Im thinking of throwing a weekly car show at the FSK. As the Rec. Director they said they want me to come up with some shit like that, so I figured I’d try and start with something familiar. Im visioning something sort of like the QSL shows (if they still do them). Obviously I wouldnt be able to do it in the summer because the hotel will be packed and there will be no room. But im thinking last couple weeks of April-last week of May (2006), and then pick back up again in mid-september after bike week.
What do you guys think would work best?
im leaning towards charge no admission and keep it simple. Just let people use the lot as a big hangout. Maybe provide a DJ and simple refreshments. Plug it all I can on MD/DE/VA car boards as well as the regional areas on car specific forums (LS1 Forums, Supraforums…). Have the show every Saturday afternoon, and then have a special where if you mention the car show when you make your reservation you get 10% off. Think that would be enough of a draw to people in the DC/Balt metro and surrounding areas to be worth making the trip? They could head out saturday morning, hit the beach up in the morning, come back and chill at the car show, then cruise around a little in the evening and then make it home before the evening news.
The other route is to go more elaborate and then charge admission. But I dont really like that idea.
I already pitched it to my boss who thought it was a really cool idea. It would be good exposure for the hotel even if we didnt sell a room because of it. I have mad connections I can use through the local media (real good friends with two Clear Channel disk jockeys, Editor for the local paper also bartends at the hotel’s restaurant, one of the owners is good friends with local television people), so I could get lots of free press that way. For the few of you that have been to the hotel, you know that it looks dinky as shit from the road. About 50% of the people that I talk to say they’ve driven past it their whole lives and never had a clue how huge it was. Just getting people on the property and letting them see everything we have will get people talking about us. And word of mouth advertising is the best kind.
if you do the refreshments thing, i suggest you charge them for it. but that sounds like a great idea, im pretty sure you’re not going to get JUST the crowd you’re looking for. little ricers w/their fucking hyundais and rice pipes will most likely show up to show off how they can do a neutral drop 1 wheel burnout!!!
i would say try to advertise on an oldies radio station…maybe first 100 cars get a dash plaque. door prizes 50/50 tickets old people love that kind of shit… try to get other resturarants and stores to help sponser …you know if they give you this you will put up a banner and advertise for them…
yeah I would probably charge for refreshments. My main goal would be to get people to book a room for the night though. If I could get 5 rooms per show, thats ~$400 in increased revenue which would easily cover the expenditures I’d have to make.
As far as the ricers, I dont care if they show up. I just want lots of people to show up. My goal here is exposure. To get people talking about our hotel.
like I said, im sure I can get lots of cheap advertising. Im acquaintances with two of the biggest club DJ’s in OC, friends with two kids that work for Clear Channel radio (on is administrative, the other is on air talent). Im sure I could get them to do a live braodcast from the show for cheap or free. And I might be able to get the owner of the restaurant in our lobby to help me out, because I’m sure the pool bar that they run would stand to profit generously. Lots of different avenues to get the word out.
actually it might be the wrong kind of attention if a lot of ricers show up. just think, kids doing burnouts all around the hotel and in the parking lot and such is not going to go over very well with your boss. might want to ask a couple cops to sit aorund and eat donuts so they can catch some of the badass ricers trying to show off.
dont get me wrong here, i deifnitely think its a kick ass idea and im sure itll work out perfectly. but keep the ricers out!
