Ferrari Club of America Annual Experience/Drive Oregon, August 27- Sept 2nd, 2023

I would respond but you have a Banned Red Flag and I don't want ant part of any further discussions here. There are others that may have either asked or concerned regarding the same question as I have so I'm off this thread.

 

Dave,

Don't go. I do not believe that Brian knows how you have contributed in the past. There are a lot of worthwhile thoughts to be explored on what it might take to make all the future Annual Experiences better. This thread has become something different with a more general discussion on this versus just 2023 or 2024.

Not everyone, especially those that have never attended or been involved in the organizing side, have a sense of just what goes into holding one of the events.

 

Thanks for inviting me back in Jeff. I do believe we have met in the past at previous FCA events. To be upfront, I did after a 20+ year love affair with the FCA leave the club earlier this year and joined an alternate car club called FuelFed. FuelFed is much like what the FCA once was where members had a voice.

I joined the FCA in the late 90's just as Mike E was assuming the FCA Central States Chapter President responsibilities. As a team, we the members got involved and contributed to numerious local events. We had a voice then.

In the early 2000's FCA Nationals (not local chapters) did a brilliant Survey Monkey directed to members which was so detailed it included questions including income range and number of household children. The results was published (excluding names) in Prancing Horse.
I suggest the FCA revisit this survey. The data can offer FCA officers what members are currently experiencing/thinking current state and allow them a voice.

There a numerious Ferrari model holes within these events. BB's and TR's is what two decades of Flat 12 production?
Communication with FCA members may identify why the holes are there and if corrective action can be taken by the FCA.

Continuious improvement is always a good thing.
Thanks for listening,
Dave

 

Yes, I am certain that we have met or at least been at the 2009 and 2013 Meets at the same time.

I do wish there was a good way for members to talk directly with the national leadership providing their thoughts. Yet on the other hand since the leadership are just more volunteers there are issues if they do nothing but field questions, comments, and trial items all day every day.

As for the cars that show up at an Annual Experience, that is something I have watched at various times over decades. It is a crap shout with what may be the thought on what should be there not being that. In ancient history when the 308s were in production one of the events joked that there were probably going to be so many 308s that they would have to be split into red and non-red. The reality seemed to be that the expected 308 folks may have also had another Ferrari that they brought instead.

Some of this can be pointed to the event organizers. What are they doing to twist arms to get the people and the cars out? Are they enlisting all the connections possible to help reach the people with the cars? Personal contacts instead of just relying upon the national communications? How about energizing the dealerships, the restoration shops, the independents, the collection caretakers, are they making a point of hitting up all their local members to ensure they turnout? Some of these activities require having people "with standing" to do the outreach within the bigtime collector group. Luckily for 2024 we have that but not everybody does. One should also consider that with so many other organizing activities going on that it is not always possible to devote attention to some of the desired but not absolutely necessary tasks; especially if the organizing committee is relatively small.

We can also improve the messaging of inclusiveness. We want and welcome all the Ferraris to attend. This isn't just about the multi-million dollars cars or what is the very latest introduction. Sure, we do want to have a great turn out of the older and seldom seen models as they are the history of Ferrari but that does not preclude us wanting and encouraging all the lower rung Ferraris like my 308.

I will step off the soap box now.

 

The FCA Annual Experience, being held all
over the country, will each have it’s own strengths and weaknesses. Some will have a great track like RA in 2024 and others will
be held in high density FCA membership regions. Each will have its challenges and events that are relatively easy. I was the Regional AE Chair for 2023. We were ready to go in Portland in 2021 but of course it had to be cancelled. Having to re-invent the wheel for 2023 was challenging. However the actual 2023 AE was a great success. Although the numbers were on the low side, compared to recent AEs, about 315 attendees, the experience was felt, by the vast majority of those that came, to be a very good one. On the post event survey, same questions asked each year, the 2023 AE scored as higher or higher in every category than both Scottsdale and Mt Tremblant. Our Pleasure Drives, the real strength of this AE, was rated very good or good by all respondents. This high of a positive response has not occurred in any category of questions, for any of the comparative AEs.
Derek Bell told me he really enjoyed his time with the FCA, more than many places he is a guest. Jon Shirley told me, after the Awards Banquet that is was very glad he came and he felt this was a really nice event. I talked to Ed Gilbertson, after sending him the drive books and the AE program, and he said he was sorry he had not attended but felt the booklets were as good as he had ever seen.
The FCA 2023 AE, was held in a small FCA market, not close to any large cities, and was not attended by the largest crowd but those who did not attend missed a good one.

 

Thanks for your thoughts on this subject Jeff. Nothing "low rung" about any of these cars.

 

THANK YOU for the amazing amount of time and effort. It’s as if people are forgetting that this is essentially a volunteer effort that takes on a life of its own in terms of commitment and thought.

 

I just volunteered at the Audrain Concours, and watching the crew deal with challenges over the couple days I was there actually made me remark, "if there's an afterlife, I do not wish to be re-born as a concours organizer", and I just got a taste of what goes into it.

That said, it was great to play a role, albeit a small one.

I'm planning on attending the 2024 AE; don't know what I could do from NH, but happy to help. @Jeff Kennedy please shoot me a message if you think I could be helpful, I'm planning on being there the entire event.

 

Yes, we will want volunteers to help at the event. Lots of different roles to fill each day.

Since you were at Audrain, any of the Ferrari people you can encourage/twist arms to attend? Isn't Lee H. somewhere in your area? He has some great Ferraris that we would like to see.

 

Sounds good, is there a volunteer co-ordinator I should contact for AE 2024?

Unfortunately I don't personally know anybody who's arm I could twist...I know of Lee, he's about a half-hour south of me, but I don't personally know him or how to contact him. Agreed he's got some great cars. Bill Marriott comes to mind as well, but he's another with whom I have no standing or means of cajoling.

 

I am getting the info for the person in charge of the volunteers and share it.

Keep talking up the event to your Ferrari friends.

As we talk specifically of 2024 in Elkhart Lake, lets do those post in the other thread under Ferrari Discussions, FCA National

 

Does anyone have a schedule of events for Elkhart yet? Wondering if the 9/11 date is the day it truly ends or if that’s the night of the banquet? Planning some travel. Thanks

 

Sunday September 8 is the Welcome Reception and vendor Mercato
Monday September 9 is the Concours and evening Tailgate Party
Tuesday September 10 is track or the drive to the EAA Museum with a night time Bonfire gathering
Wednesday September 11 is track or drive with the evening Awards Banquet
Thursday September 12 will have some TBD optional activities

 

Thanks!

 

OK, I experience alot of stuff all the time. I think I would prefer going to a " FCA Nationals". Some will get the point and others won't. I think I am getting old.

 

Oh thank goodness. I am planning to drive out in my "lower rung" 612 Scalglietti OTO!

 

The 2024 Annual Experience website is up now. www.FCA2024.org

 

Did anyone attend the 2021 annual experience in Sebring? Was the concours there typical of an annual experience concours? That’s the only one I’ve been to. Debating on whether I should go to Elkhart Lake next year. Just wondering if it will be much different.

 

What are you concerned about?

It will be IAC/PFA standards and judges.

 

Was asking from the perspective of a spectator. Just wondering if Sebring was a typical concours turnout in terms of the cars on display.

Thanks.

 

I refer you to the thread in the Ferrari not model specific section which is specific to the 2024 event in Elkhart Lake. Efforts are being made to get out many of the older Enzo era cars. I have a commitment already for a 250 TdF. One of the major US restoration shops is set to be a sponsor so we can count on their support with some interesting cars. We expect a great turnout of people and cars.

 

The Sebring concours had some special cars for sure.

250 GTO
212 Inter
Lussos
250 GT LWB
250 Europa GT Speciale
A few 275 GTB's
etc...

With Elkhart Lake's focus being Enzo Era cars, I'd expect some big guns to show up.

And as Brian was saying, they have been working for months on end getting commitments for said guns.

 

Sebring was done on very short notice. It was a miracle it happened really. Due to covid restrictions in Oregon it was cancelled and just a little bit later it was decided to try and put together Sebring. To be honest it was David McNeil who suggested it and offered to intervene on the clubs behalf with Sebring if required as he had connections. It was a good event but but really reflected what some good connections and a lot of hard work can do on short notice.

As far as the concours goes I would expect 2024 to be quite a bit bigger.

 

Both are good friends with the past FCA Seattle President that left to start FOC.
So sad to see the problems of fighting for two geographic club conflicts WA vs OR.