brownie0486
Well-known member
2006 in Vt. had the highest attendance. Small little town tucked into the Green Mountains of New England. I found that interesting. Population there today is only 10K and change.
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Past Rally Locations
- Thread starter gsinnc
- Start date
gsinnc
Well-known member
It was also unusually HOT for Vermont. The MOA got a deal with a small local college (St. Michaels ??) and we had 5 rooms in one section. Apparently the College AC was set at something like 78 degrees!! It was still a killer deal and fun to have so many riders all in one dorm area. That was also the year it rained on us almost all the way home to Charlotte.
pglaves
#13338
I don't have actual statistics but will opine an observation nonetheless. The composition of rally accommodations has changed in the past 17 years since 2006. A smaller proportion of rally attendees are camping on the rally grounds and a larger proportion of rally attendees are staying in hotels, motels, and B&B vacation rentals. This changes the nature of the communities that can handle our rally. There was a time when a small community with a great fairgrounds was about all we needed. Now we need hotels and restaurants and Walmarts.
gsinnc
Well-known member
That’s a great point Paul, I’ve never been a camper, but it seems like I’m seeing more and more folks in hotels and motels. I’ve been to two events where they had obtained local college dorms and I thought that was really really a nice set up
brownie0486
Well-known member
Good point sir
I've hosted a number of large bicycling events in my live, all over the country. Back in the '70's & 80's, we hosted them in college dorms. Sometime in the 90's, the price of a dorm room began to increase to where it was more economical to stay in a nice mid-level motel (Holiday Inn Express, Hampton Inn, etc.) And we didn't have to worry about providing breakfast for 1000's of hungry bicyclists! Since about 1995, all bicycling events I've been associated with have been hotel-based, with camping options available. Dorm rooms are no longer considered. This also allowed us the flexibility to plan the event when the dates were more convenient for the rally participants, not the colleges.
lee
Debbie's Servant
They were packed in very tight at Springfield .
lee
Debbie's Servant
Here's a list of all the past Rally locations with the attendance numbers.
National Rally Locations and Numbers
01 - 1973 - Morgan Hill, CALIFORNIA (fairground) -- 425
02 - 1974 - Table Rock, SOUTH CAROLINA (campground) -- 1001
03 - 1975 - Branson, MISSOURI (campground) -- 2096
04 - 1976 - Oshkosh, WISCONSIN (EAA airfield facility) -- 1820
05 - 1977 - Colorado Springs, COLORADO (a dude ranch!) -- 2389
06 - 1978 - Rutland, VERMONT (fairground) -- 3573
07 - 1979 - Brainerd, MINNESOTA (a racetrack!) -- 3276
08 - 1980 - Prineville, OREGON (fairground) -- 2575
09 - 1981 - Hurricane Mills, TENNESSEE (a dude ranch) -- 6122
10 - 1982 - Shreve, OHIO (campground) -- 4478
11 - 1983 - Lake Placid, NEW YORK (a horse show grounds) -- 5301
12 - 1984 - Missoula, MONTANA (fairground) - 3733
13 - 1985 - Lake Wales, FLORIDA (resort) -- 2270
14 - 1986 - Laguna Seca, CALIFORNIA (THE motorcycle raceway) -- 3472
15 - 1987 - Escanaba, MICHIGAN (fairground) -- 6110
16 - 1988 - Madison, INDIANA (fairground) -- 5637
17 - 1989 - York, PENNSYLVANIA (fairground) -- 7060
18 - 1990 - Rapid City, SOUTH DAKOTA (fairground) -- 4105
19 - 1991 - Flagstaff, ARIZONA (fairground) -- 4544
20 - 1992 - DuQuoin, ILLINOIS (fairground) -- 5895
21 - 1993 - Oshkosh, WISCONSIN (fairground) -- 5576
22 - 1994 - Moodus, CONNECTICUT (resort) -- 5627
23 - 1995 - Durango, COLORADO (fairground) -- 6137
24 - 1996 - Morganton, NORTH CAROLINA (fairground) -- 5904
25 - 1997 - Fredricksburg, TEXAS (municipal park) -- 3826
26 - 1998 - Missoula, MONTANA (fairground) -- 6050
27 - 1999 - Rhinebeck, NEW YORK (fairground) -- 6440
28 - 2000 - Midland, MICHIGAN (fairground) -- 6188
29 - 2001 - Redmond, OREGON (fairground) -- 6677
30 - 2002 - Trenton, ONTARIO (city park – a LARGE city park!) -- 5,682
31 - 2003 - Charleston, WEST VIRGINIA (an ‘in town’ Civic Center) -- 7198
32 - 2004 - Spokane, WASHINGTON (fairground) -- 6187
33 - 2005 - Lima, OHIO (fairground) -- 8298
34 - 2006 – Essex Junction, VERMONT (exposition center) -- 9200
35 - 2007 - West Bend, WISCONSIN (county park) -- 7875
36 - 2008 - Gillette, WYOMING (multi-event facility) -- 5103
37 - 2009 - Johnson City, TENNESSEE (fairgrounds) -- 8972
38 - 2010 - Redmond, OREGON (expo center) -- 6109
39 - 2011 - Bloomsburg, PENNSYLVANIA (fair grounds) -- 7330
40 - 2012 - Sedalia, MISSOURI (fair grounds) -- 5295
41 - 2013 - Salem, OREGON (fair grounds) -- 5100
42 - 2014 - St. Paul, MINNESOTA (fair grounds) -- 5866
43 - 2015 - Billings, MONTANA (expo center) – 5872
44 – 2016 – Hamburg, NEW YORK (fair grounds) -- 6100
45 – 2017 – Salt Lake City, UTAH (fair grounds) -- 4206
46 – 2018 – Des Moines, IOWA (fair grounds) -- 4580
47 – 2019 – Lebanon, TENNESSEE (exposition center) -- 6018
2020 – Great Falls, MONTANA (expo park) -- cancelled due to COVID-19
48 – 2021 – Great Falls, MONTANA (expo park) – 4889
49 - 2022 – Springfield, Missouri (Ozark Empire Fairgrounds) – 4,621
National Rally Locations and Numbers
01 - 1973 - Morgan Hill, CALIFORNIA (fairground) -- 425
02 - 1974 - Table Rock, SOUTH CAROLINA (campground) -- 1001
03 - 1975 - Branson, MISSOURI (campground) -- 2096
04 - 1976 - Oshkosh, WISCONSIN (EAA airfield facility) -- 1820
05 - 1977 - Colorado Springs, COLORADO (a dude ranch!) -- 2389
06 - 1978 - Rutland, VERMONT (fairground) -- 3573
07 - 1979 - Brainerd, MINNESOTA (a racetrack!) -- 3276
08 - 1980 - Prineville, OREGON (fairground) -- 2575
09 - 1981 - Hurricane Mills, TENNESSEE (a dude ranch) -- 6122
10 - 1982 - Shreve, OHIO (campground) -- 4478
11 - 1983 - Lake Placid, NEW YORK (a horse show grounds) -- 5301
12 - 1984 - Missoula, MONTANA (fairground) - 3733
13 - 1985 - Lake Wales, FLORIDA (resort) -- 2270
14 - 1986 - Laguna Seca, CALIFORNIA (THE motorcycle raceway) -- 3472
15 - 1987 - Escanaba, MICHIGAN (fairground) -- 6110
16 - 1988 - Madison, INDIANA (fairground) -- 5637
17 - 1989 - York, PENNSYLVANIA (fairground) -- 7060
18 - 1990 - Rapid City, SOUTH DAKOTA (fairground) -- 4105
19 - 1991 - Flagstaff, ARIZONA (fairground) -- 4544
20 - 1992 - DuQuoin, ILLINOIS (fairground) -- 5895
21 - 1993 - Oshkosh, WISCONSIN (fairground) -- 5576
22 - 1994 - Moodus, CONNECTICUT (resort) -- 5627
23 - 1995 - Durango, COLORADO (fairground) -- 6137
24 - 1996 - Morganton, NORTH CAROLINA (fairground) -- 5904
25 - 1997 - Fredricksburg, TEXAS (municipal park) -- 3826
26 - 1998 - Missoula, MONTANA (fairground) -- 6050
27 - 1999 - Rhinebeck, NEW YORK (fairground) -- 6440
28 - 2000 - Midland, MICHIGAN (fairground) -- 6188
29 - 2001 - Redmond, OREGON (fairground) -- 6677
30 - 2002 - Trenton, ONTARIO (city park – a LARGE city park!) -- 5,682
31 - 2003 - Charleston, WEST VIRGINIA (an ‘in town’ Civic Center) -- 7198
32 - 2004 - Spokane, WASHINGTON (fairground) -- 6187
33 - 2005 - Lima, OHIO (fairground) -- 8298
34 - 2006 – Essex Junction, VERMONT (exposition center) -- 9200
35 - 2007 - West Bend, WISCONSIN (county park) -- 7875
36 - 2008 - Gillette, WYOMING (multi-event facility) -- 5103
37 - 2009 - Johnson City, TENNESSEE (fairgrounds) -- 8972
38 - 2010 - Redmond, OREGON (expo center) -- 6109
39 - 2011 - Bloomsburg, PENNSYLVANIA (fair grounds) -- 7330
40 - 2012 - Sedalia, MISSOURI (fair grounds) -- 5295
41 - 2013 - Salem, OREGON (fair grounds) -- 5100
42 - 2014 - St. Paul, MINNESOTA (fair grounds) -- 5866
43 - 2015 - Billings, MONTANA (expo center) – 5872
44 – 2016 – Hamburg, NEW YORK (fair grounds) -- 6100
45 – 2017 – Salt Lake City, UTAH (fair grounds) -- 4206
46 – 2018 – Des Moines, IOWA (fair grounds) -- 4580
47 – 2019 – Lebanon, TENNESSEE (exposition center) -- 6018
2020 – Great Falls, MONTANA (expo park) -- cancelled due to COVID-19
48 – 2021 – Great Falls, MONTANA (expo park) – 4889
49 - 2022 – Springfield, Missouri (Ozark Empire Fairgrounds) – 4,621
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LOL... sounds similar to the issues being faced at Bike Week with all the trailers.
Jeeesh next thing you know the National will be held at an RV park
Jealousy won’t get you an invite inside with two days of rain.
OM
gsinnc
Well-known member
Jealousy won’t get you an invite inside with two days of rain.
OM
No worries .... my motel room is usually pretty dry! I say "usually" as my bathtub began taking on water at the hotel in Des Moines resulting in it overflowing first into my room and then out into the hall !! That was as close to "camping" as I've ever gotten.
I have always found that staying at an event location resulted in getting more out of the event. A bit of money spent on a hotel room or in my RV really paid off especially at the end of the day……or bad weather.
OM
gsinnc
Well-known member
I have always found that staying at an event location resulted in getting more out of the event. A bit of money spent on a hotel room or in my RV really paid off especially at the end of the day……or bad weather.
OM
To Paul’s point with more folks moteling it in the past few years the close in motels usually have a parking lot full of BMWs resulting in a nightly round of tire kicking and adult beverage consumption.
lee
Debbie's Servant
WOW ... thanks Lee !! Interesting data for sure. No consistent pattern for sure except that looks like Canada is not a huge draw
A 2 was missing
I correct the number to show 5,682.
https://www.fingerlakesbmw.org/main/moaloon.php?page=statistic
glenfiddich
TravelsWithBarley.com
That said, one can’t base the suitability of a potential repeat site on how it was years ago. The entire Burlington VT area has grown significantly since the rally, with multiple hotel chains building here. We used to kid that we had “Rush Minute.” While that’s still the case across most of the state, Rush Hour is now the case in the Burlington/Essex/Williston/Winooski area
natsmada
MinneSNOWta
Hey Paul,
Missoula 1984 was also my first National. I've made it to 17 National rallies so far. The last time I saw you and Voni was at the Very Boring Rally II in 2013.
Perhaps I will see you at Redmond next year.
Stan
Visian
look out!!!
What would be interesting to know, but we don't have the data, is the numbers for attendees who are members and non-members, and... conversion rates.
Anecdotally, when I helped Gray Buckley with rally marketing and the rally web site in 2001, the BoD was panicking over the fact that the rally was so far out west.
Using leading-edge SEO techniques on the then-new Google, along with aggressive outbound e-marketing to external communities (everything from IBMWR and GS lists and general sites like BARF and magazine web sites) we got nearly 7,000 attendees at the 2001 rally in Redmond and a LOT of them were non-members (yes, I asked people).
We had a great, all-volunteer integrated marketing approach that year.
In 2010, I was super-busy at work and could only contribute another MOA first, a Rally Press Kit that was sent out ahead of the rally to major media (and the powersports press). We got a lot of action out of that!
flyhi2cfar
#102452 Sometimes Hangared... But Always Aimed Out
Sure wish we had airborne photography of all the annual venues of past rally’s.
That Redmond 2010 photo is exceptional… I see my tent!
Like to have those overheads from Lebanon TN & Great Falls MT.
Both places should be considered as locations for subsequent Rally’s.
Six months until Redmond Rally. Plan accordingly.
That Redmond 2010 photo is exceptional… I see my tent!
Like to have those overheads from Lebanon TN & Great Falls MT.
Both places should be considered as locations for subsequent Rally’s.
Six months until Redmond Rally. Plan accordingly.
