Something to think about down the road

Hey - one thing i noticed flipping through my IPD newsletter (Volvo stuff) is that the Volvo Club of America has two national meets. Now i know we don't have the same "local" chapters like the VCOA that started way back long ago before the "interent" but its something maybe to look at. If someone else is doing the same thing - it usually makes sense to check it out and see if there is anything you can incorporate or improve upon.

(two locations for yall east coast and west coast guys to look at)

The first is VCOA West Coast National Meet October 8th-10th at the Konocti Resort and Spa (Kelseyville, CA). http://www.vcoa.org/events/2004-west_coast_national/index.php

The Meet
The meet itself will consist of a Friday night reception with light dinner. Saturday will start with a buffet breakfast and the activities will center around the large central parking lot with a Concours de Elegance, swap meet, technical sessions, Vendors. Lunch is included, as is the splendid Awards Banquet dinner on Saturday night. Sunday will start with breakfast and will include a driving event or “poker run” through the beautiful Lake County countryside

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The second is VCOA East Coast National Meet October 15th-17th at the Eisenhouwer Conference Center and Resort, Gettysburg, PA. http://www.vcoa.org/events/2004-east_coast_national/

The 2004 VCOA East Coast National Meet will return to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania on October 15–17. The recently expanded Eisenhower Conference Center and Resort will be “meet central,” just 5 miles south of Gettysburg. Please see www.eisenhower.com for further information about the hotel.

Track Events
Two track events will be offered during the weekend. Both are included in the registration fee. First, you will have a chance to challenge other meet-goers on the hotel’s go-cart track next to the showfield. We will have the track to ourselves for a couple of hours on Saturday.


Second, full-weekend registrants may participate in Volvo’s Drive for Life program at Nazareth Speedway near Easton, PA on Sunday afternoon. Volvo offers this program together with the Skip Barber Driving School to recent XC90 buyers. They have generously extended the offer to meet-goers to participate free of charge, however, class-size will be limited. Register early, we will fill on a first-come-first-serve basis. Program begins at 12:30 pm at the speedway and ends at 4:00 pm. Volvo will provide cars and safety gear.

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I guess what i'm thinking is if the West coast guys get their act together AND the east coast/midwest guys get their act together all at the same time it might make sense to have TWO separate TDIfests.

And maybe do it like VCOA does, one just before the other so folks like Fred can attend both? And it give a few diehard souls the chance to make the trip to both (do i hear a special award for those that do?)

OOOOOH crazy idea..... CANNONBALL RUN from one to the other - (timed event of course! find mileage and set time based on distance with a slow average speed - and have an index for the number of drivers in the car.... )

Dunno which would be first - that might depend on which side more people are on that would go to both (so far with VF, JB and Coolwht at least maybe it sounds like we'd to the east first and then the west)...

just something that everyone might want to think about?

or discuss more than we have in the past? Kinda up to Fred though. But if we can do two events like this it would/could raise MORE money, and get MORE people involved with the fests!

(now i just realized... attending two would be $$ for those that do... but maybe the desire/drive/resources exist in those individuals)

Cool... I remember going thru IPD catalogs (and later, boxes) on a regular basis in my Volvo days!

I think the two-Fest idea might bear well under scrutiny. Here's an idea for a twist - why not have them on the *same* weekend? With broadband and a little software, each group could 'visit' the other in real time via video conference. Although people couldn't make both, it might allow more folks to gather than at one Fest far awy from some.

Mark

Wow, I love being a geek this stuff is great! I'd be in for going to 2 fests!!! I've always wanted to drive cross country! Heck, if I knew for sure I'd still be living in DC next year, I'd write up a proposal myself!
Matt

Two points I'd like to make.
1. VCNA assists in putting on the Volvo shows. GM's Saab division also puts up a lot for the Saab convention. We'd need VWoA to ante up for operating expenses.
Note the registration costs for the VCoA events. Granted these are put on by more professional teams than the Boston group, but $95 registration?
2. This is a fund raiser for Fred, not a two or three day advertising campaign for a vehicle manufacturer. Yeah, we'd get to see a Touareg V-10 with VW officially involved, but no RocketChip, no Upsolute, no Old Navy CCV, no EGR adaptation, no Metalnerd, no Biodiesel, nothing not authorized and provided by VWoA. It'd be much simpler to have VWoA just cut a check, and mail it to Fred. Think of the hours of driving and fuel saved by not having a fest. Fred gets funding without the need of a fest. We don't have to worry about vacation and school schedules. Everyone *should* be happy.
All right, I thought of a third point.
The national Saab convention (only one) is held in various locations around the continent. Sometimes the location is relatively nearby, often not. When the official national meet is in a location too distant for some, those people put on their own two day GTG in their area. This is not a competing convention, but a local gathering. Nothing has stopped the left coast members from having their own large scale GTG during or around the time of the TDIfest. Similarly there is nothing to prevent we earlier rising types from having one on this coast should those in the wild, wild west be granted the honor for this coming year.

Keep one official 'fest.
Keep the 'fest as untainted by corporate influence as long as possible.
Have your own "fund raiser for Fred" GTG if you can't make it to the official fest.

I think it is a good idea to have one in the west coast.