Needing Some Car Show Advice, Tips, or Suggestions!
You are not currently logged in. Login to myAccount   Forgot Your Login?   SignUp For a Free Account
 
Sell Your StreetRod FAST!-Help-Contact Us
Quick Search:
Needing Some Car Show Advice, Tips, or Suggestions!
Posted: July 20 2008 10:58 AM
 
Christine Motsinger (aka ChristineElise03) [ View ] [ ChristineElise03@yahoo.com ] [ Car Ads ] [ Blogs ]
Salem, Indiana
 
Hello, my name is Christine Motsinger and I'm from Salem, Indiana. I'm writing this post in regards to a Car, Truck, and Motorcycle Show I am organizing to benefit my local Shop with a Cop organization. This is my first show I've ever organized and I was wondering if anyone here could give me some advice/suggestions/ideas to help me out! I'm a member of a non-profit motorcycle chapter that has been involved with many successful events in the past, but I'm going out on my own with the company I work for now to put this together.

The car show is on October 4th, and I've been getting stuff together since late May. So far, I've gotten some big sponsors to send stuff, like Turtle Wax, Meguires, Stoner, etc. I'm going to be giving out goody bags (bags from our community business group) that will have the different donated items (such as samples, company info, stickers, etc.). I'm going to have the event, hopefully, on our town square, which is the central point of our town/county/community.

I'm only doing a Top Place trophy for each category since this is our first year, but if it grows into a big event in the future, we'll start doing the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places. I have the following categories:

Best In Show

Mayor's Pick

Police Pick

Firehouse Favorite

Crowd Pleaser (crowd's vote with hopefully a donatioin to Shop with a Cop)

Longest Distance (traveled the farthest)

Best Custom

Best Original

Best Motorcycle

Best Antique

Best Foreign/Import

Best Mopar

Best Ford

Best GM

I'm wanting some ideas on more car classes. I can do up to 25 top trophy classes (its in our budget), but I'm unsure what all classes I should have, just incase I don't have a huge turnout for the first year. I want to be able to draw people in, though!

I'm going to do 50 dash plates to the first 50 registered cars - and I'm looking into getting t-shirts made if I can get some local companies to donate money towards them.

I'm going to have door prizes throughout the day and I've received about 6 nice raffle items. I'm also going to do a 50/50 all day and I'm trying to incorporate some children's activities with it. I'm going to see if I can get some pumpkins donated and have a pumpkin painting; I'm also going to have a coloring contest with some small, but nice prizes for them (Ages probably 2-12 w/a prize for the winner in each group).

Going to have two different food vendors setting up - also going to see if business would like to set up booths to sell/market their businesses for a $10-15 donation towards Shop with a Cop.

That's pretty much all I have so far - I've gotten about 20 pages of Car Clubs in Indiana I'm going to contact/email. I'm going to set pre-registration @ $15.00 and day of registration @ $20.00 or $18.00 w/a new toy donation.

If anyone has any advice, suggestion, or tips, I would be greatly appreciative of anything you could tell me. I'm wanting to make this a wonderfully successful event, and I'd like to learn from everyone's successes.


Thank you very much,

Christine
 
 
Comments
 
Posted by blade58  -  07/20/2008 11:24 AM
i was a president of a Mini Truck club, our club had our own show and helped out in other shows you have it well organized for your first show,as the shows got bigger more class,s were added like; best GM stock ,best GM mild custom ,best GM custom and best GM wild /radical custom
blade58 [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] apopka, Florida Charter Member since January 2008
 
Posted by scamp  -  07/20/2008 11:35 AM
best street rod i think $10.oo is a good price to reg.over 10 lot of people will not reg.i have found that to be true hope you have a nice turn out ed
ed wilson [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] weirton, West Virginia
 
Posted by scooting  -  07/20/2008 11:55 AM
Do one trophy for crowd pleaser, get rid of the rest of the classes. Trophys are worthless. Put your money toward things to do at the show. It is more important for all the folks to have a good time than be a "winner". Be creative.
scooting [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Elkridge, Maryland
 
Posted by brian41chevy  -  07/20/2008 12:01 PM
Scooting is right. You want make people happy draw registration # through out the day and give away door prizes. Trophy hounds ruin shows.
There is a fine line between hobby and mental illness [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] New Lenox, Illinois Charter Member since November 2004
 
Posted by blade58  -  07/20/2008 02:35 PM
Yes i have seen some sore losers at shows to the point that they smash the tropy because they thouht they deserve better
blade58 [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] apopka, Florida Charter Member since January 2008
 
Posted by dixie  -  07/20/2008 06:32 PM
Hey thats an idea smash the trophy if u don't like it see how many u can get in that class. If its a show people will expect trophys if its a cruise NO. O by the way i think u clicked to many times on your post might want to delete some of em.
jim grace [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] dade city, Florida Charter Member since January 2006
 
Posted by oilmanpat  -  07/20/2008 07:19 PM
Brian has the right idea. I am much happier getting a door prize that a trophy. They are really hard to eat.
oilmanpat [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Warsaw, Illinois Charter Member since August 2007
 
Posted by roofcam34  -  07/21/2008 12:49 AM
You couls add "best truck." Who is doing the judging? I'd get rid of the mayor' s choice and the crowd pleaser catagories. Most of the rodders I talk with get upset with these, because they almost always go to cars entered by residents from the town/city. More of a favorite person than a favorite car. Scamp is correct about the registration price. Many won't pay over $10-$12, and quite a few won't go if there is any entry fee. These always have to be scheduled far in advance to be successful, but it's good to check and avoid dates that are already scheduled somewhere else, to avoid losing potential participants to those events. Good luck with the show!!
Leo (roofcam34) [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Sioux City, Iowa
 
Posted by jgregory21  -  07/21/2008 01:00 AM
Chistine,

What I have always done is get plenty of door prizes, and a lot of dash plaques. First of all that is the weekend of a a 3 day Pumpkin Run Nationals in Owensville, Ohio. They usually have over 3,000 cars & Ect. The cost for all 3 days is only $25.00, and they usually give away a rolling car, and 125 Trophies. They have one of the biggest 50 / 50 drawings in U. S. The one on Sat. is over $10,000, and one on Sunday around $25,000, you get one half.

Times are changing quite a bit, a lot of Cruise In's are popping up, because of higher cost of living, and they don't have to stay all day. The best way to do it, is give out top 40 or 50, that way you don't upset the Trophy hounds. Have someone donate a tool box and raffle it off. Have Fan Belt toss, lifter toss, push rod drop, and so on. Because you are having Bikes, maybe you should give out 5 in that area. Can you get a hold of a Show and Shine Calendar? They have listing of most Car Shows going on. Good Luck.
jgregory21 [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] blanchester, Ohio
 
Posted by lenbeal  -  07/21/2008 08:39 AM
Sounds like you are going to have a great show. I have put on many shows. A few things that I lkie to do. Start about 9 am and finish about 3 pm folks are ready to hit the road early. If you do trophys make it quick, don,t linger, people want to hit the road. Price, $10.00. pre reg is good but a hassel. Collect money as they drive in and they can then go regester. Door prizes, $5 type waxes and cleaners are great, Big buck prizes are not needed. Your list of trophys looks ok, just walk out and pick the winners. Not everybody needs a trophy. Good luck.
flyingb [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] harrogate, Tennessee
 
Posted by Crazyhorse Rod Shop  -  07/21/2008 08:52 AM
never let participants do the voting . it is always a crock. little clubs gang up and all vote for each other. god i hate trophies , they screw up every good show. do as few classes as you can. tell your judges to do a 1- 10 . it will go much easier and faster. otherwise you will spend all your time judging cars. dont let the trophy hounds take over your show. great door prizes will bring in more people . we always had a transmission to give away or some other big prize.
dont poke the porchdog........he bites [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] BLUFF DALE, Texas Charter Member since March 2003
 
Posted by ol bear  -  07/21/2008 10:47 AM
IS IT OK TO HAVE MUTIPLE POST WITH THE EXACT SAME TOPIC ???? 5 FOR THIS ONE HELP !!!!!!!!!! OL BEAR
OL BEAR [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] crown point, Indiana
 
Posted by jimmothershead  -  07/21/2008 10:48 AM
The key is the numbers....lower gate $$= bigger numbers. Mayor's pick for one trophy this year. Trophy awards are about "who ya know", not the quality of the car at most local shows. Pass out flyers at all auto events, cruize nites, etc. All news papers, web sites, etc. will do a free listing. Have activities for the kiddes and the adults.
Good luck and have fun. Jim
Jim [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Huntingtown, Maryland
 
Posted by REBORN55  -  07/21/2008 11:48 AM
If you do the trophy thing--I have found that the top 25 or 50 awards make it a lot easier on the judges--less hassle. Do plaques if you can--easier to dust and can be hung in the garage. Lots of door prizes. Do a few give aways in the 50/50 raffle--first drawn gets the money or a good prize. Give a 3 or 4 prizes in the 50/50. Have lots of help. good luck
Ken [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] De soto, Illinois
 
Posted by ChristineElise03  -  07/21/2008 08:19 PM
Thanks everyone for your postings, I appreciate the advice. And sorry about the multiple postings - it had the option of adding it to multiple categories, so I thought I would get as many people's advice as possible!


I wasn't sure about the price... I know that $20.00 is kind of high, but wasn't sure what would go good. I am doing the dash plaques and trophies for sure, because I don't think I'd be able to draw people in without them. I'm wanting this to be a good event so that people will come to it in the years to come...


Thanks again, and if anyone else has ideas, post them for me!


Thanks!
ChristineElise03 [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Salem, Indiana
 
Posted by koolstuff0099  -  07/21/2008 08:24 PM
Here's my 2 cents. Have the public pick the " most popular" or even a "chicks pick" is kinda KOOL? Another tip is when you approach the local merchants for freebie prize stuff, "Gift Certificates" are always an easy give away for the merchants. I used to give out several $25 or $50 certificates. Many, many times they never get cashed in. The merchant looks like a good guy and it often never cost him a thing!
Koolstuff [ View ] [ Email ] [ Blogs ] [ Car Ads ] Newburyport, Massachusetts
 
Back To Top
Please Login or Register to Comment
Existing Member? Sign In.
New Visitor? Click Here to Get Started!
 
Existing Member but forgot your Login Information? Click Here.