1st time rally attendee

[spottybond]

As first time rally goers, we have nothing to compare our experience with. We found everything to be very well organized, staffed, cleaned, etc...Everyone was soooo friendly and eager to share their knowledge, time and experiences. What more can you ask for. We also found the vendors and the MOA to have their products very resonabley priced. My thanks go out to all the organizers and volunteers for all their hard work to make our 1st rally such a positive experience. :thumb
As for any nay sayers...as my dad would say "They would complain if you hung them with a new rope!"

[sjbmw]

First time for me, and my son, and we had a GREAT time, even with the rain. What set it apart was the PEOPLE. I met so many great people from all over the USA and Canada, and even some in my own area I will follow up with for riding days.

No matter where we went there were people interested in who we were, how far we travelled, and always had a smile. Great stories too.


The Vermont natives were outstanding also!
Except the lady in the chinese restaurant that was severly understaffed and she was having a bad day. It's ok, the food was great.

Ok, so it rained a lot on Saturday, but that did not ruin my good time.

[Unregistered]

Year after year.

[Belg]

My first rally, loved it. Didn't have any expectations, plans, or grandiose ideas. Went with the flow, and all the high points I wanted to hit happenned... I met people I planned to try and see, did the big things I wanted to do, met some new people I hope to meet again, drank, ate, and got gnarly on the GS.

100% winner....

[Unregistered]

Add volunteer to your list.

[CruiSin-XB12R]

My first International rally and it was a blast. Saw more than a dozen people I knew and chatted with several dozen more. Well planned and executed rally.

One question - or feedback for future rallies - I heard that first timers were getting a welcome kit or something? The volunteer checking me in asked, but I never got anything special for this being my first rally.

All in all, it was definitely a great time!

[spottybond]

Oh yeah,,, we were told to ask for the first timer package, gift, surprise, booby prize, or whatever. I don't think we ever did. We got so caught up in all the goings on that it slipped our minds and never mattered. :doh
Anyway a good time was had and all the hard work is very much appreicated.
And yes the vermont people were fantastic. As were the New Hampshire folks and Maine folks that we met along the way while we were passing through on our ways to and from.

[sjbmw]

First timers got red mugs at the Ambassador tent, with a free beverage among other little goodies..

[dugmar]

First timer here too. I have to say I was impressed by the amount of riders there, the organization of the rally and all of the things to see and do. Very well done MOA!!!

My only gripe would be the traffic in the area. Route 2, 15 and a few others, just packed with cars. I made sure to get on the bike before 7AM to ride Route 108 - Smuggler's Notch Rd. It was worth it.

[dugmar]

PS: I never knew of or was told about a first timer package / goodie bag. That would have been cool. Oh well...

[tessler]

And I'll add my comment to the thread by saying that as a first-timer, I was verily blown away by the people, first and foremost. It was a great experience, hopefully to be compounded by more of the same in the future.

[sjbmw]

PS: I never knew of or was told about a first timer package / goodie bag. That would have been cool. Oh well...

When you registered you were given 4 green coupons with the welcome book.
One was a door prize number, others for the grand prizes entries, and another for a free gift at the Ambassador's tent.

I understand what you mean, I had to remember to go there, there was just so much to do with so little time...

[greggnj]

This was my first rally and I had a great time. I met a lot of nice poeple from the registration line all the way to the rest areas on the way home Sunday. :wave
Thanks to all the organizers and volunteers :clap who worked so hard to make this a great time for everyone.
My only problem is I'm going to need a few extra vacation days to get to Wisconsin.....and a better seat, a bigger tent,......

:bikes

[kbasa]

:thumb

Glad you guys enjoyed it.

Right now, the 07 rally team is hard at work getting a similar party put together in Wisconsin!

[Unregistered]

"Ambassador's tent."

I never even saw that!!

My first time as well, myself and SO had a great time... totally blown away by the shear numbers when gazing out over the parking lot. As we are from Harley country this was a treat.
Greatly enjoyed the building with the classic bikes inside spent a couple of hours in there!! Oh and the beer tent and dollar beers was a surprise as well!!!

[CruiSin-XB12R]

One of the green tickets was the "Pin & Patch" ticket that we turned in by the the country store to get a green mug, patch, pin, and piece of maple candy.

I was never told about any first timer goodies...

Just a suggestion for the next rally...

[mandypants]

For all you first-timers, if you're interested in writing up your experience and impressions for the ON, please e-mail them to me and we'll do our best to include some responses in the October issue (the rally issue).

Write about 500 words (give or take) and tell me about your first impressions of a BMW International rally!

mandy@bmwmoa.org :wave

[rlonstein]

:thumb

Glad you guys enjoyed it.

Right now, the 07 rally team is hard at work getting a similar party put together in Wisconsin!

I'm probably going to miss that rally (unless the sun, the moon and the stars and who knows what else line up :( ) but I had a really good time at my first one.

Thanks all. :thumb

- Ross

[tuber1]

...glad all you folks enjoyed it and hope you had a good time visiting Vermont. One real good point is that the Expo has it's own staff, so they take care of the buildings, cleaning,etc. I think a few of us missed the 1st timer thingy, I worked registration and didn't know about it...

[PAULBACH]

The Cyber Cafe was an awesome addition. Never had to wait more than a few minutes to get on line. Wisconsin would do well to consider repeating this addition. :thumb

This year PDA's like the Palm TX had trouble getting in. This might be rectified in 2007. Checked with the "DATA" man and there was a some glitch with maintaining an open home page.

Every rally sits on the shoulders of giants. The view and the experiences can only get better. :dance

[vtpaul]

...glad all you folks enjoyed it and hope you had a good time visiting Vermont. One real good point is that the Expo has it's own staff, so they take care of the buildings, cleaning,etc. I think a few of us missed the 1st timer thingy, I worked registration and didn't know about it...


I wasn't told about the first timer coupon when I started registering voulunteers on Wed and they were all gone when I worked again on Friday.

[RevWillie]

I'm probably going to miss that rally (unless the sun, the moon and the stars and who knows what else line up :( ) but I had a really good time at my first one.

Thanks all. :thumb

- Ross
NO,NO,NO! That is not the way you approach MOA Nationals!

You come back to work, looking somewhat like a racoon (sunburned cheeks + forehead and white eye sockets), babbling about 4 nights of music, dollar beers (but really good $2 beers), gazillions of tents, friendly folks, every kind of BMW ever, every widget ever made for a BMW, and more rantings that will make your friends,family,and co-workers wonder if you were out in the sun maybe a bit too long on this ride. You then fill out a vacation leave form for July of '07 and tell everybody that you WILL GO to Wisconsin next July. You will have nearly a entire year to negotiate/plead/threaten with your employer [note to self: do not mention all the "change of careers" that you know of due to MOA Nationals] You spend the next 11 months planning your route, volunteering to work the Rally, convincing friends to ride along, doing whatever you need to do for your SO in order to dissappear in July, and will continue to dream of acres of tents with BMW's parked all around.

You do this, year-after-year, and your friends,family,and co-workers will become convinced that something ain't right with that boy!

Welcome to the club! :thumb :deal

[The_Veg]

Um, one question Rev'rend, I agree with all you're saying but what do you do when taking the time to make the trip is no problem but scraping together the necessary funds is a VERY SERIOUS problem? That's what kept me away this year, and I'm not fond of the idea of turning to crime to solve it.

[kbasa]

Um, one question Rev'rend, I agree with all you're saying but what do you do when taking the time to make the trip is no problem but scraping together the necessary funds is a VERY SERIOUS problem? That's what kept me away this year, and I'm not fond of the idea of turning to crime to solve it.

Figure $100/day while you're on the road, and that's being very generous. (Allows for a night in a hotel once in a while, and decent eats, plus gas) From TX, it'll take you a couple days to get there, a few days there and a couple days to ride home. Figure 7 days. You've got a year to put together $700, which should be something you can accomplish.

If you want to, you can go way cheaper than that, exercising camping in state parks and dollar menu food the whole way.

Drink beer that Mark likes and it should be even easier. :ha

[Mika]

Drink beer that Mark likes and it should be even easier. :ha

Collect his returnable bottles and pay for your trip and mine.

[Hodag]

Collect his returnable bottles and pay for your trip and mine.

that was funny

[RevWillie]

If you want to, you can go way cheaper than that, exercising camping in state parks and dollar menu food the whole way.
The Poverty Rider's best tool for on-the-road housing: the BMWMOA Anonymous

Best way to keep housing costs down and you meet neat people :bikes

[IAMBOB]

First timers got red mugs at the Ambassador tent, with a free beverage among other little goodies..
I forgot to ask for my Rally Virgin Cherry Popper kit, but since I registered as my brother, I'll do in in Wisconsin!!

[bobs98]

NO,NO,NO! That is not the way you approach MOA Nationals!

You come back to work, looking somewhat like a racoon (sunburned cheeks + forehead and white eye sockets), babbling about 4 nights of music, dollar beers (but really good $2 beers), gazillions of tents, friendly folks, every kind of BMW ever, every widget ever made for a BMW, and more rantings that will make your friends,family,and co-workers wonder if you were out in the sun maybe a bit too long on this ride. You then fill out a vacation leave form for July of '07 and tell everybody that you WILL GO to Wisconsin next July. You will have nearly a entire year to negotiate/plead/threaten with your employer [note to self: do not mention all the "change of careers" that you know of due to MOA Nationals] You spend the next 11 months planning your route, volunteering to work the Rally, convincing friends to ride along, doing whatever you need to do for your SO in order to dissappear in July, and will continue to dream of acres of tents with BMW's parked all around.

You do this, year-after-year, and your friends,family,and co-workers will become convinced that something ain't right with that boy!

Welcome to the club! :thumb :deal

Right on Rev....

When I told my wife that she had to come with me to WI in 07, also known as "Chromeheads with Cheese" Rally, she said "That's your thing." I said she should fly with Robert and Katie can ride with me. We'll see. I have to provide shopping and other area attraction info for her to consider, but the groundwork has been laid.

My first rally of any kind after 29 years of riding. Exceeded ALL expectations. Serving as a volunteer brings an "insider" perspective and helps cultivate a whole new group of friends that I will look forward to seeing in years to come. Registration and two shifts in the Beer Garden. Should have done it earlier.

As far as the $$$ issue, if you put away $20 per week until the rally, you'll have over $1000 come departure time.

Rev- Trust you made it home safe. Had a great time talking and working with you, Bob and John. Also, all the others I had contact with, what a fantastic group! Count me in for next year!

Bob

[iRene]

And I'll add my comment to the thread by saying that as a first-timer, I was verily blown away by the people, first and foremost. It was a great experience, hopefully to be compounded by more of the same in the future.

Oh, and Jonathan, the signs you guys did on site were LOVELY.......

[Sue]

This was the first time we came up with an idea for the first-time rally goers. The Kiltmeister (AKA Ambassador Liaison Don Faichney) ordered 400 of those red mugs, and by Friday morning, they were all handed out. WOW!

Looking forward to doing it again in Wisconsin, Fer Sure.

[The_Veg]

$20 A week is great if you have a regular paycheck, which I don't (struggling to make my business work out). I don't think there was a solution for me this year- especially since my bike gets crappy mileage (currently very low 30s, which at $3/gal works out to almost $70 for a 700-mile day in fuel alone).
Since I had no solution this year, I'm not griping (despite sounding like I am). I accepted my fate.

But I've made a hell-or-high-water vow for next year, even if I have to charge it all (too much debt to do that this year). Hopefully by then we won't be seeing that $4/gal fuel that T. Boone Pickens is predicting.

[R80RTJohnny]

We're already at the 4 dollar a gallon mark in Canada! 4.11 Canadian for Regular - 4.44 Canadian for Super (Ontario). Quebec and the maritimes are even more expensive.

The irony in all of this is that I sorta appreciated the lower gas prices in the USA.

[stealthrider]

This was my first BMW MOA rally as well and it was a blast... I went alone and didn't know what to expect.. Everyone was extremely friendly and I immediately made many new friends.. Volunteering on the gate provide me with plenty of opportunity to meet & talk with other rally goers and see a large assortment of bikes...
Hats off to the organizers and I can't wait to the next one...
:bliss

[SheRidesABeemer]

This was my first BMW MOA rally as well and it was a blast... I went alone and didn't know what to expect.. Everyone was extremely friendly and I immediately made many new friends.. Volunteering on the gate provide me with plenty of opportunity to meet & talk with other rally goers and see a large assortment of bikes...
Hats off to the organizers and I can't wait to the next one...
:bliss

Volunteering as a way to meet people is great advice.

At my first Rally, I basically hung out with the guy I went with, not much riding. I had no clue about volunteering, nor had I a taken time to learn about the area I was visiting. Second rally, still clueless about what a rally was all about, thought it was about visiting vendors and attending talks.

A big change happened on my third rally. I planned for it. I had to, it involved ridding across the country. I started reading and participating on the rally forum. When I got there, I met some of the forum members and for the first time had new rally friends. This year was my 4th rally (I'm averaging every other year), and I knew lots of people because I'm more active in my local, virtual and national clubs. Knowing people, meeting new ones made all the difference in how satisfied I was in the rally experience.

So if you've never been to a rally, or were new this year and found the experience to be mediocre, my advice is to get out and meet your local club members, volunteer in a role with lots of people contact, and make virtual friends too.

[tessler]

Oh, and Jonathan, the signs you guys did on site were LOVELY.......THANKS, Irene! I met a considerable bevy of New England folks and am sorry I'd not gotten the opportunity to meet you.

There's always next year (or next month at the Damn Yankees Rally!)

[iRene]

THANKS, Irene! I met a considerable bevy of New England folks and am sorry I'd not gotten the opportunity to meet you.

There's always next year (or next month at the Damn Yankees Rally!)

Hah! But I saw YOU, was coincidentally at the gate when you checked in with Drif10, and heard your name.

[tessler]

Hah! But I saw YOU, was coincidentally at the gate when you checked in with Drif10, and heard your name.
oh cool. do you mean, at the front gate, when I arrived, on wednesday for the first time?

[BradfordBenn]

You will learn iRene knows everything!!!

[ballen262]

First for me, but for now I am looking in the future of taking the time to stop more, see more, maybe a day stop by check out the vendors, then hit the road to see more.

Doing this solo does suck I have to admit, but nice to go my own pace.
If you stopped by the beer tent and everyone had time to down a couple beers, you would have to fight off some, they all want to talk drunk.

But I met some really great people, but most of the time the greatest times I had was on the road, gas stations to see who you run into, and best of all is passing all the Harley boys on the freeways, with bugs stuck in their teeth. :brad

For the first time, is was cool, but now I will spend the time hitting the road seeing more, and taking my time what little I can get at that being 36 and not getting any younger.

[TOTOLee]

Didn't get much time at the beer tent. We were running water and ice to the gates and other volunteers. We like working with the Go-fers and have been doing it for a few years. All their work is mostly for the other volunteers. It really makes the rally for me when I help out.

Brad, I was your rabbit on the last of 17 before you got to I 90. The black 11RT, two-up.

[BradfordBenn]

Brad, I was your rabbit on the last of 17 before you got to I 90. The black 11RT, two-up.

Cool. That was fun, I forgot that roads can turn.
:dance

[ExecDir]

"Ambassador's tent."

I never even saw that!!

My first time as well, myself and SO had a great time... totally blown away by the shear numbers when gazing out over the parking lot. As we are from Harley country this was a treat.
Greatly enjoyed the building with the classic bikes inside spent a couple of hours in there!! Oh and the beer tent and dollar beers was a surprise as well!!!

I know that the advertising of the existance of the Ambassador tent was poor this year but the idea for the tent was a last minute idea and was not advertised properly.
Next year we will have more time to do a better job with advertising.
I had no idea that the tent would go over so well and we went through 400 red mugs within the first day of the rally and we did not stop there, we continued to meet and greet new attendees to the rally.
Now that you have been introduced to the experience of an International Rally maybe next year you will continue the experience and volunteer to help me "The Ambassador Liaison" and possibly show some of the new attendees around the rally site.
:bikes

[tjtraver]

This was my first rally and I was VERY impressed with the organization and content of the event , especially vendors and the history of BMW display. It was also refreshing to me to see so many BMWs on the road, days in advance and hundreds of miles from rally event , that had come thousands of miles from all areas of the US , to quietly tour the NorthEast. The rally was truly a worthy destination and great reason to get out and ride . Thanks for making it so ...

Todd

[2popfire]

I too was a first time National Rally attendee and was suitably impressed by the level of professionalism and enthusiasm shown by the organization and the volunteers from first to last. On arrival on Thursday at Registration, I was asked if this was my first National, I must have had that lost look!!!!?? When I replied that I was a NooB I was given a “new guy ticket” and directions to the Ambassador tent to collect a “prize” so, OK, off I go, thinking right! Probably going to get a rubber biscuit! But no it’s a poker chip good for a free beer and a little mug to drink it from… Cool, I didn’t use the chip, maybe I’ll save it for Wisconsin, but I had a great time and met a lot of nice people and just wanted to say THANKS. :clap

[Bensonhurst]

We also found the vendors and the MOA to have their products very resonabley priced. My thanks go out to all the organizers and volunteers for all their hard work to make our 1st rally such a positive experience. :thumb
As for any nay sayers...as my dad would say "They would complain if you hung them with a new rope!"
I would complain being hanged with ANY rope.
There were NO bargains there. I took $3000.00, in cash, thinking there would be things too good to pass up, but everything there could be had for less elsewhere, I didn't spend a nickel.
I guess the vendors thought BMW = lots of money, I was very disappointed.
I've been to LOTS of rallies, shows and swap meets, in the USA and Europe, and this was the most disappointing.

[Beemeup]

I was a first time International Rally attendee too. I had a great time, I came early and camped at Lake Carmi.........Carmi was great! I enjoyed riding the roads of Vermont, the vendors were good, the entertainment was great too.
My registration volunteer asked me if this was my first rally and gave me the new guy ticket and instructions to the Ambassador's Tent.

I had a great time, now I know why everyone gets so excited about the
"National". Thanks organizers and volunteers for your tireless efforts so that
I could have a great time! :thumb

[Bensonhurst]

I too was a first time National Rally attendee and was suitably impressed by the level of professionalism and enthusiasm shown by the organization and the volunteers from first to last. On arrival on Thursday at Registration, I was asked if this was my first National, I must have had that lost look!!!!?? When I replied that I was a NooB I was given a “new guy ticket” and directions to the Ambassador tent to collect a “prize” so, OK, off I go, thinking right! Probably going to get a rubber biscuit! But no it’s a poker chip good for a free beer and a little mug to drink it from… Cool, I didn’t use the chip, maybe I’ll save it for Wisconsin, but I had a great time and met a lot of nice people and just wanted to say THANKS. :clap

So much for the beer chip, when I tried to redeem it for a beer, I was told by the beer vendor that I needed TWO tokens to get a beer.
This was my first rally
This was my last rally.

[WLDBT1]

Great riding . good time.

[majicdoor]

My 1st. time and I had a great time. The poeple were so nice. Will go next year. :wow :wow

[RevWillie]

So much for the beer chip, when I tried to redeem it for a beer, I was told by the beer vendor that I needed TWO tokens to get a beer.
This was my first rally
This was my last rally.

Domestic beers were 1 ticket/token O'Douls were free
Microbrew drafts were 2 ticket/tokens

All us beer tent workers were volunteers, some knew more than others at different points-in-time. :bottle

This was a major rally run by volunteers! Cool your jets and calm down a bit and try another National before you state: "my last rally".

Ride safe, have fun, :burnout

[tuber1]

I wasn't told about the first timer coupon when I started registering voulunteers on Wed and they were all gone when I worked again on Friday.


hey I worked with you Wed...lol iwas the guy in the deadhorse shirt from St Albans

[Bensonhurst]

Domestic beers were 1 ticket/token O'Douls were free
Microbrew drafts were 2 ticket/tokens

All us beer tent workers were volunteers, some knew more than others at different points-in-time. :bottle

This was a major rally run by volunteers! Cool your jets and calm down a bit and try another National before you state: "my last rally".

Ride safe, have fun, :burnout
My apologies to the volunteers.
But the vendors were there to make a killing.
I’ve been to LOTS of rallies and this was the pits.
Riding the roads in Vermont was spectacular, but I didn't need a rally to do that.
Never another BMW national rally.

[Paul_F]

It was my first National Rally. I loved it. I attended about twelve seminars and learned something new from each one. I found the vendor items (that I was interested in) to be cheaper than back home in Canada. People were very willing to talk to about their bikes and modifications. I prefer travelling alone but conversations with total strangers were so easy to either initiate by either of us. My bike remained parked at the rally as I had ridden two weeks through eastern Canada and the northeastern states before arriving. Vermont I explored before and after the rally. Shower facilities were fine (if you’re an old man who always wakes up early). Food on site could possibly had a few more healthier choices but I never went hungry. I only missed out on being asked if I was a newbie and therefore did not receive any newbie package. An ambassador did give me a token for a brew on the last day. Noisy campers? There were a few but none to prevent me from drifting off to sleep. Actually the first night I went to bed around 8:30 p.m. The group talking around my tent were French Canadians. My french is so rusty that I was not distracted by listening to the words. It was more like a lullaby that help me drift off.

Next year? You bet I’m going, only rather than planning a trip before it as this year, with the rally near the end of the trip, Wisconsin will be first stop with a two or three week trip to follow through the north western states and returning east via the western provinces. As well, I will volunteer next year. I am really looking forward to the next one.

[maddog]

So much for the beer chip, when I tried to redeem it for a beer, I was told by the beer vendor that I needed TWO tokens to get a beer.
This was my first rally
This was my last rally.

For the last 2 years, one token = one ticket = $ 1.00
We in the beer garden were not aware of the newbie freebie, and were acting under past experiences. Still, paying $ 1.00 for a microbrew was a good deal, n'est ce pas? Our apologies for any hard feelings; in an event of this magnitude, there WILL be communication cracks.

Jim Faucher
Beer co-chair :drink

[Bensonhurst]

For the last 2 years, one token = one ticket = $ 1.00
We in the beer garden were not aware of the newbie freebie, and were acting under past experiences. Still, paying $ 1.00 for a microbrew was a good deal, n'est ce pas? Our apologies for any hard feelings; in an event of this magnitude, there WILL be communication cracks.

Jim Faucher
Beer co-chair :drink

The people giving out the tokens stated
"it's good for one of ANYTHING in the beer tent".
HOWEVER: That's a minor detail, if the beer was free all three days the rally would have still been disappointing.
I've been riding the back roads through Vermont for over thirty years, it's great motorcycle country, but I didn't need a rally to do that.

The people of Vermont were, and have always been, the friendliest, everywhere we (a friend who came along for the ride) went, we got a warm and helpful greeting.
The only rude people we encountered were other rally attendees.
The vendors were out to make a killing, everything was overpriced.
It was my first rally.
It was my last rally.

[dmr]

I'm no businessman, but it would seem that if I wanted to keep prices low, I would utilize the internet to sell worldwide. Packing up my inventory, moving it to a rally site (where I assume their is a fee for the space), hiring employees for this temporary location, and then moving it back would add costs to any product. Anyone who expects less is naive. If you want to shop, you don't need to go to a rally.

I thought the souvenir t-shirts were reasonable, and the beer (should one choose to imbibe) was CHEAP. If you wished, you could go out on the town and I didn't notice any unreasonable prices there, either.

First and last rally- ok. But just where were these others that had great bargains and when are they?

And finally, I did not have a single negative experience. Great people, great time. I must not have been in the same place on the grounds.

[jdmetzger]

I din't think the vendor prices were so bad as to be trying to cheat people. In fact, everything I looked at was at the most EQUAL to their online prices, and then you save shipping. Rev'It was selling their Cayeanne jacket for $50 less, which was a 13% discount, I believe. The only thing I thought was overpriced was the on-site food; $2.50 for a 20oz drink is out of line. Or so I thought; it was $2.75 at mid-Ohio. I just went to the store at the shopping center outside the rally. More "normal" prices on drinks. Beer, as has already been said, was a steal.

I went more for meeting people and good riding than to buy stuff, anyhow.

My first rally.
NOT my last rally. :bikes

YMMV.

[dancogan]

HOWEVER: That's a minor detail, if the beer was free all three days the rally would have still been disappointing.
I've been riding the back roads through Vermont for over thirty years, it's great motorcycle country, but I didn't need a rally to do that.

The people of Vermont were, and have always been, the friendliest, everywhere we (a friend who came along for the ride) went, we got a warm and helpful greeting.
The only rude people we encountered were other rally attendees.
The vendors were out to make a killing, everything was overpriced.
It was my first rally.
It was my last rally.

I guess the question that we need to ask you is, what were you looking for? The rally experience is different for different people, and depends almost entirely upon what you want to get out of it.

Buying at the rally, especially buying items that require installation, can be a hassle, and involve long waits. But as pointed out, there were some deals to be had, and a pretty good inventory for most of the vendors.

Anytime you get over 9,000 people together, there will be some that you'd rather not be around, but there will be many more that are anxious to meet, talk and make new friends. So, what were you hoping to find?

[vtpaul]

hey I worked with you Wed...lol iwas the guy in the deadhorse shirt from St Albans

I worked with so many different people I would have to see you again to remember. Are you the guy who helped teach me the ropes?

I had more fun at this rally than the other 3 I've been to, mostly because of volunteering. The only problem was that I volunteered maybe too much because I missed seeing lots of other stuff and some vendors.

I figured since I was local I should help out as much as I could and I was glad I did. I must say it is handy to have local people help out as I gave out lots of local information that other volunteers wouldn't have known.

Maybe for another forum, but if you do volunteer, I learned that it would be wise to at least tour the site first to get the lay of the land, exits, traffic patterns, camping areas, businesses etc to answer attendees questions better.

If I make it to Wisconsin I will have to think about helping again.

[iRene]

oh cool. do you mean, at the front gate, when I arrived, on wednesday for the first time?



Yessir! One of those cosmic coincidences.

[Kiltmeister]

So much for the beer chip, when I tried to redeem it for a beer, I was told by the beer vendor that I needed TWO tokens to get a beer.
This was my first rally
This was my last rally.
I am sorry that you feel that way about coming to the International Rally, I will say though there was some confusion about the beer token. The reason for the confusion was the fact that the token was for a can of beer and not the mico brew. Next year we will eliminate the confusion.
We must be somewhat flexible in this since this was the first year such an undertaking was tried and next year will be better.

[Bensonhurst]

I am sorry that you feel that way about coming to the International Rally, I will say though there was some confusion about the beer token. The reason for the confusion was the fact that the token was for a can of beer and not the mico brew. Next year we will eliminate the confusion.
We must be somewhat flexible in this since this was the first year such an undertaking was tried and next year will be better.

The people giving out the tokens STATED, ABSOLUTELY, a token was good for a drink (one of ANYTHING) being served in the beer tent.

[dmr]

I think we got the message. Someone made a mistake and gave you incorrect information.

Asked before and gone unanswered, but where are the "better" rallys you have attended? I would very much like to go (if I haven't already)

[kbasa]

The people giving out the tokens STATED, ABSOLUTELY, a token was good for a drink (one of ANYTHING) being served in the beer tent.

Easy, tiger. One of the volunteers wasn't clear, apparently. They probably got their five minutes of instruction and some of it didn't sink in. It's a completely volunteer run event and these things happen sometimes. They're on vacation too.

Did you redeem the token for a canned beer?

[Bensonhurst]

I think we got the message. Someone made a mistake and gave you incorrect information.

Asked before and gone unanswered, but where are the "better" rallys you have attended? I would very much like to go (if I haven't already)
Stafford UK every April
All European rally in Maryland every year on the Sunday between mothers day and Memorial day.

[Bensonhurst]

Easy, tiger. One of the volunteers wasn't clear, apparently. They probably got their five minutes of instruction and some of it didn't sink in. It's a completely volunteer run event and these things happen sometimes. They're on vacation too.

Did you redeem the token for a canned beer?

After I was denied a beer, I again asked at the token tent (the next day) and was told the same thing (1 token good for 1 drink of any kind).
Tried again, denied again, so I gave the token to someone standing in line and wished him better luck, a beer isn't that important to me.
Nobody in the beer tent told me I could redeem one token for one canned beer.
Poor communication all around.

[cjack]

I would complain being hanged with ANY rope.
There were NO bargains there. I took $3000.00, in cash, thinking there would be things too good to pass up, but everything there could be had for less elsewhere, I didn't spend a nickel.
I guess the vendors thought BMW = lots of money, I was very disappointed.
I've been to LOTS of rallies, shows and swap meets, in the USA and Europe, and this was the most disappointing.

I've been going to a lot of swap meets over the decades, ham radio, BMW, etc. and I would say that the internet and particularly the EBAY thing has changed all the rallies, swap meets and the like. The big market is on the world wide internet and I doubt that there will be much change in that form this time on. I'm not saying I like it, but just that I noticed it. We got what we wished for, some of us, but somehow it doesn't feel so good.

[Kiltmeister]

After I was denied a beer, I again asked at the token tent (the next day) and was told the same thing (1 token good for 1 drink of any kind).
Tried again, denied again, so I gave the token to someone standing in line and wished him better luck, a beer isn't that important to me.
Nobody in the beer tent told me I could redeem one token for one canned beer.
Poor communication all around.

As I stated previously, this was an unfortunate situation where I did not give everyone in the Ambassador tent complete instruction on what the beer token covered. When I found out what was going on in the beer tent with the micro brew I corrected the situation and the can of beer statement came into being.
I must thank you for your input on this matter and I will take your suggestion to heart and it will be corrected for next year. This will allow me to have better communication with the volunteer team in the Beer Garden.

[Bensonhurst]

As I stated previously, this was an unfortunate situation where I did not give everyone in the Ambassador tent complete instruction on what the beer token covered. When I found out what was going on in the beer tent with the micro brew I corrected the situation and the can of beer statement came into being.
I must thank you for your input on this matter and I will take your suggestion to heart and it will be corrected for next year. This will allow me to have better communication with the volunteer team in the Beer Garden.

Thank you for your candor It’s refreshing to have feedback from someone who realizes that there was indeed a problem.

[RSpink]

Hey!
You actually tried to redeem that token?
Geez, that was the best souvineer I brought home from the rally!
I consumed my share of beer, both micro brew and canned and never considered trading that token once!

At A buck a can for major brands how can you go wrong?
Where I live in Massachusetts, a six pack will cost you at least $6.30 with the deposit and I don't get to drink it with some of the coolest most interesting people, like I have met at the rally.

I hope I get to meet you at the next rally and I'll try to make it up to you with a beer of your choice :drink, just be prepared to tell me where you have ridden lately!

Cheers!

Bob

[Kiltmeister]

Hey!
You actually tried to redeem that token?
Geez, that was the best souvineer I brought home from the rally!
I consumed my share of beer, both micro brew and canned and never considered trading that token once!

At A buck a can for major brands how can you go wrong?
Where I live in Massachusetts, a six pack will cost you at least $6.30 with the deposit and I don't get to drink it with some of the coolest most interesting people, like I have met at the rally.

I hope I get to meet you at the next rally and I'll try to make it up to you with a beer of your choice :drink, just be prepared to tell me where you have ridden lately!

Cheers!

Bob
I was overwhelmed by the response to the thought of having so many people that had never attended a BMW MOA International before. The other part of this is the fact that so many of the attendees were young people, I mean under 30. When an "Old Man" like me thinks of young I think of my youngest son and he is 36, so when I see them under 30 I get real excited.
We will do this again next year and will be better prepared.
Maybe the "Newbies" that attended this year can help me in the Ambassador tent next year. Let me know.

[IAMBOB]

It was my first National Rally. I loved it. I attended about twelve seminars and learned something new from each one. I found the vendor items (that I was interested in) to be cheaper than back home in Canada. People were very willing to talk to about their bikes and modifications. I prefer travelling alone but conversations with total strangers were so easy to either initiate by either of us. My bike remained parked at the rally as I had ridden two weeks through eastern Canada and the northeastern states before arriving. Vermont I explored before and after the rally. Shower facilities were fine (if you’re an old man who always wakes up early). Food on site could possibly had a few more healthier choices but I never went hungry. I only missed out on being asked if I was a newbie and therefore did not receive any newbie package. An ambassador did give me a token for a brew on the last day. Noisy campers? There were a few but none to prevent me from drifting off to sleep. Actually the first night I went to bed around 8:30 p.m. The group talking around my tent were French Canadians. My french is so rusty that I was not distracted by listening to the words. It was more like a lullaby that help me drift off.

Next year? You bet I’m going, only rather than planning a trip before it as this year, with the rally near the end of the trip, Wisconsin will be first stop with a two or three week trip to follow through the north western states and returning east via the western provinces. As well, I will volunteer next year. I am really looking forward to the next one.

Seminars?? There were Seminars?? Did they have Beer??

[Rod Sheridan]

Unfortunately, we seem too spend too much time and effort on the forum, complaining about negative experiences. Perhaps it's a phenomenon of the internet in general.

I am not a first time rallyist, however I was very pleased to learn that new attendees received a red mug to distinguish themselves from the repeat rallyists. Kiltmeister, it was a stroke of brilliance on your part, I made an effort to speak to as many people with a red mug as I could. Most were pleased that they were noticed and welcomed, this is what makes BMW rallies the best.

The confusion about the beer token is unfortunate, however I agree with one of the posts, I also would have kept the token as a souvenir of the rally. I find it hard to fathom why someone who would carry $3,000 in cash would complain so voiciferously over a problem with a $1 gift. What happened to saying THANK YOU when someone gives you something?

As one of the many volunteers, I enjoyed working the rally, and everyone I dealt with was pleasant, and positive. The rally was a great sucess, and as Don pointed out, mistakes were made and will be rectified next year.

Hope to see you next year at the 2007 National.......Rod.