CNU 2004-2005 autoshow

[damnit458]

Thought some of you might find this interesting. This is a link to pictures from the CNU autoshow from last year. A friend showed me these yesterday. For those of you who have been to our past ones, its just something to compare it to. Anyway, have a look!

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[ScottyB]

where is CNU?

we really need to NOT have our car show the same weekend as VT's and the local classics show this year.

[damnit458]

Near newport news if im not mistaken? A few hours away from here.

[Sijray21]

Near newport news if im not mistaken? A few hours away from here.

it's right before the Hampton Roads Tunnel after williamsburg and before norfolk, about 3 hours from JMU

[HAULN-SS]

its down near VaBeach

[Chris]

looks like they had a pretty good turnout- much more variety- more bikes, trucks, classics. We've still got a ways to go, but I think we're headed in the right direction.

One big thing I noticed was they parked everyone in an assigned spot and had large numbers drawn in chalk in each spot. This might help with registration- assigning each a number and not wasting space by parking diagonally.

[Nis01]

Looked like a much better turn out... not to mention a dyno.. thats a great way to draw a crowd.

[Nick325is]

I looked in to a dyno last year. It would've cost over 1000 to get it here and then JMU would have pitched a bitch anyway.


Nick

[G.Irish]

Their turnout didn't look vastly superior to ours. Remember last year it was supposed to rain and we still had a decent turnout. You also have to consider that they have a much bigger local population to pull from than we do.

Don't get me wrong though, there are still a lot of things we can improve on for this year.

[DierwulfBL]

yea like get some people who actually go to real car shows to have some input.........but wait that wouldn't make any sense, nevermind.

[Mike]

yea like get some people who actually go to real car shows to have some input.........but wait that wouldn't make any sense, nevermind.

:?:

[HAULN-SS]

well, you have to remember, we dont exactly have a concourse d'elegance going here. I do think that the car show would be better with less trophies and crap, but higher quality prizes. If we had 150 cars show up or something,might be different, and I guess there is no way totell in advance...but with as few cars as it seems there generally is...almost everyone gets a trophy

[KPWSerpiente]

Jordan was attempting to point out that the individuals who organize the MM car show neither compete in, judge at, or attend cars shows on a regular basis outside of the club's own.

He was implementing some sarcasm in his comment.

Our lack of car show success (attendance) can be directly related to our inexperienced judges, trifling prizes, insubstational advertisement and some really bad timing (we're always holding our event on the same weekend that other schools are hosting something else).

Obviously the rain hurt us this past year. However, the past two MM shows which I have attended would have benefited from more advertisement, sweeter prizes and competent judging.

-T

[Mike]

we've always been looking for people to help out and i don't believe we've ever turned anyone away...

judges? every year we've had at least one professional judge. brant is more familiar with classic domestics, but a well built car is a well built car. he has always pointed out details to us.

timing? unfortunately that is a side effect of jmu paperwork bullshit and the whole advertising thing. when you have to schedule a date six months in advance you can't know who else is going to have an event that day or what the weater is going to be like.

prizes? with a larger number of entrants will come larger prizes. i don't believe we've ever made much more than $100 for one of our shows, which take countless man hours. we don't do it for the money, we do it for the exposure.

[.RJ]

Our lack of car show success (attendance) can be directly related to our inexperienced judges, trifling prizes, insubstational advertisement and some really bad timing (we're always holding our event on the same weekend that other schools are hosting something else).

*sigh*

This is a club event, put together by people in our spare time, and I think the guys running it did a fantastic job this year and in every year everyone has busted their ass to make it happen. Trifling prizes? I'm sorry if we can only get together $1000 in prizes and cash for our little show. If you hate it that much, either volunteer to put some effort in and make it better or shut up and dont come next year.

[G.Irish]

Well there are two ways to point something out. You can denigrate and insult what other people have done or you can give constructive criticism and ideas on how to improve. The negative way typically doesn't accomplish anything other than pissing people off and starting arguments.

I will agree though that there are things we can do better with the car show(s) but I'd rather talk about how we are going to achieve those things rather than complain about the past.

Personally I think professional judges is a great idea but I doubt the lack of them had any significant effect on turnout (although it could have an effect on repeat participants). Advertising and the prize purse are by far the two biggest factors affecting turnout.

[HAULN-SS]

For example, last year, two cars that stand out in my mind. The cobra earned best in show, by the participants voting, which is fine. That car would never win anywhere else..only real cobras win, not kit cars. Two: the Hummer h2 got 2nd in the domestic class. Not bad, for a wrecked/pieced together hummer. Perhaps the judges should pay a bit more attention to detail.

but really..I agree with G, most people arent going to give much care to the judges...prize purse I would say is 2nd to advertising in affecting turnout. Most people would rather just have bragging rights and a trophy. We could also perhaps run some sub-events. Slow race for example, would be something JMU wouldnt ahve a shit fit about

[WRXtranceformed]

I think more sponsor tents / freebies and more advertising would help us a lot. This past year we definitely got a little screwed by the weather and by the unfortunate timing of other already popular car shows in the area on that same day.

I had a lot of fun though! It's always fun to hang out with car people of all areas / interests / budgets / etc.

[KPWSerpiente]

Be serious RJ. No one hates the show.

I offered to get us some experienced car show judges down this past year ...and was told it would be handled by other people.

The show before this past one, I brought twenty DSMers in with me. Most of the club treated them as unwelcome guests at the after show cook out....so much so that not a single one of them wanted to return this past year.

I said trifling RJ. Not cheap. Maybe use dictionary.com or something before getting your panties in a bunch.
How valuable is the first place trophy for the domestic category if it goes out to a mediocre car (this is just a rhetorical question...I don't remember who won in that categoery this past year)?

Obviously the organizers did a good job this past year. Cars showed up, prizes were gathered and then distributed and everyone I know had a good time. And if everyone is perfectly content with it being basically just attended by those in the club then I'll stop pointing out the areas we can improve on to make it a bigger and better event.

-T

[G.Irish]

We could also perhaps run some sub-events. Slow race for example, would be something JMU wouldnt ahve a shit fit about

Excellent point. Having more entertainment during the show was something that's been kicked around a bit but maybe this year we should really run with that idea to make the event more fun and rewarding for participants/spectators.