<VV> Convention location

Wed Apr 5 09:11:55 EDT 2006

Hi Smitty--

I wrote the post below, but didn't send it when you sent the first post. I 
include it here as background. Other comments in the text of your most 
recent post:

Smitty says:
>I wrote a mild rant the other day concerning the fact that the reason for 
>the conventions was to get Corvair lovers and Corvairs together.  I got a 
>few private posts, some of which pointed out the the tours etc were for 
>the ladies and the kids.  Also some in agreement with me.  I still don't 
>understand or agree that the conventions should necessarily be in a 
>tourist location.

The locations don't and haven't necessarily been in a tourist locations. 
Carlisle in 2003 wasn't a tourist location. Lexington isn't necessarily a 
tourist location although it is a beautiful area of the country.

Smitty continues:
>But don't cause me to have to put up with congestion, over priced 
>accomodations, cramped parking conditions and other problems at 
>conventions just so your wife can drink "real" beer, and eat Buffalo wings 
>or see water fall off a cliff.  I have read three posts in the last few 
>days on this forum about what a wonderful place Buffalo is and not a &^$^* 
>one of them mentioned anything about Corvair activities.

I don't think the congestion, 'over-priced' accommodations, and cramped 
parking conditions have to do with someone's wife drinking 'real' beer or 
eating 'wings'. It's about finding a site which can accommodate the number 
of sleeping rooms, banquet space, meeting rooms, and a large room for 
vendors. Conventions need the facilities so we can have those car 
activities you are want to see. As soon as the criteria for a host is 300 
rooms, over 100 tables for the vendors, 500 at the banquet, and 600 parking 
spaces, the selection of hotels goes way down and the prices naturally go 
up, no matter if it is a 'touristy' area or not.

If there is a choice between going to a vacation attraction and no vacation 
attraction and all other things are close to being the same, I think I can 
safely say the Board is going to select the place with the attraction. 
Wouldn't you?

Smitty, people 'vote' for convention locations by attending them. Daytona 
had the most attendees of any recent convention and it was due as much by 
the autocross being at the Daytona Speedway as the location's proximity to 
Disney. The host hotel in Buffalo has already run through our block and 
they are adding rooms to our block as I write this.

Even the criteria you mention are "getting Corvair lovers and Corvairs 
together" implies that the more "Corvair lovers" we get to attend the 
convention the better. And although you admittedly have no interest in 
seeing "water fall off a cliff", if others do, which appears to be the case 
this year, that should make the convention better for you and everyone else.

Take care....

--H

*-*-*-*-*

At 11:05 AM 4/4/2006, Harry Jensen, CORSA Executive Secretary wrote:
>Site selection is determined by the CORSA Board but more importantly by 
>those individuals and chapters who want to make the commitment to host a 
>convention. It is a big job and takes a lot of time and everyone who has 
>worked on  conventions in the past, present, or in the future deserves our 
>praise and gratitude for their efforts.
>
>The size of the convention (300 sleeping rooms, 500 or more at the 
>banquet) usually means we are in a urban destination. We prefer suburban 
>locations but have had some very nice conventions in the downtowns of 
>smaller cities like Grand Rapids, Michigan and Lexington, Kentucky.
>
>As for your personal preferences, we hope we satisfy them. We also know 
>that folks attend the convention for many different reasons. CORSA 
>encompasses people with a lot of different interests and vehicles, and we 
>try and accommodate all of them. So we try to make the convention fun for 
>folks like you who are more interested in car activities as well as the 
>people on their family vacation. We try to accommodate campers, those with 
>big rigs and trailers, people who drive their vairs and those who fly into 
>the conventions equally. Sometimes we can make most everyone happy and 
>sometimes not.
>
>Each convention is a compromise; none are perfect for all attendees 
>because of the variety of needs we are trying to accommodate.
>
>--H
>
>
>
>At 09:42 PM 4/2/2006, Smitty Smith wrote:
>>Smitty Says:I realize that sometimes there is a lack of people submitting 
>>bids to put on the convention.  It is just as obvious though that a 
>>couple of very strong clubs have influenced the convention to come their 
>>way in spite of existing bids from less "desirable" locations.  (Less 
>>desirable being in the eye of the people with the power).  Just once I 
>>would like to see a convention being promoted on the grounds that the 
>>accommodations were great and that they have a wonderful place for the 
>>autocross and the concours will be held on the grass in a park along a 
>>beautiful river.  All within a one block area.
>>   This is just a personal note.  I don't care about big city 
>> attractions.  I don't care about zoos and flower gardens.  I would not 
>> go out of my way to see it if somebody big dealed to get the Grand 
>> Canyon moved to the convention site.  I go to the conventions for the 
>> people and the car activities.  If someone feels they might cheat their 
>> family out of seeing something by coming to a remote location for a 
>> convention then I see no reason why they can't plan things to see on the 
>> way there or on the way home.  The idea of detailing all the river 
>> cruises, tall building tours, the place where music was born, or the 
>> greatest museum in the world as attractions to get people to come, is 
>> losing sight of why we gather together.  There is no direction to go, or 
>> place in this country, that you can't find someplace interesting to 
>> visit, if you want to find it.  If you have an opposing opinion, trot it 
>> out, but be careful.  I haven't approached several sensitive topics such 
>> as  PWs and so
>>  forth.
>
>|--------------------------------------------------------------
>| Harry Jensen  mailto:corsa at corvair.org
>| CORSA Executive Secretary
>|
>| Corvair Society of America (CORSA)
>| P.O. Box 607, Lemont, IL 60439, 630.257.6530  fax 630.257.5540
>| http://www.corvair.org
>|--------------------------------------------------------------

|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Harry Jensen  mailto:corsa at corvair.org
| CORSA Executive Secretary
|
| Corvair Society of America (CORSA)
| P.O. Box 607, Lemont, IL 60439, 630.257.6530  fax 630.257.5540
| http://www.corvair.org
|--------------------------------------------------------------  