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.

Excellent tools available from Mike Smith aka MiniMike (Mr. Mini Organization), wonderful offer by Dave Munsey from OMS...so who will step up to the plate?

I'll drive south and put the whip to those OMS Minis...they will get there!

Seriously,...those of us who have organized/delivered successful meets can be tapped for advice and will help on site.

Rick/Hunter2

 

 

 

Greetings Mini-ites.  I'm not a regular poster but wanted to make a comment on MMW2016.   The Oregon Mini Society put on MMW in Bend, Oregon in 2013 and our Canadian cousins just did a great job with MMW2015 in Abbotsford, BC.   MMW is definitely worth saving and if our Southern California friends are able to put it on next year, I think I can gurantee a number of Oregon attendees (even though its a bit of a drive).  

Also, like Mike Smith from the Victoria club, OMS would be glad to share any information we have on the MMW2013 event.    Best of luck to you.

Dave Munsey, OMS President

I can offer to share any info re organizing for anyone who want to take on the lead role. (list of activities, budgets, database setup, etc) It will take more than just a few people volunteering for ad hoc tasks, it will need someone to pull everything together and make sure the bases get covered and the volunteers understand what and when they have to have things done. There is a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes prior to the meet istself.  I will also volunteer to do something during the meet. If anyone wants to chat, email me and we can set up a time to talk.  Mike (MMW2003,  2010, 2015 Organzier)

As a So.Cal local I'm stoked on the possibility of MMW '16 being held in our area. By my use of the word stoked I'd also put myself in the category of young-blood and new to the Mini world! I'm unfortunately in the same position as Spank in I can help the day of but this far out I can't committ fully to much more than that. My schedule right around the April-June time frame gets jam packed and unpredictable. 

I do know we could probably set up the Autocross at Qualcomm and get more info from Racelegal.com they set up the weekly race events there, so they might be a good starting point for that. In the area I know Crowne Point Hotel is the host hotel to an event every summer called Tiki Oasis which is Tiki Themd and hosts a car show so they are familiar with hosting people + their cars. That might be a good home base for the event so to speak. 

The most important thing right now is to gather a willing commitee of people and go from there. 

Sidenote:

I missed the BBQ in March at your place Steve but I like where Spank was going with that vision.

+1 for MMS '16

We can start small. Gotta start somewhere. I've no clue what is the average age group of future attendees. I've never been to one. Haven't even attended one SDmini meeting (the first Sunday or every month is always the nosebleed season in my school) Spank mentioned Steve's ranch and it looks like it could be a great venue. It caters to campers and hotel goers if needed.

But anyway, I always do online surveys and demographic research before building any advertising, photography campaign or website or else it's not going to be effective. It has to cater to the average mini crowd at least. But at least I have the passion for the car so I'm half way there. 

It's very clear that majority wanted this to happen but very few wants to carry the weight of responsibility and it's understandable and that is ok. It's always hard at first but we can always start small. I can start by creating a series of polls and survey forms online and maybe find out venue options through votes perhaps or who would like to help. I understand you guys wanted to preserve traditions like how you guys did the meets and we can include that in the branding.

I was an Army cook and fed over 800 grunts in the field. It's tough but very doable. We can start by talking to previous meet organizers and make a quick study for improvements.

A website needs a domain .com shoukd I register 

minimeetwest.com / minimeetusa.com  / minimeetamerica.com (looking at long term here) I'm all ears.

ill register it and host it. I have the framework already It just needs some branding and logo And I'll make those too. I can even make a short 20 second teaser video commercial To help pump up some sponsors and future volunteers.

https://vimeo.com/116225924

That was my yellow clubman. I edited and used my own gear from prep to post processing of that entire music video. It's cheesy but it's a good demo of what I can do for the video side. Dont hate.