Car show question......

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RustyRatRod

RustyRatRod

I was born on a Monday. Not last Monday.
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As some of you know, I work for a local chain auto parts store. The manager and I have been batting around inviting the big county car club in for a car show since the weather is warming up.

Today, Kitty and I were having lunch at the local pizza place and I happen to see the "main guy" from the car club, so I struck up a conversation. I told him what we were thinking and asked if they'd like to put on a show in the parking lot maybe one weekend.

His response kinda caught me off guard. He said "sure, but we'll need some nice door prizes and everybody in the club loves food, too", so maybe yall could whip up some hamburgers and hot dogs."

I thought to myself, "yeah, ain't happenin", but I smiled and told him I would get with my manager. Course like me, the boss thought the guy was crazy.

What say yall? Is this kinda thing normal? Why the hell should it cost us anything when we're providing the place to have it?
 
Invite another group. We have a car group in my town that gets too big for their britches and starts getting pushy like that. There are lots of other car guys around.
 
RustyRatRod said:
As some of you know, I work for a local chain auto parts store. The manager and I have been batting around inviting the big county car club in for a car show since the weather is warming up.

Today, Kitty and I were having lunch at the local pizza place and I happen to see the "main guy" from the car club, so I struck up a conversation. I told him what we were thinking and asked if they'd like to put on a show in the parking lot maybe one weekend.

His response kinda caught me off guard. He said "sure, but we'll need some nice door prizes and everybody in the club loves food, too", so maybe yall could whip up some hamburgers and hot dogs."

I thought to myself, "yeah, ain't happenin", but I smiled and told him I would get with my manager. Course like me, the boss thought the guy was crazy.

What say yall? Is this kinda thing normal? Why the hell should it cost us anything when we're providing the place to have it?
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Most of the show/cruises I attend the people (Mainly Churches) supply food at charge and giveaways (Mainly from stores like yours) as raffle prizes. I can only assume they get them at big discounts!

I am going to one in the morning and will ask some of your questions!

Entry fee of $20 and hope that 90% goes to the charity that is the sponsor!
 
My 2 Aussie pesos, if they come and you put some cheap finger food on and they get to know there like local auto store and you get some sales and new customers isn't it a win/win?
 
Basically he thinks you are having it to boost business and he wants his cut. Their cars are going to bring more people to your location.

Don't agree with the entitled car club leader but just looking at it from his point of view.
 
The little club around here that does their little meets around town has their own concession truck that follows. Good income stream for the club or the person that runs with them. usually if there's door prizes there's an entry fee.
 
I understand the door prize thing. We had already discussed that. But them wanting us to supply food is stupidness.

Plus, there's zero guarantee of increase in sales with the cars out there. Especially when over half the parking lot is full.

Besides, most all the members already shop with us, so we have their business already.......and the club has a good cash account that offers them all a great discount, so they already get a "cut".
 
Oh, and it should not cost you a dime to let folks assemble in your parking lot!

The club we started in J'Ville ( First Coast Mopars) had to pay for a place for us to assemble and park once a month!
 
No bueno for me. The direction the hobby is headed in my area says they should be kissing your *** for offering up a location and grilling you a nice ribeye/tri tip/NY strip with some homemade tater salad and beans.
 
If you could do it as some kind of store promotion and include some hot dogs and water to the club as well as all customers, like the "aussie" said, it could help promote the business.

Most of the actual car shows I've attended charge and put the entry fee to charity. You could call it a "cruise-in" and have the club get the best parking and not provide any goodies!
 
Yeah, but I got the direct impression, no goodies or food, no cars. Oh well. I guess what we will do is wait them out and see.

There was a Sonic drive in they used to use but it closed a few years ago, so they don't have that now. I thought we were being gracious by making them the offer.
 
bout 4 lil towns right here where im at each have a car show in a blocked off section of town,1 town each friday night of the month!! no cost to bring cars, no cost to come see cars, each town accepts donations and have raffels and 50/50 tickets and awards for cars with proceeds going to a charity of each towns choiseing! any body hungry or thirsty step in local business by the car show get what ever thay want,.. helps boost local business, no body gettin rich,..no body over spending,..sept for the car owners but its our addictions....it really cool,..like a car day holiday every friday threw spring summer and fall!
 
Most car shows around here do provide food, drink, live music, raffles, etc. The Dover Rod Run has been doing this for many many years. The idea is, they will bring the eye candy and draw the people there to look, it's up to Oreilly's to promote it to increase the customer base and create incentives for people to do business with your store. Hell they should be willing and excited to feed any and all that show up, car club people,fans spectators, kids,etc. I mean it's not like a dog show or club is asking you to do this. If it were totally non automotive related then yeah, you shouldn't have to provide a thing. This shows good will by the big auto parts store chain and support for the community. And it's tax deductible write off for advertising.
 
And that's exactly how it should work.

dirty white boy said:
bout 4 lil towns right here where im at each have a car show in a blocked off section of town,1 town each friday night of the month!! no cost to bring cars, no cost to come see cars, each town accepts donations and have raffels and 50/50 tickets and awards for cars with proceeds going to a charity of each towns choiseing! any body hungry or thirsty step in local business by the car show get what ever thay want,.. helps boost local business, no body gettin rich,..no body over spending,..sept for the car owners but its our addictions....it really cool,..like a car day holiday every friday threw spring summer and fall!
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I spent a couple years showing my Comet. Without fail every show had a $20 entry fee and included a swag bag and door prize drawings. T shirts were sometimes included and sometimes for sale. Food was always sold by concessionairs. I'm done showing cars, too much work to prep. Too short on time now. I will show my Barracuda one time, in the town it came from.
 
Don't you have a couple local food trucks you can call? Having them on site would definitely help your cause. You don't need a 'club' on board. Organize it yourselves and invite the whole local hotrod community and make sure you've got a couple food trucks there. BINGO.
 
I didn't read all the responses. But, I'd say don't invite ANY car group. Open it up to the public by flyers. I bet you'd have some "weenies on wheels" food stand ask if they could sell there, then your food/pop is taken care of.
Have the store buy three 5.00 dollar tropheys for 1st, 2nd, third by "people's choice" voting. Anyone (everyone) gets a piece of paper and they can choose their top 3. A local town does it that way. The "club" snobs can come.... with their tail between their legs :D
 
Car clubs, lol I would think a club would be happy just to have a place to park and show their cars. to charge and have a free lunch is a joke.
door prize is even a bigger joke. I build my cars for ME, not for every blow joe to enjoy. I expect nothing for a peek and conversation if someone is interested.
 
dirty white boy said:
bout 4 lil towns right here where im at each have a car show in a blocked off section of town,1 town each friday night of the month!! no cost to bring cars, no cost to come see cars, each town accepts donations and have raffels and 50/50 tickets and awards for cars with proceeds going to a charity of each towns choiseing! any body hungry or thirsty step in local business by the car show get what ever thay want,.. helps boost local business, no body gettin rich,..no body over spending,..sept for the car owners but its our addictions....it really cool,..like a car day holiday every friday threw spring summer and fall!
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THIS is the way it should be.
 
RustyRatRod said:
I struck up a conversation. I told him what we were thinking and asked if they'd like to put on a show in the parking lot maybe one weekend.

His response kinda caught me off guard. He said "sure, but we'll need some nice door prizes and everybody in the club loves food, too", so maybe yall could whip up some hamburgers and hot dogs."
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What a greedy, petty asshole.
Too bad you are a classy guy. Jerkoffs like that dude only get it when you hit them point blank with blunt force. It sounds as if he thought that he was doing you a favor.
Out here in CA, our Sacramento club is asked sometimes if we can put together 10-12 carsand we are glad to do it.
 
They sure are full of themselves if they expect to be (in a way) paid to show up.
 
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