This Year's Attendance

[1074]

This whole line of thought has been beaten to death for several years now. I am reminded of the signs that I see going into lots of small towns across the country. Welcome to So And So Ville. Home to 2135 friendly people and a few old grumps.

[Rob Nye]

To expand on the July thing and families.

If you have kids you get "calibrated" to plan vacations around the school year.

I don't know how it is in your neck of the woods but in New England it seems like most companies slow down a bit in July / August as everyone takes a week or to of vacation time. When I worked with boats there was no way I could take two weeks in July but we were encouraged to take time in August. For those of us who work in operations often we're encouraged to vacation when the executives vacation.

My boys have been to the National Rally a few times and it was a great trip the first time one of my sons rode to the rally with me on his own bike.

Another thing to consider is that while many of the attendees with kids didn't bring the kids it's much easier to arrange alternate care (overnight summer camp, stay with relatives, etc) when school's out.

The challenge for the board is how to balance the desires of our core membership while making the club and its activities appealing for the younger rider. While having a national in Texas in November might be great for the retired set you can count out just about anyone under 45 with kids at home.

[donbmw]

And a couple of them are in nearly every thread in the "Rally Forum". 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?

I have asked this question pointedly to some and privately to others and I have not gotten a reply.

Listening to those people, would be like the Pope listening to non church goers when making decisions of faith.

Perhaps we need a "Whine forum"???

I have never been to any of the National Rally's and the time of year is why. I do not like to my vacation time between Memorial weekend and Labor Day weekend. I have done this for 2 reasons. 1st less people out traveling and 2nd the temps I know that they could go either way on temps. Most of the time I am going from mid Sept to Nov.
I have been to most of the locations that they rallys hve been. If the rally was going on during this time I would see about making some of them.

[dlowry]

The weather for the rally was exceptional when compared to last year, and the facilities were amazing. There was nice cool building right beside the beer tent, the evening temperatures made sleeping a breeze, good music, good friends, etc., etc.

Perhaps the inclusion of the superstakes ticket in the cost of the rally had something to do with lower attendance?

Next year is out for us after 6 straight years. Having just been to Oregon in 2010, it's too soon again to go back that there. Were it to be in another western state we might have decided to go. I expect next year will have about the same attendance as this year IMHO.

Thanks to the organizers for a great rally again this year and we'll be back in 2014 provided it's somewhere new for us.

[tonynace]

The weather for the rally was exceptional when compared to last year, and the facilities were amazing. There was nice cool building right beside the beer tent, the evening temperatures made sleeping a breeze, good music, good friends, etc., etc.

Perhaps the inclusion of the superstakes ticket in the cost of the rally had something to do with lower attendance?

Next year is out for us after 6 straight years. Having just been to Oregon in 2010, it's too soon again to go back that there. Were it to be in another western state we might have decided to go. I expect next year will have about the same attendance as this year IMHO.

Thanks to the organizers for a great rally again this year and we'll be back in 2014 provided it's somewhere new for us.

The Superstakes ticket wasn't required to attend. One could have just paid the regular rally admission price if one so wanted, but with admission included and a chance to win one of many bikes, I thought it was a no brainer to buy the Superstakes ticket.

[bikenut595]

We will most likely NOT attend next year. The reason has nothing to do with JULY heat, the fact that it will probably rain EVERY DAY,

Don't let the common misconception about Oregon and rain keep you away. The summers are beautiful. The rain fable was created to keep the Californian's out!

[greenwald]

Absolutly!! They are stuborn indeed!
Also is the attendance record more important than the rally itself??

You know, I think you hit the proverbial nail on the head.

All this chatter about setting or breakiing attendance records. Why?

5,000 - 6,000 Rally attendees seems about right, given most venues we as a club end up reserving.

Too many and you tax your food, sanitation, MOA, logistical and seminar resources.

Enjoyed my time in Sedalia - lot's of happy faces.

[HANKB]

...
All this chatter about setting or breakiing attendance records. Why?
...
Too many and you tax your food, sanitation, MOA, logistical and seminar resources.

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.

[tonynace]

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.

Another thing to consider is if the rally numbers keep dropping, vendors stop coming. A chance to see a lot of vendors in one place is one of the major reasons I attend national rallies and I would think that is a big reason for a lot of other attendees as well. It could start a vicious cycle if vendors don't come because the numbers are down, and then people don't come because there's less vendors.

[MarkM]

I had a great time at the rally, along with my 12-yr-old son. The weather was tolerable, especially considering the daily highs. Great facilities. I was a volunteer and it was a good experience--I plan to volunteer again next time.

This was my first MOA rally and I went because it was so close to home, otherwise I don't think I'd travel a great distance to attend a rally in a hot summer location--vacation time is too scarce. I would prefer it in the fall and have no qualms about taking my son out of school to attend it with me. I'm planning to go to the rally again next year in Salem, OR. It's a beautiful state and the weather should be nice, with lots of fantastic riding between here and there. My biggest concern is the possibility of extremely hot weather on the way there and back, so again, I'd prefer it in the fall. I agree with the previous poster who suggested rotating the time of year so that it's not always in the middle of July.

No complaints. Just offering my own preferences. Thanks to all who planned this event. It was definitely top drawer.

[Rob Nye]

The Superstakes ticket wasn't required to attend. One could have just paid the regular rally admission price if one so wanted, but with admission included and a chance to win one of many bikes, I thought it was a no brainer to buy the Superstakes ticket.

It was a no-brainer *if* you planned on attending the rally, otherwise not so much.

[greenwald]

Another thing to consider is if the rally numbers keep dropping, vendors stop coming. A chance to see a lot of vendors in one place is one of the major reasons I attend national rallies and I would think that is a big reason for a lot of other attendees as well. It could start a vicious cycle if vendors don't come because the numbers are down, and then people don't come because there's less vendors.

I agree with your premise.

Keeping and/or attracting key vendors is an essential part of the rally experience.

I just think that 5-6k is a minimum threshold and anything above that, while welcomed, is not necessarily essential to survival.

Since there is no way to know how many will ultimately attend, the current template presumes 6-10k and plans accordingly.

With over 34,000 in the club, even that projection seems low, but then I'm a bit of an optimist.

[WDaigle]

It was a no-brainer *if* you planned on attending the rally, otherwise not so much.

I would have bought a ticket even if I did not plan to attend. $100 for a chance to win over $250,000 in prizes(13 motorcycles, a bonus bike was donated by Pandora's at the rally, and lots of other great merchandise) was a "no brainer". I'll buy a ticket again next year whether I attend or not.

[39520]

I'll buy a ticket again next year whether I attend or not.

Me too. And I've already made hotel reservations for the RA Rally in lieu of the long haul to Oregon, which I know I would enjoy, but it just doesn't fit in the family dynamics.

[Rob Nye]

I would have bought a ticket even if I did not plan to attend. $100 for a chance to win over $250,000 in prizes(13 motorcycles, a bonus bike was donated by Pandora's at the rally, and lots of other great merchandise) was a "no brainer". I'll buy a ticket again next year whether I attend or not.

Good on ya!

Every one had a different definition of value. For me I'll gamble a few bucks here and there every now and again but $100 heads into real money territory.

Given the trend next years ticket will be a grand but there will be three more bikes to win.