Never Been to a National Meet Before

[38Buick 80C]

I am putting together a quick 1 pager of things a guest would need to know about attending their first BCA National Meet.

Stuff like

1. you need a fire extinguisher

2. It is customary to preregister and arrive Wed-Fri, not day of show if possible.

What other quick bullet point items would be good.

OR

Those who have never been to a National Meet what questions do you have.

Thank in advance for you help.

[jscheib]

Brian,

Along with the fire extinguisher, we tell them in the judging manual, but it seems a lot of people do not look. In the one pager, which should also get mailed out to those that do regiuster but are aparently not aware, I suggest the following:

1- The car is expected to be as it would appear in the showroom, or probably more correctly, the end of the assembly line.

Meaning no trophies in the back seat or trunk.

No Buick brochures in the back seat or trunk, except for any documents that might support unusual color scheme or trim, engine compartment, etc.

2 Floor mats should be removed.

3 You should stay with the car, or have a designate stay with the car, not ask someone to close the trunk and hood when he finds the judging complete. There was one example in Danvers where a car was left open and no one there, except someone came by to lock it up after judging. If we had not seen the individual and convinced the representative to stick around, that car would not have been judged and the owner probably not very happy when the returned from Boston.

4 You should step back from the car while judging and communicate only with the captain. This one is hard to do, when you are asked to open doors, trunk and hood as necessary by the various judges.

As noted, it is all in the manual, but not easily read at the time.

John

[dship]

Its a good thing the Minuteman Chapter had a few cases of fire extinguishers on hand...we sold them all to folks who either forgot theirs or didn't read that they needed one.

I'm one of the guilty ones for having floor mats in the car!! My Service Id Label shows an RPO code for floor mats so I assumed they were shipped with the car from the factory. My bad.

[Bill Stoneberg]

Don't expect to get to the show fashionably late Saturday morning and still be judged. You need to be there bright and early to go throuh pre inspection and get the paperwork done.

I had 2 cars in my class that showed up about 11 and were not judged.

[Guest my3buicks]

Great idea Brian! Should be a huge help to those that are attending a first national.

As far as the floor mats are concerned, I have been showing competitively at nationals since 1981 with multiple different cars all equipped with factory approved mats and never once have I been asked to remove them or had any deductions for them. They would be the same as any other Buick approved accessory and would not carry a deduction unless incorrect or condition warrants deduction.

[Guest BJM]

Don't expect to get to the show fashionably late Saturday morning and still be judged. You need to be there bright and early to go throuh pre inspection and get the paperwork done.

I had 2 cars in my class that showed up about 11 and were not judged.

Question: Can the pre judging be done at check in to the meet say on Weds or Thurs or is that a day of show only event? I see Brian's comment in the opening post but is the meet roll in registration and the show registration one and the same?

I have never had a judged car but might actually have one this coming year. Even though I have been to numerous BCA Nationals I would be considered "new" for this reason.

Edited July 14, 2011 by BJM (see edit history)

[Guest BJM]

As far as the floor mats are concerned, I have been showing competitively at nationals since 1981 with multiple different cars all equipped with factory approved mats and never once have I been asked to remove them or had any deductions for them. They would be the same as any other Buick approved accessory and would not carry a deduction unless incorrect or condition warrants deduction.

Would this possibly be for the reason that (in theory) the mats could cover damage?

[38Buick 80C]

Question: Can the pre judging be done at check in to the meet say on Weds or Thurs or is that a day of show only event?

I have never had a judged car but might actually have one this coming year. Even though I have been to numerous BCA Nationals I would be considered "new" for this reason.

By pre-judging I think you mean pre-qual or safety inspection in which case the answer is yes. Pre-qual/inspection takes place on the chapters schedule tpyically available beginning Wednesday.

Good question I've add this info to my list.

[dship]

The reason for having to remove the mats is to check floorboard and/or carpet conditions/holes which I can understand.

[Booreatta]

I can remember our first national and we didnt know what to expect. It would have been nice to have a local phone number for one of the host persons to get info when we arrived, most of the time just getting the lay of the land would help. Being newbees at the time we didnt have knowledge of the 400 point judging system ie how many points were gold, silver,bronze etc. We had to ask and that should be printed on the registration form somewhere. I know we felt like real idiots to have to find someone to ask. I am not the only one that thought that if they found 1 thing wrong then the whole car was wrong. We found Pete Phillips who by the way is responsible for us joining the BCA and he explained the judging process.

We love to go to the nationals as time allows and we sure missed the one in Danvers.

Chuck Kerls

booreatta@cox.net

[jscheib]

Chuck,

I am sure you are aware now that the Judging Manual is on line, or available in hard copy, for a fee, from The BCA office. Or you can volunteer to be a judge, go through the training and get one free. Every Chapter should have someone with a copy which you can reference. I think Brian's is an excellent idea for a brief handout for those that do not wish to go through the whole manual. However, there is no reason (or excuse, for that matter [my opinion]) anyone should not be informed in advance with the options available.

As an iside, I think it is one of the major functions of a chapter to inform and advise their less experienced members by using members that have expereinced members (either judging, or being judged). In the Northeast, we have had seminars to explain this and I had but together an outline which I can update and make available to any chapter.

For those that do not wish to join a chapter and want to participate in having their car judged at a National, perhaps this would be an incentive to become involved in a chapter. Just my opinion, for what it is worth.

John

[buick5563]

Brian,

If you use the President's Message section to tell them to get their butts to the forum, they will become good friends with people they have never met. Thus, they will know people to look for once they arrive. I have had ten times the fun at National meets since I know more people from here on the forum. I feel closer to the faceless names from Michigan, Ontario, and Australia than I do people I have met numerous times in my local chapter who still don't remember my name.

In my opinion, we will get them out to see the cars their first National. They will come BACK for the friends!

Edited July 14, 2011 by buick5563 (see edit history)

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

HEAR, HEAR, Mike!! Well said.

Ben

[stealthbob]

Very well put Mike...

To me the forums are a major part for me. I don't have a Buick on the road but I feel one in the same as everyone else here which in turn would translate to a better experience at a National.

I'm going to Charlotte without a car...well without my Old car but I bet I will feel right at home with the gang nonetheless.

[Thriller]

Well, for one thing, I believe over the last couple meets, we've had something like 33% or more of the cars judged in the 400 point judging. So, I would suggest that putting emphasis on the judging shouldn't really occur on a one page fact sheet for National Newbies.

With respect to judging, I would remind people that all cars should have UL approved fire extinguishers at all BCA (and non-BCA) events. If we can make it habitual for everyone and achieve that as a mindset, then the local chapters don't need to have cases of fire extinguishers on hand. Frankly, selling an extinguisher to someone who doesn't know how to use it just to meet a requirement for judging isn't necessarily entirely a good thing. The other reminder I would give is a link to the online manual and recommended reading (page numbers) for the owners.

Perhaps the idea of a local contact would be nice, but that could place quite an onus on locals who are already quite busy. Rather than a local, perhaps a "mentor" program could be put together - get Nationals veterans to volunteer their name, add a check box for first time registrants on the form, and when those registrations come in, try to pair the newbie with a veteran.

Perhaps an overview of the experience is in order...that it is about Buicks, Buick people, and taking in some of the local flavour of the host locale. Different strokes for different folks, so emphasizing Buicks, Buickful friends, and Buickful sites will hopefully get them excited.

Noting that there are typically a car wash area and supplies available would be useful. If vacuums are not available, perhaps suggesting a 12V vacuum may be appropriate.

Some confusion could be eliminated if we absolutely define which cars need to go through pre-qualification and photos...if the Driven Class doesn't have photos, then informing registrants (and ensuring that the volunteers doing the work don't look down on the owners of drivers) could be useful.

There is always some variation among sites, but providing local information (e.g. restaurant alternatives, sites to see, etc.) could be useful. Noting that there is a hospitality room (so they know to ask when they arrive if nothing else) could also work.

The reality is that a National is what you make of it. The question is how to make it an enjoyable experience for folks new to it.

Our first was the 2003 meet...talk about mayhem when you don't know where you are going or how things are run. We missed one bus because the buses we took the previous day were running through the day and we didn't realize that sometimes they are on a schedule.

So much of it in my mind is local information. For instance, I was excited to see the signage on the highway with the BCA logo...I wasn't so excited to notice that there were arrows that I couldn't be sure what direction they pointed until I was on top of them. In other words, having adequate signage that helps folks, and perhaps having a "greeter" in place to help direct people.

Anyway, I'd better stop now...I guess the challenge is to think back to your first meet and try to recall what would have been useful. Additionally, perhaps even after your first meet there was a moment of "I wish I'd known that earlier".

[Barney Eaton]

Maybe not directly related to judging, more/better information in the registration package.

Sometimes the local's forget that most of the people attending the meet are from elsewhere. It would be nice to see in the registration package.....

(A) A sheet with some of the judging suggestions listed ( in the post above)

( A sheet with a layout of the hotel and/or site. As an example this year, show where the swap meet, show field, meeting rooms and hospitality. Signs in the hotel are also very helpful. This can also help the meet organizers when it comes to getting non-show cars out of those areas. The package could tell people that their non-show car must be out of the swap meet and show area before a certain time and date.

© A local map, sketch, or instruction sheet that helps out of town people find resturants, parts stores, Wal-mart, pharmacies, and other places they might need to survive.

The registration package should contain some real (helpful) information.

[NCReatta]

Great idea Brian! I'm sure I'll be making use of it..

Heh.. Reattas don't need fire extinguishers.. they never catch on fire.. :eek::eek:

Brian,

Along with the fire extinguisher, we tell them in the judging manual, but it seems a lot of people do not look. In the one pager, which should also get mailed out to those that do regiuster but are aparently not aware, I suggest the following:

1- The car is expected to be as it would appear in the showroom, or probably more correctly, the end of the assembly line.

Meaning no trophies in the back seat or trunk.

No Buick brochures in the back seat or trunk, except for any documents that might support unusual color scheme or trim, engine compartment, etc.

2 Floor mats should be removed.

3 You should stay with the car, or have a designate stay with the car, not ask someone to close the trunk and hood when he finds the judging complete. There was one example in Danvers where a car was left open and no one there, except someone came by to lock it up after judging. If we had not seen the individual and convinced the representative to stick around, that car would not have been judged and the owner probably not very happy when the returned from Boston.

4 You should step back from the car while judging and communicate only with the captain. This one is hard to do, when you are asked to open doors, trunk and hood as necessary by the various judges.

As noted, it is all in the manual, but not easily read at the time.

John

Thank you John, I found this post most helpful. I wouldn't have even thought to remove the floor mats..

[bhclark]

I think you've probably exceeded the 1 pager at this point!

A few questions/clarifications.

It almost sounds as if the members are suggesting 2 1 pagers. One that would be helpful to have and review BEFORE arriving at the national, and a second one that should be in the registration packet.

I know the first national I went to, I never even realized there was a hospitality room, so that was a big one for me.

Remember, the bellman at the hotel can be your best friend. He gave us a restaurant list, directions to the wally world and more in Danvers. Also, when the space shuttle interfered with my GPS and I got lost, the person who answered the phone at the Coco Key actually knew how to get me there! (that's rare these days!)

I am hoping that with the greater involvement of the CVB, there will be more information available as to local activities available in addition to the scheduled BCA tours. That would be a welcome addition as well.

A lot of GREAT ideas coming out from this thread Brian...Concord is going to be FANTASTIC!

[bhclark]

No floor mats? That's GREAT!

With the price of new perfect reproduction floor mats, I think new carpet is cheaper anyway!

and to think, I've been buying them....

[Mark Shaw]

Since I do not have my cars judged, I like the idea of two sheets. One for judging pointers and instructions and one for everything else.

As suggested above, a general fact sheet with a map of the meet layout and locations of meeting rooms, hospitality room, swap space, show space, etc. would have been helpful.

Our cars and our members are all getting older. So, locations for hospitals, drug stores, auto parts, etc. should also be included.

My two cents again....

[Thriller]

bhclark - I think you are correct on the 2 sheet idea, but I would like to see one included in the registration confirmation you receive in the mail rather than in the goody bag. It may be a bit late for the early 2012 registrants, but having a bit of a map, appropriate URLs, etc. can help someone who likes to have their time a bit more structured / planned.

[RICK YOUNG]

* There is lots of info to be digested. A good place to start is the BCA website.

Here ;

http://www.buickclub.org/BCA%20JUDGING%20MANUAL/BCAjudgingrev2.pdf

Perhaps a simpler link could made and put the registration form.

This is where I was directed before heading to Rochester for our 1st National

The judging thing initially seemed a bit too "Hoity Toity" for me.

I now know different .

I opted for the Driven Class.