That's a definite consideration for the future. We do offer a free event
for application for membership at the event at this time. Probably if we
continue to grow at breakneck speed we'll go the membership route, next.
On Wed, 25 Apr 2001 08:44:01 -0700 Pat Kelly <lollipop@ricochet.net>
writes:
> Do you require membership?
> At first it seems not the most friendly and welcoming thing
> to do, but
> once the membership requirement (in our case, you must have the
> membership card in hand) is implemented, it does cut down,
> especially
> among those who want to screw around. The ones who are members
> really
> WANT to be there. The attitudes of all are far better, and the
> events
> run more smoothly because everyone's a member of the same club.
> Camaraderie is better.
> Entry levels? Instead of 280, we had 217 last Sunday, and
> that was with
> 2 competing organizations putting on events. Because of Golden Gate
> Fields site requirements, we couldn't start until 10 a.m., finished
> by
> 4:30, and had plenty of time for fun runs at the end.
> --Pat Kelly
>
> Benjamin D Thatcher wrote:
> >
> > Rick Brown of Cal Club,
> >
> > I empathize with you about getting overwhelmed with entrants (with
> your
> > 280 drivers). I think we're seeing this all over the country.
> However,
> > we've got to do something to cope with it as Steve Johnson is
> going to
> > take the old "Secret Car Club of America" out of SCCA. I know that
> the
> > internet has fueled our visibility, also.
> >
> > Either we will have to start expanding schedules, renting
> adjoining lots
> > or raising our entry fees to cope with this.
> >
> > We just bumped our entry fees from $20 for members to $25 and saw
> about a
> > 15% reduction in entries. Do the math, we increased fees 25% and
> only
> > reduced entries by 15%. So now we are taking in more money but
> having a
> > little smaller event (177 versus 210). It's supply and demand.
> (Lots of
> > our experienced drivers have fled to surrounding small regions for
> their
> > events, they don't like the extra $5 expense and the large
> events).
> >
> > Let's not choke off the supply, if possible. Let's figure out ways
> to
> > accomodate the hordes. If we start bumping up to 250+ we are
> considering
> > renting an additional lot and having 2 courses for the weekend
> with 2
> > timing & scoring trailers to accomodate the competitors. Then each
> of our
> > events would be weekend affairs like at Topeka (run one course on
> > Saturday and the other on Sunday).
> >
> > These are the growth pains when the best kept motorsports secret
> gets out
> > in the open. Unfortunately, they don't pay us enough to solve
> these
> > problems but we get to do it anyway<grin>. Probably what we need
> is an
> > elist just for Autocross organizers so we can swap ideas and get a
> handle
> > on this. Anybody interested? If so, I'll get one started.
> >
> > Ben Thatcher
> > Apex Benefit Services & Motorsports
> > Stockbridge, GA
Ben Thatcher
Apex Benefit Services & Motorsports
Stockbridge, GA
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