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- Location
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- First Name
- Karl
- Elgrand
- E50
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Okay, so from an organisers point of view, even though the club is growing at an exponential rate, we are finding it harder each year to drum up interest in going to shows and events.
What can WE do (as in, the organisers) to get you guys to come along to more stuff? What is it that puts you off these events?
Car shows are not a bunch of chavs revving their engines and doing burn outs. These are static events (ie you drive in, park your car up, and leave it there until you go home). They are a great way to get to meet and spend a good amount of time with fellow enthusiasts, not just of the Elgrand, but of the car scene in general. They are a great place to go to get ideas for things to do with your own car. Again, doesn't have to be Elgrand related. I saw a modification in a Honda bB in 2018 that I want to replicate in the Elgrand. Seeing so many other cars and so many other people's individual takes on things gives you food for thought when it comes to planning what you want to do. And the biggest advantage, for me anyway, is the social aspect. Getting to spend a weekend with a fantastic group of people, BBQ, a few drinks, and a really really good laugh.
Now I know that not everyone here is going to be interested in this sort of thing, so I don't want people to feel pressured. But for those of you who think "I fancy that"... but never actually go... what can we do to get you to change your mind?
The factors I can think of are:
I have to admit that I am not the kind of person who lives and breathes car shows. In all honesty, until I started attending them with ElgrandOC, I found them boring. What makes the show for me is the people that ElgrandOC brings to them. I've not met anyone at an EOC organised event yet that I would not meet up with again. The people here are fantastic, and are what make this club such a great place to be. So if you are one of those people who's been to a car show and thought "this isn't for me"... try again with EOC and see if we can change your mind.
We cannot do anything about the costs. But I can help to justify them. The expense of a weekend away at a show is typically around £200 once you factor everything in, including fuel, tickets, food and booze. I know that seems like a lot of money, but you will have a fantastic weekend, make some great friends, and will not go home feeling like you've wasted it. That cost is not fixed, it can be a lot cheaper if you are going Solo, or it can be a lot more if you bring your kids and let them loose at the fun fair.
I appreciate that not everyone wants to spend £200 on a few occasions through the year to attend multiple shows... and you don't have to. Pick one, and just have a go. See what you think. If you like it, go to the same show, or pick a different one the year after. You never know, if you attend one show this year, you might be able to justify it to yourself to attend more than one next year!
I cannot emphasise enough just how much fun these events are. And I've not spoken to anyone who has been to an event with us who has said they would not come back. In fact, most of the people I see at the regular big shows (Jap Show, Jap Show Finale, JAE) are all returning members. And they all started with 1 show, then did 2 shows, and now they plan their family holidays AROUND car shows just so that they can meet up with the same fantastic people and have a good laugh.
if anyone has any apprehension about being at a car show, or you have any questions about it, please let us know. We will answer any questions you have, and we will be honest. We do not get anything out of encouraging people to go to events, other than the fact we get to meet those people and have a great weekend just because they are there.
What can WE do (as in, the organisers) to get you guys to come along to more stuff? What is it that puts you off these events?
Car shows are not a bunch of chavs revving their engines and doing burn outs. These are static events (ie you drive in, park your car up, and leave it there until you go home). They are a great way to get to meet and spend a good amount of time with fellow enthusiasts, not just of the Elgrand, but of the car scene in general. They are a great place to go to get ideas for things to do with your own car. Again, doesn't have to be Elgrand related. I saw a modification in a Honda bB in 2018 that I want to replicate in the Elgrand. Seeing so many other cars and so many other people's individual takes on things gives you food for thought when it comes to planning what you want to do. And the biggest advantage, for me anyway, is the social aspect. Getting to spend a weekend with a fantastic group of people, BBQ, a few drinks, and a really really good laugh.
Now I know that not everyone here is going to be interested in this sort of thing, so I don't want people to feel pressured. But for those of you who think "I fancy that"... but never actually go... what can we do to get you to change your mind?
The factors I can think of are:
- Distance - this is a biggie for most Elgrand owners, especially when it comes to the shorter shows (1 day show, no camping). It's a long way to go, and a big expense, for one day. I did Jap Fest in 2018, there and back in a day and it killed me. I can fully appreciate this. 1 day shows that do not offer camping should be kept for local members, unless someone happens to be passing and arranged to camp/stay over locally). Overnight shows, however, break this up at least.
- Expense - Some of the bigger shows can be costly (up to £50 a ticket). And when it comes to buying 2 tickets, then taking into account travelling costs, food, drink etc... you can easily be seeing bills of over £200 for a car show.
- Lack of understanding - There has always been this aura around car enthusiasts... of chavs in car parks for example. People don't think they'll "fit in". A car show is what YOU make of it. There is no burnouts and doughnuts in car parks (other than professional displays as part of the main entertainment, and some of the things they do are amazing!). If you appreciate a good bit of engineering, you can see some absolute belters. If you want to have a look at trade stands to get ideas for bits for your car, there are a whole selection of them to choose from all in one place. Also, the age range at shows... it's not 18-20 year olds in baseball caps smoking weed (although you do get them). People of all ages go to shows. Grandparents taking their grandkids out for the day. Families. All people, young and old, from all walks of life. They all come together for a common interest.
- I don't have a show car - Well... most people that have their cars on display at car shows are not "SHOW CARS". They are people's pride and joy, and they just want to show them off. I've seen some god awful things at shows, and cars that I can barely believe made it to the show without breaking. Then you get some absolute diamonds that you can see have had every penny thrown at them the owner has managed to scrape together. You get a separate area of car shows for the "show cars". These are the creme de la creme. The cars wrapped in bubble wrap and trailered to shows. Your car does NOT have to look like that to be on a stand. It does not have to be modified. It does not have to stand out in any way whatsoever. If you want to come and join in, just come and join in. There are no entry requirements. There is no "shine test" done on your paintwork to make sure it's clean enough. All we want is to see you there.
I have to admit that I am not the kind of person who lives and breathes car shows. In all honesty, until I started attending them with ElgrandOC, I found them boring. What makes the show for me is the people that ElgrandOC brings to them. I've not met anyone at an EOC organised event yet that I would not meet up with again. The people here are fantastic, and are what make this club such a great place to be. So if you are one of those people who's been to a car show and thought "this isn't for me"... try again with EOC and see if we can change your mind.
We cannot do anything about the costs. But I can help to justify them. The expense of a weekend away at a show is typically around £200 once you factor everything in, including fuel, tickets, food and booze. I know that seems like a lot of money, but you will have a fantastic weekend, make some great friends, and will not go home feeling like you've wasted it. That cost is not fixed, it can be a lot cheaper if you are going Solo, or it can be a lot more if you bring your kids and let them loose at the fun fair.
I appreciate that not everyone wants to spend £200 on a few occasions through the year to attend multiple shows... and you don't have to. Pick one, and just have a go. See what you think. If you like it, go to the same show, or pick a different one the year after. You never know, if you attend one show this year, you might be able to justify it to yourself to attend more than one next year!
I cannot emphasise enough just how much fun these events are. And I've not spoken to anyone who has been to an event with us who has said they would not come back. In fact, most of the people I see at the regular big shows (Jap Show, Jap Show Finale, JAE) are all returning members. And they all started with 1 show, then did 2 shows, and now they plan their family holidays AROUND car shows just so that they can meet up with the same fantastic people and have a good laugh.
if anyone has any apprehension about being at a car show, or you have any questions about it, please let us know. We will answer any questions you have, and we will be honest. We do not get anything out of encouraging people to go to events, other than the fact we get to meet those people and have a great weekend just because they are there.