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Mrsmopp
Tuesday 31st January 2006, 09:14
I notice on the suggestions thread there has been a fair bit of talk about having an annual VPC meet so I think this needs to be discussed further.

You tell me what you want and I'll put the wheels in motion.

Bear in mind the venue needs to be accessable to a wide area, it needs to be a weekend thing and there is no point doing it if only 10 people are going to turn up.

The floor is yours!

x

Andrew
Tuesday 31st January 2006, 09:34
Obviously somewhere central.

Different events on Sat & Sun. Saturday gathering around mid-day, maybe some competitions, show stands, dealers, discount parts, Volvo showing off their latest and greatest - perhaps even a co-ordinated freedom day or test drives of their range (get em to get plenty of Rs :) etc and a bit of entertainment. A meal, dance/disco/beer in the evening. Maybe a run on the sunday morning (for those sober enough) - finish around mid-day with some lunch and then people can head off home.

Varying accomodation from camping to a deal in local hotel ?

I think it should be a paid for ticketed event - that way funds can be used to book a location, or book entertainment or something and it shows a level of commitment. Perhaps so much for the car and main driver and then a discounted rate for any passengers.

EDIT: I also think this would be a good launch platform for any things you would like to announce - regional chapters & co-ordinators, new benefits to the site etc.

Vikingxl
Tuesday 31st January 2006, 12:36
I think Andrew has it spot on there!

t5owner
Tuesday 31st January 2006, 13:47
Yep i`d agree with andrew as well on this one

Although not sure about "regional chapters & co-ordinators" are you perchance a union man andrew

Cheers

stuart

Andrew
Tuesday 31st January 2006, 14:20
Yep i`d agree with andrew as well on this one

Although not sure about "regional chapters & co-ordinators" are you perchance a union man andrew

Cheers

stuart

LOL no - I just see a major problem for meets is location. Notingham meet for example is a 2 hour drive each way for me. Where as if all regions had a regular meet date - first sunday of the month we would probably get a lot more turning up. Local co-ordinators could help moppy and justin and the others drive the growth of the site and organise the meetings.

The reason most people come onto the forums is for help. Keeping people on the forums is because communities are formed (look at craigs list as an example) which means banter, chat and admiration of cars of the Volvo persuation on and off line.

It's just a thought - I'm quite happy to have it shot down if it's not the direction Justin wants to go. Just my 2p worth.

chriskay
Tuesday 31st January 2006, 14:38
One possible central location would be Kingsbury Water Park.http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/web/corporate/pages.nsf/0/d33fc76c03246e3580256b740045c34b?OpenDocument
The Volvo 480 Club meet there from time to time & now we're not only for T5's Perhaps some of the 480 Turbo's would come.http://volvo480.northernscum.org.uk/forum/
I know there's camping facilities.
Just an idea.
Cheers, Chris.

arbee
Tuesday 31st January 2006, 16:42
I personally think there is opportunity for both a 'club' meet in its own sense, and also for the club to attend to various events throughout the year.

For a club day/weekend, Billing in Northants is an ideal venue. Its basically a camp site but is very large, has a lot of facilities on-site (including a fair!) and is used to accomodating lots and lots of owner club type get togethers! - They will often allocated a club a particular area for the weekend etc so as to keep them self contained!

On the flipside, events such as TRAX are an excellent day out for a club and have a massively diverse array of attending clubs from Ford Ka to the obligitory skylines!. I thoink VPCUK would sit very well in such events.

Days out at events such as BTCC meetings are also good and are scattered all over the country!

I would support Andrews suggestions about regional co-ords tho maybe regular bi-monthly meetings might make more sence in order to get some decent attendence levels. Neighbouring regions could work on alternative months so that if people want to go to monthly meets then they dont have to far to go :)

Andrew
Tuesday 31st January 2006, 16:56
http://www.billingaquadrome.com/home.php you mean ?

Of specific interest - Click on Rallies and Events - so looks like they know what they are doing.

arbee
Tuesday 31st January 2006, 17:09
http://www.billingaquadrome.com/home.php you mean ?

Of specific interest - Click on Rallies and Events - so looks like they know what they are doing.

Yep, them's the people :)

fraz13
Tuesday 31st January 2006, 17:11
A think between Manchester and Brum would be good, it would help us north of the border who would have an 8 hour drive each way to other places, If we are prepared to drive between 4 and 6 hours why cant you???

Its never going to please everyone but remember that midlands is middle of England not the UK and we have members all over including Elgin/Inverness, Cornwall, Norwich and Ireland

Annual meets should be in the middle, easily accessable for ALL members

TangoDeltaSierra3
Tuesday 31st January 2006, 17:14
For those of us who have tried to organise meets from time to time you will no doubt know that it's a thankless task, usually attended by the same 10 to 15 members. I think Andrew's ideas while well meaning are Ambitious to say the least, and the thoughts, running before walking spring to mind!

Personally i think a better idea of venue is around a track day / major car show event, where we could safely have a mini volvo club day but combined with other attractions on whatever the day might be, such as the recent Tuner GP for example. It would be mildly embaressing to be too ambitious and have a turnout of 50 cars even, which would be double the cars that i've seen at a T5 event so far.

Anyway thats my thoughts.

arbee
Tuesday 31st January 2006, 17:31
For those of us who have tried to organise meets from time to time you will no doubt know that it's a thankless task, usually attended by the same 10 to 15 members. I think Andrew's ideas while well meaning are Ambitious to say the least, and the thoughts, running before walking spring to mind!

Personally i think a better idea of venue is around a track day / major car show event, where we could safely have a mini volvo club day but combined with other attractions on whatever the day might be, such as the recent Tuner GP for example. It would be mildly embaressing to be too ambitious and have a turnout of 50 cars even, which would be double the cars that i've seen at a T5 event so far.

Anyway thats my thoughts.

I agree with some of your sentiments. To be honest I think 50 would be ambitious in itself, however it could well be realistic. I have attended shows with a mk4 astra forum and, although a more ubquitious (sp!) car, we managed to get over 100 people together at some of the shows. However, i think that is the point (I agree TDS) - people were attracted to be there, not just because of the club side, but also for the attractions of the show.

Fraz - I completely appreciate your point mate, but there is another issue, if it was in the centre of the UK, fair enough the maximum anyone would have to travel would be the same whether in john o groats or lands end, howver the fact that the vast majority of the potential attendees live south of carlisle, surely must be a factor ;) Personally I think midlands/northants kind of direction is a fair balence of both geographic and demographic factors!

chriskay
Tuesday 31st January 2006, 17:31
A think between Manchester and Brum would be good,
Stretton Fox? :bog:

Mrsmopp
Tuesday 31st January 2006, 17:33
Stretton Fox? :bog:

LSMO!! :troutslap

x

fraz13
Tuesday 31st January 2006, 17:55
Fraz - I completely appreciate your point mate, but there is another issue, if it was in the centre of the UK, fair enough the maximum anyone would have to travel would be the same whether in john o groats or lands end, howver the fact that the vast majority of the potential attendees live south of carlisle, surely must be a factor ;) Personally I think midlands/northants kind of direction is a fair balence of both geographic and demographic factors!
Na thats not the attitude, were all equal members and if it was more accessable for ALL then we would get more ppl to these meets, If its kept to the south we couldnt be expected to turn up, Fairs fair ppl

fraz13
Tuesday 31st January 2006, 17:56
Stretton Fox? :bog:
Thats a good idea Chris...... NOT!!!!! lol

Mrsmopp
Tuesday 31st January 2006, 17:58
So perhaps 2 annual meets are required then - one south of Manchester and one north of Manchester?

x

S60D5
Tuesday 31st January 2006, 18:00
Na thats not the attitude, were all equal members and if it was more accessable for ALL then we would get more ppl to these meets, If its kept to the south we couldnt be expected to turn up, Fairs fair ppl

I dissagree. But it depends where you call south. Anything above London is "north" for me!

If everyone lived north of Newcastle, but I lived in Brighton, I wouldn't expect the meet to be equidistant between the two just because of me.

I see your point, but if the majority of the members here are from the midlands or just north of the midlands, I think the meet should be there. It's still a 4 hour journey from where I am, too!

fraz13
Tuesday 31st January 2006, 18:22
Na yer not seeing my point.....

We (North of the border) would gladly travel to the Midlands i.e between Manchster and Brum, I have before and will again

We should all make the effort as its only once a year

People living close win a watch

For us that live further its a day out one a year

If its south of Brum thats a bit unfair for us Northerners i'e Scotland, Newcastle etc...

As i said before were all equal members, try and see it from everyones side and not your own selfishness

Mrsmopp
Tuesday 31st January 2006, 18:24
We should all make the effort as its only once a year



It would be lovely if everyone took that same attitude Frazer.

x

Andrew
Tuesday 31st January 2006, 18:26
Oh look travel problems ... Hence my regional meet idea .... however that aside I would travel north, south, east or west for a well organised, well attended once a year meeting.

It's once a year! make some effort.

It can move from year to year location wise similar to the international mini meet but on a smaller scale. Point is people will travel silly distances - we're just not asking them to do it every month.

Fraz - don't be affraid - you can cross the border without a passport now and yes the money may be different but your £££ is still worth something at the bars down here :)

S60D5
Tuesday 31st January 2006, 18:27
Na yer not seeing my point.....

We (North of the border) would gladly travel to the Midlands i.e between Manchster and Brum, I have before and will again

We should all make the effort as its only once a year

People living close win a watch

For us that live further its a day out one a year

If its south of Brum thats a bit unfair for us Northerners i'e Scotland, Newcastle etc...

As i said before were all equal members, try and see it from everyones side and not your own selfishness

Brum and the surrounding area would be fine!

fraz13
Tuesday 31st January 2006, 18:28
Ano its turnin into an argument which a dont want so a aint gettin involved lol

Tomcat
Tuesday 31st January 2006, 18:51
I think that a well attended once a year show/meet is a great idea. Failing that it does need to be somewhere central for everyone, regardless of where your coming from, I used to go to another car show every summer for the weekend, and that was at the county show grounds near cambridge.

andy l
Tuesday 31st January 2006, 18:52
whats 348 miles in a t5 50 pounds lol then back

Bakey
Tuesday 31st January 2006, 18:52
Gona ha-tay don a skirt and side wi fraz on this one!

Main reason i've never been to any of the meets before is the distance of most.... and timing but thats another thing. Mini meets can be held anywhere, at any time by anyone that can be arsed or has the authority to arrange them, but if this is about an annual jobbie then everyone should be involved and it should be held centraly.

I always find you bloody southerners wimp outta anything North of the M25 and think that Peterborough is "The North" :haha:

dicky b t5
Tuesday 31st January 2006, 19:04
I think Fraz is right, if a once a year Big Bash is going to happen, then it really has got to be Central for everyone. As he rightly said we are all
equal members.

Big A, like the idea about local Chapters......Hells Volvos.....!lol :slap:

Engineer
Tuesday 31st January 2006, 19:10
Come on guys the whole point of a forum is to exchange idea’s and opinions with out it turning into an argument, by my reckoning the middle of the UK is somewhere in between Windermere in the west and Hull in the east taken from the furthest four points of the UK.

As it’s a once a year “bit of a do” then make the journey an adventure, meet up with local members and run up, down or sideways depending on your location in convoy, as we did on Sunday to our mini meet, much more fun.

Various other options have been mentioned, one being move it around each year to make it fair, that ain’t a bad idea.

Andrew
Tuesday 31st January 2006, 19:32
Yeah what he said !!!

"With great age - comes wisdom... or a silver volvo S70R"

arbee
Tuesday 31st January 2006, 20:17
Ok "midlands" is agreed by all :) . Next!

Seriously tho, how about some potential venues and potential dates (ish) in this sort of vicinity. I suppose we are talking Derby, Nottingham, Newark kind of way? Are there any kind of places similar to Billing Aquadrome round there?

Mrsmopp
Tuesday 31st January 2006, 21:39
I have a couple of ideas basd on what has been said so far so I will work on that basis for the moment and start laying down some plans.

Any more opinions or ideas gratefully recieved tho!

x

Andrew
Tuesday 31st January 2006, 22:14
I'm sure they'll be plenty of volunteers to help you should you need it.

Ac.

Wobbly Dave
Tuesday 31st January 2006, 22:29
I like the idea of something picturesque - but the Lakes is probably too far North?

It has to be something a bit more special than just another car park! I love Andrew's ideas on stands and IMHO it would be best organised either around a track day like Bruntingthorpe. It should be in the summer. There should be a whole series of things happening. I am being a bit vague but it would be good if a few of us got together and bashed this out.

BigJC
Tuesday 31st January 2006, 22:40
Hmmm, a forum based around our love of our cars and we don't wanna drive them anywhere?! Nuts....
I'm also a big fan of vee dubs and happily travelled North, South, to Woerthersee in Austria, Holland blah blah... road trips rule, I don't care where the meet is but if you cast your minds back the nightclub pics ;) Sweden gets my vote!! It is only once a year!

Ragley Hall in Warwickshire was a good venue for the club gti meet, excellent for piccies. To avoid upsetting those North of the border, hows about the Lakes for a second meet which kinda links in with Andrews regional suggestion?

chriskay
Tuesday 31st January 2006, 22:45
IMHO it would be best organised either around a track day like Bruntingthorpe.
Bruntingthorpe would be good.

JO5EPH
Tuesday 31st January 2006, 22:50
the lakes would be fantastic for me! :D

but hey, i'm just a lowly newbie without a volvo.......:rolleyes:

Andrew
Tuesday 31st January 2006, 22:53
I'd be up for the lakes - a long trip but well worth it for the roads, days out, scenary etc etc.

BigJC
Tuesday 31st January 2006, 23:07
I grew up in the Lakes and know a few 'interesting' roads!!

Engineer
Tuesday 31st January 2006, 23:10
I'd be up for the lakes - a long trip but well worth it for the roads, days out, scenary etc etc.Calm down, do you realise how quick an old S70R auto can be down those roads let alone across the water.......................lol

pikeajm
Tuesday 31st January 2006, 23:45
ok draw lines on a map one from lands end one from jhonogrots and one from dovr area where the meet we go lol

andi's red 850R
Wednesday 1st February 2006, 00:04
:anmflower :B_steerin :) windermere...yippeeeeee :haha:

arbee
Wednesday 1st February 2006, 00:22
:anmflower :B_steerin :) windermere...yippeeeeee :haha:
lakes are very nice but quite a trek (personally)

TangoDeltaSierra3
Wednesday 1st February 2006, 00:57
I think Fraz is right, if a once a year Big Bash is going to happen, then it really has got to be Central for everyone. As he rightly said we are all
equal members.

Big A, like the idea about local Chapters......Hells Volvos.....!lol :slap:Just worked it out and Barnsley is centre of the UK - the lynchpin lol....But we had 1 here so cant have that.

I'd say Donington Park or Cadwell Park!

fyggy2002
Wednesday 1st February 2006, 06:19
I went with a Smart car club to Billing last year, nice site, but we had a problem with idiots from other "clubs" messing about, selling drugs, slashing traders tents and doing do-nuts on our field. Security sent them all packing.

Would I go back there? Yes! (provided the meet didn't clash with anything else)

just my 2p worth

Tris

markt4
Wednesday 1st February 2006, 08:52
flamingo land in yorkshire...something for every one..camping...pubs on site...free rides lol (not that type of rides lads)...zoo

Andrew
Wednesday 1st February 2006, 09:15
flamingo land in yorkshire...something for every one..camping...pubs on site...free rides lol (not that type of rides lads)...zoo

Used to go there when I was a kid - fairly north too - must be about centre when you include Scotland.

About 5 hour drive from brighton, 4 hours from london, 3and a bit hours from cambridge etc.

Vikingxl
Wednesday 1st February 2006, 09:25
I'd say Donington Park or Cadwell Park!


TDS has a good point here one of these two would probably fit the bill anyone got a list of events for these venues this year?

Mrsmopp
Wednesday 1st February 2006, 09:27
Like I said i already have a plan to put in place - i will let you know once I have sorted the logistics and if its feasiable.

Until then other ideas are welcomed as to what but not where!!

x

Andrew
Wednesday 1st February 2006, 09:32
Like I said i already have a plan to put in place - i will let you know once I have sorted the logistics and if its feasiable.

Until then other ideas are welcomed as to what but not where!!

x

pah ! bully!

:brokenhea

arbee
Wednesday 1st February 2006, 10:58
Like I said i already have a plan to put in place - i will let you know once I have sorted the logistics and if its feasiable.

Until then other ideas are welcomed as to what but not where!!

x
Any clues as to what kind of venue it is? track?/campsite?/carpark? etc - It may have a bearing on the 'what' :)

BigJC
Wednesday 1st February 2006, 13:12
Lets invade the Isle of Man as they are a speed tollerant lot outside of towns and villages! They do have a 'furious driving' law though, whatever that means?!

Martinr
Wednesday 1st February 2006, 13:18
What about Alton Towers or Drayton Manor?

Alternatively have attended some good meets at Gaydon and Eastnor castle in the past. Both are good venues.

Lakes seems a good shout as there is plenty to see and if you are so inclined Blackpool is close by :)

grumpybob
Wednesday 1st February 2006, 18:50
I've been down to VT in Bromsgrove a couple of times so don't mind driving an equivilant distance from central Scotland.

siamblue
Wednesday 1st February 2006, 20:10
Why don't we have a congestion type charge, anywhere 100 miles from Brum,
everybody in that window puts say £10-£20 in as a petrol slush fund for the peeps outside of that circle then we could have the meet in Sheffield or surrounding areas? and the long distance guys would get a bit of fuel rebate back.

right i am off lol.

Matt30462
Wednesday 1st February 2006, 23:49
How about a World Cup, European Championships, British Open or Ryder Cup idea.............Take Andrews idea of Regional Chapters as a start and select venues on an annual basis. Maybe the first year in the Black Country, at the end the baton is passed to our Scottish members who can plan (with Mod Approval) the following years event. Next year maybe the Kentish lot and so on. That way if you travel miles this year, next year it may be on your doorstep. Also there may be a little friendly competition to out perform last years hosts.

Vikingxl
Thursday 2nd February 2006, 04:44
How about a World Cup, European Championships, British Open or Ryder Cup idea.............Take Andrews idea of Regional Chapters as a start and select venues on an annual basis. Maybe the first year in the Black Country, at the end the baton is passed to our Scottish members who can plan (with Mod Approval) the following years event. Next year maybe the Kentish lot and so on. That way if you travel miles this year, next year it may be on your doorstep. Also there may be a little friendly competition to out perform last years hosts.
That could be interesting!