Topic: Re: Take it public?
in Forum: Annual C3VR Member Gathering
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Thank you Jim & Joel. I was afraid I would be the only killjoy so far. When attending our C3VR gatherings my intent is to add faces to my friends I have come to know only through typing. Yes I also love meeting new people and there are plenty of large gatherings where I can do that. If I had to try and sort out the people I really want to meet and spend time with through a large crowd of people it would be just another Vette gathering. Not that I wouldn't attend, but wouldn't be for the same reason I go to C3VR gatherings the way they are. Patty and I had a great time in Effingham this year. The best part for me was meeting all my family members from this site.
So in a nut shell my .02 a big.............
So in a nut shell my .02 a big.............
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What if we opened the group to people that do not own a C3 !!!! 
the horror !!!
the horror !!!
I tend to think we have a "brotherhood" that we have developed and the relationships that have been created as a result of the forum and most of all the annual and regional events.
Terry has it pegged - if I have to "search the crowd" to find everyone and we are scattered in several places - where do we go ? who do we hang out with ? who do we meet ?
Besides - how to pick who rides as co-pilot ?
shrimp & grits anyone ???
Lifetime MemberEquinunk, PA - USA
Joined: 10/31/2007
Posts: 2468
Vette(s): 1972 conv, 4-speed, 350, 200hp, numbers match, rally wheels, war bonnett yellow w/white top. good condition, nice driver.
I tend to agree with the small crowd. It is a C-3 crowd, keep it all C-3's. I like the smallness of the gatherings, you get to meet everyone, chat and visit. I enjoy the FAMILY atmosphere of all our outings. A large group of people only makes a large group of people. The person who mentioned that it would get to big with public, and create clicks and mini internal clubs, was correct. I would compare it to going to church in the city and going to church in the country. We are all family and the smallness keeps us close. The continunity is gone when we lose contact with the group. The sponsor idea is good, but is mostly for their benefit. I understand the need for help in planning, but DISTANCE is a major factor to helping. We are so spred out, it is tough to get together to work on details.
Former Member
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Cramerton, NC - USA
Joined: 8/22/2006
Posts: 1094
Vette(s): black 1982 coupe slate gray interior, 350 crossfire, 1985 fuel pump, Steeroids R&P conversion
Since Ive never been able to attend one of the gatherings (until now) I was reluctant to say anything but since others have mentioned it, I too like the idea of the gathering being primarily C3VR members. Not that Im anti-social, but my main purpose of attending is to put faces with the names I've come to know here on the forum. Im looking forward to meeting you folks.
|UPDATED|9/13/2011 9:33:31 AM (AZT)|/UPDATED|
|UPDATED|9/13/2011 9:33:31 AM (AZT)|/UPDATED|
My answer to the "Take it public" is NO. I have to agree with most that a large public gathering takes away from the the family feeling that we have here. I really didn't even have enough time to meet all the folks in Effingham. Anything larger/or open to public to make it absolutely impossible, making it like as several people have stated, just another C@C or Funfest. I do like the idea of hooking it up with a sponsor if C3 Fest in Effingham is any indication of what is possible when doing so and on the other hand it sounds good simply doing things with just our input such as what the Gathering 2012 is shaping up to be. Maybe switch off every other year wirh the style of gathering, sponsored/our own. Either way we will make a great time 
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DanT
We are the website that became a car club.....
Not too many of those out on the web...
I dont have an issue with corporate sponsors but that could become a sticky situation if a vendor gets mad or upset that we put all of our eggs in the MAM basket (as an example)and decides to drop their site sponsorship.
I think we need more site sponsors to build the site stronger and thereby gain more memebership.
I always try to encourage any place that I order parts from to please consider becoming a sponser on the site. I hope that Adam isnt upset by that, but I figure we need all the help we can get.
I liked the size of the past gathering, as a new face there was plenty of opportunity for me to meet alot of you. Granted there was not enough time for me to meet everyone. The venue was right and I enjoyed the seminars, but just hanging at the hotel having some beers, shooting the bull and making new friends was the absolute best part.
Maybe we can find out if theres a local vette club in the gathering city and see if we can partner up with them to generate a bigger crowd. Kinda like Ebo bringing the C3VR people to the Vettes at the Lake event recently.
Just my thoughts.....
Happy just to be a part of the site.
Lifetime MemberIndianapolis, IN - USA
Joined: 9/3/2006
Posts: 2430
Vette(s): Silver 1974 Convertible - L82 4 speed
Low miles (was only 8,900 when I bought it in March 2006) - Now 54K miles. Original owner bought it as an investment for son's college expenses.
2008 Jetstream Blue Convertible
Wow. Miss a day (or two), miss a lot!
|UPDATED|9/14/2011 3:50:14 AM (AZT)|/UPDATED|
On the topic of corporate sponsorship, I don't have an opinion.
As to opening to the public, I hear the cautioned downsides, but my view is, "the more the merrier." Here's how I see it:
I'm not thinking this would ever get as large as a C@C or some of the other large, stationary events (maybe I'm just being naiive). I agree, I love the closeness of the events I've attended, but I also love that at almost every event, I end up meeting new, wonderful people to extend my and Candi's Corvette Family. Yes, there are some to whom we're closer than others (and it's possible that sometimes we may not spend as much time with them as we like when meeting new folks), but in the early days, some of those folks that we're now close to were new to us.
I don't have a true "bucket list," but I've recently thought an interesting item would be to attend a Corvette event in every state of the union (Hawaii might be tough!). I'm glad to continue moving around the country with you folks and still want to meet more people.
Here's a suggestion - what if instead of trying to pull others in, we go to different regional events as part of our gatherings? Corvettes On Woodward (Dream Cruise) in Detroit for a central gathering? Black Hills Corvette Classic driving across South Dakota for a Western gathering? By taking our group to others, it gets people involved, exposes C3VR to other folks, but technically still allows us to be our "own" group. I do realize this could hamper our independence a bit, but I'm not sure it has to.
Bottom line, like Will Rogers said (I may be paraphrasing), "I've never met a C3VR member I didn't like." I hope to meet many more and encourage lots of new people to join over the coming years.
|UPDATED|9/14/2011 3:50:14 AM (AZT)|/UPDATED|
I wanted a Corvette my whole life, but I never dreamed of all the wonderful people I would meet because of it!
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I kinda agree with keeping it C3VR. The 2011 gathering (see, I got it right) at MAM was a blast, but the only part that bothered me was that there wasn't much time to spend with a lot of people that you wanted to meet and hang out with. When we go to the mega-events thats fine but I think we should keep a more manageable size for the C3VR gatherings. I DO NOT think that we should tie our gathering in with a major event, as there are just too many things to do outside of C3VR. I want more time with my buds!
|UPDATED|9/14/2011 1:22:13 PM (AZT)|/UPDATED|
Barry
|UPDATED|9/14/2011 1:22:13 PM (AZT)|/UPDATED|
I have attended a few Gatherings in the past and enjoyed them all.
What I like about them is the tours to points of interest.
Car museums, mountain rides and views, wine tastings, sponsor plant tours, dune buggy rides, go cart racing, Crater Lake, Tail of the Dragon, etc.
Sharing these times with friends is as good as it gets.
So it doesn't matter to me if it is open to non-C3VR members, non C3 owners (even Clint) or if we have a major sponsor.
Just keep moving it to new locations.
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Clint doesn't count cus he be a member (minus car)!!!!! 
Barry
in Forum: Annual C3VR Member Gathering
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