Fest proposals - the more the better

[GeWilli]

Make sure everyone reads up on the west coast thread aboout 2005... some great stuff has been posted but... the negative addressed aren't really negatives...

Also the time and energy spent making a proposal is never wasted. The information gathered and the events proposed can happen, turn them into a big local GTG - even make it a fundraiser for the club if you can or make it just fun and someting to cover the costs of the mini-fest. Kinda like the michigan GTG at Hondo's barn.

The best thing for the club is to have competition for location. Philly, Ohio, Texas even, SFBA too. Heck wisconsin maybe? Illinois?

Come up with a bunch of folks who want to get together and share a pizza and a pitcher of beer and brianstorm. Just be committed to the club and the goals of the fest.

Goals:
Fun! Activities that can bring people together (like F1 for example) put these internet spirits face to face. Thats the best thing- seeing who the people really are.

Competition - if anyone hasn't noticed its a massively competitive bunch, even if its just competitive mileage wise, competitive in terms of oil use, competitive in terms of Zaino or Zymol - competitive in terms of drag racing.

Look at the forum topics - pretty good guideline as to planning...
-performance: 1/4 mile track
-upgrades (non-engine): Autocross, rally drive
-fuel economy: MPG competition (closed can or set loop)
-Fuel and Lube/BioD: fuel/oil tech sessions, biodiesel fueling
-maintennce: demonstrations, timing belts, wheel bearing, suspension, lift kits what not
-GTG/Meets: Social fun! Brunch, banquet (they don't have to be on the same day FYI) free wireless lobby hang out after dark... cocktail hours

Costs:
obviously this is the big factor to get people to go. If its too expensive just to pay to attend then attendance will suffer - but having it in the same place consistently can consistently exclude people...

One comment was brought up that i think its worth mentioning here.

Consistency. Keep the location rotating around until we find the perfect place, ie a group of people willing to do the leg work - or enough people that there can be some rotation in the help - but a consistent location can be a good thing. However i don't think we as a club are there yet - to a stable place. Its still dynamic - membership fluctuates as people get infatuated or bored (gasp - the horror).

I'd like to see a few places put togehter a good fest proposal.

To the west coasters - i know yall feel like it might be tough to draw the big fest - but try for it. If the location chips don't fall your way, one alternative can always be to have a small "pre-Fest" GTG just before the big fest, and maybe some of the attendies will carry a "torch" to the big main even where-ever it might be...


okay - enough comment - to work!

oooooh one more thing - maybe not a single location in the future but maybe a rotating one - say Michigan Boston, Toronto, Phili? SFB? set locations on a 4-5 year cycle?

later
G

 

[Ghoulie]

I posted in the "Meetings/GTG/Regional Discussions" West Coast Forum, under the WEST COAST Fest - 2005 thread. With a very promissing location in San Jose, CA for holding a major GTG here on the West Coast. West Coast GTG w/visitors or the Annual Global TDI Fest.......
I'd copy/paste, to place in this Forum, but honestly I'm not that computer savy. People take a look @ it & leave comments!!!

 

[DIESELprogrammer]

oooooh one more thing - maybe not a single location in the future but maybe a rotating one - say Michigan Boston, Toronto, Phili? SFB? set locations on a 4-5 year cycle?

Wouldn’t that make it harder to discover a permanent location, unless it might end up being one of those sites.

I still think the suggestion to look for a permanent site that is central is the best idea. That said, I’ll make another suggestion that would help people to better plan to attend a fest.

Announce the location for the next year’s fest during the main meeting of the current fest. This is a common practice with other clubs, organizations, trade shows, etc. that don’t use a permanent site.

What it would entail is choosing the 2005 site as planned and then open the floor for 2006 submittals so that the choice can be announced next Labor Day weekend.

 

[Lug_Nut]

I don't think that a fixed rotation of locations would be desired. I'd rather see what you think the TDIfest should be. I'd rather have the journey to new places be part of the adventure.
In other words:
Wilmington, Park City, Grand Rapids, Burlington, Braintree?
Been there, Done that, Got the T shirt!

 

[oilhammer]

We actually have a pretty strong showing of TDIers here in Missouri and surrounding states.

We have what has become a bianual GTG at Old Navy's place in Poplar Bluff...quite a few people show up. Also, our location is somewhat central for many folks...but it can also be viewed as a long drive for just about anyone

We used to have a nice small 1/4 mile track in St. Charles county, Mid America Raceway. But as far as I know it has since closed up

There is a huge Bus event (campout) at Mark Twain Lake state park on that weekend, great venue with historic Hannibal and Mark Twain Cave nearby.

Gateway International Raceway is a doubtful possibility...pretty big place and there is usually some hoosier-influenced pushrod worshipping going on there that weekend

 

[Lug_Nut]

That said, I’ll make another suggestion that would help people to better plan to attend a fest.

Announce the location for the next year’s fest during the main meeting of the current fest. This is a common practice with other clubs, organizations, trade shows, etc. that don’t use a permanent site.

What it would entail is choosing the 2005 site as planned and then open the floor for 2006 submittals so that the choice can be announced next Labor Day weekend.

What it entails is bids being submitted before the end of that year's fest.
The bidding for the 2005 site began moments after the New England group won the privilege of hosting the 2004 event.
The 2005 bid, or rather several bids, could have been submitted prior to the occurrence of the 2004 event. That timing would have not only allowed the winning bid to have been selected and announced during the 2004 event, but it would have also offered the group organizing 2005 the extra weeks needed, and they will be needed, trust me, to adequately prepare. Those bids not chosen would then be in a much better position to bid for 2006.
Derek and I first spoke of placing a bid to host back in 2002. It took two years to set-up and do what the group of us did. It'd have been nice to have had a few more months.
Do you want a fest? It's not to early to plan a bid proposal.

 

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[GeWilli]

Good point JB, moving locations to new places...

what about regions though? It won't take too long before we run out of regions...

What about Hell, Michigan?

"My TDI survived the trip to Hell and back!"

And say maybe it'll be back in new england - maybe Braintree won't be the place selected - maybe it'll be in Keene? or New London, or Portland! Still would be "new england"

But as it is - it will be a long time in the future before we run out of new places to go ... IE PA, DC/VA/MD (lito and co, yall gonna have ta step to the plate someday

)... heck throw Se MO into the mix... add Ohio, Illinois, and Wisconsin...

we've got years ahead - not counting bids from the West... add those in.. LA, SFBA... Vegas/Reno, Portland OR, Seattle (now get it in seattle and i'm there - no question - anytime of the year - any excuse to go 'home'

)

maybe once all those places are 'been there have the t-shirt' we can start "rotating" to the favorite places.

Who knows.. maybe the BEST FEST is still to come!??? (i hope so)

 

[mgwerks]

What about Hell, Michigan?

"My TDI survived the trip to Hell and back!"

Or there's Eden, Texas.

Seriously, I'd be willing to help work on a Fest in TX - I suppose Dallas or Houston would be best - Although I am hours away from either. Any Tx TDIers want to run with this?

Mark

 

[suds]

...Announce the location for the next year’s fest during the main meeting of the current fest. This is a common practice with other clubs, organizations, trade shows, etc. that don’t use a permanent site...

That is what is supposed to happen with TDI Fest. I submitted the bid for Toronto (Burlington) because MI was the first fest I'd ever been to and they didn't get any bids in time to announce it there. I got back home and met with a few local TDIers and made the bid. I believe that you can plan a fest within a year but it means that decisions must be made quickly in order to get preferred venues before they book up.

Keep in mind the main things people want from a fest - meet fellow club members (old faces and new), talk TDIs, see new places/things, do a bit of minor wrenching (or some major wrenching in the case of TDI Fest 2003

). That's it. If the event can raise funds to run the site, great. Trust me, you will make some money for the site and cover expenses. That's the kind of people who are drawn to this club. They'll buy raffles ticket/buy auction items to help raise the funds.

I'm going on and on here but what I'm saying is - put a bid in and you won't regret the experience you'll have.

 

[Lineman]

Did you know :

It's Keene to Recycle (your used vegetable oil?)

Yes, the bold part is a real sign in Keene.

 

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[eschady]

Cool, it is a good idea, but if the fest is held in Boston, and the 2 proposals are Seattle and DC, which do you think will win? Based on geography, DC is more likely to win because it is closer to the Boston area, and more people from that coast are probably attending the fest.

 

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[suds]

...(And Canada is fine too for Fest locations before our northern neighbors cry about my not listing Canada above. I truly enjoyed Burlington's Fest!)...

Are we getting a reputation for being too sensitive?

 

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[Karjar]

We could always integrate it with the Sturgis Bike Fest. Can just see it now..Harley...TDI...Harley...TDI...quite the parade!

 

[PharoahTDI]

We could always integrate it with the Sturgis Bike Fest. Can just see it now..Harley...TDI...Harley...TDI...quite the parade!

Now that would be cool! I would really enjoy that since I drive a TDI and I work for Harley.

 

[Kuma]

I've been seeing a lot of sugestions that a vote at the current fest to decide where the next should be held, if that is the case then it will likely always end up on the coast that the vote is held on if it the only people voting are the attendies

I think it is a great idea to make the anouncement at the meet for all of the reasons mentioned, but the TDI club is World Wide W., shouldn't the vote be held by the internet so that all will have an equal voice?
Just a thought, I know it would be tough for me to make the trip across the country as it is for the east coast to trek to the west.

 

[Lug_Nut]

I recognize that most attendees of a particular 'fest will tend to be within "X" distance and that may skew the voting between competing proposals.
I also recognize that without even one proposal at the time of the more recent 'fests, the point regarding competing proposals is moot.