to take in the action."​

I think its time to come out and tell the truth

This is a North decision, not an AFL or Marvel one.

 

[Uncle_Leo]

That doesn't discharge the need to be transparent about it though.

"Dear members,

We have had to make the tough choice in relocating the following memberships etc etc

This will enable us to sell further seats in the Arden Lounge, a top tier membership and enable to club to make (this much more) per season

We will contact you all directly to find out what your preference is and due to the inconvenience will offer free guest passes throughout next season"

It's really really really not that hard

 

[outwecome2play]

I really feel for the people who have to move.

It might be that we for example have 2000 people across 10 bays. Marvel might have told the club that you can fit these people in 7 bays.

Other clubs like Essendon and Carlton might be filling the 10 bays.

 

[gokangas]

Okay folks this gets messier - here is the email response from Jen Watt which I received about 2.30pm today.
I’m not sure where we stand and who to believe right now.
I’ll have more as she indicated the membership manager would call me today with further options.
Anyway here’s the response -

Firstly, thank you for contacting us and for your long-term support of the club. I understand your frustrations. Your seats are some of the ones that have been negatively impacted by the outcomes of the redevelopment.

The bottom line is the redevelopment has resulted to changes in the way seats are allocated at the venue. This is primarily as a result of new dining and function facilities that have seats attached to them.

With regard to the changes, the Club has endeavoured to create a seating model for members that aligns our product offerings by bringing members close to the new amenities and clears up some of the existing confusion around reserved bays and specific reserved seats. It also allows the Club to map our seating plan for the foreseeable future and to limit future disruptions to members seating. I know this will be of little consolation to you right now, as it is your seats that are being impacted.

The team has worked hard to impact as few members as possible and to try to accommodate anyone who has been impacted by working through individual solutions. 11 seats together is tricky but I know Cal will continue to work to find a solution and indeed, will continue to explore options in future years should better seats become available for your group than what might be achievable this year. I have spoken to Cal today and he has a couple of other scenarios that may be possible for your group. He will be in touch this afternoon.

I want to be clear that there has been no intention to mislead members. The AFL and Marvel designed the redevelopment with the new corporate function rooms attached to premium seating. Stadiums will always be designed in this way to maximise revenue attached to the best seats. The commercial opportunities created by the rooms in this location, must be utilised by the Club to maximise their commercial potential. This is a commercial reality and our club must optimise the opportunity of the function spaces. All clubs will be impacted by the changes.

Kind Regards,

Jen

​ ​ ​ Jennifer Watt​ Chief Executive Officer​

Classic - shut up and buy a membership.

 

[FlyHigh18]

It's harsh and i'm upset bc i really liked A37, but it's not as big a deal as i first thought it was.
Moreso since finding out I've been paying the same as those towards the goals anyway.
How silly to have done this sort of spread in the first place.

What will really shit me though is if they introduce a new super mega diamond platinum membership tier for those bays.

 

[Chadwiko]

It's harsh and i'm upset bc i really liked A37, but it's not as big a deal as i first thought it was.
Moreso since finding out I've been paying the same as those towards the goals anyway.

As I understand it, Premiership Club members weren't previously allocated to the bays behind/near the goals. Those are new bays that we've been shunted to for 2024.

I believe last year we had bays 30 to 39.
This year it's bays 26 to 34.

Happy to be corrected if I'm mistaken.

 

[ChopChopDigDig]

My questions now are simple:

1. Are members of other Marvel Stadium based AFL teams also losing access to the level 2 wing aisles (as members such as myself were explicitly told on the phone), or is this a decision that NMFC has made in isolation?
2. Will any NMFC members/coteries/corporate partners have access to seating in the level 2 wing aisles, or has the club wholly lost access to these bays? And if so, who will be sitting in these bays on game days?

I just asked a similar question to #2, as it stands there are no L2 wing membership options for NMFC members. That seems crazy to me.

 

[tazaa]

Okay folks this gets messier - here is the email response from Jen Watt which I received about 2.30pm today.
I’m not sure where we stand and who to believe right now.
I’ll have more as she indicated the membership manager would call me today with further options.
Anyway here’s the response -

Firstly, thank you for contacting us and for your long-term support of the club. I understand your frustrations. Your seats are some of the ones that have been negatively impacted by the outcomes of the redevelopment.

The bottom line is the redevelopment has resulted to changes in the way seats are allocated at the venue. This is primarily as a result of new dining and function facilities that have seats attached to them.

With regard to the changes, the Club has endeavoured to create a seating model for members that aligns our product offerings by bringing members close to the new amenities and clears up some of the existing confusion around reserved bays and specific reserved seats. It also allows the Club to map our seating plan for the foreseeable future and to limit future disruptions to members seating. I know this will be of little consolation to you right now, as it is your seats that are being impacted.

The team has worked hard to impact as few members as possible and to try to accommodate anyone who has been impacted by working through individual solutions. 11 seats together is tricky but I know Cal will continue to work to find a solution and indeed, will continue to explore options in future years should better seats become available for your group than what might be achievable this year. I have spoken to Cal today and he has a couple of other scenarios that may be possible for your group. He will be in touch this afternoon.

I want to be clear that there has been no intention to mislead members. The AFL and Marvel designed the redevelopment with the new corporate function rooms attached to premium seating. Stadiums will always be designed in this way to maximise revenue attached to the best seats. The commercial opportunities created by the rooms in this location, must be utilised by the Club to maximise their commercial potential. This is a commercial reality and our club must optimise the opportunity of the function spaces. All clubs will be impacted by the changes.

Kind Regards,

Jen

​ ​ ​ Jennifer Watt​ Chief Executive Officer​

The Warlord I love you as a poster mate but bloody hell your take on this has been so off the mark.
No one wants to see North shat on. But this isn't an issue about onfield performance, the players or the coach.
This is a member issue so 100% those impacted have the right to VOICE their frustrations publicly and even call for accountability from the club.
This is one of those examples where the ambiguity on display has seen North be extremely flimsy in their communication as to why these seats have been taken away from our highest paying members and simply those impacted deserve answers. Honest answers.


As for Jen's email, she's saying that one function room the Parker Room has been redeveloped in time for round 1 2024. This is located behind Aisle 31-34. So because that function room is now up and running the club wants to move all existing Schimma Platinum Level 2 members with a reserved seat from the wing across to the flank? Because of 1 function space?
The Quill Room is Aisle 26-29 FYI. So all this for 2 function rooms?! Supporters pay for the seat ffs not for the bullshit buffet and wine.

There is no mistake that Schimma members have been punted out to make way for more corporate use of that space. In fact this is exactly what's happened.
I can see why the club has been flimsy in their communication now. The churn rate of members dropping off would have been immense if the true reason was given. But instead there's been mixed messaging, mass confusion and its all to avoid revealing this controversial move. Did the club think that we wouldn't find out? That we wouldn't wander over next year and ask those seated on the wing by what means they got those seats?
The club really does take us for fools. Then again 38,000 of us donated 18 months worth of our membership during Covid, so its natural they assumed we'd all just shut up and move on.

Blaming it on the AFL and then the AFL denying that its a decision made by them is laughable. Honestly imagine thinking this would stick.
I can understand the club is trying to monetize this for further financial gain but to inconvenience your highest paying members in the process is just unbelievable. Got to look after the corporates hey?

I asked the question of Jen in how she planned to replace the Tassie money when she got the role 12 months ago and I didn't think it would be pissing off thousands of members and taking away their seats to use for corporate gain. The MCC in Jen is alive and well it seems.

Bring Euge back. Irony is he's been caught up in this and he'd never have endorsed such a poor stunt as this one.

 

[Del191229]

Pull your head out of the SAND - no one including me has gone chasing media. I was asked if required would I speak about how I was impacted and I said yes. I haven’t gone to the media bad mouthing the club and neither has anyone else in this thread. You need to have a spell.

So you went and blabbed to a journo and had a massive sook.

 

[KickItAnywhere34]

And the plot thickens -

Well I’ve just spoken to Calum the membership manager and I’ve been moved to aisle 34 rows M and N. It’s one aisle to the right and 4 rows from where I was sitting so I’m happy about that.
However there’s a story brewing here and I can’t get them to the point of admitting it.
There are 2 new dining rooms in aisles 35 to 39. The small one is Horizon and it’s for the Arden Lodge so the bays on the map are correct. The other room is bigger and called Skyline. Now comes the good bit - Skyline will have rows M to U at the back of the aisles other than the Arden Lodge area as walk ups for the diners. Further to this he also advised that the Centre Wing will still have rows A to G in aisles 35 to 39 so no change there. This leaves North in control (his words) of rows H to L in aisles 35 to 39.
Now I’ve probed and probed as to what they plan to do with these seats and the responses were very non committal. Personally I think North are pulling a swifty with those 5 aisles but the response is more like the AFL are the ones who haven’t designated what’s happening with those seats.
The claim that other clubs won’t be affected MAY be correct if they only have seats in that H to L row range but they are adamant all clubs are affected.
To me this looks like they are planning on using the seats in aisles 35 to 39 rows H to L for corporates or some such as they are continually referred in conversation as those new padded seats.
Therefore although I have managed to limit the damage on my tickets I fear North are not being entirely truthful with the why and then the how those seats will be used.

 

[KickItAnywhere34]

So you went and blabbed to a journo and had a massive sook.

No I haven’t spoken to him. Just eff off.

 

[shinboner magic]

What happened to your mate hood