Mike,

I have the Group Photo from MMEMW 2004 in Rockford, Blackhawk Farms etc....you drove the Honda powered sedan (orange over blue) from Victoria...we are standing with you in the photo.  I remember asking you how the Mini went on the interstate section in Montana with no speed limit (then).  As I recall, you said the Mini started to shake at 130 mph.

What I think you are saying is that these Mini Meets are a blast, full of fun, adventure with an opportunity to meet with old friends again and...to meet new friends!

I agree!!

Rick

Minimike- your dreams may come true for 2017. We are discussing possibilities. 

Shawn

I remember attending MMW banquet at the Blackhawk Auto museum.. it was a great venue.. the top cars from the meet were parked out from of the museum to greet the attendees as they came for the dinner..  we had a great day of running around the Blackhawk Raceway as well.. a fun meet.. too bad we can't do that all again!  Except my tounge lashing from the local police when he pulled over the Moke after thinking the driver was reading while driving.. he walked over to the LH side and started to ask my son for his drivers licence (who was reading the map), and then realized the driver was on the other side of the car! He was a bit embarrassed, but didn't stop him for reaming me out for crossing a solid line..

Keep your hopes up guys. We might have something cooking back stage

MOASF discussed this at our meeting Sunday.  We are currently busy planning our Annual British Car Show on a new date and at an amazing new venue, The Blackhawk Auto Museum. Unfortunately we are unable to host MMW16 but, we are willing to help out with what we can. Please let us know as planning develops including sponsorship options.  My email is in my profile. 

-Shawn

 

 

There should be one BODY or an Organization that handles grand meet ups like this. for example on Vespas/ there is what they call AMERIVESPA , this organization goes to different states once a year to do  general assemblies of Vespas owners from all over USA/ Amerivespa Officers determines the dates, state/exact place and which hotels to be the host and the discounted rates./  not only vespas but other scooters as well. no less than 600-100 participants join yearly(at least the ones registered) and there were hmm about 200 unregistered who just wants to join the ride... overall it spells FUN.

That was a fabulous video !

Whether you guys like it or not I will start making the website because we just started day 1 on my thesis website work for PHP and Wordpress at school. Good thing is that we get to choose what kind of website we want and I picked Events website for my Final project. It will have event countdowns, registration and shopping cart to sell event misc items like t-shirts and stuff, etc etc.

If you guys like it then good if not then its easy to change it but I will start doing my own research and base contents from the London to Brighton Mini run site. Its for sure its not too far from that. Wordpress is great because after Im done with the site, the mods will just have a login and password to change content and they do not have to be a programmer to tinker with it.. very non-destructive. 

Like I said, its a win win for me. If the site doesnt appeal to the future MMW2016 then I can use it to market my portfolio and get my A if Yes then great Id be happy to customize it for the event.

TTT - keep the momentum going! Looking forward to MMW16 in SoCal!

And...Dr Dave, Brandon then 12 years old (waving checkered flag at Autocross) had a great ride north with you in the Grey Ghost on the way to San Jose.

Awesome video Eric. I know I wasn't there but feel like I got a taste of it.

Eric!!! ,Thanks for posting!! I forgot how wicked the grey car was. I watched it thinking "was i at that meet?" ,and there I am in the opening acene.

dr dave

I agree with Spank, the key driver for location is the hotel and avaiability of the room, banquet facilities and car show location..typically the hotel needs to be block booked well in advance of the date of the event, or they will be filled up and unalble to offer enough rooms, or any facilities..people are Ok to drive to a show location or a autocross locations, but they need a place to stay first and foremost..

Steve, just a note about your priority list: 

For YOU, the location of the event is determined by the autocross location. And I understand how very important that is to you and that is also why you travel to all the meets that you go to. For many others, though, the autocross is an event that does not impact their decision on whether or not they will attend a mni meet. 

I used to go to AMVIV because of the Phil Wicks driving academy that was held in conjunction at Spring Mountain Mototrsports Ranch. When they stopped having that (and I subsequently got involved in other forms of motorsport), I stopped going to AMVIV. So I'm a bit like you.

Those with more experience please chime in, but I believe usually the location is determined by hotel availability for a given per-determined date and optional dates, and the ability to have a car show on or near the premises and the ability to have a banquet at or nearby. The autocross is an event that those intersted in attending are often willing to drive 30+ minutes to attend. Whereas if the car show were the same distance away from the host hotel, you'd have a lot of annoyed people.

Back to that aging ownership demographic: Car Show= sitting or standing around and chatting = old people. Autocross = youthful exhuberance = often younger than the car show crowd.

SanDiegoBritishCarDay was held down at Liberty Station, the old MCRD parade grounds, and used the hotel there as it's host hotel, even though it is a 1-day event (they tried one year to expand to a 2-day format). Great places to eat, hang out, good location for car show. Autocross at Quallcom where you could just tack the minis/MINI on to an existing SCCA event and not have to foot the bill for the whole shebang (maybe just their practice day on Saturday vs their points-events typically held on Sunday). Sea World and The Zoo are pretty close by. Balboa park. Legoland is about 30-40 minute drive north. Horrible place to start runs into open country, though.

 

I have to dig deep into my video archives for the master tape of The 20th Mini Meet West that was held in Long Beach, California back in 1996, it is now posted online after sitting on a shelf for 19 years! This event was Hosted by: Mini Owners of America - Los Angeles. My hope is that SoCal Mini Clubs can host another amazing event. I understand there is even "seed money" available to secure a hotel to host the 2016 event. Enjoy this video at the link below...

http://www.hybridmoon.com/videos/MMW/2

Thanks for that offer Mike and I would appreciate getting your own proven formula for the event Dave.  For those who don't know what we have to deal with here; we have two Classic Mini clubs in So Cal. LA and San Diego.  The SD club is a loosely associated group, (no Dues, no Charter, etc.) We have few rescources and fewer regular active members. As a club, they have tentatively decided not to get involved, but I am hoping for some of it's fine upstanding individuals to lend some support.  The LA club is an old one with a great history; Since I have been a member, we have put on two MMW events that were very successful; since then the past organizers have moved on or burned out and there has been a large membership decline; not sure why, maybe the end of Mini production or aging demographics; with kids these days, more into electronics than old cars, there has not been many young, (under 45), new energetic members comming in and that is a sad thing to me.  Dana, the current and third term rez, is enthusiastic about doing a MMW next year, but as has been said, we need more than a few willing souls who can spend the time to make this happen.   

  Thanks SoCalMiniFan for the leads, I have some inquiries going now, but I will check out that event host site. 

For Armycook The website work is a little premature right now,,,,the Meet Venue location depends mostly on the Autocross location, which depends on if we get enough help to have the meet in the first place.  The way I understand it goes something like this; 1, commitee Volunteers, 2, organize/plan, 3, get committment for Autocross location, 4, Book a near-by hotel/s, 5, put up a website and start registration, 6, all the rest.  We have to get something solid in place before we announce and start to sign up the attendees.  If/when we get that far, I hope we can count on you. 

  

Looking at them now. I guess it will just depends on what venue we will get and who's going. Im just trying to figure out how heavy the content of the site will be but lots of good info here on these links. Yeah someone with event experience in wherever area we'll be having it would be perfect. Plus fund raising would be needed.

If you have not been to a meet.. take a look at the MMW2015 website, as it will give you a good idea..however, it can always be changed up and things added or removed. We tried to pack a lot into the 4 days, so it's worthwhile for people to take the time to drive up and attend.  Any meet with 120 cars and 200 mini enthusiasts is bound to be fun!  

//www.minimeetwest.com/2015/

Recent Mini Meets West have had a 3-day program, starting on a Tuesday or on a Thursday...have included a Car Show/Group Photo (day 1), Autocross/Funkhana (day 2), Rally (day 3) with drives, tech/interest sessions or...added in...concluding with an Awards Banquet on the Thursday/Saturday/Sunday (I left the hotel in Irvine at 4 a.m. to beat the Monday LA traffic...got to Santa Barbara in 2002 before Sunrise).

Mini Meets held Tuesday-Thursday allow almost everyone to start out Friday night/Saturday morning to get to wherever in the west...and get home Friday-Sunday...if a July 1 or 4 holiday is in there only 4 days off work.

Remember, those of us who drive from Canada have 1,400 or more miles to drive to SoCal, though our past numbers might not draw much attention because a Thursday start means we must cut into 2 weeks off work...while some folks have driven across town on a Saturday only (yes, the I won't take 1 day off mentality really sucks). 

I've never been to a mini meet. I'm curious. What was program/ schedule like? How many days? Did you guys have raffle events and BBQ?

Camping and BBQ would be fun. Would be great way to network.