ok, i'm gonna weigh in here. try to have an open mind about all this.
tomo and lugnut know what they're talking about. every single year there is a thread, and every year the bulk of the posts are essentially a lot of "we should do it here!" or "it needs to be where everyone can attend!" those posts aren't brainstorming, and they're nothing more than chaff. they have never made a fest happen. brainstorming is good, but a lot of these ideas are old ones. there's a reason why the fest is generally structured the way it is.
believe me, we discussed things like track days and the like extensively, and the simple fact is they're incredibly expensive. at best we're talking full participation to break even, and a lot of people don't care about driving fast, or are flying, or for whatever reason won't be involved. what happens if someone crashes? what happens if someone is hurt? you can't just find asphalt and drive fast. that's why in 2004 we had a track even at a kart track. it still wasn't cheap, but it was a lot more affordable, a ton of fun, and anyone could participate without any risk to their car or having to mod the hell out of it. for tdi driving, there were various low speed events like the obstacle course (backwards, if i recall?) and the low speed rally.
i think what the veterans are trying to say here is that putting on the fest is a lot of work, a lot of time, and a bit intimidating when you have to start putting down deposits. most people don't buy a ticket very far in advance, so you have no idea how many people will show up until basically the day of. not knowing if you're going to make money, break even, or lose money is kind of tough on the nerves. that's why it takes a group of people in their area to say "ok, we're gonna do this." suggestions for areas are well intentioned, but ultimately the fest isn't a centrally managed thing. it's a different entity each year so suggestions don't matter. that's not stifling people's creativity or discussion, that's just how it is. it's just talk that can have literally no affect on the final product.
honestly, this thread is ultimately less useful than a thread discussing activities and the like would be. anyone who wants to do the fest is talking about it locally and is unlikely to make noise until they have a solid group and plan. i don't think "the veterans" are attacking or trying to muscle out the new folks, they're just trying to avoid the nonsense that comes up each year and get right to the useful discussion. throwing darts at a map, recommending parts of the country because they're central or not part of the east coast, etc have been suggested several dozen times, i promise you.