Re: Van Nats 2010 - Phillip Island - Who is Coming?

**The Zodiac** Tue 13 Apr 2010, 10:32 am

Blue Diamond wrote:Come on Fres, dont just sit back and wait and wait until the last minute.

Yes it is hard to imagine, considering all of the past infighting, but we need your cooperation and assistance to move forward.

If we, as MV, do the Nats, it could lead to a better understanding with ECV.

It might, might, lead to a joint run one day but you need to stand up and confirm your assistance.

I'll second that.

Elegantly Wasted Mon 19 Apr 2010, 12:57 am

Another weekend with some free time, but far too short...
OK guys, not sure why you need me to make it happen (maybe because of some accumulated wisdom from hanging around these events too long ). If you have the commitment and believe you've got what it takes to make a difference, I can assist in putting in a proposal to have the 2012 Van Nats at AWEC.

VANDIL Mon 19 Apr 2010, 6:30 am

Well done Fres, your the man up to the task of making this all happen, Now you need a good team of people behind you and lets get it all happening, I will assist in anyway I can and I know other Majestics will too, Cheers Andrew.

**The Zodiac** Mon 19 Apr 2010, 10:37 am

Dont stress Fres we dont want to wait till 2012, we want 2011.(If possible). If you want to help that's great, but if you dont that's o.k. too. We can only try.

hell raiser Mon 19 Apr 2010, 2:52 pm

Is there any information that can be obtained on what it takes to run the Van Nats

Blue Diamond Mon 19 Apr 2010, 8:50 pm

Al

We are obtaining this info atm. It might be more work than first sight but we will read the "guide" and make our minds up after that.

cheers

Sean

FreeMason Wed 21 Apr 2010, 12:30 pm

on the way home Kerry and woody were looking at a few possible van nats sites on the coast road.

**The Zodiac** Wed 21 Apr 2010, 4:13 pm

Mason wrote:on the way home Kerry and woody were looking at a few possible van nats sites on the coast road.

Are they looking at putting a nats on?

FreeMason Thu 22 Apr 2010, 10:42 am

they did really say to me. but they did tell a few people and it went thru the nats camp like wild fire.looking at very south coast.

**The Zodiac** Thu 22 Apr 2010, 11:31 am

Well it saves us doing it, as if it comes to a choice between MV doing the event or Woody and Kerry than you know for a fact the VCV will go with them, because heaven forbid you let some new blood into the scene with some fresh ideas. Shit the thing might just be a success and make them look silly.

**pez350** Thu 22 Apr 2010, 12:57 pm

Looks like there are two parties willing to put the 2011 Nats together, and there will be a vote at the next vcv meeting to decide which one gets the gig.

Nope, don't know what the two options are - I'm sure other people here may know. I also read that the Hot Rod Nats will be in my town (Geelong) next Easter. Hmmm - decisions, decisions......

Cheers

Blue Diamond Thu 22 Apr 2010, 1:01 pm

Perry

Can you please put details of the next VCV meeting in the forum. I might be attending.

cheers

Sean

**pez350** Thu 22 Apr 2010, 3:53 pm

Blue Diamond wrote:Perry

Can you please put details of the next VCV meeting in the forum. I might be attending.

cheers

Sean

Hi Sean - all I know is that it's in Oakleigh at 8pm on May 6th.

Best bet is to check the site and email them: http://www.vanning.org.au/

Elegantly Wasted Sat 24 Apr 2010, 12:55 am

Yeehaa !! - a long weekend
2011 / 2012 seems to be the hot topic at the moment, so I'll see if I can shed some light on some of your issues or concerns.

To run a Van Nats you need a few things just to get through the initial concept.
Firstly, you need enthusiasm,
secondly you need a suitable venue from an organisers point of view - plus appealing to potential entrants,
and finally, the support of the current group that attends the Van Nats - as this is where the majority of the income is going to come from.
Well, the first two have been covered in previous posts. The third is usually easy - stand up at the Friday afternoon meeting at the Nats and you've got a 33/36 chance of receiving that support because everyone in the room is grateful that the event will continue for another year. In the 1/36 chance of two or more bids being put forward, the entrants decide where it will be held during a vote on the Sunday nite. In the 2/36 chance that no bids are put forward, the VCV members decides on the outcome for the following year at the May meeting. With all due respect to those in this forum, no organisation in any field or venture is going to hand over control of an event to an unknown group or little known individuals. The amount of scrutiny that myself and my fellow co-ordinator had to endure to get the 1999 Nats happening, was difficult and we were from inside the organisation.
So, for 2011, SXV misses Bathurst due to the venue, and Majestic misses out due to timing - ready now, but not Easter Friday. The VCV will now decide between a couple of proposals in northern country Victoria - Phillip Island is no longer an option.

If Majestic want the opportunity to hold the event, it needs to be done from the inside. Participate in 2011, turn up in force, bring your best vans, allow the owners to compete at the highest level (without having to sit on the front gate, mow the paddock, collect admission from the general public on show day, look after Kidz Biz, negotiate with the Site Manager and listen to complaints and all the other tasks that the organising group is in control of) and put in a bid for 2012 - the odds are on your side. As in 2005, once we had the support on the Friday, we received over $3427 in pre-entries by the time we left on Easter Monday - the most ever for 12 months prior to the event.

More to follow...

Elegantly Wasted Sat 24 Apr 2010, 2:20 am

freestyler1 wrote:The equestrian place looks interesting.....
Did it really cost 25k to get the the 1999 Nationals up & going?

Besides the obvious overheads of merchandise & maybe location rental.......
I thought the rest would be fairly sponsor covered?

or am i being nieve to running one of these events?

I'm happy to support either the Maldon or Albury event..... & happy to help where possible....

Cheers Al

Every person who put the event on is niave during the first attempt - even Sean is much wiser for the experience
From memory 25k was the figure in 1999. In 2006, the income was just over 30k and approx 4k in profit went to the local charity.

Merchandise was over 5k and that was only spent because of the high number of pre-entries. This year 50 pre-entries received merch and that was it - no extras because there was no cash coming in. In a recent year, one group outlaid the standard amount and the entries we down - they're still trying to sell it years later.
Trophies between $2500 and $3000
Showground was another $3000
A $3000 (in CASH) security bond came out of my personal account on the Wednesday before the event - Wed nite there were two fires deliberately lit in the amenities block...
Promotional expenses was in excess of $5000 but it did bring 83 entrants that had never been to a van nats before.
The list goes on...

Sponsors - what sponsors.
Apart from Sunstate Van Club throwing in a few hundred dollars for the Phillip Island event, every cent was contributed by VCV members or friends. Some are now contributing $500 every year just to keep the event afloat. This is why their support is vital.
In 2006, we received $60 from the local area and another sponsor from 40k's away that finally coughed up a few hundred long after the deadline for the merchandise and advertising. Everything else was from sponsoring entrants or their friends.

Blue Diamond wrote:

I have heard that the 2011 Van Nats will be at Phillip Island again. That means 2012.

As you know Fres, it takes more than 12 months to pull off an event like the Nats, which means we need to start planning NOW.

Well Sean, I do agree. You are more wiser for your Van Nats experience

Checkmate wrote:You could organise it in under 12 months, its called having a go. We just had our show over 650 entries all done and judged in a day. Over 4K for charity, 2nd largest show in the country, organised by 1 person in under 6 months.
Cmon Fres just give a definate yes or no if your keen and we'll do it. lets do next years event. If you dont want to help out just say so and we'll let the Vics keep the event and not worry about it.
25K seems a bit high, the nats needs a good shake up.

When you have an established pattern, like the VCV in the 90's, repetitious events can be organised in a short period of time. They simplying rang the previous years suppliers and made another booking. With different locations you need to almost start from scratch each time.
Experience tells me 25k is fairly accurate.
Sometimes the Nats needs a good shake up - it happened in 1999, 2003 and 2009. The next one could be 2012...

VANDIL wrote:Well done Fres, your the man up to the task of making this all happen, Now you need a good team of people behind you and lets get it all happening, I will assist in anyway I can and I know other Majestics will too, Cheers Andrew.

Thanks Andrew, but I have only offered to "assist". I barely have enough time to view the forums once a week. The old SXV will probably be turned into an Archive site again. The organisation needs to come from those who are enthusiastic to change the way it is. I can help out with some graphic work, co-ordinating the entrants, and even make my Merchant Account available for credit card payments. I'm able to make things move forward as I know how the system works and occasionally I am privileged enough to obtain info on matters which I discussed with you after the Geelong Nats.
I can live with the way most things are now, although I can see ways in which it can improve. For example, I'd like to see smaller groups competing against each other. They had a Millennium class in 2009, there should be a Sandman class. Or a pre HQ class. If everyone is competing in smaller classes that are warranted by pre-entries, we would not have so many van owners turn up for just one or two years. Here's an idea thats been rolling around my head for years - in the early 80's there were two classes at the Van Nats - Show & Street - doomed from the start as no one knew where to draw the line. How about Show & Semi-Show (no I don't mean trucks!). Show has undercarriage judged, Semi-Show doesn't.

pez350 wrote:Looks like there are two parties willing to put the 2011 Nats together, and there will be a vote at the next vcv meeting to decide which one gets the gig.

Nope, don't know what the two options are - I'm sure other people here may know. I also read that the Hot Rod Nats will be in my town (Geelong) next Easter. Hmmm - decisions, decisions......

Cheers

Hey Perry, I normally don't suggest van owners not to go to a Van Nats, but 2011 will be the largest ever Rod Nats and its in your area - so see as much as you can and then head up to the Van Nats... should be an easy drive from Geelong.

I'm on the computer most nights this weekend with some design work. More than happy to assist with questions on how the Van Nats seems to effortlessly fall into place each year - even have the Financials and Judging summary from 2006 in the same room with me.

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