This Year's Attendance

[DMR]

The attendance numbers are one measure of success. If people are happy with the rally, numbers will tend to increase. If numbers drop, that indicates people are choosing something else.

You are absolutely correct that higher numbers make everything more difficult. It leads to a bit of a conundrum. Make the rally better and more people will come and that makes it harder to maintain the same quality experience.

On numbers-
"How much did that cost?"
"How many miles on your bike?"
"How much can you bench?" (if you're not a member of a gym, skip this one)

The numbers game is just that- a game. It doesn't tell you much by itself. Success is not measured by numbers, but by the experience. I saw it was going to be hot, so i chose not to go. But I thought the rally is put on by the volunteers to offer the experience. It seems that those who chose to go and then whine about the weather or anything else are simply unprepared. I figured one of the first threads would be about the numbers, because there are those that will use the numbers to justify how this was "bad planning". "Making it better" does not mean "making it bigger", any more than more expense means better quality, more miles means more of a rider, or more weight makes you stronger.

[40427]

I did not make it this year, and the only other MOA rally i ever attended was a long time ago. I waited until the last minute to cancel my hotel in Warsaw hoping the "weather would fall within the parameters I choose to be out doors in".
It didn't and i didn't.

I belong to a group of New Bonneville riders ( yes they allow me to ride with them on a BMW) we hold a rally every spring in the same location.
We started in another spot 9 or 10 years ago, but the ability to get food and drink was limited so we made a collective decision to move.

Every year we have the stalwarts who always show, and every year we get new riders.
We hold no seminars, no scheduled rides, and the vendors who do come are taking a vacation with us and don't bring anything to sell.
Thus far I have never heard anyone complain that they were tired of riding the same roads. Maybe that's because there are so many great ones to explore in the area. We fill up an entire motel and spill over in to one or two more, yes we do have some campers.

We decided to have a fall "Gathering" as we call it and by design we move it around every couple of years to a different location. This is driven by the fact that some folks have difficulty getting as far away at that time of the year. The first guy who speaks about the next location for the "Gathering" is "it "so to speak and then steps up and finds the next location.

I would tell you the locations, but since we do not have seminars, hold scheduled events, or have vendors you all would not be interested in the old fashioned comaraderie we enjoy.
Oh yea, we probably would not be comfortable with 5000+ riders around

Did i mention that I truly prefer a smaller rally than the bigger ones, but if the weather were right for me I would love to attend another MOA event.

[jayuyan]

I'd like to personally thank all the folks that made the rally possible. I'd especially like to thank all the volunteers that spent their time in the heat helping to make the rally a great time.

Is Sedalia, MO my favorite place? No, but that's where the rally was held and the facilities were outstanding. It was only hot during the day but really cooled off nicely at night. I camped the whole way and enjoyed my ride up. Boy, the Ozarks were hot!

I find these challenges (the heat, storms, etc) as the special sauce in any trip. If everything was perfect, we'd all have a really boring life!

Thanks,

[osbornk]

I didn't go to the rally because of my self imposed distance limit and not because of the heat. Even with the heat, Bloomsburg was my second favorite rally. I was almost wishing I had broken my self imposed distance limit and gone to the rally until last Saturday. I was riding mountain roads with temperatures in the mid 70s when I got on the Blue Ridge Parkway for a while because it was straighter and leveler than the roads I had ridden all day. How could a rally 800 hot interstate miles away be better than riding an hour from home in pristine mountains with two friends on a cool summer day?

[maacova]

My second Rally. Had what I would describe as a Very Hot first rally in PA. Had to think about it but decided to believe the MOA when they said MO would be better. Not cooler but better. A/C was great. Camping was good once the sun went down. Colman tent fan was fantastic. Took my buddy that just got his first BMW to his first Rally. He loved it. We worked Security driving the golf cart around two morning shifts. Got a free t-shirt and hat but was hoping for a gun or at least a Tazer. We rode 4 days from Richmond, VA going out then made a mad dash home Sunday on the super slab.
The MOA nailed the venue and provided us with the best possible experience in the heat that we all thought was coming.
The Sweepstakes on Friday night was just plain fun. (note: get the bikes up on the stage when drawing the numbers)
All the bands were great.
Met some great new friends and would love to attend next year if I can.
No complaints from me.
Ken Denton

[swall]

First National I attended was Rutland in 1978. Was sort of hot. Next one was Brainard,MN and I figured that one would be cooler. It was more hot and humid than Rutland. Best one was Missoula in 1984. Low humidity and low '80's in the day, high 50's at night for sleeping in the tent. I have a multitude of motorcycling interests and when I go to a BMW National, the location and potential temperature factor into my decision. The "why do we have it in mid July ?" discussion has been ongoing since at least Rutland, as attendees were talking about it.

[Lee]

Got a free t-shirt and hat but was hoping for a gun or at least a Tazer.

Ken, Debbie and I enjoyed visiting with you and your friends under the big tent Saturday night.

[Paul_F]

It was a great rally. Sure it was hot, but then it was hot back home. I had no problems sleeping in the tent. No waiting for showers or bathrooms. Good variety of food at reasonable prices. Great venue with a brisk, closing ceremony (Thanks Bob A.). Air conditioning in the buildings was a little on the cool side for me, but I assume most prefer it that way. If I could travel back in time, I'd go again in a heartbeat.

[AKsuited]

I have to ask; if you did not go to this rally, you did not go to last year's rally::::which rally did you attend? Have you ever been to one? Did you ever go to one that you enjoyed?

Rhinebeck, NY.
Burlington, Vermont.
Trenton, Ontario.

I'm limited to one week vacation during the construction season, one reason I have not traveled long distances to far away rallies.

Rhinebeck was nice. I visited with my aunt in Red Hook. I desperately needed a getaway for personal reasons and that rally provided it for me.

Trenton was nice, too, and I am tempted to attend the Trenton Rally.

I wish the Burlington Rally had had the usual North Country cool, crisp weather but with global warming it seems all of us face more and more heat and humidity, something MOA needs to recognize. There's nothing better than a "Northern" summer day, but they are becoming more rare every year.

I'll attend a national rally if I think it worth my time, otherwise I won't. I weigh the factors of distance, and expected benefits of traveling to the selected site.

I expect to be retired soon, so maybe I'll attend the next one in Salem, OR. I've got a brother in Kent, Washington who I could visit.

Harry

[Visian]

Just as we rotate the location every year to allow everyone at least the opportunity to attend a rally, why can we not rotate the date? Why is inertia so difficult to overcome in this matter?

because we've done extensive market research and the majority of members want the rally then.

also shown in research, the vendors wish to keep the rally when it is. These people not only make our rally appealing to attend, they also advertise in our magazine and web site, which helps make the whole show run.

oh... and the volunteers who help run the rally are mainly available only in the summer, many people work nearly their entire vacation to help put on the event.

Ian

[adventurexpress]

WOW!!!.... the volunteers, facilities and rally comm. chairs set the bar so high at this years rally that anything less in the future will be a disappointment. the technology employed in ceremonies and seminars was greatly improved over other rallies i have attended. I was truly impressed and look forward to future rally chairs surpassing what those from this year produced.

On the curious side...

I have wondered why we don't use major university facilities, as someone else pointed out . They have everything we need. My guess is its all about the money...and that if explored , university facilities exceed those of state fairgrounds????

Regarding heat... there is no escaping it in July / August no matter what part of the country you are in... its a roll of the dice.

I would offer that moving the dates to mid-to-late June and in the northern states would yield a more desirable temperature range. It would also allow families with younger school age kids to attend. It also fits the working mans vacation date ranges.

Anywhere east of the Mississippi would garner a larger attendance...its just numbers based on where the populace lives. It also means the working stiff only has to burn one week of vacation to attend a rally.

On the positive... congratulations to all of those involved on putting together a stellar rally. In the for what its worth column... I personally felt the heat/humidity was less of an issue then the prior Bloomsburg Rally... why ? This year the MOA prepared for it.

Thanks again for a great Rally.

[PGlaves]

I personally felt the heat/humidity was less of an issue then the prior Bloomsburg Rally... why ? This year the MOA prepared for it.

Thanks again for a great Rally.

Equally, the facility was designed and equipped for it. Bloomsburg wasn't.

[tnevling]

Equally, the facility was designed and equipped for it. Bloomsburg wasn't.

100% agree...

[redsky49]

because we've done extensive market research and the majority of members want the rally then.

And the minority of the members? Or the roughly 33,000 members that chose not to attend this year? What about them?

Surely you can make a better argument than that.

The point that I was making is that, just as the changing location creates opportunities for the various members to attend when they might otherwise not be able, so might the change of date open up the rally to those who have not been able to attend in July.

I find myself championing this point primarily due to the intransigence of some members that seem to want things THE WAY WE WANT THINGS, DAMN IT!

As others above have mentioned, perhaps quality rather than quantity (attendance numbers) is the important factor. Maybe every fourth year the Rally is a bit smaller, and maybe it is scheduled a little later in the season, and maybe it allows those members to attend who have never been able to due to the scheduling date. Don't those members also deserve consideration?

That's it for me on this topic

Forum gadfly signing off!

[179219]

redsky guy make good argument...