Thank you to all who contributed to this thread thus far. I've desperately been trying to make time to sit down, digest it properly, then give my thoughts to what has been said. I'll try to offer my responses on key points : Mr10Percent

1. Unappealing interface. Yes, I actually agree. This is what the standard, slightly stylised 'look and feel' is. It's customisable, and this is my next job along with Keith to sort. We may need to pay a web developer to do it, but let's cross that bridge when we come to it. Essentially though, I agree it looks pretty dull.
2. Control/Moderation. - Being a site which supports B&O as a company and a brand there have been a couple of times where B&O have asked me to delete something so it doesn't completely ruin a product launch they've spent many thousands of hours, and many hundreds of thousands of DKK on.  I have respected their request and deleted whatever article was leaked - and for this they have been grateful for (at the time).  However, official contact from B&O has been non-existent for the past few years - so do I feel I owe them anything?  Well, you guess. Geoff Martin is our only link to the company at present, and he does keep in regular contact. He is far too professional to 'blab' secrets, so he basically chimes in with help, opinions and facts - for which we are all grateful.
3. As above - our 'position' with regards B&O officially is currently, well... nothing. Obviously it goes without saying that the fantastic trips to Struer, previous prizes for the draw (many years ago) and product launch reviews they took me on are all very special memories and ones we are grateful for. In fairness, I don't feel aggrieved in any way. B&O as a business is struggling - and keeping some fans happy will be rather low on their list of priorities.
4. Manuals.  You're wrong on this one. We have plenty of manuals (uploaded and not uploaded yet) which all the other sites don't have. We even have some which B&O don't have!  I think we can offer some value there.
5. 'We are the product'.  Okay, this is something we are very much against. We don't collect data, we don't use data, we'd never sell any info or data we have. If other sites wish to do that, then hey - whatever. We are absolutely focused on security and privacy.
6. Discord/Mikipedia : I haven't visited his Discord for a long time, but I genuinely wish him every success!  The more exposure B&O gets as a brand, the better. Some people find Discord cluttered and confusing as the group grows (I have dropped out of quite a few Crypto discord groups as they just descended into a shouty mess) - but I'm sure Mikipedia will be up to the task. We do get less interest in the 'latest' products here now, and most of the traffic is directed at classic and legacy products. Maybe that's our new 'Niche' - who knows...
7. Working directly with B&O on a Forum.  Well, in the past we've mooted it - but they have always said they'd rather have a completely independent element here, without any 'big stick' over it in the form of B&O.  Was that a polite way of saying they weren't interested?  Who knows..  Either way I think that's the last thing on their minds at the moment. They're managing a chip-pan fire, and the last thing they want to be doing is chopping salad.
8. BeoWorld 'withering away'.  I think perhaps from an 'enthusiasm for the brand' way you may be correct. The company isn't setting the world alight with regular product launches of world-class products, but when money is tight you can't.  Withering away with regards traffic, the answer is no. Traffic is the same as it always has been. No decline.
9. BeoWorld 'Merch'...  A complete waste of money and effort. Last year I sent about 150 BeoWorld t-shirts to a homeless charity. I bought these and had them all embroidered in around 2004. Almost 20 years sat in boxes, unsold. Also, what we did sell we made next to nothing on. Futile, and a complete waste of my time. I won't be doing that again..
10. Prize Draw.  I think once a year is perfect now. It says 'Thank You' to the paying members, gives a bit of a unique spin to the site, and brings genuine happiness to the winners. I don't mind putting in the leg-work if it's once a year, and with current revenues we can now afford it.

MaxH

1. The site still serves the purpose of the B&O enthusiast and collector. There are a lot less of them around these days though, and anyone who denies that is lying. People have defected from the brand to others in a constant stream for at least the last 10 years. I see it in my daily business dealing in pre-owned B&O. All I see is people leaving the brand and 'selling up' their products.  Rarely, if ever, do they come back.  We now see a huge uptick in people looking to restore and use classic products, so this seems to be the buzz area. As so few people are now buying the very latest products there's just not the buzz around.  Also, the 'High Net Worth' buyers get their dealer to install it, and that's it. They're far too busy being rich and making money to mess around on internet forums. They are cash rich and time poor.
2. Appropriate vehicle?  Well.. perhaps Discord and the like for the younger, more dynamic members who want fast-paced chat and lots of noise. It's all a bit more calm and sedate here. Maybe we're the 'oldies' now. Who knows.  If you have any suggestions?
3. Growing or Declining?  Good question.  I think the new product chat is declining. Of course it would do - less people are buying the stuff.  However, the classic and vintage seems to be growing and growing.
4. I see all your other points, of course.  Will BeoWorld eventually become irrelevant and die completely?  I genuinely don't think so. We have a hard-core of members who, as the site stands, will make it financially viable and enable the site to exist. Could it change? Of course. When? Who knows. If B&O goes bust, or gets bought out and becomes largely irrelevant, then BeoWorld will no doubt be a 'specialist repair and restoration' forum I suppose.  However, if B&O turn a financial corner and start being world-beaters again then the talk will ramp up for the new products and that previous enthusiasm will return.

I've always compared B&O to being 'your football team'.  When they're doing badly you don't go to as many games, you don't watch them on TV as much, and you're not that interested in talking about them.  However, when they're top of the league you go to all the games, you talk about them, you watch them on TV , you wear the branded clothing and so on.  It's a chicken and egg thing. The success of the forum has a lot to do with the success of the company. As it stands, B&O are trying their hardest to turn that corner. There's no way we can help them apart from buying lots of products, and sadly a lot of them aren't what we want - or are at a price we can no longer afford (or justify)....

Lee, many thanks for the thoughtful response, it was appreciated.

Your statement: ' We have a hard-core of members who, as the site stands, will make it financially viable and enable the site to exist', puts a different perspective on things. If you have the membership, resources and commitment to continue then please do so and I will be happy to support the site in any appropriate way I can.

It seems that I am a rare beast in that I gave up the brand for over 20 years returning to the flock some eight years ago and, incrementally, purchasing almost the entire range of new products - no legacy products for me (much as I admire them). Consequently, I have done my fair share of supporting B&O financially and don't regret it in the least.

The common denominator on Discord is the enthusiasm for the brand and it is not populated exclusively by young, noisy members - simply the current and future buyers of B&O equipment. Just a quick scroll through the recent posts shows people buying Theatres, 28s and 50s in addition to the lower-priced and legacy products.

The question for you is do you also wish to attract this audience and, if so, how?