TDIFest 2026 for TDIClub's 30th anniversary??!!

[TDIMeister]

Discuss!

 

[P2B]

It should happen, but I won't be going if it involves crossing the border while the orange child is in charge.

I vote BC or ON.

 

[Sting]

Personally, it wouldn't matter if it was in the US or Canada. Would there be a time frame?

 

[TDIMeister]

How about two TDIFest, then? The continent is vast, and occasion would certainly merit it.

Northwest and Southeast, or something like that, so that people can go to the one closest to them and doesn't step on anybody's toes.

 

[TDIMeister]

Every TDIFest has been held on the Labo(u)r Day long weekend.

 

[Lug_Nut]

2001, Park City, Utah was a week or two after to permit synchronizing with the USFRA Bonneville Speed Week and their running of the "130 MPH Club" event, as well as an SCCA Autocross event a day later in SLC.
Labor Day has otherwise been a consistant, but not mandatory, time frame for the big to-do.

 

[TDIMeister]

2001, Park City, Utah was a week or two after to permit synchronizing with the USFRA Bonneville Speed Week and their running of the "130 MPH Club" event, as well as an SCCA Autocross event a day later in SLC.
Labor Day has otherwise been a consistant, but not mandatory, time frame for the big to-do.

I stand corrected. So there is indeed no hard and fast rule that it has to be over Labour Day, but all these discussions are nice after what has been quite a quiet period; the next step is to put together a committed group of people who will be the key organizers and pitch the idea to Fred. Everyone who's ever organized a TDI Fest will tell you it is no small undertaking, but the results are simply spectacular.

 

[x1800MODMY360x]

I would like to attend to one if I had enough notice for it.

 

[Nuje]

Fred himself (@VW Derf) is in Richmond (suburb of Vancouver), BC, so....the BC coast would seem like a natural fit.
Vancouver Island is a lot less expensive than Vancouver area. A LOT less traffic. Lots of things (and roads) to see and do.
Just sayin'....

 

[TDIMeister]

Fred himself (@VW Derf) is in Richmond (suburb of Vancouver), BC, so....the BC coast would seem like a natural fit.
Vancouver Island is a lot less expensive than Vancouver area. A LOT less traffic. Lots of things (and roads) to see and do.
Just sayin'....

That would be cool, but a group will have to form an organising committee and pitch the idea to Fred. All the components of the meet will have to be figured out: gathering space, accommodations, dining/banquet/conference facilities, etc., of sufficient capacity for the anticipated attendance.

 

[Lug_Nut]

To those that want a 'fest in this or that region, at this or that time of year: https://forums.tdiclub.com/index.php?threads/tdifest-faq.310762/#post-3343760
Fred, (and his family) have sacrificed enough for us over the 25+ years.
The forum administrators and moderators have performed more than sufficient volunteer work for each of us free-loading forum contributors, lurkers, gad-flies, trolls.
It's up to us, those that benefit from their labors, to step up and help ourselves to contribute revenue to this 'free' forum that somehow has remained free from payment. No subscription, no monthly access fee, no advertising, no data collection.

 

[Nuje]

No subscription, no monthly access fee, no advertising, no data collection.

Excellent point!
This is one of the very few corners of modern tech life that has managed to avoid enshittification.

I wasn't saying that Fred would need to be involved in the planning or execution; more just to make it easy for the man to make an appearance, should he so desire.

 

[hskrdu]

I'll just add that it often strikes me that we (TDIClub) might have made it unnecessarily difficult to hold a TDIFest, based on our self-imposed "rules." Many times over the last decade I've seen new(er) members bring their excitement and energy, propose a Fest, only to be quickly given a list of hoops and how high they are going to have to jump. Maybe it should be a little easier to hold a Fest?

 

[jdhunt0]

The last TDIFest I made it to was in Lexington KY and had a blast. I have been without a VW for a while and picked up a new to me Golf a couple weeks ago. I’d LOVE to attend another.

 

[jdhunt0]

I'll just add that it often strikes me that we (TDIClub) might have made it unnecessarily difficult to hold a TDIFest, based on our self-imposed "rules." Many times over the last decade I've seen new(er) members bring their excitement and energy, propose a Fest, only to be quickly given a list of hoops and how high they are going to have to jump. Maybe it should be a little easier to hold a Fest?

Might be some truth to this. I have seen several plans fall apart. I have some mods to finish up on my Golf and will be making a trip to the tail of the dragon. When I set a date can post on the forum and see if others are interested.

 

[compu_85]

The "rules" for a fest are quite straightforward IMO, and ensure that we won't get caught out by "surprises".

It's basically just doing legwork to be sure the venue is appropriate, getting the event space, working with vendors, and managing registrations.

-J

 

[hskrdu]

The "rules" for a fest are quite straightforward IMO, and ensure that we won't get caught out by "surprises".
It's basically just doing legwork to be sure the venue is appropriate, getting the event space, working with vendors, and managing registrations.
-J

I didn't say they were convoluted or confusing.

How many years has there been no TDIfest? It's not due to lack of interest or lack of people posting every year about a fest in some manner.

 

[P2B]

I didn't say they were convoluted or confusing.

How many years has there been no TDIfest? It's not due to lack of interest or lack of people posting every year about a fest in some manner.

I'm not sure it's due to overly onerous rules either. It requires a significant time commitment from a group of members, the rules largely reflect that reality.

Which rules would you suggest relaxing?

 

[Nuje]

Is there a guide or "how-to" on what's needed / wanted for a TDIfest?
(i.e., what are these "rules" being referenced?)

 

[Lug_Nut]

TDIFest FAQ

So often there are many questions about TDIFest… What is TDIFest? How does it work? Where is it located? How do I register? How much is it? How do I get TDIFest to come to my area? And so on… This thread is a collection of information on TDIFest to search as a resource for all your...

forums.tdiclub.com

It's a 'sticky'
There are no 'rules' that must be followed. It's not a mandatory requirement that some prior fest be copied exactly.
The guide is based what others have done and worked well enough for that group for that location and that specific venue. Each venue being evaluated by a person or group should keep in mind that location's best features so as to make the event the best it could be for that location. Phoenix? Great in the winter, not so good in July. St. Paul? Not in the winter for a car event. New Orleans at Mardi Gras, or in hurricane season? Reconsider the timing.
What you (singular or as an organizing group) choose should be based on what you can do well with what you think best suits the capabilities of some selected region and season.

There has been no TDI fest for years and it's not due for a lack of "I want someone else to do an event for me." pleas.
There has been no fest because of not enough "How can I help make this happen?" inquiries.

 

[hskrdu]

I'm not sure it's due to overly onerous rules either. It requires a significant time commitment from a group of members, the rules largely reflect that reality.
Which rules would you suggest relaxing?

I put "rules" in quotes for a reason (mostly because I knew what the response would be...). See Zippy's post #17 as a point of friction.

My observation is two fold: First, I see lots of posts from energetic new members over the last decade wanting to hold/have/attend a TDIFest, and invariably a long-standing member pops in a squashes their enthusiasm / tells them to write a 30 page proposal. Granted, some of those (old) members are gone now, but the second part is that I think we are creating a hard process (your "reality"), rather than one conducive to holding a Fest. If the requirements outlined in the required proposal (and associated work) lead to a great TDIFest that hasn't been held for decade, then I'd suggest we are approaching the very process from the wrong angle. A TDIFest that hits all the wickets, and is defunct. That, of course, leads to Lug's post...

 

[hskrdu]

TDIFest FAQ

So often there are many questions about TDIFest… What is TDIFest? How does it work? Where is it located? How do I register? How much is it? How do I get TDIFest to come to my area? And so on… This thread is a collection of information on TDIFest to search as a resource for all your...

forums.tdiclub.com

It's a 'sticky'
There are no 'rules' that must be followed. It's not a mandatory requirement that some prior fest be copied exactly.
The guide is based what others have done and worked well enough for that group for that location and that specific venue. Each venue being evaluated by a person or group should keep in mind that location's best features so as to make the event the best it could be for that location. Phoenix? Great in the winter, not so good in July. St. Paul? Not in the winter for a car event. New Orleans at Mardi Gras, or in hurricane season? Reconsider the timing.
What you (singular or as an organizing group) choose should be based on what you can do well with what you think best suits the capabilities of some selected region and season.

There has been no TDI fest for years and it's not due for a lack of "I want someone else to do an event for me." pleas.
There has been no fest because of not enough "How can I help make this happen?" inquiries.

Well, Zippy's FAQ is a sticky, but I've never taken the "basic" requirements for submitting a proposal as a suggestion. I'd hate to see the advanced requirements. Since Zippy hasn't been here in 5 years, the proposal goes to...

On your second point, I disagree. Obviously when we visit Fred's each of us reads what is interesting to us, so our consumed content is different, but over the last decade I routinely and continuously see posts that includes both the "I want to attend a Fest," and the "How do we hold a Fest." Unfortunately, both of these are met by at least one or two responses that politely (or sometimes not so) might be re-read as "You Newbie, it takes a LOT of planning to hold a Fest, so curb your enthusiasm..."

I often get a sense of unhealthy inertia. We have a process in place which (in my eyes) is more likely to deter a Fest from being organized, but we are sticking to it and claiming that the problem is that no one is willing to organize a Fest. One support to this is that there hasn't been a TDIFest since....2015? If no one is willig to organize it, perhaps we should make it less burdonsome to organize.

 

[Lug_Nut]

...I routinely and continuously see posts that includes both the "I want to attend a Fest," and the "How do we hold a Fest." Unfortunately, both of these are met by at least one or two responses that politely (or sometimes not so) might be re-read as "You Newbie, it takes a LOT of planning to hold a Fest, so curb your enthusiasm..."

I'm not aware that my own responses have been of one singular reply to two very different posts. If I have replied to any 'how do we...." with the same disdain as I reply to the "how will you..." posts, I am ashamed and I apologize to the "we" posters.
The fest format has... rather had, become tradition. There are no rules, no 'shall', no 'must'.

 

[hskrdu]

I'm not aware that my own responses have been of one singular reply to two very different posts. If I have replied to any 'how do we...." with the same disdain as I reply to the "how will you..." posts, I am ashamed and I apologize to the "we" posters.
The fest format has... rather had, become tradition. There are no rules, no 'shall', no 'must'.

Honestly, I don't especially pay attention to user names when these exchanges happen, other than to establish some sense of the conversation, so I wasn't pointing a finger at anyone specific- My memory isn't good enough to remember much more than patterns of behavior and internal club messaging.

I would suggest three things: First, members here shouldn't squash enthusiasm or initiative regarding a Fest. Both might need to be redirected, but the energy and excitement can be guided, rather than curbed. This goes for any type of post, including the "I want a Fest, so someone else organize one for me." Annoying, but buried in there are the ingredients for action.

Second, if the problem is that no one is willing to organize a Fest, we should ask "why." Certainly one answer might be that our members, by and large, lack the DIY spirit. I would suggest this is especially not the case! Instead, I would suggest (sorry to be repetitive) that we consider whether "submit a proposal for approval and create a powerpoint with all your research" is dissuading potential organizers.

Third, if there are no rules and no "must" do's for a Club Fest (rather than regional GTG), then let's edit or amend Zippy's post, especially number 17, and direct interested organizers to a single source of reference. This process might even shake things up wholesale, such as having regional Fests held in coordination, that mimic TDIFest, and carry that name (TDIFest-West), or having events where attendees are responsible for their own tasking, and the official "schedule" includes only an abbreviated list of basic (but fun) events.

 

[3L3M3NT]

With some help again, I'd be willing to put on another TDIFest in Sturgeon, WI.
Just let me know if anyone else would be interested in helping me out.

 

[Lug_Nut]

.... if the problem is that no one is willing to organize a Fest, we should ask "why."

For me personally, it was 'time'. A TDI 'fest, at least of the content that we were expecting in those years, takes a lot of planning. For the New England edition in 2005 the initial proposal for hosting was postulated in 2003. That was two years of ideas and planning and action. The first year was easy, the last 6 months incredibly difficult to fit the comittment to TDIClub members into the N.E. TDI'fest organizers personal work and home lives. For me it was a good two more years before I even entertained thoughts about any do-over to revisit the things we had wanted to do, but couldn't incorporate in 2005.
Very few organizers (other than 2013, 2015) have taken on a subsequent 'fest.

That was then. What might work well now under current expectations / limitations is unknown. Let's find out.

I'm not about to submit my name as a prime organizer, but I am willing to assist, even if remotely, in aspects or tasks in which I think I can adequately assist.
"Boots on the ground" local knowlege isn't to be overlooked, but an internet based group should be sufficiently adept at virtual organization. The Montreal 'fest was mainly organized from Rhode Island with the capable assistance of Montreal based members. The Portland 'fest was organized from CA based organization and a large assist from a Portland based group.

 

[K5FAL]

It should happen, but I won't be going if it involves crossing the border while the orange child is in charge.

I vote BC or ON.

It’s alright. In only 3 years, Vance will be President and you can return

 

[kwhiner]

Would be more than happy to take part it has been since the Park City gathering, so a bit overdue!!