NEC Classic Car Show Birmingham
- Thread starter curious bystander
- Start date
It was great to have the opportunity to exhibit our cars. Lots of interest from visitors who were all genuinely interested and mostly very knowledgeable. Several were considering a purchase and I think I convinced at least two! Thanks to the whole team for helping with the planning, organising and manning the stand.
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While I agree with a lot of the above , it could be said about any of the clubs shows ——re little benefit to our wider membership—- when any of our members don’t attend them. I however think that the NEC car show showcases our club and cars to a far greater audience that have little knowledge about Corvettes than a lot of shows over the whole year, resulting in the CCCUK name and what it stands for being on a lot more lips of normal people. I lost count over the show days of how many people came up to myself and the other exhibiting members on our stand asking about the cars with comments of——— oh this is what a Corvette is, where can I get one from, what does the club do, where do you meet, how can I get involved in your car meets if I buy a Corvette etc, so it’s very important in my opinion to keep on attending the NEC show each year.The club has spent huge amounts on this NEC show in previous years for precious little benefit to the wider membership, given that relatively few club members go. So, to get club funds back into shape we did indeed cut back on the budget this time around and Mike Penn did a great job of getting the more local members to show their cars, rather than inviting Corvettes from all over the country. This avoids large hotel bills and makes spending on carpets/lighting etc more do-able. The NEC charge a lot for (disposable) carpet and (bizarrely) electric points, so again, well done to everyone who helped to put on the CCCUK display and for manning the display and selling club merchandise and memberships.
It would be great to see some of your photos posted here??
I'm glad everyone who was able to go enjoyed the show
To not participate in the NEC show would be unthinkable when most other car clubs are there, I must say though that it was not the intention of the club to not attend, it was just to cut down on the cost to the club, like most car clubs the money has to be controlled so that it has sufficient funds to carry on in future years when times could be harder so I am happy to play my part in keeping costs down.
Yes we kept the expenses down to a minimum this year and still put on a great show for the club, so it can be done on a budget, however it takes time and a lot of willing volunteers (like most of the shows the club does) to make it happen.
I and my wife Debbie are blessed in our region (central south region) to have such a great bunch of members and wives that will get behind us and support us in whatever we take on, for that we thank them all.
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Mr. Cricket
Committee Member
Good post Mike. The committee thought long and hard about the NEC event and with your help came to a sensible solution to be able to attend but at the same time not breaking the bank!
I agree with your post Mike, deleting CCCUK from the most prestigious show for classic cars operating in this country would be a nail in the coffin of any club. Other clubs we are members of suffer the same problem of falling membership, complaints about rising subs and the exorbitant costs of venues like the NEC; but if you were pushing your way through the crowds over this weekend and you say you can't see the value of it, your eyes really are not open. I am sure from people that talked to Ruth and myself throughout the show that they will be discussing Corvettes with their petrolhead friends for many days and months, what more can we ask.
We had an incredible response to the C2 on the stand, which justified the Chairmans Award at the Nationals. Thanks to all members who visited the stand for their interest, questions and their supportive comments, so9me of our highlight pictures below.
We had an incredible response to the C2 on the stand, which justified the Chairmans Award at the Nationals. Thanks to all members who visited the stand for their interest, questions and their supportive comments, so9me of our highlight pictures below.
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curious bystander
CCCUK Member
Doing the NEC with little Club funding has two distinct drawbacks. Firstly it more or less restricts member participation to those within a few miles of Birmingham.
Secondly, when you have members coming from afar and all staying together in a cheap hotel throughout the show I know from experience it generates a great deal of camaraderie, a good atmosphere and hopefully lasting friendships. It's what being in a club is all about surely?
So to say our participation in the show is poor use of Club funds and has little benefit to the membership is just not true IMHO.
Secondly, when you have members coming from afar and all staying together in a cheap hotel throughout the show I know from experience it generates a great deal of camaraderie, a good atmosphere and hopefully lasting friendships. It's what being in a club is all about surely?
So to say our participation in the show is poor use of Club funds and has little benefit to the membership is just not true IMHO.
Mr. Cricket
Committee Member
Would you not agree Bill the clubs solution to the issue of ever rising costs to attend these events was a good one? The standard of Corvettes on the club stand was as high as ever while done on a reasonable budget and from what I saw, camaraderie was alive and well.
Our committee meetings (on Teams to save costs) are dominated by finding ways to reduce costs without reducing member benefits or hiking subs..
Being on a budget does not restrict those from further regions unless they are all claiming expenses, my view is if you want to be part of a club then it’s not so much what can the club do for me, it’s what can I do for the club, it’s a two way street.
I and all of those exhibiting their cars claimed no expenses (some stayed in hotels ) because they were happy to be there for the club and felt it was an honour to represent the club at such a high profile show.
We have already had members from Hull say they would bring their cars (on a trailer) to the show at no expense to the club, and believe me they are very interesting cars with a very good history. So it can be done without restricting the area from where the cars come from, although it certainly helped me this time in so much as I had help before the show and throughout the five days ( 2 set up, 3 show days) from my region guys.
The budget was stretched a little from its original figure to accommodate carpet etc but still managed to a minimum.
I could be very controversial but that’s not for a discussion on here where I firmly believe in the saying———— Dirty laundry shouldn’t be washed in public.
Rich
Administrator
Could you advise the amount of this "very mean budget" as mentioned in your opening post?
The reasons for attending this show are several but one reason is certainly not for a few members to spend a jolly weekend in a hotel at the Club's expense, however nice that may be. In 2021, the hotel and food allowance bill was £4,000 and the the total show cost was £6,700 - I don't have later figures as I didn't organise the Club presence after that year.
Rather than be critical, we should praise the Committee and Mike for coming up with a solution for the soaring costs which resulted in the Club stand looking very similar to previous years and enabled the Club to attend for another year. The Club profile, which is one of the main reasons for attending, was as good as any year. Well done to all involved for the effort (and personal expense) that they went to on behalf of the Club.
Times change and previous budgets were no longer sustainable. Like it or not, Bill, I personally see this year's format as the only way forward for our attendance to continue.
Roscobbc
Moderator
The club is indeed very fortunate enough (in these perhaps difficult financial times for many) to have committee members, regional reps and individual members willing and able to fund the costs of driving/transporting their cars to the shows and personally funding hotel bills and other expenses. Well done, thanks for your efforts!
Chuffer
CCCUK Member
I totally agree with you Rich . I was not at the NEC but congratulate all involved and support the committees stance this year on budget controls and reduction in payment of expenses for hotel accommodation and food for the greater good of the club and its members .
In defence of Curious Bystander, I think he probably means, why such a low budget when the clubs other shows budgets stayed the same or increased (if I am wrong on that please advise), and if the club are cutting costs then all budgets should be looked at and the cloth cut to suit, I have had lots of members say this to me. I am not suggesting that budgets were not already looked at in any way, just repeating what has been said to me.
Rich the budget was £500, not a lot but I asked if it could be increased to at least cover the carpet, they agreed to do this, thanks to the committee for that, the total cost was still only £700 odd. It’s correct what you say regarding unsustainable budgets, something had to and has to change and this IS the way forward.
I believe doing it this way saved the club around £5000 from last years figures, you can see why it’s important to adopt a new way forward.
We also went for a meal (18 of us) all from the club stand on the Saturday evening, total cost to club was Zero as I told them everyone had to pay for themselves which they were all happy to do.
I have been asked by a couple of the committee members if I will do it next year, my answer was yes with one condition which I won’t go into as its for the whole club committee to agree upon it.
Regarding cars and me organising the club stand, I will do what I have to do (if the committee agree to me doing it) to get cars and make the stand as good as it can be all within a very slim budget, unless someone else would like to step in and try their hand at it on the very tight budget available, i would gladly help them with it.
Rich the budget was £500, not a lot but I asked if it could be increased to at least cover the carpet, they agreed to do this, thanks to the committee for that, the total cost was still only £700 odd. It’s correct what you say regarding unsustainable budgets, something had to and has to change and this IS the way forward.
I believe doing it this way saved the club around £5000 from last years figures, you can see why it’s important to adopt a new way forward.
We also went for a meal (18 of us) all from the club stand on the Saturday evening, total cost to club was Zero as I told them everyone had to pay for themselves which they were all happy to do.
I have been asked by a couple of the committee members if I will do it next year, my answer was yes with one condition which I won’t go into as its for the whole club committee to agree upon it.
Regarding cars and me organising the club stand, I will do what I have to do (if the committee agree to me doing it) to get cars and make the stand as good as it can be all within a very slim budget, unless someone else would like to step in and try their hand at it on the very tight budget available, i would gladly help them with it.
Mr. Cricket
Committee Member
Mike, the budget for the Nationals was increased this year but not fully utilised. This was in direct response to member feedback in the member survey carried out by Pete earlier this year calling for more attractions at the Nationals.
Corvettes at the Lakes budget was about the same as the previous 2023 budget but as direct costs had risen it was then a nett reduction in the budget.
Like you, I had to work for the best deals I could get.
Vetman
CCCUK Member
I didn’t attend this year but tried to catch-up via YouTube. I watched 3 vlogs in hope of seeing a positive review of the Corvettes but no coverage whatsoever. I noticed a C3 in the background. Perhaps we need a YouTube presence to capitalise on the expense and personal effort involved.
I was fortunate enough to be on the stand at the 2021 show and it was greatly appreciated that all expenses were covered and it was good that most of us stayed in the same hotel but surely people can appreciate that a club the size of the Corvette Club could not sustain those costs regularly. The club stand looked great this year, cars looked superb as usual and from what I saw the stand was busy all weekend. (I was lucky enough to be next door with my C2 on the Classic American magazine stand.) Just as an aside, does anyone know if any other clubs pay for their members for travel, hotels, food etc for these weekends?
Chuffer
CCCUK Member
I can only speak from my 21 years experience in the Sporting Bears Motor Club attending the NEC show to take part in `Dream Rides `raising money for children`s charities with various cars I owned including the Corvette in the later years for all three days at my own expense . No members were reimbursed for fuel costs , hotel accommodation or meals . All members gave up their time and efforts for set up and breakdown at the show and their cars for free . I doubt very much that any of the smaller car clubs that display at the show can can afford to pay expenses either .
Mr. Cricket
Committee Member
Good feedback all and food for thought moving forward. Mickn, thanks for showing me your lovely '63 on the CA stand
Roscobbc
Moderator
Re-embursement of lodging, fuel expenses etc for members bringing their vehicles to shows or events (to my knowledge) has only ever happened on very few occasions, and to their credit not members claimed.