Should there be a SE US show??

[CARNAC]

As most of you know I came from the mid Atlantic just a few hours from Aberdeen. Aberdeen is a big show and this year will probably be rivaled by the NJ Show.

Having moved to Atlanta, I posed the question about the biggest show down here and the response is the FL Rally or the GA Rally. Taking nothing away from those events, I merely want to ask should the South have a large official show on the scale of Aberdeen or Jersey?

My thoughts are

Atlanta is the transportation hub of the South.
The Patton Museum is now moving to Ft Benning
The Infantry Museum is already at Benning
We have A LOT of military basis around the state with DRMO/GL locations
There are a lot of folks in the MVPA and Steel Soldiers here
The state is for the most part Very Patriotic
A lot of things to see both military and non military related so the spouse might come also.
Probably a host of other things I can't think of at this time in the morning.



Location:
Atlanta (I20, I75, I85) Convention Center (costly), using Ft McPhearson or Gillem once they close next year by getting permission from the city/state (some cost for the renting of the land). Gillem would be best I think but the down side it's still a long drive to Benning to the museums. They have two or three parks with latrines and a gym that could potentially be coordinated for for showers. Another down side is the neighborhood outside of post ain't the best. We would need security most likely. I would also think this would work only for 1 or 2 years.

Peachtree City area is away from the major interchanges by about 30 miles but there is a former car auction site that is vacant and occasionally is used for 'stuff'. Down side is it's all asphalt, Probably be limited on amenities such as toilets and showers but so is Aberdeen. It's closer to Benning (about 90 mile drive).

Columbus is right at Benning. Not that familar with that area yet but I'm sure there would be someplace down that way. The issue is the further south you go the further away from the interstate hub.

Thoughts?

 

[timntrucks]

yes we should.. there would be a large number of guys that would love to go to a BIG show but cant take off or drive that long distance

 

[123mack]

Soome of us in the Dixie Division have been thinking the same thing and having it possibly in Huntsville. The ATHS had their international convention at the old airport. There was plenty of room, it's right off U.S.231, and next to the Veterans Memorial Museum. The area is owned by the city of Huntsville. Don't know what it would take to reserve it.

 

[ARYankee]

I think that would be a good idea for the South. I know I would be interested depending on where it is.

 

[poppop]

Sounds like a great idea to me.

 

[papabear]

Clinto and I discussed this very issue once and it seems that the Clinto/Georgia Rally is actually a Regional Rally of sorts already.

There are more attendees from outside GA than within it seems.

I say just talk to clinto and pile on his event?

 

[timntrucks]

with the venders getting more and more that might be true.. we need to see if more can come up.. but it is almost the same time as the GA mvpa rally .. if i remember right

 

[wreckerman893]

The Dixie Division of the MVPA has a Gulfcoast rally at the USS Alabama every year.
This year it is March 9-10. USS ALABAMA BATTLESHIP

It is right off I-10 near Mobile, AL.
That would be a great venue with the Battleship Alabama in the background.
They have an awesome collection of aircraft and vehicles.
It would be fantastic place for a regional rally.

I have also been to the museum at Huntsville.......it's a few miles off of I-65.
Great museum and good folks that operate it.
The Dixie Division (I am a member) supports the museum and a rally held there would be be great too.
http://www.ddmvpa.org/events.html

While the museum is closer to me, if I had to vote for a site, it would be the battleship.

 

[hndrsonj]

Dang Richard, I forgot about that one. I very well might make it to Mobile this year.

 

[emr]

As an MTA show guy , I wish U all the best and hope one works out, i will say a few things, we kiss the vendors butts, we help em load and unload,we think the vendors are the keys to a good show that works,with out them there is no show in our opinion, we advertise to the local public so they get more than just the regular hobby guys, it is an all year thing to plan a big show, ...AND it is worth every second. ALL the Best !!!!!...Also with the hobby still growing it is an opertune time to do it, ....start in a place with a large population, if possible...the public is the fresh money the vendors need, it is amazing how many people will buy anything GREEN!!!!!!!!! Good Luck...randy

 

[123mack]

A little correction on the USS Alabama show, it's on 9-10 April, not March. One reason we were thinking Huntsville, It would be easier on people from the midwest. If you look at Huntsville on the map and draw a 350 to 400 mile radius, it covers a lot of the southeast and midwest.

 

[timntrucks]

i do like the GA clinto rally.. but kinda out the way for most.. and the cow patties are a big issue too.. i missed last year at the battle ship... they made and again this year the same date as my home towns largest free festival .. the strawberry festival.. so im thinking about juggling something.. might have to try 1 for one day the the other the next.. i can see jim and wendy now sitting by the water.. wind to their back.. what a great time we had.

 

[pctrans]

And don't forget about us Florida guys!! South Georgia would make most of us happy.

 

[Big CASE]

I like the ID of a big rally . I did get to go to The 09 GA-rally, Daytona Jeepbeach and 2 MVPA
show in FL, last year . To start a NEW Rally for the South , I do not think it's a good ID , there are all ready 5 or 7 events that are going on in a year now FL-rally ,Ga-rally Daytona JeepBeach, Ocal FL, MVPA show , these are already big show that are going on .
I think if you add a new one to the mix, you are going to make people chooses to much.
as a group we all need to look at a RALLY or SHOW , that has what every one whats to do ( BUYING- SELLING , SHOWING ,OFF ROADING ,PEOPLE ANTEING, )
then go from there ,
I know the biggest things that people are looking for is the Cost of the event , and the time of the Year for the event .
well there is my

 

[clinto]

I've organized a couple of events () here and there, both for the Mopar hobby and the HMV hobby, so here's my $.02.

Ga. is definitely a good candidate for an Aberdeen-quality/sized event. There are a lot of collectors in the South, the weather is good for shows 8-10 months a year, there are multiple transportation routes into the region and as stated, there are several large museums.

Here's what it would take-finding the perfect place to hold the event, then get it going and grow it. It will require one person to act as a head cheese and 1-5 helpers to make the directives coming from #1 go. It will need to be advertised in Supply Line, Military Vehicles Magazine and all the online communities (SS, G503, etc.). I would anticipate it taking anywhere from 5-10 years to grow into a big regional or National event.

As EMR said, a good swap meet is important. You also have to have lodging facilities, like hotels, nearby; as not everyone wants to camp like at an SS rally. You will have to have food, sanitation and activities for members of the family who do not want to look at Army trucks the whole weekend.

All this being said, you have another challenge-there are already a LOT of events here in the South. The Ga. MVPA has a small rally in September, the SS Ga. Rally is in October, there are several events in Fl., Al., Tn., SC, NC, etc. Most people can only make a few rallies each year, so you are inevitably going to have to offer people an experience that is so good that they say to themselves "I would rather go to this rally than the one I have been going to for 5 years".

Several folks have mentioned the Ga Rally in this thread in regards to it already being a regional event and perhaps we should just grow it as opposed to starting another event.

I have worked really hard on growing the Ga. Rally. We had a few guys in my backyard in 2006 for a cookout and this grew to an event with 40+ trucks (not counting trailers) in 2009. We probably had 200+ attendees in 2009 as well. This year we had a separate vendor section with our first professional vendor and we intend to actively pursue more vendors this year. We had food services in 2009 as well. I hope that all of this (growing vendor participation, food services, etc.) will allow the Ga. Rally to continue to grow.

But, all that being said, there are some real drawbacks to trying to make the Ga. Rally into what Carnac is proposing. The location of the Ga. Rally at Durhamtown is aimed at the collectos like us who are looking for a casual weekend of camping out, hanging out with friends and getting in some offroading. I have always tried to make the offroading component of the rally a core attraction, as most people do not have a place they can go offroading (especially in Ga) and certainly not with 20 other military vehicles.

The offroading component of the rally might turn off some hardcore collectors who are concerned about the image of the hobby. Some collectors (and I can't blame them) will not want to bring their show quality, professional restorations into a grassy field to get dirty. Others would want nicer accomodations than the cabins of Durhamtown. Lack of restaruants and activities for family members would be a concern as well.

We still haven't covered the fact that the Ga Rally is held in a horse pasture with a significant amount of nature's finest fertilizer in abundance.

If there were a paved section in our pasture, me might be able to make something work, but ultimately I think the location of the Ga Rally makes it well suited to what we do and I think we have a lot of potential to grow but I don't think we can make it into the kind of event Carnac is referring to.

 

[hndrsonj]

The single biggest thing I see in order for this to work, SS needs to work in conjunction with the MVPA to get something going. I think Mobile would be the better location. There's camping and hotels right there. Good location and lots of room to grow. I am still not quite sure why we have not worked more with the MVPA and I don't think a big regional event will happen without them.

 

[deucebigalo]

Carnac, You spoke about a show in jersey, when and where? Do you have any info. on that show?

 

[wreckerman893]

I agree with Jim that Mobile would be a good venue to grow into a regional event like Aberdeen. The MVPA already has a head start on this since they have held an event there for several years.
I am going to try to make the April event at the USS Alabama this year. If I do I'll bring the issue up with the Dixie Division guys.

 

[SETOYOTA]

the national MVPA convention held at mobile was a cluster. The event in ocala fla has been growing quite a bit. my .02 are for the Atlanta area south.

 

[lstmate]

FYI....I think the national MVPA convention is scheduled in Huntsville in a couple of years..