Planning on doing a Car Show or Event for your Car Club or Chapter? Here are some key features I can share from my personal experiences. They are prerequisites you’ll want and need to know as well as a few potholes to steer away from to have a successful show. This is to educate those who may not know the true details of performing a car show or event. I hope it helps

Need to know:
1.) Proper Planning: This is the most important factor in doing a car show or event. It is the most required and takes more time and patience than it may seem. This also requires obtaining information from many various people and places. This is a task that can be, but should not be done alone (the more input and discussions the better).

2.) Proper Staffing: This is very necessary, because you can’t run a car show or event alone. Trust me it wouldn’t turnout good if at all. Reliable staff makes the difference in having a successful show or a disaster. Proper staffing also includes those who may volunteer, judge, obtain information, distribute items, and manage activities and so on. Staff are a very vital key for any car show or event.

3.) Financing: A car show or event can be costly if you have a small membership, so the larger your membership the better. Things you’ll need to spend the most money on with a car show are:

A.) Advertising this includes but not limited to fliers, banners, radio advertising, business cards, newspaper ads, the Internet etc. This also applies when determining if and what to charge for your car show/event.

B.) Location this can depend on what type of car show or event you’re having and what you are trying to do. Location: For an impressive turnout it is very important that the location is well known and appreciated. Look for locations that either offer security or can be easily maintained and secured for public safety.

4.) Insurance: There are two types of insurance you’ll need. Check with different insurance companies for rates (these too can be costly).

A.) Liability Insurance this is to cover your club as well as the location from any type of incident that may arise, such as fights, accidents etc. You can also purchase this insurance for your club and pay it yearly to cover your club for any events such as cruises and gatherings that you may have throughout the year versus purchasing it for a one-time event. “Usually a $2,000,000.00 liability policy is required for events which can cost “$1,000.00-$2,000.00”.

B.) Event/Weather Insurance this is to cover the your club if it cancelled or your turnout isn’t as high as expected due to inclement weather, such as thunderstorms or floods. This insurance too can cost “$1,000.00-$2,000.00”.

5.) Obtaining Sponsorships: These can help greatly! Sponsors usually will require from you advertising of them at your car show or event. Sometimes it can be hard obtaining them. In exchange they can aid in the forms of:

A.) Financial depending on the company you can create and submit a Sponsorship Package of different options. In some cases they may not contribute the amount you may want or require. This is due to this being the first time you are doing an event and they want to see how well your show or event will do and your level of professionalism as well as your packages’ specs.

B.) Product depending on the company they may offer products versus finance. These products can be used several ways, as incentives, raffles, door prizes, additional prizes, items that can be sold etc.

6.) Activities: You want to have various activities taking place at your event to keep it entertaining. This will play a big part of the “proper planning & financing” stages. Researching and attending other car shows and events can help you obtain more knowledge of what types of activities are appropriate to what you are planning. You also want your activities to be family oriented as your event. So there should be games that all ages can participate in “something for everyone”.

7.) Scheduling: You want to have schedules of deadlines for your event date(s). Scheduling also plays a part in the event itself. Having a program schedule guide for your event to give to spectators helps out greatly, by being able to inform them of the times and locations where different activities take place as well as the times.

Below are some serious elements to look out for that can cause your club and event to go into the red.

Steer clear from:
1.) False Sponsors: These are companies that claim to offer sponsorships that’ll give you and or your club discounts with many different companies, but requires you to pay a price which is usually in the $80 price range to them up front. They won’t allow you to mail in a payment of check or money order, but will ask you for a checking account routing number or credit card. Do not sign any contracts or send any money to these companies they are rip-offs! The fact of the matter is you shouldn’t have to pay anything and that can contact companies directly and ask for discounts and sponsorships yourself and let them tell you yes or no. There are some reputable companies that do offer sponsorships such as Meguiars & Erebuni Corp that state their requirements for sponsorship.

2.) Unprofessional Companies & Clubs: These are the ones really to steer clear from. These are the ones who draw up bogus contracts that only help benefit them and leave you broke after the event. They offer support in the form of being paid a portion of what the event nets in profit (very ill advised). They take advantage of you when they see you are struggling. Trust me when I say this it’ll be better to struggle with what you have than loose everything to someone else. They basically try to takeover and run the event right from under you and focus it on themselves leaving the spectators believing the event was hosted by someone else, thus taking away from you and focusing on them. They are NOT a charity so they should not be getting any of your profits.

3.) False Charities: Just because a company says they are a Non-Profit Organization doesn’t make them a actual charity they’re just “Non-Profit” possibly posing or pretending to be, if they are what they say they are research them to be sure. Sometimes they may ask for donations at your event or prior, “be careful”. Research true charities and possibly work with those that are just and have just causes.

4.) Improper Conduct: This can be the true downfall of your event as well as your club. This can come in the forms of

A.) Music this can be ok if it’s a contest of loudest sound systems. However this can be bad if the music being played is loud slanderous and derogatory especially if your event allows children. Those who do this should be notified to end this or face removal from the event.

B.) Alcohol & Drugs neither one of these should ever truly be anywhere near car show events. Accidents happen under the influence of alcohol and drugs. Anyone who is caught using either should be removed from the event immediately. This should be cautioned before, throughout and posted at the event. At some events patrons are allowed a few beers but are cautioned extremely and it is limited, should you decide to go that route be careful you may find yourself using your insurance policy and never being allowed back at that location. There are some major shows that allow alcoholic beverages but they have extremely high insurance coverage along with different state laws.

C.) Unruly Behavior this is never good at car shows this can stretch from loud yelling, cursing , unsupervised children and young adults, explicit activities/dancing and so on. When combined with “A&B” these can cause the spark, which can cause the fire to burn your event and club right out of existence. Anyone and I mean anyone demonstrating these types of behaviors should be immediately cautioned to cease and or be removed. If you allow certain negative things to happen at your event from fear of negative publicity the public will see and hear your events name and from that day forward you will be branded as having a bad business, loose members and support and in some cases even go bankrupt.

Being cautious when having a car show or event is always good because it will keep you aware and focused on safety as well as the spectators having a great time and your car show, event & club becoming more reputable.

There are more elements that can have a positive and or negative effect on your car shows & events and those in general. This you will discover as you plan to have your own. Have fun when doing your show or event and try not to get upset or intimidated if you don’t get the turnout out you’d hoped for. Use that knowledge to improve on what was done so that next time it can be much better. Be careful and most of all be safe and most of all have fun.

By
Thomas B. Johnson II