TROPHY'S ruin car shows, and Participant's make car shows.............JMO but I'm sticking to it ! firstnomad www.angelfire.com/jazz/flatlandstudio
Michigan guys come check out the Showboat City Rumble on August 14th in Chesaning,MI I think we have just about everything here that people say they like
Location, gotta have shade! Reasonably priced food vendors (if there is there such a thing?), preadvertise so there is a good turn out.
One thing is for sure, you can't please everyone, but if you plan ahead you can try and accomidate whatever turns up - you'll have no control over the weather, who shows up, or what's for sale in the flea market. But you can plan your classes ahead, have some overflow spots, and if guys want to come with cars that don't quite fit in, put them in an overflow area and don't knock yourself out to get them judged, or have one big generic class for them. I think the biggest thing is going to be getting enough people to run it smoothly, people to park cars in the morning, judge at mid-day, and hand out the trophies in the afternoon. And the other thing you have to watch is location and date - I ended up not going to either of two shows that were only about 30 min apart here a few weeks ago, one an AACA show, one a hot rod club show. And this weekend there's one but it's only about 20 or 30 miles from the Nascar race - plus it's not that much further from where a tractor show runs Wed-Sat with a huge flea market, so for me selling, most people are fleaed-out. It's not a bad little show and if it was in my backyard and not an hour from me I would go, it's just too far for me to make any money at. Speaking of which keeping the prices cheap will help turnout, too.
I know of a place in Dearborn Mi. that has a nice size parking lot, lots of trees for shade, picnic tables, swimming pool, baseball diamonds,. etc... I wonder if I could pull this off??? Not sure how much a permit runs these days for having a car show at a Dearborn park... You'd have to bring your own bb-q grill and cooler.. There is a hotdog stand next to the tennis court if you don't feel like packin'...
I agree with MOST of what has already been stated ... Location Price Vendors Good people I started and ran the largest one day open car how in my state for about 15 years. It averaged 500 vehicles, for a one day event on a Sunday ( 1987 to 1992 ) Club dissention broke up the club and the event. We donated procedds to a local childrens home. One thing not yet mention is A nice EVENT flyer !! I have found that the better the event flyer ... as a general rule, the better the event. Think about it ... if the event planners took the time to have a real good flyer ... the chances are real good the event is well thought out and planned well. I have had partcipnats come up and tell me that they KNEW it would be a great show ... because we had a great event flyer. I had nice artwork and the basic information on it easily read. WHAT WHERE and WHEN The cost of registration and a contact phone number. This was befrore email ... but a web address would be on a event flyer today if I would to do one NOW This is a good event flyer on line IMHO. http://www.shadesofthepast.com/
GOOD: 1. lots a shade 2. no dirt for show area 3.sump'n for the ladies to do 4. good host 5. good food @ fair prices 6. good swap meet area 7. lots a clean shit'rs 8. muchoo show advertising
Good: Real Hot Rods and customs, good swapmeet, good bands, shade, cheap affordable (or BYOB) beer and food, inexpensive entry fee, drag racing, Old bowling alleys Bad: cookie cutter street rods, cops, uninteresting 58 and later 4 door sedans, cars that are just a collection of junk, no shade, expensive entry costs/parking (goodguys shows are famous for that), non automotive vendors (sham wow, stun guns and so on), large in your face comercial advertising (energy drinks, car companies (like at NHRA and Nascar events)), expensive food and drink/beer
i agree with this 100% after all the kid's r the future of the sport....if they dont go then they dont know...
Shade is very good, being able to get out, $25 or less and that better be for a real charity, good food at a decent price and interesting location. Race tracks, apple orchards,beach parking lots all have been good locations.
Makes: Cool locations...nice drive to the show. Live bands...good or bad. Something to do besides sit by your car till show is over...vendors, swap meet, etc. Participant pick handmade trophies. Breaks: Sorry location downtown on the asphalt and it's 80+ degrees and no shade. Over the hill DJ spinning the same old worn out poodle skirt music. Nothing to do but sit and wait till time for the cheap plastic trophy presentation. Car show judges...official and not official.
My wife, two year old, and I attend several week night style car shows because it is great way for our young family to do something with out dropping a ton of cash. There is one show in particular in San Diego that seems to be dieing out. Seriously if you look at other shows in the area, and what this show was like ten or fifteen years ago,you can clearly see it is going down hill. There seems to be hard working friendly volunteers, the venue is great, but despite their best efforts there are some real negatives that seem to be going on. The DJ is obnoxious, he talks over the music, interrupts it regularly, It's too loud and his speakers are really buzzy sounding. If you are at this show and you get to experience this mans talents it is only because the Gods have smiled upon you, and have parted the Red Sea of Power-Parkers. I'm a social enough guy, I like to think I can relate to most car people. The sad thing is that you don't really get the chance at this show because it attracts groups of people who seem to just be into themselves, they just hang out in their clicks in front of their cars. True people will do as they do, and if they want to stand in front of their cars looking "cool" from 12:00pm to 9:00pm then that is their right. Its just that these guys take up the parking early enough in the day to have an effect on the surrounding businesses. Also by the time people get off of work and get out there the parking is gone. At one time they would regulate this behavior with a police presence, but after some tickets of the fix it variety were issued (to participants during the show), the police presence was greatly reduced. Thanks for letting me whine, and I hope this helps.
Uh Girls, Hello? Hot Scandealous Babes in Burlesque outfits. Can't believe nobody mentioned that, wtf.
I do not and will not go to shine and parks, haven't for years and will not ever again. I will never go to a show that is held at a pub in the parkinglot ever. Stupidist idea ever. I fucking hate the idiots that trailer their cars to shows behind their deisel mohos and wake up at 4am to get in line for a gate that opens at 9am. Especially if they give us shit if we stay up chatting to the wee hours. Fuck stay up chatting, let loose have some fun talking about cars and get up at a normal time I like going to rod runs, you know when people actually campout and hangout all weekend. With lots of driving events all weekend long. -Shiny
Wow thanks for all the responses folks! All of these are great suggestions and I think that this will help a lot of car clubs and people trying to host shows. So hopefully we can have more shows that most people enjoy and give everyone (especially the kids) something to do. Keep the ideas coming....
i was brought up going to shows. i can tune out the crappy music, the easter egg cars with the cry baby/stuffed animals. i know how to use sunscreen, i can wear my own tee shirts. i can pack a cooler or go to a burger drive thru, but so help me if they can't cut off the year at around 64, i will flip out. if i have to look at some smug guy cruising his corvette/mustang, or dusting his challenger, i might display disorderly conduct. even more of a turnoff is the guys running the show charging $40-$50 for a drive around the block and parking on grass?! lastly is when the old timers running the show spend more time running thier mouths about "ratty cars". this is where if we don't like how it's being done, we must take matters into our own hands.
judging.promoters. Politics. Its all about the money. they should pay you for entry. Without your ride they have nothing
Makes ------ A lot to do and see, vendors, mixed croud, bands, friendly / organized staff, etc. Breaks------ Bunch of guys sitting around in chairs and there is nothing more to do but to ogle the cars.
Other than GG at TMS I only go to pre 64 shows. I don't consider a cruise nite a car show. I go to look at the other cars. I don't care about entering or trophy's. If I pay to get in it's so I can get in with chairs ,coolers and food. Not to enter for trophies. That said I like to see lots of cars,and a variety. Although I would never build a custom. I love to look at em and can appreciate the work that went into them. I like to see an open minded crowd, that comes for fun, not to bitch and belittle. I love to look at all types of pre 64 cars not just traditionals.God smiles on fools and idiots and so do I. So up to a point they sometimes can make for some funny shit. IE Lepord pants in Bad Bob's VLV thread. I'm a guy so I like chicks. Mainly just good cars ,no dangerous shit. I like to see the engineering (term used loosley) that goes in them. And to get ideas. Good swapmeet section helps. Good bands that aren't in the middle of the cars but off to the side. I said good bands, not just bands that think they are good. Mostly lots of good cars. Oh and prices that don't kill. Food and beer has gotten ridiculos. The bigger the show the better for me.
A successful car show is one that is fun to enter and attend regardless of who wins what, if anything.
cmon now.. the best show on the planet is the jerome bike jamboree and car show. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=437773
I really like the shows that let drive the cars around! like the nostalgia drag shows, and jalopy showdown! the sound of the engine racing is music to me!
To me C & C is a breaker. Cost $15 $20 to enter a show in the middle of no were with nothing to offer for it and make it worse charge for the passenger. Clicks, You can see that if they have awards a fair local car will get somthing over a nice straingers car. The Boomb Box guys chase me too Loud BOOM BOOM all day !!!!!!!!! I like a nice shadey grass lot palying old 60's - 70's music maybe some reasonable food and a varity not just dogs and burgers. GEORGE!!
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