Throwing a car show - Do's and Don'ts

LOL

I'm EXACTLY like jerry, except younger, fatter, not as funny, not famous, I'm not too creative, not as snappy a dresser, I plan on aging better, and I'm half retarded.. oh wait we have that one in common.

...other than that, exactly like em.

 

dont feel bad .. im 65% retarded and the other 52% normal

 

Ten Things that suck at car shows:

1. endless, loud, doo-wop music.......

2. Gold chain Geezers in lawn chairs defending their rides

3. Stupid dolls leaning against cars

4. Cover charge for non-participants

5. $10 for a small hot dog and a (small) beer

6. or No beer

7. The Viper club shows up and it turns into an exhaust drone and burnout contest

8. The Yellow Mustang club shows up and a fight over parking space ensues

9. All the Corvette clubs show up and it turns into a Corvette show

10. The local TV personalities (talking heads with the IQ of a wingnut) show up to talk about the cars and announce the awards.

 

Thanks a lot for the Letterman top 10. Anyone else like to add their own 10? or 5? or 50? Keep em comin!

On the beer subject, I think we'll do a BYOB so we don't have to go through the hell of selling alcohol at the show.

Keep em comin!
Keep em comin!

Only YOU can prevent future lame ass shows!

 

in other words your a cheap bastard!!!

i would add [ from other people] porta potties, dont forget to ask your local gov. if or what permits you will need..
also, if theres a bar local you need to let them know what kinda show it is and that they could make some good coin by hiring a band that the folks at the show would here.. you look good and it didnt cost ya anything....
HOOTTER GIRLS are nice, but id go lowend and get the gals from the local KUM&GO store to do it...there always good lookin gals at the gas stations!!

 

Good idea. Our show we used to run with our car club ran from 3pm-8pm on a Saturday and was laid back. YOu could use it as a cruise and stay as long as you wanted or stay the entire time and wait for the trophies to appease the trophy queens.
We usually got about 300 cars and gave away over $1000 in donated items- from small bottles of wax and stuff to a TV someone donated one year.
It was fun but a lot of work. The chairperson of the show usually started in January asking for stuff for the show held in late July.

I do have a list of fax #s we used for requesting stuff from the larger vendors- they were pretty good at giving us small stuff for the goody bags.

Feel free to use it if you want to:
http://www.chop-shopcustoms.com/SPONSORSFAX.pdf

 

Kirk, come on out to Australia and show the guys out here how an event should be run. Seems all people want here are trailer queens and dollars.
There are a few good ones for real hot rod fans but they are few and far between.
Doc.

Fuck, am I gonna cop it from other Aussys over that one!!

 

Or for that matter anyone on the mike with the IQ of a wingnut, you just gave me a flashback to one of the last State Fair car shows I was at. Some guy, no idea how he knew the folks in charge, is on the mike all afternoon talking about the "gangster" cars like the "Real Flyin Cloud" over and over and over until you just wanted to break his skull like an old 33 1/3rd album... or at least go up and scream at him "the car is a REO -- R E O -- you douchebag now shut up!"

But all you need is someone who has a clue and is comfortable on a microphone. Some people aren't, some people think they will be and find out they aren't, and some are fine with it.

 

Here is what I learned setting up the Hot Rod Riot this year. Not in any order.
1. Hire a food vendor, let him worry about the food and permits.

2. Hire Surf bands, they play for cheap and have a loyal following.

3. Don't play Joe Cool, like you are the bigman putting on the show. Take help from everybody that offers. At gametime, you will need lots of help.

4. Have a cool flyer, but keep it black and white. Cheaper per copy and your buddies can use their work copiers for free.

5. Do not schedule against bigger and better shows.

6. Attend competing shows to show respect and to help promote yours. Also pay attention to what you like about the shows you are attending and take notes for your show.

7. We did not promote to the general public, as most do not understand the traditional concept, expect lower crowd numbers if you take that route.

8. Do not expect to make money. We broke even for the weekend.

9. Use flyer logo as a one color T shirt design and have some made up. They are advertising for the next year's event. We sold enough T's to cover their cost and a little more.

10. MySpace to find bands.

11. Pray to God NO RAIN!
Ray in CT

 

good points homie!!

 

ive found out that the first year show is being a pain in my butt!!!but, were gainin on it!!!!
and a bbt for this thread...godd stuff guys!

 

What ever happened to the Colonel Ingus? He used to post like 10 times a day (weather it was necessary or not), and then he dissapeared. He hasnt been around for months.

I guess another guy to jump on, and then back off of the bandwagon!

 

HE GOT THE BOOT FROM WHAT HE SAYS.[osr board] ..but i thought your shit disapeared when that happened???hmm....bermuda triangle maybe???

 

I've done two shows and am now working one one more, possibly even a fourth. I've discovered that you want to cater to the cars and their owners. If you can't get the people with the cars to show up, or stay, you don't have a show. Older groups I've discovered like grass, shade and prizes. Younger groups like pavement, music and beer.

p.s.
if you do awards hold off on giving them out until near the end, because once you do, everyone leaves.

 

CK YOUR PM

 

Man it's almost January, and I don't have a date or flyer ready yet for the Cam Winders Show. Last year I joined the club weeks before the show and still ended up doing a bunch of legwork. Now I have time, better start calling bands. And we need a name for the show....
Thanx for all the tips everyone.
Does anyone know how you look up weather history? I remember hearing things like "it's only rained twice in the last thirty years on -this- weekend."

 

pick up a farmers almanack to find out about the weather.

 

The best show I was ever at was the 2006 Micro-Minicar Nats in Crystal Lake.
It was in a nicely shaded park, with adjacent parking lot.
No one took themselves seriously, but when you own something called a "Goggomobil", how could you??
Everyone as happy you showed up, and was super friendly.
Free food.
Shaded (tent) area to eat/socialize.
And the best part?? For about 2 hours in the early afternoon, anyone who wanted to could give rides to anyone who wanted the ride. This was semi-organised, and the comments I received from people who had stopped by to see the show, never expecting to get quite so close and personal with the cars were priceless.
You CAN get five people in a 2CV.
Cosmo

 

THAT SOUND LIKE A GREAT SHOW WHERE WAS IT? sOUND SIMILAR TO THE GREASERAMA IN KC. THIS YEAR THEY SHOWED THE RAT FINK MOVIE AT THE BOULEVARD DRIVE-IN. THAT WAS THE MOST FUN I EVER HAD AT A SHOW.

 

And the other 80% will bitch about the work that the 20% did.

 

The best and easiest way to put on a car show is to work with the local government. The Durango Old Car Club puts on a show on the Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend. Cars are parked on both sides of Main Street for six blocks. Goodie bags are sponsored by local merchants and we piggy-back on the city's insurance. A charity is designated up front so that it's easy to hit up local businesses for sponsorship. We actually have merchants fighting as to what cars are parked in front of their businesses! Entrants have wrist bands so that businesses can identify them. National PR goes out 6 months before the event with a web address and online registration.

Entries at this show run include race cars, sports cars, rat rods, trailer queens, antiques and classics...something for everybody.

No music either! Police department award is "Car I'd Most Like To Ticket", Mayor and other city officials choose award winners. Of course, the Fire Department awards the best flame job.

Small town car shows are great!

 

Mick Rocks, listen to him

 

Didn't read the entire post yet, one of the best monthly shows in the Harrisburg, PA area, the Soda Jerk Cruise-in, brings in 400-500 cars a month probably more(just guessing here), because of two things...

1)no entry fee, they do ask for a donation sometimes, but you give em a buck or 5 and it's cool, because it's a lot of funand doesn't brake your wallet.

2) No time restrictions!!! You can come and park for 15 minutes or 5 hours... this is great, everyone i know dislikes the shows where you are held "hostage" until they hand out the prizes..or whatever. when you have no time restrictions, people can come and go as they please and in the end you get a large cross-section of cars and a larger group of participants who are able to fit the show into their schedule for the day

The simpler you keep the show the more your club and the participants will enjoy it, garenteed... because no one is comin to the show to fill out entry forms and win prizes... they are comming to show off and look at others cars... keep it simple and you'll have fun!

just an example for ya to chew on.. good luck with the show!

 

I'll go to any car show if they have a wet T-shirt contest!

 

i dont know what kinda greasers are at the shows you go to, but id rather they stayed dry!!!!!