Ridiculous car show registration fees. Rant.

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Start your own show?

I guess I'm lucky here, free cruise ins almost every day of the week, then the paid shows are usually 10 bucks and there is a swap meet.
 
Getting serious for a moment, there are usually fees involved in any public gathering. Some of the fees I've come across when being involved in the car show promotion scene are:
Rental of the facility,
security,
guaranties to venders,
portable toilets,
clean up and trash pick up costs at the end of the event,
in some cases it's necessary to get the city or country to run temporary power,
in today's world many facilities owners are requiring that the shows promoters purchase event insurance that covers liability, property, and in some cases, even workers comp, if the property owner of municipality has to supply manpower for the event.
Then there's the cost of promoting the event, posters, fliers, radio and/or spot announcements,
awards,
refreshments for the staff (even if they volunteer their time), most times there are "staff" tee shirts
Event tees
Dash plaques,
Trophies,
and a bunch of other stuff. In some cases even the local police charge for the additional man power needed to cover the event.

I'm not intimating that all event's have all these costs, but hardly any event is free of costs.

Whether or not the entry fees are justified is another matter.

Someone mentioned that the promoters should pay us to bring our cars to the show. If that were to become the standard, I doubt that there would be any car shows.
 
Very good info, this is the norm for several shows, usually the smaller the show, the cheaper. My dad was a past car club president here in MN of the Pantowners club, the 3rd year of his term he was the car show chairman of for car show they put on every year, it's one of the biggest 1 day car shows in the state. Man was he busy, and that club has several expenses. Frankie hit it on the head though, lots of behind the scenes stuff. Just nice to see that some shows can keep costs down.

Frankie said:
Getting serious for a moment, there are usually fees involved in any public gathering. Some of the fees I've come across when being involved in the car show promotion scene are:
Rental of the facility,
security,
guaranties to venders,
portable toilets,
clean up and trash pick up costs at the end of the event,
in some cases it's necessary to get the city or country to run temporary power,
in today's world many facilities owners are requiring that the shows promoters purchase event insurance that covers liability, property, and in some cases, even workers comp, if the property owner of municipality has to supply manpower for the event.
Then there's the cost of promoting the event, posters, fliers, radio and/or spot announcements,
awards,
refreshments for the staff (even if they volunteer their time), most times there are "staff" tee shirts
Event tees
Dash plaques,
Trophies,
and a bunch of other stuff. In some cases even the local police charge for the additional man power needed to cover the event.

I'm not intimating that all event's have all these costs, but hardly any event is free of costs.

Whether or not the entry fees are justified is another matter.

Someone mentioned that the promoters should pay us to bring our cars to the show. If that were to become the standard, I doubt that there would be any car shows.
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cudaspaz said:
Yep, it's like a car show with hot babes from everything from tattooed biker chicks to Asian super models and everything in between trying to out do the others.
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The thing that amazes me the most is that this hasn't been thrown in yet....
:worthles:

On a serious note, we have some "shows" around here that are free and have a pretty good turnout. One being the Donut Derelicts every Saturday morning at 6 (you better do your power parking way before in the summer). There is another for the higher end crowd down in Irvine which will feed your need for Astons, Ferraris, really cool musclecars and other assorted stuff (Ken Block showed up with his drift car one morning). Then we have the pay shows like "Cruise for a Cure" and the Labor Day show at the fairgrounds with I believe are in the forty buck range. I can't imagine doing a show at the fairgrounds can be all that cheap. I do know that the Cure show has made a lot of money for prostate cancer prevention and research.

As far as the rest of them, please refer to post #1.
 
Demon416 said:
Car shows cost too much period. They should pay us for showing our cars.
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We were just talking about this the other day. The cars ARE the show. Charge the spectators!
 
its total bullshit to charge anything over $5 for a local **** *** show. too many idiot car guys will gladly pay the $20 just to win a 99 cent trophy. its crazy.

all the shows around here are $15-$20 to enter. i refuse to pay that. there is no reason to charge that type of money., i've helpped out putting on quite a few shows over the years and there is no reason to charge that much money.

the one that pisses me off the most is a local town has a show once a month.. at first it was a free thing. they have a couple bands, street vendors and all that.. the town gets packed... now they want to charge the car guys $5 to get in. why? to pay for the shitters.. yup they want the car guys to pay for the johnny on the spots.. i find that totally out of line. you have have businesses all up and down the street with 10 times the customers and sales those nights but you choose to charge the car guys for the shitters.. i haven't been to that show since.. i have a few friends that bust my balls about it and call me cheap.. hey its not the $5, its the principal of it all..

its the new fad for businesses the last 10 years or so.. instead of having a show and being happy with bigger profits from all the car guys and spectators spending money in their place now they got greedy and want to charge the car guy too. hell the cars are what brought the people there in the first place.

just another part of the hobby that annoys the hell out of me.. can't stand where the hobby has gone. i hope to hell that with the value of these cars dropping that the hobby gets back to what it used to be.
 
There are a lot of hidden costs that the average person never thinks about as mentioned above.

Simple solution on car shows is not to attend if you don't want to fork out the dough. Personally I don't care to have some idiot scratching up my car with their huge belt buckle, their keys hanging off a loop or leaning against it with their 501 Levis. Car shows are nice places to go but there is always plenty of nice cars to see at the swap meets too. I would rather spend my gas money and the gate fees not for a car show but instead go to a swap meet and try to find parts for my cars. If the car show has a decent swap meet then I am likely to go. If they don't have a swap meet and they are more than 20 miles away I don't go unless I have other things to do in that area.
 
There are a lot of hidden costs that the average person never thinks about as mentioned above.
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no there really isn't. its not rocket science to put together an affordable car show. and there is no way to justify a $20 car show. especially a local thing.. something like the nats or carlisle is different. i'm talking a local thing.
 
abodyjoe said:
no there really isn't. its not rocket science to put together an affordable car show. and there is no way to justify a $20 car show. especially a local thing.. something like the nats or carlisle is different. i'm talking a local thing.
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I will give you one example from my city and I am a trustee on a local foundation.

Anything that is held on a municipal owned property requires a $1,000,000 libiality policy unless it is a municipal sponsered event or you can't have it.
 
not a huge expense for a single day event. very easy for local businesses to cover with the added profits they will bring in.
 
67cudafb said:
Money money money thats what its come down to. You and your buddies need to orginize your own cruise or show. See if there are any clubs close that you could join and get involved to help poor working class like us a cheaper show or cruise. No free rides anymore its all about the$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.
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We have the same problem here too many 20-40 dollar shows, us workin folks can't afford the regrestration and fuel,food ect plus they let any year cars to enter then we have to compete not only against nicer older cars but also brand new cars with a bunch of boltons very unfair.I only go to free shows/cruiseins i refuse to spend money to show off my old cuda so the promoters can line their pockets [that includes benifit shows also].
Another gearhead and i started a cruise in several months ago flyers were handed out,posted on my facebook page and a automotive facebook page we have sat there every saturday from 5-8pm every night since may 2012 by ourselves with a few cars stopping by but we will keep trying.

ab7fh said:
We were just talking about this the other day. The cars ARE the show. Charge the spectators!
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I don't think the spectator should have to pay, but WE as the exhibitors should get discounts and be treated like the owners of the busness or persons putting on the cruise/show appreciate us coming there with our cars. I personally don't give a damn about trophys [there are those who only think about them and get pissed when they don't win one how childish]. I'm all about the door prizes i think they are one of best ways to have return visitors,along with 50/50 [which pays for the door prizes],food discounts are another form of appreciation. I live for this hobby i always have [the past 35 years] i work all week looking forward to going to the friday night cruise in and relaxin with other gearheads, unfortunatly this hobby as with other things greed has ruined it for most of us true lovers of the hobby [not the flipper types in it to make money] we the true lovers of this hobby are the keepers of the flame of intrest for our younger generation it's up to us to get them intrested so they will keep restoring these great cars and enjoying them so everyone can see them for many years to come.
 
I don't think it's unfair for a car show to charge. Maybe they charge too much, but they rent the venue, police it, clean up, etc.... If I am entering, I would not feel bad about paying. Looking, well, that depends on the show. A local cruise in I don't like to pay. Most of them here in Minnesota are free. There is one in Brooklyn Park called Rice Killers that charges one dollar to show your car at their cruise in. It's a very large Monday night show and worth it to me. The charge so little because they get NOS and Amsoil to sponsor the show. That saves us all some money. All this boils down to that no one is willing to work for free. They all want to be paid and cover their expenses. Yes, some charge a ridiculous amount and want to get rich quick, but I will not begrudge anyone from making a living. Mopars in the Park cost me $45 and Car Craft would have been $65 had I decided to show. I chose not to due to the price.
 
The local shows I attend are at restaurants. They enjoy a nice bump in sales for these cruises, and give a discount to the car owners.
 
Oklacarcollecto said:
Yes, ours is sponsered by the municpal government and those local businesses and is a FLOP. Little advertising and very lucky to see 30 to 40 cars.

Now take it away from the city and put it together with the right group and this happens.
http://www.stwnewspress.com/local/x1318678367/NEW-Hot-Rod-tour-rolls-into-Stillwater
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exactly.. its all about being smart and getting the word out.

i used to help put on a all mopar show.. we used to bring in 200 mopars. all we asked for was a $5 donation to a local cancer center.

we started planning for the following year a few weeks after the show. we had a ton of free give aways,a band, 50/50 sold tee-shirts and all.... all we needed was $1000 before hand to get things rolling and were still able to donate $3000. we would hit all the events we could and hand out flyers..


one of the other shows we ran was at a local ford dealer that a friend worked at. that show was open to every make. we packed that lot too. over 100 cars. the lot wouldn't hold any more or the count would have been bigger. the dealer handled some give aways but i got 90% of them for free. we even gave away cool *** tee-shirts to the first 100 people there... had a cool rockabilly band. gave away free burgers,dogs,chips and drinks (soda/water and even coffee) and this show was free. think in the end it cost the dealer $3000 to put it on. and i know they could have saved atleast $1000 of that.
 
lou3500 said:
I don't think the spectator should have to pay, but WE as the exhibitors should get discounts and be treated like the owners of the busness or persons putting on the cruise/show appreciate us coming there with our cars.
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Does the audience pay to see Aerosmith, or does Aerosmith have to pay for the opportunity to play to the audience? You pay to go to a ball game, or do the players have to pay to play??

Really no different, we have just come to accept the status quo.

In our world, the cars are the "stars".
 
I'm thinking the orignal poster was talking about smaller local shows,i have been associated with several larger shows and agreed porta potties 700.00$,liability insurance costs,vendor permits ect, it can be pricy.But the local places are just trying to make a quick buck. That's what this means to me.
 
lou3500 said:
I'm thinking the orignal poster was talking about smaller local shows,i have been associated with several larger shows and agreed porta potties 700.00$,liability insurance costs,vendor permits ect, it can be pricy.But the local places are just trying to make a quick buck. That's what this means to me.
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thats what i was thinking also.. the smaller local **** *** ones that are now trying to charge $15-$20
 
Start putting on FREE shows at the same time as the ones ripping people off. Spread the word to other car owners to boycott the "pay a fee to provide entertainment" strategy that has become the norm.

BE THE CHANGE!
 
unless You have a 100 pt show car....I believe You are taking this "show" stuff too serious. They charge to make money.....they even let new junk in because it's MONEY...I've seen shows that let tractors in....why....money...I go to cruises for free...do very little shows.....have a beer...relax
 
lou3500 said:
I'm thinking the orignal poster was talking about smaller local shows,i have been associated with several larger shows and agreed porta potties 700.00$,liability insurance costs,vendor permits ect, it can be pricy.But the local places are just trying to make a quick buck. That's what this means to me.
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We used to have a really good turn out until the city thought it would be better to have it down town on the hot pavement instead in the nice shady park with bathroom facilites. The move was done to generate sales tax revenue and instead it killed the show. Now a little town just south of us has their show at the public school and the place has at least 10 times the show cars and spectators as our city does. They come from all over the state to that show. They also have the Stillwater businesses backing the show instead of the one right in our own city. This show costs $15.00 in advance or $20.00 at the gate. There is more to it than is shown in this picture.

What killed ours was the municipal fees that had to be passed on to others.
 

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I stopped going to shows over a year ago. Sick and tired of seeing the same old cars. The same tired old cars win the trophy's and most of the time its 100 degrees here and it is torture sitting out waiting for the show to end. Some of these shows drag on all day!!! I'm happy to just go to a local cruise in.
 
451CUDA thats a great idea but the bulk of the car guys/gals here are older [set in their ways] folks and/or trophy hounds whom only go to certain places at certain days and don't worry about 20 or more dollars to register so they would go there instead.
 
Our local Denny's in Bordentown on Rt. 206 puts on a show once a month or so (next Friday the 17th) weather permitting. Free Show and 20% off to all who have a car and their familys. They even give a trophy for Denny's mannagers choice.
 
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