Symposium Needs Follow-Through - by Tom LaMarra

re: Symposium Needs Follow-Through - by Tom LaMarra

Dogs Up — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 22:16:11 GMT

The formula is:

All TB industry stake holders must work in concert to generate and achieve new pari-mutuel revenue generating takeout streams and share proceeds proportionately based on their risks.

Unfortunately, to share a $2.00 wager among so many literally competing groups at risk is a question for the times.

re: Symposium Needs Follow-Through - by Tom LaMarra

PipeDope — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 01:13:05 GMT

Your observations are, unfortunately, wrong, for it has been many years since the Symposium sort of 'jumped the shark' in going from a very useful tool for education and networking... to a commercial affair wherein the hucksters outnumbered the racing officials.

To open it up to "gaming" and the like seemed to sound something of a death knell for the core purpose of the original Symposium.

There are simply far too many people in attendance only to toot their own horns, and far too few actually there with an interest in helping the industry.

I don't know whether the Symposium is having a negative effect on the industry or whether the industry is dragging the Symposium down.

Some of the major "networking" I witnessed by an unnamed racing management sort was their sitting in the small gift shop chatting up the permanent hired help at the venue.

re: Symposium Needs Follow-Through - by Tom LaMarra

fb0252 — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 20:11:01 GMT

there is a battle going on now between the contract horse racing crowed that would like to pocket all the profits and most of horse racing that sees power in expansion. for my part the problem is money and the solution is internet advertising and track owned adws. they'll figure it out. eventually.

re: Symposium Needs Follow-Through - by Tom LaMarra

Emily — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 17:06:45 GMT

Well put Tom. Humans have a wonderful ability to adapt however, some will insist on pursuing antiquated models until they are forced to change. Case in point, when I interned at Del Mar in 1992 several reporters requested manual typewriters. The secretary in charge turned to me and said, "where am I going to find 20 manual typewriters?" It's 1992 and they had not yet graduated to the electric typewriter - forget about the computer.

You make a wonderful point: young people ARE interested in racing - duh - gambling, drinking, good-looking people and beautiful horses? Who wouldn't love that?