**MUST READ** Sacramento Autorama Changes

The owner of the Sacramento Autorama has elected not to use the Pavilion building this year to host the second annual Suede Pavilion. Among other problems it is apparently due to lack of sponsorship, money, vendors, etc.
Instead he has chosen to use the tent building, which will only hold about 30 cars, for traditional rods and customs. He has stated that those 30 vehicles should be "the nicer" of the registered vehicles for inside. All other participants will park outside, on Saturday only, during the Drive-in (the Drive-in last year was rained out).


For these and other reasons, the Poor Boys have decided not to host the Suede Pavilion or, for the first time in ten years, to attend the Sacramento Autorama.

 

ya going to be around today Bruce? I'd like to chat with ya about this.

 

sounds like their trying to get rid of the rust buckets.....like most of the other big name shows are doing......can u say "no more Paso"even though the Paso thing wasn't what the WCK wanted.....it's what the city wanted....but it looks like most venues are pushing in the same general direction.....then again you have to admit .....there is some really shitty stuff been shown out there

 

Call me anytime Alan.

 

Wow,,,I'm sorry to hear this Bruce. So anything that's not finished gets to park with the Scions and mini-trucks....no thanks.

Bryan

 

Sounds like a good reason to cancel.

 

Among other problems it is apparently due to lack of sponsorship, money, vendors, etc.
Instead he has chosen to use the tent building, which will only hold about 30 cars, for traditional rods and customs. He has stated that those 30 vehicles should be "the nicer" of the registered vehicles for inside. All other participants will park outside, on Saturday only, during the Drive-in (the Drive-in last year was rained out).



OK So the guy makes a business decision based on lack of funds and sponsor participation. Here you guys are abandoning the guy too! If the guy didn't want you there he would simply not go through the trouble to obtain some other venue for you and make arrangements for those not inside to participate. Don't you think it would promote your cause and interest to find other vendors that you know and would step up to the plate instead of cutting and running.

Business is business....it sounds like someone has taken the promoters decision personally and just wants to bail instead of continuing to promote your type of rodding under different, although less generous circumstances.

 

This is a drag, but it may be an honest business decision on both sides. The Autorama will continue, and some non-conventional cars will be in the show. It is hard to get a balance of the types cars admitted and what the public is willing to pay to see.

 

No doubt it is a business decision to cut expenses of renting another building, however, how many of the "other" entrants are expected to find/pony-up sponsorship money in order to be allowed in?

It does seem to have more to do with the fact that many of these cars are what most would consider "unfinished" due to a lack of shiny.

It may be so that the average Autorama attendee does not appreciate anything that isn't shiny enough, but the result is that if you are a young/poor guy who cannot afford to throw rediculous money at your project, then you are shown the door.

The result of these sort of actions will help to kill interest in the rod & custom thing for many of a newer generation that would otherwise, hopefully, carry the proverbial torch into the future.

I became interested in building a custom, because there seemed to be a movement afoot in which it was "ok" to have a car that was not full-blown, high-dollar, billet, shiny, finished - Something I could not afford and had no interest in. Now, it seems that the tide is again turning and if you can't show up shiny, they'd rather you stay home.

I don't think that is good.


Aside from all of that...

I think it is a poor decision for the promoter to run fewer buildings than the previous year, because when you are walking around the show and realize "hey what happened to the other building like they had last year?" - it makes the show instantly seem like "less" than last year and instantly taints the show with an aura of "not as good as last year"

 

I do get the low buck non shiny deal. The problem is the promoter can't afford the rent on the other building to house the alternative rods. Not his fault that sponsors/vendors choose not to participate in that venue. He apparently values the participation of alternative rods, otherwise he wouldn't come up with another place to put you, albeit not the nice location of years past. Get over it and participate regardless. If those vendors that chose not to participate see that it's still a happenin movement maybe they will come back next year or better yet someone hew will come around.

Don't cut and run because of things that are out of control of the producer. Shit...we lost our big carshow downtown in Baltimore because the producer couldn't afford it any longer!!!!

 

Hey Guy's,
I understand his business decision, I've gotten involved in similar situations with sponsorship. He has a great deal of money and liability for every building, vehicle, and person before and after the show. I have met John Buck (Sacramento Autorama, & Grand National Show @ Pamona promoter) at Paso and he is a really a great guy, and appreciates the "primered cars" or unfinished cars.
Unfortunately a lot of people attend the indoor shows for the "Wow Factor" and a lot of candy & chrome. I don't have the funds to build those kind of cars, but I can appreciate their time and detail. The fact that he has opended up the doors to traditional hot rods & kustoms to compete in that arena, is pretty cool. Most of us aren't trophy chasers, but we shouldn't turn our back on the shows just because his sponsors flaked out on him. He has not totaly closed the door for the primered cars, people can still get a look at them on site. I have been parked at outdoor shows next to 100k street rods and had people tell me I had the best car at the show. No trophy just a nice compliment for your creation is sometimes enough!
Sanford & Son!

 

I think some of you might have missed this part of the statment: He has stated that those 30 vehicles should be "the nicer" of the registered vehicles for inside.

I have no problem with John and I think it's great that he is opening the doors for traditional rods and customs. But, not all are welcomed when there in a room right next to the shiney cars and especially when this room is also used for the trophy presentation.

The general feeling is that as long as we were in the Pavilion, it was open to everyone. In the tent building though, we don't want to offend the big buck boys by having somthing unfinished or unpainted.

 

Hope its only because of money their doing this......I was at goodguys when the people puttin on the Phoenix ISCA world of wheels came up to Hot Rod Ron asking to help put together a deal for old school cars for the show in feb ...........so if it is the cars I hope its not because of style but maybe.....other problems...... they are called SHOW CARS for a reason

 

I still don't get it....The guy only has so much room...Why in gods name wouldn't you pick the nicer rods to represent your group. For christ sake the guy is trying to make a buck and promote a nice show. What is wrong with choosing the nicer cars.

At the risk of offending some people...there are some alternative rods that just don't look appealing. Pick the ones that have the biggest wow factor or that best represent cool.

The guy has to loose some, why do you what to exclude yourselves alltogether because of lack of space???????

 

Damn that`s a real shame, man. Goin` from 75 cars last year to making plans for more than 200 this year, and now only room for 30. this was gonna be my caddys first show, but now i dunno. Of course they`d like you to pick the best 30, but traditional rods are done so individually, how could a person sift through `em? i shake my head and shrug to no one in particular..

 

dude are you kidding?i bet you werent even there last year were you?!because if you were you would understand why me and everyone else are "bailing"out.the suede pavillion last year was the talk of the entire show and anyone that was there knows this.there were more people standing and actually enjoying the cars that were in this room more than any where else in the whole damn show!i overheard more people walking through the pouring rain wanting to find where the suede room was than anything else.not once did i hear or see anyone goin apeshit over the "nicer cars"and i was there all three days!!!!!this guy is going to regret his decision and beg for bruce and guys to come back!!!mark my words!!!!!!!!antirama anyone?

 

the money excuse is crap because he would have had plenty of entries way more than last year im sure.and at 50 bucks a pop..........you do the math.

 

dude its a slap in the face to the poorboys ,and for what they pulled off to help that show last year.....ok im done now.

 

Maybe ya need to have a sit-down with this guy,what kind of vendors/$$ can you bring to the table to help this event out,and in turn help out the old school rodguys at the same time.........shows have always been kinda a fluid type of event since the fiftys and more so in the last 15 years.......remember they just want to make a living too!

 

let me clarify,iam just an asshole with an opinion.I AM NOT A POORBOY MEMBER,NOR DID I WANT TO IMPLIE IT.SO PLEASE DONT MIS UNDERSTAND THAT.(I went over what i wrote and it kinda sounded that way to me)sorry bruce if you read it i didnt want it to sound that way.but secondly to reply to meatballs statement, iam all for making a living.i understand it.but what i dont get is the fact that for one even if the guy breaks even on the rent of the building he should do it.im sure that with the turnout of last year it would easily double this year and with the spectators alone that these cars bring he would make his money and then some.honestly i do not have any experience with promoting a show and admit it,but i just cant buy the excuse of rent money and vendor turn out.

 

yeah your right on the money ...however being as Ive been on the other side you kinda have to hedge your bet because you dont know whats goinr to happen but the bills will still land on your desk later.What Im saying is maybe he could be convinced that this really will work but the threats of pissing on his cherrios by not showin or boycott wont help........show him why it will and in turn he might show you why he worries.rent,ads,gaurds,workers,INSURANCE ,it adds up to a ton of cash rain or shine!..nothing in recent years has helped the show market like the influx of old school rides and the owners that come with them!

 

you have a good point,i have no idea what his costs are but you definitly got me thinking now.i sure bruce probably went over all the scenarios with him.i have talked with him before and he is really on the money with this type of stuff.so im sure its been covered.

 

Has anyone thought that perhaps overall show car registrations are down and therefore the extra building rental was not needed? There were only 30 some odd car spaces left available?

i dont know one way or another, its just funny when people take a bit of info and run with it in all different directions.

Lets put it this way... if the registrations are there, and the vendors wiling to spend $ on a space are there, then the promoter is not going to cut it all back. Think about it.


Perhaps there is something we can do to attract more cars and $ to the scene. Stay tuned. Too late to do anything for this year, perhaps next.

 

Another question... who here that is bitching about it has already registered? hmmmmm.....

 

i have thought of that,but it seems to me that for the lastfew years the show itself has been getting smaller.last year not once did i even think of that.actually it seemed bigger.and honestly alot more fun.

 

i almost sent mine today actually until my buddie called me.i had to wait till payday.......glad i did.

 

It's always strikes me as ridiculous. "Real" hot rodders don't want to be part of the "establishment" when the opportunity is available to be, but then they get offended when the opportunity is gone and start whining about how they are prejudiced against. That may have been the case years ago, but many of us took it upon ourselves to change that.

Hot rodding is a business...period. If it wasn't, there would be no hot rods. Without the help of businesses they would have all been crushed because there would not be enough buzz generated to keep people interested and the government would have snatched them all up. I don't see a big covered wagon or chariot business.

 

i wasent trying to sound like iwas bitching,i should have just pmd big olds it was his comment about bailing out that got me started.......

 

Look I realize that John has a business to run and with no sponsership for the Suede Pavilion and little or no registrations in yet, he made the decision to scale it down. But when I said "for these and other reasons", I ment just that. For example:

We met with John in Oct to discuss our plan for this show. We told John that we wanted no money for the work that we would do. We only want the advertisment of the Suede Pavilion to be on par with the Autorama itself, and he should also think about lowering the registration price to get more cars in. With more cars comes more spectators, right?

Instead, it's $50 bucks for registration and we've seen no advertisement at all. A whole page ad was in the Crusin' News this month, which had to have been submitted a month ago, and no mention of the Suede Pavilion at all.

As I stated before, I personally like John. To sit down and BS with him is a good time. As a club, we just don't feel that we were treated right.

I (personally) actually feel bad about the whole thing, because it will be the first time in ten years that we haven't been in the Autorama. Hopefully, after talking with Alan, we might get back on track next year. We'll see.....

 

glad i read this. i was going to mail my reg tomorrow. thats too bad we have been busting ass on the paint and air ride on my caddy with hopes of having it there. i like the idea of a anti show. maybe we should all go and hang out somewhere else that saturday. man this sucks....