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This Year's Attendance

Heat/Volunteers/ & beer

MAD DOG here:
Just got back to Ct.
First/ Thank You!!! All volunteers in the Beer Tent. We kept the suds flowing.
Second/ Yes, we Rally Chairs are doing it year in and year out. We need new blood!! Talk to me.
Third/ How hot was it? Lindsey Lohan was one of the rally-goers. It was so hot she came into the beer tent and bought WATER!!!!!

MAD DOG
aka Jim Faucher Beer Chair:drink
 
Can anyone give an example of an annual gathering of any club or organization that has changed the traditional date of their meeting and what the results were?

No! No one here can give an example that a floating date is profitable which is why it's simple ignored. I brought this up last year, and the year before. Many here haven't a clue as to the dollars it cost to stage an event like this, yet they wish to gamble the dollars of the club on something like a floating date.

Some years ago when I was on the executive board of a large German auto club I heard the same thing. We had a traditional date in July for our largest attending drivers ed event at Watkins Glen. Yep, their were a few who bitched and moan about that time of the year being too hot, yea they had their reasons, easier on the car, the driver, instructors, etc. So one year we moved that date to June. It was a complete disaster. Attendance was way off, the weather was completely unpredictable as it tends to be that time of the year at the Glen, and the club lost so much money that it impacted future events for sometime.
No one here will ever give you an example that a floating date works for any large annual gathering of anything.
 
I was sorry to read that attendance was only 50% or so of two years ago.

It is understandable that the extraordinary heat this year and last is likely a major reason why the attendance suffered so. That is one reason among several others why I was not able to attend this year or last.

The weather in Salem, Oregon, is much better at this time of the year.

http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClic...QR&textField1=44.9431&textField2=-123.034&e=1

Perhaps next year's attendance will recover and surge back toward 10K. I hope so.

Actually attendance was not off 50% what it was two years ago in Redmond as I think attendance was in the mid 6K in Oregon. Johnson City TN and Burlington Vermont were the biggest attending rallies at over 9K. Don't look for record braking crowds in Salem as the west coast rallies doesn't produce them and with the MOA just having a rally in pretty much the same location just two years ago many from the east and many I talked to in the mid west are not planing on attending.
 
I know I wasn't involved in any market research either, but it is often referred to. Why not just pose the question on the next MOA ballot? Or a controlled on line survey?

Random sampling is essential to accuracy in market research.
 
What drives my wife and I to go to the rally?

Location, location, location. If it is too far we don't go because we don't want to spend too much time traveling back and forth. Good riding once there for me and interesting place to go without riding for us (like to have interesting off the bike time). The more vendors the merrier, we enjoy seeing as many companies that make stuff for our bikes and our needs as possible. We are motel/hotel folks and we don't use the beer tent but I support the need for camping space and beer sales.

Summer is essential as my wife is a college counselor and that is the easiest time to get significant time off. If we attend a rally it is part of a longer MC vacation, so being in proximity to other interesting destinations/rides makes it more desirable. I have truly enjoyed the rallies I have been to, I usually volunteer in registration on the first day and have had a blast every time.

I think our elected leaders want to put on a great rally and I believe they have largely succeeded. I also believe this topic or something very similar will never go away regardless of what time of year or location is chosen.

I think you really hit the nail on the head. Even though the fairgrounds were great this year and the people in the area charming if I wasn't a vendor I simple would have stayed home. There was nothing of real interest that this area held for me. Usually my wife comes wife me and we try to have a vacation before or after the MOA. That didn't happen this year for us as there wasn't anything that we were interested in spending time at. I think that also hurt attendance along with the unusual hot weather we had last year in Bloomsburg.
 
I would like to comment on the vendor issue;


So my suggestion is to have a major rally every year in the same location at the same time . Those that can make it will , and those that cannot probably would not go anyway no matter the dates or the location.

The Americade/Daytona/Sturgis/ what ever you like rally has been held in the same location for a long time now and as far as I know it is a sell out every year.

The events you have mentioned are all having big time problems, especially Daytona. Many get board going to the same location year after year and I do not think one location for a single marque will work. However, it seems the GWRRA uses a few of the same locations on a rotating basis so maybe something like that could be looked into.
 
As far as I'm concerened NYTRASHMAN has it nailed period and stop bashing those who chose to not attend or volunteer for any reason ,you pay dues ,you're IN.:thumb
No matter what all those who attend are the minority of this club cause the majority choose not to attend whether you like it or not!

The fact is your lucky to get 10% of the membership of any club to participate in a national event. Even though attendance was down this year the MOA is still doing pretty darn good. Clubs in general are down everywhere and I'm not talking about just motorcycle clubs, RV, Auto, Boat, etc. Heck, I met a fellow a few weeks ago who said they use to get 5-7K attendance for a Airstream national rally. This year in Sedila MO a few weeks ago he thought they had 800.
 
Oregon 2:)

DON'T make the mistake of comparing Redmond and Salem as similar! Maybe the same state, BUT absolutely nothing alike in locale. Same Cascade Mountains, different view and Redmond was very nice and perhaps never a better fairgrounds for a rally. Salem has the Western slope going for it, much greener with rains(July, not so much wet) too and indeed MUCH cooler than anything East recent years experienced. The ocean is so very closeby to Salem and all around another taste of the West, vs Redmond. You certainly did not see all of it last time, so alter your route, take what you missed. I live here(West) and the NW never lacks new adventures. The reps from Salem in Sadalia sold it well. We spoke. Hope ya'll took advantage of listening to'em... I grew up in Virginia, into my mid 20s and love my home state with much family still there. My current West has been home for my second half of this life and its BETTER here out West. IF ya got time off work, come to my home again for 2013 Salem and enjoy the dry(humidity) climate we love riding in year round:). We ride in rain too, but dry quickly. All the USA is good riding, just I'm biased now,LOL....Randy
 
i've been kind of busy today but thought i would check back to see if we got this whole thing resolved yet, much to my dismay it doesn't seem like we did. can someone please PM when it is decided which month is best for our national rally.

wether it is hot or cold, wet or dry i hope all my fellow MOA members ride safe and i look forward to meeting you guys and gals some ware down the road. hopefully that road won't take me into the midwest in July...............:wave

George
 
i've been kind of busy today but thought i would check back to see if we got this whole thing resolved yet, much to my dismay it doesn't seem like we did. can someone please PM when it is decided which month is best for our national rally.

wether it is hot or cold, wet or dry i hope all my fellow MOA members ride safe and i look forward to meeting you guys and gals some ware down the road. hopefully that road won't take me into the midwest in July...............:wave

George

I doubt if your definition of being resolved, on this forum, or any other, will please you in any way.
The consensus, bolstered by random questionairs and feedback to the board, has shown that a July date for the National is in the best interests of most of the membership.
Although posting on this forum can "stir the pot" and show some agreement for changing the relative date, you can bet that it isn't going to happen.
Sorry, but you're in the minority.
A lot of time was spent to develop the criteria for selecting a site. More time was spent creating regions and a rotating schedule, to have the Rally in different parts of the country. We've gone back to some locations based on popularity, cost, and having the location still meet the required criteria for camping, vendor area, motel and RV acomodations. Certainly, the "heat" factor is also a consideration as well.
So it is what it is. If anyone has positive, suggestions, then they are encouraged to contact the board directly, through their local club, or through an Ambassador. All members in good standing can be nominated for the board as well. Changing the membership of the board is a healthy process that brings fresh ideas to the table. The MOA is a living, breathing thing that evolves as any other organization, in line with the change in membership. With that is the individual's responsibility to step up, volunteer for a position, make your desires know, and become a part of the direction that the MOA is going.
 
i've been kind of busy today but thought i would check back to see if we got this whole thing resolved yet, much to my dismay it doesn't seem like we did. can someone please PM when it is decided which month is best for our national rally.

wether it is hot or cold, wet or dry i hope all my fellow MOA members ride safe and i look forward to meeting you guys and gals some ware down the road. hopefully that road won't take me into the midwest in July...............:wave

George

It goes back to the midwest in 2014. Here's hoping it's back to Wisc.
 
i've been kind of busy today but thought i would check back to see if we got this whole thing resolved yet, much to my dismay it doesn't seem like we did. can someone please PM when it is decided which month is best for our national rally.

i posted this tongue in cheek, but i guess sarcasm doesn't come across very well on the interweb.

i will keep my fingers crossed that the powers that be will see fit to change the rally dates. if that doesn't work i will try drinking lots of kool-aid in hopes i see the light and become one of the die hards who will blindly follow the MOA to whatever location they determine is best, despite blast furnace heat, high water or whatever mother nature throws at us.

It goes back to the midwest in 2014. Here's hoping it's back to Wisc.

wisconsin is a beautiful state. the MOA board has my permission to hold a rally there.
 
i will keep my fingers crossed that the powers that be will see fit to change the rally dates.

Same here. I've been a member since 1983 and have only made seven Nationals. Up until this year my job did not allow me to take much time off in the summer and in most cases I was only able to make Nationals that were close by.
 
West Bend was my first National and had a great time. I did the guided Rustic Road ride and saw lots of road I would have never found. By luck the weather was perfect.

The one thing that made Sedalia's heat easier to manage was all of the A/C buildings. I seem to remember most everything in WI was outside so a major heat wave would be a little more challenging to escape.

Before worrying about what might be, I need to put together a good plan to get enough time set aside for a nice ride from Iowa to Salem in 2013.:thumb
 
Every year, the subjects of day passes and moving the rally dates comes up. I heard complaints about Gillette being hot and no nice riding, and I thought it was great riding the Black Hills to Devils Tower, and the temperatures were very manageable. I heard somebody say there was nothing to attract them in the Sedalia area, and the heat kept them home. I had a wonderful time riding the back roads of MO, yeah it could have been cooler. Next year, I may not be able to go, because of distance and time off.

Either I am an idiot who has fun under the worst conditions (that may be partly true)
or rallies are what you make them. They won't be Tailor made for you, you need to know what to expect, and make it fit your needs. This forum helps greatly with that. Also, wear earplugs when you sleep there for crying out loud, it's just better.
:ha
 
Yes, yes, yes! Even though I live here I would love to have it in Wisconsin again.
We normally don't have heat waves and we also have Spotted Cow!

Me too, I loved riding around the Great Lakes, enjoyed West Bend and Camp Beers. Warm by day with wonderful cool nights is the best.

Not so much a summer rally but I would love to go to Austin Texas, ride the new F 1 track, enjoy the Hill Country and some off the beat'en track route I saw posted on Adv Rider, one of which was from the overall winner of the GS Giant / Adventure Summit in Missouri. :clap
 
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