I am afraid that this will be the death sentence for the joint effort of a Mopar show for the world as we know as a Garlits / FMA event. Participants will not come out to support an event when the attendance drops to the point that it is nothing more than a glorified cruise in.
As a vendor at the show, we have to select which events will offer us the opportunity to at least pay for our expenses for the weekend. When the cost no longer supports the venture, it does not make sense for us to attend the event. Splitting the show, no matter if one is preferred heavily over the other, the net effect is that there will be significant decline in attendance.
With our location, I can travel to a show a similar distance away say in Ohio, Indiana or slightly more into PA and double or triple our sales dollars. If you should look at the vendors attending the show, last year; many of them were driving seven or more hours one way to make the event. I know that I cannot justify the show knowing that the attendance could be possibly down 40 to 60%.
For this event to continue and even maintain the present status quo, then egos need to be put aside. It has a good date and still has the potential. So I guess we will have to wait and see. But in the mean time, I am afraid that the outcome will only make this basically a local event rather than a regional event which it use to could claim.
