2009 Route 66 Mother Road Festival September 25-27

[opeljohn]

Okay folks now that the spring events are behind us it's time to start making plans for the fall. I stopped by the Route 66 Hotel today to talk about our group staying there again. The hotel has put a block of 25 rooms on hold for us this year and I think we will once again get the $66.00 per night rate and the use of the hospitality room. The event will most likely follow the same format as other years but I have not seen a schedule yet. This years dates are Friday the 25th thru Sunday the 27th of September. Our main day of course will be Saturday the 26th but the Event awards will be given out on Sunday. I do plan to have some of our own awards on Saturday as well as door prizes if possible, more on that later. As far as I know this is the only Multicar event in the country that has an Opel class of Awards given out on the Main Stage. Now about our Saturday Awards and door prizes. Up til now some of these cost I have tried to cover by T-shirt sales and some of our members have paid the cost of an executive suite to gain the use of the hospitality room. Gil Wesson of Opel GT Source has provided the majority of the door prizes. We may need to discuss going to alternate ways to cover incidental costs and getting more folks involved in donating door prizes. T-shirts so far have not been big money makers. I do enjoy trying to tinker with the design but all in all they take quite a bit of time and I am not sure how many of you want or need more shirts. Maybe we can look at the Carlisle model and take donations with the extra given to Gary for this site. Just some things to think about. I do think I will Tinker with the shirts at least this year but after that who knows. Maybe it's time for someone else to pick up the torch there. I will try to hit Gil up for some door prizes but after not doing a couple of articals I promised him for the Blitz I could not blame him for being less than happy with me. Our Friday dinner will have to be moved this year as the Maverick Steak house has closed. Saturday we can do Top Cats if you like. I will post more as needed. If you think you are comming please get your room soon. The phone # at the Hotel is 217-529-6626. It's possible to get more rooms if there is a demand but the closer we get to the event time that may not be the case. As always Connie and I look forward seeing our Opel Friends in Sept.

[Aardvaark]

Count me in, John.
Btw. Last year there was some discussion at the event about doing an alternate show on a different date in downtown Springfield instead of the RT66. Is that off the table?
No problem for me, but thought I'd ask.

If a collection ala Carlisle this year is done instead of tee shirt sales to finance the event, perhaps an estimated amount needed could be calculated so we would all know about how much to contribute. Like you say, any extra would go to Gary for the site, but we don't want a shortfall either.
Thanks for doing the organizing, btw.

[opeljohn]

Mark
A couple of quick answers to your questions. The other event to which you refer is the Cruise for Charity. It has been being held in the same area of downtown for the last few years about two weeks before the Mother Road Fest. It is not as well promoted and there for has a bit fewer cars. Format is somewhat different. Friday night is a show and shine at some other location in town and then the Cruise on Sat. There are some awards that sometimes seem to be given out without rhyme or reason. In the old days they would have a sockhop in the convention center downtown and then allow the cars to cruise thru past the crowds. Nothing on Sunday. Cost is less. At one time it was much more popular here but a change in leadership and some infighting among local car clubs has lowered it's status. My recommendation here would be for a few others to attend this and give their input before we change.
Now as for hard numbers on the other stuff it will depend on how many awards we want to give out and weather we have to pay for a meeting room. Most of what I was talking about may come into play a year or so from now not so much this year. I think we may get the meeting room without cost this year, I hope to get confirmation about that soon. The awards we give out on Sat. have been running about 35.00 a piece. I have no problem covering 3 or 4 of those myself right now as I feel I get off cheap not having to travel to the show or get a room. The difference is I may retire in the next year or so and may move somewhere else. I still think this is a good time and place to have a meet in the Midwest and Connie and I would most probably use it as an excuse to get back here but our situation would of course be different.

[lezliewk]

John, You can count me in again, That was a great time. Getting ready for the thing at my house in a couple of weeks, Hope for nice weather.Paul

[traytodd]

With respect to T-shirts, would it be easier/cheaper to come up with a front design for all Opel events for the year and just add the specific event information on the back?

Terry

[opeljohn]

I now have a final answer to Marks question about moving our group to the Springfield Cruise for Charity. That event after a 24 year run has been pronounced dead. In it's time it did generate some pretty good sized donations to local charitys, but a lot of recent decisions on where and how to hold it did not work well for it. This may help the International Route 66 Mother Road Festival we attend. Not having direct competition within 2 weeks of the event may increase participation. I hope the Mother Road Fest can continue to make it but it will have to pay it's own way. Part of it's funding here in the early years was paid by a state grant. That either has expired or soon will. Time will tell. I have not checked to see if we have many of our rooms booked yet at the hotel but if you do book please post here so we know. Only about 3 months out now.

[Aardvaark]

I haven't booked yet but will in the next week.

[Aardvaark]

I booked the RT66 motel room and registered on-line for the event this morning.
A reminder: Sign up for the event early and save $15.
It was $38 total just now.

[Aardvaark]

except for the pictures, reports and stories.

Bumping this thread. Lets get moving on entries and reservations for Sringfield!

[opeljohn]

Mark thanks for bumping this up and you are quite right we need to start getting a feel for what kind of attendance we will have this year. I also need to know how many of those who will attend would like to print shirts this year. I intend to get with the design guy and clean up the front some and do a little touch up on the back. Colors for the shirt itself have been black or white the last few years but I am open to other colors. I had hoped to have a Manta to bring this year but it did not quite work. Anyway let's sound off folks, who's going to be here?

[dcm013]

I'm planning on being there John. This'll be my 6th year in a row .

Don

[tomking]

I am afraid I will not make it. We are expecting our second grandson in September and our third in October. So we are holding on til it's time to go to each. Good Opeling.

[sawdust]

I am planning on being there with an Opel.

[kevinfier]

I will also be there w/ my Kadett.
Kevin

[Gordy]

Chris and I will be there.... just don't think our 67 Kadett Rallye will be ready to go though. We'll bring the Manta or the GT I guess

[manta73wi]

I'm planning to go with one of my Mantas again this year. I wouldn't miss it! I talked with John Gresley last week, and he wants to go but is checking his schedule. If you do shirts again, I would buy one. THANKS for taking care of us, John, and let me know if you would like help with anything.
-Jeff W.

[Gordy]

I mentioned it last year and would be happy to pay for these this year.....How 'bout just the stick on type name badges where everyone writes their name and below that their OpelGT.com "handle" to help us more "senior" members keep track of names and spouses names better!
We'd definitely be in for shirts as well. Keep us posted.
Do you think we could be so lucky weather wise as we have been the last 2 years??

[tekenaar]

Interim plan is to go . . . have to look at time and finances when closer to actual dates.

[rmstirm]

John,

My son, Taylor, and I will be planning to attend the Springfield show. I still need to book a room at the Route 66 Hotel. I'm not yet sure what car we'll be driving; my GT or the 74 Manta that we are currently restoring. The Manta may not be fully ready to show by Springfield time, but we'll see. Taylor and I will both want t-shirts. Thanks for you time and efforts to organize.

Randy S.

[opeljohn]

Thought I would post on a couple of things. First off I met with my local contact for the event and was assured of a couple of things I had concerns about. I had posted elsewhere that the event needed to become self supporting ie no city or state funds. It seems even in these tough times corporate sponsors are coming thru. There will even be a classic car auction this year. This bodes well for the long term health of the event. Also there will continue to be an Opel Class for Awards. This is the only show of this type I know of that has an Opel Class. You who have attended are directly responsible for that. Because we travel in masse we have been noticed. This year I am told the judging will be done by a paid staff. Now for the other issue. You may have seen the thread on future Opel Nationals and weather we would like to see it return to the Route 66 Mother Road Fest. Since Connie and I act as hosts for the event the questions have been do I want to do it. I think the real question is do you guys who have made this what it is want to welcome the country back to your midwest event? A lot of you have already offered to do what you can to help with the event. Gordy for instance has offered to bring name tags this year which is a great idea. Anyway we are being offered 2012 or 2013 depending on how some other things work out. Kick it around and post your thoughts. One thing I learned last year is life can play tricks with your plans,so it can't just be my call.