Professional manager for BCA National Meet? Opinions?

[Guest]

The idea has been floated recently that the Buick Club needs to hire a professional meet manager to oversee and organize its national meet each year, that is, to assist the host chapter in doing so. If approved by the BCA Board, this would begin with the 2005 National Meet, since 2003 and 2004 are already being organized by their host chapters. Among the reasons for this proposal are that it would allow more chapters, especially smaller and less experienced chapters, to host a national meet. In recent years, it has been a struggle to find chapters that are willing to host a national meet. Also, it would help ensure that certain minimum standards are met with regard to the host hotel selection, meet site, registration, preparation, and record-keeping. At the moment, the proposal is that there would be a 3-way split of the proceeds of the meet (assuming it makes a profit): one third for the meet manager, one third for the host chapter, and one third for the national BCA. Currently, the host chapter keeps all of the proceeds of the meet, except for the pass-through of $2000-$3000 in "seed" money to the next host chapter. Also, the national BCA provides a $3000 contribution (recently raised from $2500) to the host chapter. This contribution is the host chapter's to keep and use for meet expenses, and is not returned.

Among the arguments against professional event management, are that much of the financial incentive is taken away from the host chapter, the meets will lose their individuality, and the national office of the BCA is seen as possibly dictating the way to run a national meet.

The Board will be discussing the professional management proposal at their meeting in Hershey this week, but I do not expect a vote on it until next year. What do you think about this? I know that the Studebaker Driver's Club is hiring a professional event manager for its next national meet. Personally, I am not promoting this, nor am I in favor of it, but my mind is open and I am willing to be persuaded either way. It is an important issue that I feel needs to be discussed by the Buick Club chapters and members, and I have not seen any discussion of it yet.

Pete Phillips, BCA #7338

BCA Board member

Ector, Texas

pphillips@netexas.net

[Guest COMPACTBC]

I think the idea has some merit, and is worthy of a lot of discussion by the Board and Chapter members who have had a hands on involvement in hosting a national meet. It's a hugh job and I think experienced input by someone in the BCA who has "been there and done that" would be welcome by a Chapter that lacked experienced personel. If it is adopted by the board I think it should be optional not mandatory.

[NTX5467]

There can be some merit into that approach, but with no consistent financial incentive I suspect there would be few qualified people to apply for the job. If a group of current BCA members forms a Meet Production Group, that might be better than hiring an "outsider" to do the shows (and all that might entail) and as BCA members, they might also have a greater vested interest (not necessarily financial) in making things happen as they need to.

The other situation would be to do as the Walter P. Chrysler Club does. When no bids are received, the club officers get together and put the meet together themselves. No host chapter is needed or utilized, as I understand it, as the club officers make the decision of where the meet will be, plan tours and day trips, and handle all contractual obligations themselves. While they do solicit bids to host their national yearly meets, there apparently are few chapters with the expertise and manpower to put one on. This approach involves local chamber of commerce people and/or visitors bureau groups to help make things happen.

I suspect there are some people in the BCA that could form the Meet Production Group and do a good job with that task, BUT if the group is not geographically diverse enough there could well be dialogue about "one group runs things" or has too much input into what happens, as has happened in the past.

Perhaps the most geographically diverse group in the BCA that meets regularly is the Board of Directors? We also know that the Board has enough normal business to handle without having the added burden of locating and planning the annual meets.

I really wish that such an approach is not needed or even necessary to keep the yearly BCA National Meets going! The present orientation of BCA Chapters putting in bids to host the annual national meets is probably the best way to do it, even if some chapters might need a little coaxing, as it keeps the way those meets transpire, are planned, and happen in the hands of the membership instead of otherwise.

Historically, each chapter that follows another chapter in doing a national meet seems to not desire or feel they need any help or mentoring in how to do what they have set out to do. This is good, to a point, but it also keeps the next host chapter from passing along any tips to the others (who do not believe they need to know what they might be), even though there might be some that are beneficial to the next chapter. In the past, there have been some chapters that have raised the bar in many aspects of the meets, but very few other chapters solicit their input in planning the later meets.

Things like how not to loose money can be very important, as are other planning functions, in making things work. Once a good computer program for registration is finalized, it seldom is passed along to the next chapter as the next chapter doesn't feel they need it, for example, when they really could use it. End result is that many host chapter operatives have to dig themselves out of problems that could have been avoided if some mentoring from the previous host chapter(s) had been accepted (or solicited) and sufficient research had been done on how others did things in the past and were successful with what they did. In otherwords, doing a national is not the same as just doing a bigger weekend car show, yet that's the way some approach the whole affair.

As I understand it, the BCA still has their minimum standards for many aspects of the national meet. Each host chapter then must see if they can meet those specs with what is available in their particular locale. I suspect that many people give up before they get very far into those initial site investigations, much less the financial aspects of hosting a meet and this is where the mentoring could come in handy.

I suspect the best result would be a situation where the BCA not only dictates the minimum specs for a chapter's hosting of a national meet, but could also take a more active role (either by a group of dedicated members or a dedicated meet planning advisory group to mentor, help, and oversee the chapter's activities in bidding for and hosting a national meet) in helping the chapters host financially successful meets that are highly enjoyed by the participants and geopgraphically diverse from year to year. The key would be for this advisory group to only assist and oversee and not be actively involved any deeper than that, yet would be ready to step in to help should problems arise. Perhaps the best functions for this group would be mentoring and quality control? The host chapter would still be the main operatives, though.

Basically, I would be highly opposed to having some outside "professional" come in to be the promoter and main operative in making the yearly national meets happen when there already are enough qualified people in the BCA to do that ourselves. I supsect that if the whole situation of hosting a BCA National Meet is demystified, more might be inclined to consider hosting one. Key factors would include networking with other chapters and non-BCA car groups that have done successful national meets previously, communication among the chapters during the planning stages, and a reverse scheduling plan of making sure things are taken care of sequentially before the meet opens. Therefore, I feel we have the necessary expertise in our membership base to not need a "professional" to do our national meets for us.

Thanks for your time and consideration,

Willis Bell, 20811

NTX5467

[Guest]

Who would hire them and at what COST and were would the money come from?? OTHERWISE not a bad idea. THIs can make it quite expensive-rent/gate guards/liability insurance/security people/ food venders/and local laws. if you have NOT done some organizing in the past this is what you can run into?I have been there.But I think that the clubs should do it together with three or four as sponsers.BCA member around 20 years.Something to think about!!!!!!!!

[NTX5467]

After considering the dynamics, side issues, and underlying orientations of the proposed professional event management, I feel the REAL QUESTION should be "Why are we even considering this in the first place?"

The BCA is one of the largest single marque organizations in existence, with members between all coasts of the United States and around the world. There obviously are many members with the knowledge, expertise, and skills to group together to put on a national meet in their North American location each year--either as a group of chapters or as an individual chapter. Yet, for some reason, this is not happening to the degree it appears it could happen.

I suspect there are several main reasons for this. Although the BCA has a massive number of members, very few seemingly are active at the chapter level and/or regional and/or national level. BCA Board Member candidates typically are few each election time. Member voting reached a new low point this past time. Each time bids for the national meet are entertained, there are few, typically, which are viable bids. With our large member base, why could this be? Could it be the "Let George do it" orientation? Let "George" run for the BCA National Board. Let "George" vote for the board candidates. Let "George" put on a national meet. And now, let's hire "George" to run our yearly national meets. Unfortunately, it appears this is the pattern of several years. Do we really want it to continue that way?

As the number of paid members in the BCA might be increasing somewhat, I suspect the "gray factor" has remained somewhat status quo. Could this also be a factor?

There has been an orientation to get younger members involved in the BCA, yet many BCA members (and probably a good deal of the general public) perceive the BCA to be an "Antique Auto Club" or "old car club". Typically, the younger people in the general population that own and love their late model Buicks (as evidenced in the many Internet websites and forums devoted to these later model Buicks and related GM cars) will stay away for that reason. Unless we can actively reach out to these younger Buick owners and successfully get their attention that the BCA is NOT SPECIFICALLY an "old car club" and that it REALLY is about ALL BUICKS, the "gray factor" will probably not change.

Perhaps I have missed something in the printed mission statements of the BCA, but I don't recall seeing anywhere that it is specifically an "Antique Automobile Club". Yet this has been a perceived orientation and it has been stated that "anything newer than 25 years old is just a 'used car'".

Another factor is the "12 Year Rule" that prohibits any Buick product newer than 12 years old from being in a judged BCA National Meet. With the "antique" orientation, many would consider a younger vehicle to be too new (read that "Too easy to get a trophy with", possibly) to be of interest to someone with an "antique" orientation. This can be a valid orientation, but it's also an orientation that has come back to haunt this organization.

When the Riviera came out in the early '60s, under the 12 Year Rule, the earliest date that a Riviera could participate in a BCA National Meet would have been the middle 1970s. Similar with the Buick Skylark muscle cars. Certainly similar with the Reatta. Therefore, the BCA basically told these new Buick owners that while they would accept their money to be a member in the BCA, they would not let them bring their new pride and joy Riviera or GS455 or Reatta to enter in the BCA National Meet judged car show display. End result was that these owners went off to form their own groups which exist today--and existed prior to the formation of the BCA Divisions which recognizes these important vehicles.

The owners of these newer, front wheel drive Buicks possibly want nothing to do with an "antique car club" when they can have their own group of their peers. Peers that are not the age of their grand parents. So they go off and do their own things too. Yet, with some of the modifications they perform to their vehicles (sound systems, fancy wheels, etc.) they would not even be eligible for an Archival Award (at the present time) and they would not show well against a full customized street machine/street rod. They could be accepted into the BDE group, though. So, they are in their own world as a result, with respect to car clubs.

So, with so many Buick enthusiasts that have been told to "go play somewhere else" by the BCA's orientations, the present state of affairs would appear to be the logical result. A result that many would not have predicted in prior times. No one would have predicted that members that were active in prior times would desire to not be active in the more distant future either as everyone kind of expects them to remain active "forever". There are also other issues which transpire as we all age that I will not get into here.

For any group to remain vibrant, there should be yonger members coming online to take the place of older members who desire to not be as active as they have been. There must also be an enthusiastic marketing effort to promote the group to the general public in order to get them interested in joining, but we can't pick and choose who we want to be members--except by excluding certain vehicles from our national meet car shows.

In seeming contradiction of the perceived "antique" orientation of the BCA, I was highly interested that our late founder, Mr. Greg Field, was pictured in The Bugle with a modified Buick and was quoted as saying the BCA was "for all Buick enthusiasts". It would seem that if our BCA #1 felt that way, that something got sidetracked somewhere. Just my observation.

So, it seems that although the number of members is at least constant, the "gray factor" has not decreased. We know that many people desire to "not work" during their retirement, even if it's in a car club where they can have fun and be productive at the same time. I have also observed that few car club members try to stay current with car related things when it much easier to "stay where they are" in that respect. They typically don't care about any "new stuff" for various reasons and to them an "antique" is the same thing it was 20 years ago, namely a '50s or '60s car, when in fact, a 1978 year model vehicle will soon be eligible for antique license plates (due to the 25 year "rolling window" for eligibility).

So, I would highly recommend that the 12 Year Rule be deleted so that our BCA National Meets would truly become Celebrations of Buicks, Old and New. When that happens, the membership should increase and the demographics of the "Typical BCA Member" should start decreasing. In one feld swoop, we could easily have the younger members that our organization needs to remain vibrant into the future. I suspect the younger members would also be more active in shaping their destiny in the BCA so that could also mean more Board candidates and more people interested in doing and hosting national meets.

The BCA could adopt the slogan "Buick Club of America -- for ALL Buicks, Old and New" to help get rid of the "antique" perception. I suspect that when all of these things are in place, there would be no need to be discussing hiring a national meet event person.

With all due respect, there is noting wrong with being an antique car club or being perceived as such, it is just that it gets to be less marketable under that orientation to potential members which are "less vintage". If we are to help educate the later generations about Buicks, they need to also understand how their newer Buicks came to be from the earlier Buicks. When they understand the heritage of their newer Buicks, I highly suspect they will become greater enthusiasts of the Buick marque and vehicles--all enclusive.

I also have no issue with the BCA orientation of "assembly line correct" in the judging standards, but I also know that few people find these correct vehicles really appealing or worth looking at, but with some extra chrome and modifications (which some Buicks look absolutely fabulous with!) the interest level will rise. If you watch the paid attendees of a car show where there are stock and customized vehicles, the more customized vehicles will always get more attention from everyone than the vehicle which is totally assembly line correct, although there are some who would walk past the customized vehicle to the completely correct concours quality stock vehicle.

It has been my observation that until some of these key issues are dealt with and/or modified, no siginificant changes will take place. It has already been proven how the unwillingness to change has weakened the finances of the BCA in the past, plus generated much controversy in the process. We don't need that to happen again, in either case, yet there can be some evolutionary changes which can be made which will be beneficial to the health and longevity of the organization.

I have no issues with old things or old people as we all need to understand and be cognizant of the various heritages of our environment, but in any business entity (non-profit or for profit) there needs to be an awareness of new trends and of also doing "advance damage control" so problems don't exist and/or arise in the future. You have to understand how you got to where you are, but you also need to have a viable idea of where things will end up in the future and how to best plan to get there in the most beneficial manner.

I fully understand that some will not agree with my orientations, but I have seen the total energy level at the Mopar Nationals (where ALL Chrysler produced/powered vehicles are openly welcomed and embraced) in a non-generational manner. For example, one year a father advised his son as he put slicks on the front of his hot rodded Neon to race. If the grand father had been there, he would have helped too if he could have (and probably rememembered his first HEMI too). This past year, young grand mothers watched their daughters and grand children picnic under the Viper tent. Every Mopar product is welcomed and celebrated in displays, swap meet parts, a car corral, and hard core racing action. People who think the BCA judging system is tough should see their 1400 point judging sheet where no part of the car goes unscrutinized.

I'm not going to suggest that the BCA move their national meet to National Trails Raceway, but some of the same orientation that make the Mopar Nats the great event (and highly prestigious and highly attended event) it is could be adapted to the way the BCA does things to increase the energy level of and enthusiasm for the BCA to everyone's mutual benefit.

I know some might consider my orientations "radical" or otherwise, but hopefully we can have a blending of past, current, and proposed future orientations in a general consensus of what actions need to be actively pursued so that the BCA never again has to consider hiring someone to do their national meets (instead of chapters bidding to host those annual national meets as is presently the case).

Thanks again for your time and consideration. Hopefully we can effect some positive results from this discussion.

Willis Bell 20811

NTX5467

[Guest COMPACTBC]

Hi Willis: My goodness, what a long reply, you must really feel the BCA needs help. I'm not being sarcastic either, it took a lot of effort on your part to spend the time to put your thoughts down on this thread.

I was on the BCA board for 3 terms and I saw a lot of ideas good and bad tossed around as well as the normal resistance to change. The Board has to be careful and not step on too many toes when it comes to changes, and it is VERY hard to please everyone. I have seen some very positive changes in the last 5 years, such as the BDE and Performance Divisions and at many shows a Modified class. These changes should increase the interest of younger members and others who are not all that interested in the "factory original restored Buick". I go to all kinds of car shows and you are correct, the largest ones are for modified/custom cars, but I also find a significant group of younger car people who like the restored older cars and if they had the $$$ to invest in that 2nd car they would jump at it.

From what I have seen on other websites (like AACA and older Fords) they are having the same problem attracting younger members. I think the BCA has made some hugh steps in the direction they are going and at least they are not splinted in a whole lot of individual clubs like Chevy and Ford that almost don't even talk to each other.

Are you an officer in any part of the BCA? If not, why not? As you know, what you get out of any organization is in direct proportion to what you put into it.

[Moby II]

Bruce - as a former BCA Board Member thanks for your support of the changes in the BCA.

In reference to the Meet Coordinator, it is an idea whose time has come. I suggested this years ago, discussion was held, but it slid under the carpet. It is good to see it is being revived.

There have been some meets that were wonderfully orchestrated - Columbus, Atlanta, and others. These people had vast experience and many members committed to their assignments. The meet in Danvers, MA was also exceptionally well done, and I believe they had no previous BCA National experience. However, there have been instances where, if it were not for the behind the scenes assistance from BCA Board Members and other members not from the host chapter, the entire BCA National would have been a total fiasco. Your average new BCA member that has not attended meets before does not see this. However, faults can be detected by regular attendees. Even though the host chapter may THINK they do not need help, they very well may. Thus this proposed position is justified.

I have personally been involved with 4 BCA Nationals, and no matter how good you think you are, problems will arise. There are many more issues now, ie: computers, photography, etc., then there were years ago. I hope the Board sees to follow through and approve this proposal.

Ken Liska

BCA #6396

BDE #2

[Guest COMPACTBC]

Ken, this is why on my 1st reply I sugested that if this idea is adopted that it be OPTIONAL not mandatory, and that the "professional" be a BCA member not and outsider. Maybe even a small group of knowledgeable BCA members could be the "professional" to help a chapter in need.

[Guest]

The only person being considered by the BCA Board for this position are the BCA Office Managers Mike and Nancy Book. Both are long time BCA members who have attended many National meets. As Ken said, this is an idea whose time has come. Many chapters are unwilling to ask for help, or don't realize a disaster in the making, prior to the meet when hundreds of people arrive in short period of time. Then it becomes crisis management during the meet. And, the numerous people spend way too many sleepless nights trying to salvage the situation so that most attendees have a good time and don't experience any problems. Letting Mike and Nancy handle much of the overall organization will enable host chapter members to concentrate on those functions that will make their meet unique and memorable and not have to worry about training someone to handle the meet registration program, or screwing up the meet registration program, verifying BCA memberships, getting the judging forms and windshield cards printed on the right colors or at least printed and in the registration packets.

[NTX5467]

Thanks for your comments, Bruce.

I know whatever changes that happen will need to be evolutionary, but sometimes making evolutionary changes results in the ultimate goal being missed or sidetracked for whatever reasons (as when the champion of those goals in not on the Board any longer, for example). I feel the BCA has made some definite committments to get younger people involved, but it does not need to end with a particular Board member's term either.

As for the Meet Manager orientation, it would appear that a local chapter would still need to put in a bid for the national meet. I highly suspect that just taking much of the basic organizational duties and responsibilities from the local host chapter would not significantly impact the current situation. I also know that Mike and Nancy are very capable people, but I also suspect having them be responsible for these additional items would make for one very busy quarter of the year for them. Not to mention the ongoing planning for the next and following years' events.

If the Meet Manager orientation, as "Anonymous" as laid out, is a valid proposal it would appear that the host chapter would also split the "take" of any profits from the meet, thus decreasing the host chapter's desire to go to the trouble to host a BCA National Meet in the first place. It's great to get together each year in a different locale and all of that, but if the profit motive for doing a meet is lessened or deleted, why would a local chapter even desire to get involved?

That leads us to the way the WPC Club does things. Basicaly the club officers deciding when and where the meet will be and making it happen. I understand they make good use of the local Chamber of Commerce and Convention Bureaus in doing that also. This approach would work for most any club group and would keep responsibility for any good or bad happenings within the BCA organization. It would also transfer the profit motive to the BCA, I suspect.

For example, the Mopar Nats are run by a corporation that is a man and his wife. They only to that one event and enlist the help of local Mopar clubs to perform their many support functions at the event. They go out and get local and national sponsorships for the event plus get Chrysler's Mopar Performance people involved with factory trailer displays and a major manufacturer's midway. Think Super Chevy Sunday times 10.

I do have a personal agenda, though. I do not want this discussion of a Meet Manager to interfere with my desire for the BCA National Meets to have a general westward movement in the future. After 2003 in Flint, we're hosting the 2004 meet in Plano/Dallas again. Hopefully, we'll see our CO associates make a successful bid for 2005 and then that would hopefully lead to a CA meet in 2006 to complete the westward progression. I feel this westward progression is a needed situation and DO NOT desire to see it short circuited by a Meet Manager discussion at this time, plain and simple.

Having been involved in the 1996 meet we hosted and other local and regional car shows, I know that many people who don't think they can do something of that magnitude really CAN DO something of that magnitude if they have some guidance and mentoring in the process. Hosting a national meet is not rocket science, but it seems to me that too many people give up before they really make an effort to see what all is involved. It doesn't take a chapter of hundreds of members either, as we found out in 1996, either. What it does take is planning, coordination, research, and advance damage control--plus some members who are dedicated to making it work.

Having a good computer program for registration and other functions is a definite plus, but not totally necessary. It does expedite things greatly, though. The computer is not the saviour of our meets, not nearly as much as good planning and coordination are, but it does highly expedite any data processing that happens in various meet areas--especially considering that judging and awards are the same day.

Personally and professionally, I do not like the dynamics of what appears to be "Let George do it" and/or "Let's hire George to do it" with respect to the Meet Manager proposal. I feel we need to address why it has seemingly come to this and look for ways to not have to consider that whole deal any further.

As we all know and Bruce mentioned too, you get out of something what you put into it. As Roberta and Jeff can attest to, I have been in email communication with them (and their respective Boards) over the past few years, so I have been involved somewhat. The hand print indentation of Judy Leets' fingers has finally gone away from my forearm (from when she "requested" me to attend her Chapter Director's meeting in Kokomo). I have been involved in our North Texas Chapter as an officer since the later 1980s, plus a local Mopar club I am a charter member of (started in the middle 1980s) and have been an officer more years than not. I am also a board member of the Texas Vehicle Club Council. I have been employed at the same GM dealership in the parts department since Sept., 1976 and hold a BBA Management degree from Texas Tech University. None of these things makes me any better than anyone else! This is not a future campaign speech either! Just a few things to illustrate my various automotive enthusiast activities over the years, plus being a "car guy" when it wasn't popular. Also, I need to state that my orientations are my own and might not correspond with the orientations of the various enthusiast groups that I am a member of.

The BCA has recently emerged from some controversial times and I don't look forward for anything of that magnitude to happen in the near future. The issue of having a Meet Manager should not divide the membership either! I feel the membership of the BCA has many capable people with the expertise to host and orchestrate a BCA National Meet. We just need to get them motivated to do so!

Now, about those Colorado and California meets in 2005 and 2006, respectively?

Thanks for your continued time and consideration!

Willis Bell 20811