Thank you and feedback for 2014 National

[Toxicvrs]

Colin, a local school is closing in December I maybe able to get hold of it for free unless it's joint ownership with the community hall

[ColinD]

We have a lot more than just insurance partners Colin, was nobody else interested in opening a stall?

 

I know you tried with a local ice cream business which fell on death ears...

Not worth it. By time a van is loaded, a lad is paid etc... certainly that was the case last year. Free to attend to, but needs lots of footfall. 

 

True if Blyton had been wet, it would of been a panic. Large barn would of held us all. Trade off between venues and activity. The track was the interest, then cars and people. I always hoped for a more social meet than just a car park. I think I got that through the shared viewing and grassy nature of the place. Hard to chill out on concrete.

 

A stock of detailing products is easy to say/type. But which ones It's quite a religious buying experience from what I've observed thus far.

[dougle03]

My 2p.

 

Assuming Blyton again.

 

Friday afternoon/evening:

Camping, BBQ and twilight film on the sponsored stage showing a (Forum voted for film) then music (Bar or reefers would be good)

 

Saturday daytime

Track, open pit lane but shorter purchase sessions, say £30 for 2 hours?

Usual attractions and whatever sponsors can provide - Retail options for zero ground rent to encourage attendance

Show and shine - let the buffing commence!!

 

Saturday Evening

Sponsored stage with sound system and lighting for local (good) bands and late DJ for the ravers

Hog roast (veggie options too) + Bar

More camping ect...

 

Sunday

Track open again - Show and shine (On line voting) - plus other attractions and open boot sale (Car themed)

Sponsored stage continues with entertainment and awards giving ect...

All done by 17:00

 

Colin, is there options for half day hire of the track to bring costs down a little..?

[ColinD]

My 2p.

 

Assuming Blyton again.

 

Friday afternoon/evening:

Camping, BBQ and twilight film on the sponsored stage showing a (Forum voted for film) then music (Bar or reefers would be good)

 

Saturday daytime

Track, open pit lane but shorter purchase sessions, say £30 for 2 hours?

Usual attractions and whatever sponsors can provide - Retail options for zero ground rent to encourage attendance

Show and shine - let the buffing commence!!

 

Saturday Evening

Sponsored stage with sound system and lighting for local (good) bands and late DJ for the ravers

Hog roast (veggie options too) + Bar

More camping ect...

 

Sunday

Track open again - Show and shine (On line voting) - plus other attractions and open boot sale (Car themed)

Sponsored stage continues with entertainment and awards giving ect...

All done by 17:00

 

Colin, is there options for half day hire of the track to bring costs down a little..?

 

There are options to make the track a little cheaper. Smaller venue. Run in sprints, less Marshalls, treat more as a test day, so no medic, maybe fire only or the other way around. One day hire is for the sake of easy math, 5k, easily double it to go south to a logistically better venue and keeping adding more on the closer to a 'circuit' you find in a computer game. It was worth doing to learn and adapt for '15. The opportunity cost is huge to me as I've done no billable work in July.

 

So build up and around those figures, stage, dj, music, film, screen all begins to add up. Absolutely fine to build up, if we gate charge :(. Context: I didn't go, but dubstock. £7.50 gate (inc charity donation ) to park in field, lots of fun things, welly throwing for one I believe.  PistonFest £25IIRC similar but band.stage.comps. I'm being dissuaded from the north south two combo meet, but maybe a north south sliding single. Keeping an eye on time from the M1/5/6/40 corridors.

 

I'm more than happy to build up a show, just have to be careful not to get carried away and bankrupt ourselves. Talking last night to some non car owners, more band/gig people. they suggested a pre-even kickstarter esk fund to take the booking/deposit sting off.

 

The above plan is a good overview. A more central, so closer to M1/5/640 corridor and it would work. Combine with a couple of other choice groups to keep individual gate costs down it could work.

 

Another good ideal suggestion on the retail zero rent. Already in place, sadly very few sniffs of interest, last year only one. As mentioned above, numbers need to be higher to gain more sales, thus a return on investment. Flag waving it seems is dead mechanism. This year I/we had to fund all the prizes as only two sponsors ( Chris Knott and Opie oils ) came forward to offer a backing to a prize. A real lost opportunity for them I felt, especially as I halved the sponsor costs this year in part to encourage involvement and support of events. humfff. Good job freedom is here, support from the community for the community!

 

Gaydon by contrast; does the museum change often enough? Can cater for camping and with enough notice 12 months the jag/landrover test track can be borrowed for a processional lap. So places like Gaydon with dry/wet/family interest work for me.

 

2015 will be coming. More feedback and volunteers will be sought. If we go for a track then I have a few alternative plans. 

 

One final closing thought, we've been incredibly lucky with the weather over the last few years. Timing is key to anything like this. August slid us to the school holidays.  

 

So general thoughts on timing?

Early July/Late June or earlier May...

[Brimma]

To be honest, Colin, I for one wouldn't baulk at paying an entrance fee, even if it was, for example, £10 per car

300 cars @ £10 per car = £3000

It would be interesting to see if everyone who attended this year was a Freedom member or not

I know it is a right not to be, but to contribute nothing to the site, then make no contribution to a national meet......no-one should expect everything for nothing these days

[mannyo]

Has to be July or early August I think to at least stand a reasonable chance of weather, May and and September onwards can be to unpredictable.

 

Others charge, so I don't see an issue with a small fee which is perhaps discounted or FOC for freedom members. Would need someone to collect and admin at the entrance, and collect money from those arriving with no ticket.

[Jonny5ive]

To be honest, Colin, I for one wouldn't baulk at paying an entrance fee, even if it was, for example, £10 per car

300 cars @ £10 per car = £3000

£10 Freedom price £15 for the jug eared commoners

Circa £50 for weekend pass with camping wouldn't put me off plus whatever the track time costs

[Gizmo]

How many cars turned up at the last two meets?

 

I wouldn’t have a problem paying a fee either... but it surely would hurt the attendance numbers?

How about £12 entrance fee... with 12 months Freedom membership thrown in FOC 

[Dark_Hero]

I thought it was a fantastic meet. Location was great, but I would travel anywhere for the national meet.

Blyton was 229 miles for me, so the option of camping was fantastic.

And I'm from the Deep South East (google Lydd)

A weekend meet certainly makes the miles worth it.

Maybe if we could revisit the Guinness world record attempt for most skodas on a circuit would be a good draw for members.

As mentioned a briskoda merchant stand would have been great.

Maybe a briskoda branded car care/ detailing range.

I know Kleen Freaks make products for wheel whores

[Paul007]

It was under two hours travel time for me and a good day out. Track time was an experience I'll not forget. I've been on other tracks so couldn't make my mind up whether I liked it but the more I went on it....

 

Access was excellent as was parking and marshalling. Getting on the banking was a no no but I didn't investigate whether there was anywhere else to view from and we all looked from where we were stood when the brisk rover was on track, didn't we.

 

Picking up on what others have said, an entrance fee or a non refundable deposit would probably work - you pay to say you're coming and if you don't turn up then you've lost it.

 

Blyton could have done much better with the helmet hire situation - we almost missed the sighter lap(s) because Richard and co were faffing about sorting helmet and track legal stuff out which took far too long and should have been done much earlier.

[ColinD]

Just found a nice venue. 10 mins jcn 14 M6. 

[Gizmo]

Colin if you want to PM me some details I will ask my dad at the local motor club (Cannock) as they have run several rallies locally so I can get you some venue info (tract condition etc and prices)

[Paul007]

http://www.oultonpark.co.uk/ ?

[devonutopia]

Just found a nice venue. 10 mins jcn 14 M6. 

 

Is this it?

 

[ColinD]

I'm not sure. I've not gone over it yet on maps.

 

I'm not going to link to it, in case it snowballs. See backroom/planning though

[devonutopia]

I've had a rummage and see nothing

[James I]

If it is the place in Jason's map shot I did a driving experience there in a Subaru and an Evo, it is a large narrow loop with a small chicane before each hairpin.

 Probably ok for a big meet but would not be suitable for a track type event.

 

 

 What was wrong with Blyton? I would go again, it ticked a lot of boxes. If planning was to start now and a date fixed I am sure more people would attend next year. I am also sure more people would attend after seeing how this year went.

 

 

 Wherever it is next year, I will be there.

[Sparkly]

Just reading over this and amazing feedback, it looks like the 2014 meet really ticked a whole lot of boxes and if I had been there I would have 100% been out on track

I was gutted to miss this years National, genuinely, but day job commitment brought on by a new boss and management and the repercussions of this on family life made it impossible to attend.

It's a long way off but I am prepared to commit to putting on a full detailing shop/stall/store for 2015 and will also be looking to attend some of the regionals between now and then to practice the format.

I'm signed up to Sept Combe so can try and bring a scaled down version to this track meet.

Because everyone likes to have shiny race photos

[tweenster]

I thoroughly enjoyed Blyton. This was my first car event for some 30 or so years when I used to do the VW GTI scene (with Club GTI) and although it was smaller than some I have attended I found it exceptionally friendly with a diverse range of cars. The challenge will be to make it interesting for those who have families that are not car orientated so we can get more people coming along. I love the idea of bands in the evening and camping because I like to drink (does that make me a bad man?). There are some very good bands in the Lincolnshire area who I'm sure would be available. And what about a couple of novice track sessions, or sessions for standard/low powered vehicles? Perhaps some people are put off track action by the thought of getting in the way of the quick boys/girls but might be interested if there were novice sessions.Or Citigo sessions (BossFox excepted!). And what about getting the Blyton instructors involved as guides? I know cost is an issue but would people really be put off by a nominal charge? 

 

Sorry for the haphazard brainstorm!

[tweenster]

It's a long way off but I am prepared to commit to putting on a full detailing shop/stall/store for 2015 and will also be looking to attend some of the regionals between now and then to practice the format.

 

How about a detailing workshop to teach newbies techniques etc?

[tweenster]

And I see Lincolnshire as central rather than north. But I might be biased!

[Evil Miyagi]

And what about getting the Blyton instructors involved as guides?!

There was an instructor available on the day...

I know of 3 people had sessions, myself included (others were BossFox and ColinD)...

[ColinD]

 There are some very good bands in the Lincolnshire area who I'm sure would be available. And what about a couple of novice track sessions, or sessions for standard/low powered vehicles?

Perhaps some people are put off track action by the thought of getting in the way of the quick boys/girls but might be interested if there were novice sessions.

Or Citigo sessions (BossFox excepted!).

And what about getting the Blyton instructors involved as guides?

I know cost is an issue but would people really be put off by a nominal charge? 

 

Sorry for the haphazard brainstorm!

No problem. Glad the return to shows was ok. 

Biggest issue with Blyton or booking any dedicated track day is filling it up v cost. Not to mention they are to all extent just a field. So you need something else to be interesting/draw. Being open, I/we seriously lucked out with Oliver Horton investing so much. Otherwise it would of just been a SKODA merchandise trailer; all they sent. So a field in Lincolnshire, needs more of a draw on it, ala games/bouncy castle,bands etc...

 

Back to the track, booking/filling is a concern, not to 100%, not even to 75%. I accept the timing was an major issue and I've learnt from that... Timing again was largely influenced by available dates and me depending on SKODA UK for 'support'. As mentioned before, there are only so many sat/sundays in show season that then don't clash with major events. Be that other car shows, sporting events or what not.

 

This year we had access to ARDS instructors, in the end only booked one and Pete was only 'booked' for morning sessions. The afternoon I chose to bundle him in for anyone 1st time out for 20 mins. No one took that offer, £30 20 mins track taster with instructor... I was gobsmacked. I'm sure that if sold as such from the off, it would of gone better. Maybe lesser challenging 'track' options would work. By that I mean autotests/ have a go etc.

 

Certainly got a lot to digest. I'm still slightly recoiling from the over reach, but equally looking to next year for places/people/companies I can depend on to make it better. Note I'm not saying bigger, yet.

[sharkrider]

Thanks for this Colin, was by far the best one yet.....

 

location? why do people think everyone lives south?! I STILL had to drive 2.5 hours SOUTH to get to this one! lol....... (to be fair, I would go anywhere, but the closer to the border the better for me! as someone else said, have people forgotten Scotland?)

 

I liked Blyton too, great facilities ect , I thoughroghly enjoyed the track.... for me, some kind of driving is a must! but it doesn't have to be a full track day ... we could have some kind of autosolo if it makes it more affordable! however I too wouldn't mind paying £10 entrance fee, I dont think most people would! I would prefere to be able to do the driving event all day too, like this one was "open day"

 

only critisism I have (constructive!) is that we would really have liked to camp on the sunday night..... think about it this way, if you make the meet south (thats not central, Blyton WAS central to the UK) I may not have been able to face a 5-6 hour drive home after the track and a busy day.... our little group really wanted to get back round the BBQ with a beer to unwind rather than drive home again!) so to make it more of a weekend than a day would be good!

 

I'm sure we will make it to the next one, wherever it is, and whatever is planned, we had a GREAT time

 

Shark

[ColinD]

Location, Location, Location. The week or so before I nipped up to FortWilliam; you know after the lakes bbq, to do some climbing/blow off steam. Met an old guy in the pub in the week. He asked me ::

 

where are you from then? 

 

I began life in Stirling sir.  ( trying to make out I'm a fellow scot )

 

Oh a southerner then.

 

Well maybe, then got shipped to England.

 

a sassenach then.

 

Well yes, mums Irish if it helps, Dads english, so I can support almost any nation in rugby.  ( lets be positive on this )

 

a mongrel then.

 

Kind of wished I'd started on I came from star dust.