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An Thank You from E-Town and some observations. #24422
05/25/06 10:21 PM
05/25/06 10:21 PM
Joined: May 2004
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WalterF Offline OP
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First of all I would like to thank each and every one of you that attended this year's Mopar Atlantic Nationals. I also appreciate all of the positive comments and your suggestions for what it will take to "fix" the event.

Over the last few days we have had some serious discussions regarding this event. Let me ease some minds out there by saying the"Mopars" are not dead and will return in 2007.

This event is certainly not the only one to see a down turn in recent years. In fact, the entertainment industry in general has been struggling the last few years. Especially in our area. Why? I suppose we could hash that out for a couple of days at least. We seem to have a lot of work ahead of us if we want to keep our share of the entertainment dollar!

Some personal observations that may have some merit. I was able to greet hundreds of walk-ins on Saturday and Sunday morning. Being involved in the Mopar hobby for over 35 years, I recognized and was able to speak to quite a few of you. There was a trend that became more and more apparent as I talked to many of my friends. "Dude, where is your car?". "Oh, you know how it is, mortgage, car payments, kids. I couldn't afford to bring the car out. Maybe next year". Over and over again, same story.
Many of the guys who were "twenty somethings" when this show was in it's heyday are now saddled with family and other obligations. The cars are in garages. Mine has not seen the light of day in five years! At least they showed up as spectators. How many didn't show up at all? Unfortunately, a lot.
We need more vendors? Yeah, I'm sure. Do you know how many vendors tell me that they are "done" with shows? Ebay has changed things forever. Sorry, but it is true. Why load up a pickup with stuff when you can sell the same items from your living room? We'll probably see even fewer and fewer vendors in the future but we will probably see more companies promoting parts for the new generation of Mopar performance cars.
It is very possible that we will soon see a noticeable upswing in participation with the increase in popularity of the LX platform cars, the SRT4 Neons and Calibers, the new Challenger, etc. No they're not the classics, but new blood and some change is definitely in order.

Regarding promotion. It is possible that there are some Mopar fans that don't know about this event, but I doubt it. This event has a 20 year history! EVERY hardcore Moparfile knows about it. It was promoted in all of the enthusiast magazines, along with this, the biggest and best Mopar oriented website on the planet.
N.J. radio stations ran ads for the event starting ten days prior. Thousands of direct mailers went out along with an equal number of emails. Why would we not promote this event? This is a business that has existed for over 40 successful years. E-town has not forgotten how to promote an event.

I was the one trying to locate display cars for this event. We offered free admission for car owners to show their historic or noteworthy cars. It was like pulling teeth! No one seemed interested! Of the group that did commit, fully half of them did not show up. What's up with that?

Same thing with the "celebrities". Some of our heroes are just plain worn out. Don't want to do it anymore. One of them wanted five grand just to show up and sign autographs for part of one day! Holy smokes!

How do we revive this thing? It will take a lot of thought and a lot of work, but as I said earlier, we have not thrown in the towel!

Please feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions or suggestions regarding this event or if you want to discuss certain points of this post.
Walter Frey
P.S. The "burger girls" were thrilled to learn of all your praise!

Re: An Thank You from E-Town and some observations. [Re: WalterF] #24423
05/25/06 11:26 PM
05/25/06 11:26 PM
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Phila Pa
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scatpacktom Offline
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I agree Walt the show must go on

Re: An Thank You from E-Town and some observations. [Re: WalterF] #24424
05/25/06 11:53 PM
05/25/06 11:53 PM
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Spring Mount, PA
MOPAULY Offline
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I did not go this year, for a few reasons, but times have changed. I remember going in the mid 90's with a trailer load of parts, selling almost everything, and chatting with Don Garlits and having him sign the dash of my truck.

Personally I don't go for the swap or even the car show part, I like to participate in the racing and watch it as well. Cars been off the road the last few years so obviously no racing, but I enjoy watching it.

I figured the show would always go on as long as the cost to promote and run it for the weekend did not exceed the income it produced, regardless of how small it may have become. Times have changed and there are certain things you can't do anything about....stars of the show getting older and retired, the economy, and simply that many of us are not as young without any cares in the world. Get married, buy a house, and suddenly car stuff takes a back seat in life. I know this has happened to many of my friends, it's not that we don't want to go it's just the reality of getting older and different priorities.

Re: An Thank You from E-Town and some observations. [Re: WalterF] #24425
05/26/06 12:44 AM
05/26/06 12:44 AM
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NY
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xghobo Offline
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Quote:

. Thousands of direct mailers went out along with an equal number of emails. Why would we not promote this event? This is a business that has existed for over 40 successful years. E-town has not forgotten how to promote an event.
P.S. The "burger girls" were thrilled to learn of all your praise!




First of all i would like to say thanks for trying to do a good job. About the mailers i never got one. I planed on going with my truck and trailer to sell some parts. I called the track in March and asked to be mailed a registration form and was told none avail yet. And if i had been a seller there before i would automaticaly get one. Well never got one than time got lost and the show was here so i just went as a spectator.(my opinion people calling about vender spots should not be turned away and never recive info.40 years or not!) I agree with the $$$ issues and we are all a little oldr now. And unfortunatly the weather does not help the cause every year. I fully understand why the track swaped dates with the NHRA rain on Mopars well ok rain on NHRA cant have that. The track has to make money the best they can also so it makes sense. But personally in the 90's wew were not only younger but it was a nicer time to go in June and enjoy sunshine and mild temps. Honestly after the total rain out a few years ago and more rain on other dates when you look at the weather and it is going to be cloudy rain and cold my wife and kids stay home and anyone who is a fringe Mopar guy says yeah go have fun but when it is 85 degrees and sunny it is much easier to have people go on the 3 hr road trip with the top down.

PS Burger gals were great


71 Cuda vert hemi clone(in progress) 69 Charger R/T 440 06 Hemi Ram 1500
Re: An Thank You from E-Town and some observations. [Re: WalterF] #24426
05/26/06 12:46 AM
05/26/06 12:46 AM
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69hemibeep Offline
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Well I was in Jersey visiting my Daughter and took Her and my Wife to the show Sunday.I thought the whole event was pretty good,the people were very nice,but I thought it would be a bit larger event.My first trip back east was a good experience.Thanks


1969 Hemi Roadrunner 2nd owner
Re: An Thank You from E-Town and some observations. [Re: 69hemibeep] #24427
05/26/06 01:02 AM
05/26/06 01:02 AM
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jersey shore
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flypaper Offline
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its great to see the show goes on and its good to see people are trying to improve it.and if nobody shows up next year i still have a reason to go.i can't miss out on some burgers

Re: An Thank You from E-Town and some observations. [Re: flypaper] #24428
05/26/06 01:50 AM
05/26/06 01:50 AM
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S.I. N.Y.
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Keep up the good work!

I went both days again this year and will keep supporting this show.


1MYTGTX
Re: An Thank You from E-Town and some observations. [Re: WalterF] #24429
05/26/06 05:45 AM
05/26/06 05:45 AM
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 11,179
Atco NJ
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Quote:

This event is certainly not the only one to see a down turn in recent years. In fact, the entertainment industry in general has been struggling the last few years. Especially in our area.




not Carlisle, mason dixon, or any other show on the east coast had fallen off so hard, in fact they keep getting bigger!



Quote:

We seem to have a lot of work ahead of us if we want to keep our share of the entertainment dollar!




PLEASE at least try and sound like its not all about the dollar, hell, its expensive enough to get in e-town, let alone feed anyone - and the eye candy only lasts till your pockets are empty.

besides the food is nothing to write home about.

Quote:

I couldn't afford to bring the car out. Maybe next year". Over and over again, same story.




end your trying to get MORE of that entertainlent dollar???

Quote:

I was the one trying to locate display cars for this event. We offered free admission for car owners to show their historic or noteworthy cars.




you didnt mention that you posted that a month before the event... HELLOOOOO???



Quote:


How do we revive this thing? It will take a lot of thought and a lot of work, but as I said earlier, we have not thrown in the towel!




with all due respect. YOU AINT KIDDIN...

get off your seat, and start NOW for next year... it makes you look unprofessional to ask for celebrities, and speial cars a month or 2 before the event... do it a year in advance, if you had 10 more months of that it might just start to change.

you really need to know that all the things that turned people off from e-town were you ( planning ) decisions.

- you changed the date, it was ALWAYS the first weekend in june, and how many times did it rain? NEVER - now in may it rains every year!!?!?!?

- you make spectators walk over 1/2 mile when they buy thier parts to thier cars, they go from the vendors, all the way around the track, and behind it, back around the go karts, and to thier cars, try that with a rear housing, heck, make it an event, and hand out prizes for all those that dont fall over trying to do it.

your admission prices are high, and the return for those prices dropped DRASTICALLY - it was fine when bob riggle was whelstanding down the 1/4 mile.. now we pay more for LESS.... and you come here talking about getting a bigger piece of the pie? you have to OFFER more to get more in return

- the food - does it have to cost a family so much? really, its a vending company thing, but they HURT you for not so good food.

dont even get me started about the mufflers, you have tons of hemi cars there and cent even hear them run for most of the weekend.... and for me its not a 2 day event anymore, so if you go saturday, you mite as well forget hearing all the COOL cars even run...



Mr Frey, these are all things in YOU CONTROL.... nor ours... you start at least making the place better with the things you can control, and it will be a better show, and in turn attract more people.

you seem to think the muslce cars are taking a downturn, ??? and waiting for the next gen to come fourth.... my answer is goto Carlsile, or the nats and then tell me about how the muscle cars must be dropping off, and the vendors are not coming out, and the people are leaving thier cars home... THIER NOT at those shows... its YOUR show they are, and you can fix alot of it by changing the things in YOUR control....

thanks for your time - and stop letting the neighbors run the place, it started with the mufflers... what next?

Re: An Thank You from E-Town and some observations. [Re: DJVCuda] #24430
05/26/06 08:35 AM
05/26/06 08:35 AM
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Berlin, N.J.
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abodyjoe Offline
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the general parking was actually close to the swap meet this year... but everything else i have to agree with djvcuda about...


It's better to keep your mouth shut and give the impression that you're stupid than to open it and remove all doubt.

www.MoparMisfits.com
Re: An Thank You from E-Town and some observations. [Re: abodyjoe] #24431
05/26/06 09:35 AM
05/26/06 09:35 AM
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Columbia, CT
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Walt, thanks for giving us a space to try to point out the deficancies. The fact that you are so committed is a great thing. But, like it's been mentioned, other similar events are growing by leaps and bounds every year. The main issue, has been, and continued to be, the lack of response to issues that started cropping up years ago. Now, the pile is so huge, it will take a large shovel to dig out. I've been involved with planning smaller local shows, so I know a little about things. First, you have to be willing to spend a little to give the majority of participants what they want. You do that, satisfy at minimum 80-85% of the people mostly, and 50% of the people totally, and you will make that entertainment dollar, and grow. It's that simple. So, FIx the teenageers working the gates. No matter what you register for, if you cant get in, you're not happy, at 8am, on the first day of the show. Now you have build the rest back up. They get thousands thru those gates, racers and fans, for major events. So get the people, and make them work. It's not a volunteer deal if the entrants pay $40 a day. Serve us. Next, if you sell a majority of race spots, plan race stuff. Make sure you plan for oil downs, and MAKE sure the guys racing get their chance to run their car. That's what they paid for. Let Sunday be the day the race cars test and run. If it's billed as a a true "National" show, it needs good judges, it needs good class structure, and it needs good layout. No exceptions. Show car guys are a different breed, and to keep them coming and bringing the big draw cars, you need to make the environment worth their efforts. If you find the restoration 100pt show cars are lacking, but lightly modified and heavy modified classes fill, then a fun field or similar participant judged thing for one day might be the ticket to draw. But that means a cheaper fee to get in. If the internet is hurting sales, make it worth a business's while to bring a trailer down, maybe a resotration/performance midway, as opposed to a swap meet. Give them A fre ticket both days, tell them to bring a car too. It's not like you dont have the room for them to spread out. Size of the facility means swap meet items and parking lots are a haul. Just the way it is. The mailing I got was 1 month ahead of the date. I cant clear time for that, and the hotels book up fairly quick. Fliers need to go out in February, not April. Also, for example cars, a free ride dont cut it, unless they live accross the street. Try coverring the hotel costs, and a free ticket in. Then they are only into it for the fuel and time. If you expect to make that entertainment dollar, you better be willing to accept that friendship only draws promises, many get left unfulfilled. $$ draws results.


Well, art is art, isn't it? Still, on the other hand, water is water! And east is east and west is west and if you take cranberries and stew them like applesauce they taste much more like prunes than rhubarb does. Now, uh... Now you tell me what you know.
Re: An Thank You from E-Town and some observations. [Re: moper] #24432
05/26/06 11:00 AM
05/26/06 11:00 AM
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Now - Port Orange,Fla. Former...
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3 things that id like to see change.

1). PARKING!!!!...parking for those that have to park and walk 2 miles to get on the other side!!!..people with kids,elderly people or handicap people have to trek 2 miles to the other side where the show is and then walk another 10 miles around to see everything!!!!!...move the stupid motorcyles and let us park up front...or make room on the pit side for parking.

2). KING OF THE STREET!!!!...i used to LOVE walking around the pits and looking/talking to the people about there cars...theses cars ROCK!!!!

3). try and get a MOPAR PROSTOCK car/team to come and do a match race with each other.

just my

mike

Re: An Thank You from E-Town and some observations. [Re: MIKES_DUSTER] #24433
05/26/06 11:52 AM
05/26/06 11:52 AM
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Ansonia, CT
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I was glad to see parking on the same side of the track as the show this year.

Maybe swap the pits with the spec parking??

Although I had fun this year it seems like its in a catch-22. Attendance gets lower so more people don't show.

Sounds like you need to make some changes to start luring people back and get that catch-22 moving in the other direction.


2017 Contusion Blue Challenger T/A 392 M6 "BLKNBLU"
Re: An Thank You from E-Town and some observations. [Re: CJK440] #24434
05/26/06 03:23 PM
05/26/06 03:23 PM
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Nanuet, NY
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I was pre-registered both days. On Sunday, I arrived at 6-55AM since gates were supposed to open at 7AM, Due to the staff saying they were "waiting on more of their people" they didn't let me in until 7-50AM. There were only 2 other people in front of me. The non -preregistered line was already huge at that point. If I could set my alarm clock, then so should the staff. Getting in is my biggest gripe, but I still come every year !


69 Daytona 4 speed
Post deleted by Defbob [Re: johntpr] #24435
05/26/06 03:38 PM
05/26/06 03:38 PM

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Re: An Thank You from E-Town and some observations. #24436
05/26/06 06:33 PM
05/26/06 06:33 PM

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Walt,thanks for chiming in...you have the show and my people will show EVERY YEAR!!....As far as spectators walking BIG DEAL....you did'nt have to walk as far as the racers did,being pitted where we were,i hope next year were closer to the staging lanes,From what i hear most people come to see the racing anyways!!!

Re: An Thank You from E-Town and some observations. #24437
05/26/06 06:45 PM
05/26/06 06:45 PM
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Walt, Thanks for listening to everybodies gripes. It is hard to please everybody but at least you are trying. I have been to every Atlantic Nats and will come to every one in the future because I have a good time racing there. My complaints are small but not enough to keep me away. Like why couldn`t I pre-register to race 2 vehicles on Sunday? The yearly rain but you can`t help that, June was to hot and muggy, I know Raceway has a full schedule but how about the early fall ( Just a thought) Glad to here it will exist next year, I`ll be there.


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Re: An Thank You from E-Town and some observations. [Re: 11secdart] #24438
05/26/06 07:17 PM
05/26/06 07:17 PM
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Its no Walt's fault about the noise restrictions, they have been at e-town for YEARS! This is not the fault of the track, it is the fault of 70 percent of the yuppies that moved into e-town and don't want to hear the noise of the track(its not their fault they moved near a nationally reconized race track, noooo....)
At the nats, the funny cars can't even start till 10AM, and if your street car is too loud you can't even run it on a fri or sat.


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Re: An Thank You from E-Town and some observations. [Re: enigma] #24439
05/26/06 07:57 PM
05/26/06 07:57 PM

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Quote:

Its no Walt's fault about the noise restrictions, they have been at e-town for YEARS! This is not the fault of the track, it is the fault of 70 percent of the yuppies that moved into e-town and don't want to hear the noise of the track(its not their fault they moved near a nationally reconized race track, noooo....)
At the nats, the funny cars can't even start till 10AM, and if your street car is too loud you can't even run it on a fri or sat.




I did'nt see the sound meter once on Saturday if you have mufflers(not the bullet type) your ok to race.....

Re: An Thank You from E-Town and some observations. #24440
05/26/06 09:58 PM
05/26/06 09:58 PM
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Quote:

Walt ,Thanks for the tickets and I'll be there next year for sure.





heck . let me in for free and i won't have any complaints either...


It's better to keep your mouth shut and give the impression that you're stupid than to open it and remove all doubt.

www.MoparMisfits.com
Re: An Thank You from E-Town and some observations. [Re: abodyjoe] #24441
05/26/06 10:08 PM
05/26/06 10:08 PM
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Quote:

Quote:

Walt ,Thanks for the tickets and I'll be there next year for sure.





heck . let me in for free and i won't have any complaints either...





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