[DeTomaso] How About Vegas Covention in March?

RallyFanatic at aol.com RallyFanatic at aol.com
Sat Apr 5 20:24:20 EDT 2008


Dennis;
 
I know what you mean about being overly sensitive about the event.   But I 
can  assure you that was not my intent, to defend the timing of the  event, but 
solely to give some historical perspective to why the event is held  when it 
is.  
 
I personally, don't care when the event is held, or where (within reason -  
no camping) as I will be there.  
 
 I agree with you that if someone wants to start an event, they can  hold it 
where and when they want.  If it good, "they will come."  I  also agree with 
you that many events are (1) planned, (2) held, and then  disappear as either 
people don't come, or the organizers get burned out once  they see what is 
involved in putting on any kind of a large event, from scratch,  as opposed to 
attending a previously planned event, e.g., any open road racing,  the any 
concourse put on by another organization, etc.  In these cases, the  planning, which 
can be substantial, is not the same as actually organizing  the event.  And, 
when you have to plan for everything to do with the  event, it is not an easy 
task.
 
My hat is off to you for all you do, and have done, for getting Panteras to  
participate in open road racing events.  I know it is a lot of work, and  
without people like out, there would be a lot less enjoyment in our lives; both  
for those who participate, as well as those of us who participate vicariously  
thru your reports.
 
Keep up the good work!
 
Kent
 
PS; It is Command Sergeant Major, not Sergeant Major.   :>) 
 
 
In a message dated 4/3/2008 10:56:45 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time,  
teampantera at yahoo.com writes:

Sgt. Major (aka Kent Snyder)
 
You mean Bob can't accomadate the 3% of us who want the event moved?  ;-]>
 
You, Bob and JT and the rest of the Fun Rally gang do a great service to  
all. But you guys are waaaaaaaaaay to oversenstive about this subject. the  fact
 is everyone have always had the opportunity to start a new  venue if anyone 
wanted to step up and organize it and run it.
 
Every year the 'volunteers' to start a new event on a new date and  location 
are numerous...what is not numerous are the few like you  and Bob and others 
who put the event on year after year.
 
Thanks for the decades of support.
 
Dawg
 


RallyFanatic at aol.com wrote:

I  really had no plans to get involved in this discussion but I thought a  
little history might give some perspective as to why the POCA Las Vegas  Fun 
Rally is held over (either) the last weekend in April or the first  weekend 
in May.

When Sandi and I along with Eric and Linda Cooper  started the Fun Rally in 
1982, POCA was, in fact, a Los Angeles based  club with the majority of its 
plus 
or minus 300 members in the Southern  California area. 

The BIG events that we held were the Newporter  Concourse D' Elegance in 
June, and the annual trip to Monterey for the  Pebble Beach Concourse and the 
vintage auto races at Laguna Seca. Some  then stayed over Monday to run with 
the 
Ferrari Club who rented Laguna  Seca for their club, and invited POCA to run 
with them. As an aside, we  stopped being invited when we kept beating the 
Ferrari's in the  races.

Anyway, those were the two big events that POCA did for the  year. The 
calendar was fleshed out by 10 other events, each Board Member  was 
responsible for 
one event a month; twelve board members, twelve  events.

The first fun Rally was held in March 1982, and there was  rain on the way 
back, and the folks who drove from Colorado and points  east, complained 
about 
the ice and snow conditions they faced on the way  to and from the event. 
Thus, we moved the event to the last weekend in  April timeframe. This way, 
we 
didn't compete with the Concourse and the  folks driving (usually) had better 
conditions.

As time passed,  more clubs/chapters started major events, Pocono, the Reno 
Tahoe Fun  Rally, and states began open road events, Silver State, etc., 
etc.,  
etc.

Now the calendar is filled with major events, the cost of  everything has 
gone way up, and there is greater competition for your  dollar, which doesn't 
go 
far, and discretionary income shrinks as  necessities take up more and more 
of 
the available income. 

To  move the Fun Rally from its usual timeframe would mean that whoever plans 
 
the event would have to make sure there are no (or very few) conflicts  with 
other events, not over a major holiday, i.e., Mothers day, not  conflict with 
school, if possible, and too many other factors to list  here. Well, just a 
few, hotel availability, prices, other event (not  Pantera related) 
conflicts, 
etc.

This is not to say that the  dates can't be moved, just that it is not as 
easy as some would  think.

My two cents worth.

Kent Snyder




In a  message dated 4/2/2008 8:51:23 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time,  
cuvee at sbcglobal.net writes:

Put something together and they may  come?

michael frazier wrote: 
Why does it  have to move 6 months? How about a smaller time shift to 
accomodate  school, ORR events etc.
It's always too close to the Big Bend event that  some of the TEXAS people 
like to attend...everything seems to
be  Kalifornia-centric. :) A smile for those surely  offended.
Michael
Gruppo Rompiculi Corsa Y'all

> From:  jtaphorn at kingwoodcable.com> To: artstephens at charter.net;  
detomaso at realbig.com> Date: Wed, 2 Apr 2008 20:53:07 -0500>  Subject: Re: 
[DeTomaso] How 
About Vegas Covention in March?> > Hey  Art.> > I appreciate your thoughts on 
this and encouragement to  get others to offer > their opinion.> > I have 
been 
eager to  consider alternative dates for other reasons.> > I would like to  
see the event held at a Venue where we could show the cars > in a  Ballroom. 
I 
would love to see the Vendors display their latest >  restorations. 
Additionally, I would enjoy establishing a Chapter Car  Show > Competition 
where each 
Chapter selects one car from their  membership to be > displayed in th 
ballroom 
and a team of judges  awards a winner. I don't know > what the criteia for 
the 
show would  be and perhaps a car may only be shown > once every "X" number of 
 
years. My aim would be to get the Pantera Vendors > talents showcased  and 
create some teamwork amoung the Chapter members to > work  together
in prepping a member's car. Those who have attended the Plaza  > know that 
there is a genuine advantage to looking at cars in an  indoor > environment 
with 
your favorite beverage in hand. This is an  element of the > Fun Rally that 
could help keep it fresh year to  year.> > That said, the challenge faced 
with 
the current dates for  the Fun Rally is > that it is Las Vegas peak season 
and 
it is  therefore difficult to afford the > Resort Hotels that could  
accommodate the display of cars indoors. If we > were in Vegas during  the 
off-season, 
the opportunity would be different.> > As I have  written before in the POCA 
Newsletter, the nicer hotels, that > could  accommodate cars indoors, would 
force us to guarantee a certain number  > of room reservations to provide us 
the 
Ballrooms at an affordable  price. > During peak season those rooms would 
almost be 2X the cost  of the Orleans. > If we tried host the Fun Rally at 
that 
time of  year, I fear many would stay > at less expensive venues
and commute to  the Host hotel. As a consequence, > we would not mee!
t out ro
om  target and break the POCA financial bank.> > I also believe that  younger 
owners with families find it difficult to attend > Vegas in  late April/May. 
The obstacle is that their children are in school >  and parents are 
reluctant 
to take them out. I am in this boat and >  appreciate the issue. If the Rally 
was scheduled during school break,  that > would help. This conundrum is 
unfortunate as younger families  represent an > expanding demographic of 
DeTomaso 
owners.> > If  we held the Fun Rally in the summer, we could get superior 
pricing and  > families would be available. Although as you point out, it 
would be  
to hot > for the track event and the California owners, I am told,  generally 
do not > have working AC.> > Another issue to keep in  mind is the 
availability of the organizers. The > Event is  orchestrated by very few 
people. I know 
at least one of them would >  gladly step back if someone else would step up. 
It is fine and dandy to  say > lets have it in March; however, Bob
Reid is digging through tax  returns and > couldn't be a resource? Who will 
step up? This is not  to say the Fun Rally > Committee is not open to change; 
rather to  make you more sensitive to the > issues involved. The committe has 
 
made many changes over the last four > years to accommodate the will  of the 
majority. We want to create a > compelling reason for people  to attend, make 
new friends and have fun> > JT> Fun Rally  Co-Chair > > >  
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