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[plee4139]

Even though I wanted to,I didn't get my car judged because I didn't pre-register and it evidently was too late to do it when I arrived on Thursday.Why was there a fee for that anyway?

[plee4139]

Warwick

I left early on Friday because I thought the cars would be on display, but that was not the case. The food at the buffet the night before can only be described as somewhere between inedible and vile. Am I the only one who thought so?

[Skip Lackie]

Even though I wanted to,I didn't get my car judged because I didn't pre-register and it evidently was too late to do it when I arrived on Thursday.Why was there a fee for that anyway?

With all due respect, the fee structure for the meet has been advertised for more than a year in advance. In accordance with the IM guidelines, it strongly encourages pre-registration by gradually increasing fees as the date of the meet grows closer. This is to allow proper and timely estimates of attendance at the various events, so that things like the size of banquet and conference rooms and the number of buses can be determined. It takes a staff of dozens to plan and execute an IM. With the exception of Cornerstone Registration (the company that handles the paperwork and money), everyone associated with putting on the meet is an unpaid SDC volunteer. They have little time to enjoy the meet -- they're too busy.

Judges, in particular, have a particularly thankless task, having to be out on the field at 7am and spending the day in the sun without a chance to see the un-judged vehicles. And they get plenty of negative feedback about their performance -- which is why it's so hard to find willing, knowledgeable judges. Accurate estimates of the number of cars to be judged in each class is essential to schedule and assign judges, which is why registration closes at 5pm on the day before the concours (as noted on the registration form printed in the January TW).

SDC has an IM committee and guide, and meet procedures are constantly being revised in response to comments and lessons learned. Next year's meet in South Bend will test a new shorter, 3-day meet format. Comments should be submitted to IM Committee chair Denny Foust.

[jgrohs]

Jane and crew, thanks for putting together a great meet!

I enjoyed seeing the cars and catching up with / meeting so many great sdc/aoai/asc folks.

great lunch at the crow's nest - thanks Richard for the recommendation.

see you in South Bend

[StudeDave57]

And another couple of dozen inexplicably parked in the general parking lot and not on the field.

There's always a reason. Usually it has to do with costs involved for simply parking a car on the field just for display. Sometimes folks don't want to sit it out all day if there are restrictions as to when they can leave. Other times it might be as in the example posted above- someone showed up too late to get registered in time for judging.

One solution I have seen is for someone to catch the drivers before they leave their car and have them move if they so desire. Did anyone do that?

[Deaf Mute]

Skip,
Your comments were RIGHT ON!
These meets are ENTIRELY run by UNPAID volunteers who mostly do the best they can.
The rules were posted well in advance & the only item I noticed missing was signage indicating that a non-registered guest could gain access to the indoor swap meet by paying a $5.00 fee (and perhaps getting a wrist tag?).

At least I think that was what was supposed to happen at every meet since Cedar Rapids.

[Skip Lackie]

There's always a reason. Usually it has to do with costs involved for simply parking a car on the field just for display. Sometimes folks don't want to sit it out all day if there are restrictions as to when they can leave. Other times it might be as in the example posted above- someone showed up too late to get registered in time for judging.

One solution I have seen is for someone to catch the drivers before they leave their car and have them move if they so desire. Did anyone do that?

The Studes were parked in a designated parking area Sunday - Wednesday. Those that registered for either judging or display were asked to move onto a specified grassy area on Thursday morning. Not sure how anyone would necessarily be able to find the owners of the vehicles that were still in the parking lot. As you noted, those that didn't move probably hadn't registered for the meet in the first place.

[BobPalma]

As I understand it, a few more than 100 vehicles judged, and a few less than 100 for display only. And another couple of dozen inexplicably parked in the general parking lot and not on the field. Weather has cooperated -- a few showers in the area on Wed, but none on the field itself. Concours day was about 80 degrees F and sunny.

Skip (and others): I spoke with Mark Wheeler at the Cornerstone Registration Desk late Thursday. At that time, he said there had been 408 Registrations that represented 818 people total, since some registrations were spouses and family and, thus, represented more than one person.

He also said exactly 100 Studebaker vehicles had been registered for judging, plus another 94 cars registered for display. Total Studebaker vehicles accounted for: 194.

I thought that was a bit low; that it appeared there were more than 200 cars on the show field, an opinion shared by Co-Chairman Gary Ash when I offered it. So I took it upon myself to count the cars on the show field and came up with 231, plus another 4 strays in what had been the Studebaker-exclusive parking lot all week that were not on the show field. Apparently, some folks who had registered for the meet had not bothered to register their Studebaker, but parked on the show field anyway on show day; understandable.

So I'd say that unless someone has a more accurate count , there were approximately 235 Studebaker vehicles of all types on the show field Thursday. BP

[paul shuffleburg]

For anyone not registered for the meet they would have to pay the $55 registration and not
five dollars. I had to tell people all week that they were not welcomed and they had to leave.
Not my choice but my job.

[1954khardtop]

Bob,
I pre-registered display only, but upgraded to judged at check in on arrival Wednesday, so your count may be off by one.

[Guest]

Tuesday of the meet, my wife and I visited and mostly walked around outside. I got some great Avanti advice from Michael Myers and then we went inside to shake hands with friends Chuck and Chris Collins, the Reynolds' and Betty Myers - also spoke with Richard Quinn looking fit as the proverbial fiddle - and as we were about to leave, a very nice gent from Derry, NH I believe, as gently as possible told us we had to go. I guess to me, having to be registered in order to patronize the indoor vendors seems as tho it we discourage guys like me who could only come one day and newcomers to Studebakering when we should be more welcoming. However, I realize there are costs involved to make this all happen... so maybe a $5 fee would be a good idea for the inside vendors. I'd have paid that.

[Skip Lackie]

Tuesday of the meet, my wife and I visited and mostly walked around outside. I got some great Avanti advice from Michael Myers and then we went inside to shake hands with friends Chuck and Chris Collins, the Reynolds' and Betty Myers - also spoke with Richard Quinn looking fit as the proverbial fiddle - and as we were about to leave, a very nice gent from Derry, NH I believe, as gently as possible told us we had to go. I guess to me, having to be registered in order to patronize the indoor vendors seems as tho it we discourage guys like me who could only come one day and newcomers to Studebakering when we should be more welcoming. However, I realize there are costs involved to make this all happen... so maybe a $5 fee would be a good idea for the inside vendors. I'd have paid that.

It might be worth considering establishing a cheap one-day fee for people who can't attend more of the meet than that. That said, there may be concerns about generating new work for either (unpaid) volunteers or Cornerstone during an already busy time. This is why the fee structure strongly encourages pre-registration as far in advance as possible.

Next year, vehicles will be encouraged to stay through Saturday for a car show at which the public would be invited, so one could see most of the vehicles for free. Sounds good, but some owners always pull out early. I saw several trailered vehicles on their way out of Warwick before noon on Thursday.

[MikeK]

I thought the show very nice as I am a new owner of a Studebaker and completely new to SDC. I was just a little surprised when I drove in that there was no one to direct us where to go prior to registration. I also know I don't know all that goes on but I am amazed that this is a closed show. I can only see added benefits to the SDC by allowing the public at least one day for a/an entrance fee to take in the beauty of these vehicles on display and to visit and support the venders. More traffic almost always means more intake of dollars.

[Skip Lackie]

I thought the show very nice as I am a new owner of a Studebaker and completely new to SDC. I was just a little surprised when I drove in that there was no one to direct us where to go prior to registration. I also know I don't know all that goes on but I am amazed that this is a closed show. I can only see added benefits to the SDC by allowing the public at least one day for a/an entrance fee to take in the beauty of these vehicles on display and to visit and support the venders. More traffic almost always means more intake of dollars.

I believe next year's show will use a shorter, three-day format with an open car show on Saturday.

[jclary]

I believe next year's show will use a shorter, three-day format with an open car show on Saturday.

Perhaps it is already being done, but, it would be great to offer a special "welcome" to first time visitors at a national meet. Also, great to welcome and identify new SDC members at a meet too. Heck, even NASCAR identifies rookie drivers with a yellow bumper on their cars. We could do something similar with color coded name tags. Perhaps, a few designated volunteer "Meet Hosts" willing to share a bit of club history, protocol, and down home friendship, would go a long way in assuring folks we are a group worth belonging to.