A very strange show, particularly from a Vendor's perspective. Yes, there were issues getting vendors into the racetrack area Thursday, due to Disney Corp. wanting to run their cars on the track until 4PM. Big rigs and standard cars had to wait outside the track until then. At 4PM, the volunteers were out marking out the various spots for the show cars. Big Rigs were shown where to go, leaving us peons waiting...waiting...waiting. Finally at 5:30, I see some movement and asked what was going on and someone said to go around to this entrance for the small vendors. It's a small grassy area behind chain link fence, and there is the massive local club tent and the MCA tent. One guy was out there with little orange flags marking off 10' sections for vendors. No assignments, no coordination, first come, first serve. Finally got my tent up by 6:30 Thursday after waiting since 1:30. Grass was good: better than asphalt or concrete on the feet.
The show field was broken up into three large areas, each separated by chain link fencing, with almost no access between them. Big Rigs were along one chain link fence. Food vendors were on the opposite side of everything...poor souls. Friday was OK, although registration was incredibly slow. A line snaked a good mile with over 600 cars expected. Very little foot traffic near the MCA tent and small vendors, as everyone was trying to prep their cars. The show site was within the racetrack itself and there was no access to the racetrack unless you were a participant or vendor. I believe shuttle buses were running, which meant that one had to deliberately want to go to the show. No ability to see the show field from outside and thus no serendipity viewing.
Friday night it rained heavily, and the grassy field was 2-3 inches deep in water. The vendors in the grassy area were in two rows; the back row was impossible to get to until about 1PM Saturday. Brad Penn Oil is a major MCA sponsor, but was provided a tent in the back out of the way. Because of the rain, folks hung their car covers on the chain link fence so no one could see that there were vendors. Almost no foot traffic. No PA system, although a local radio station ONCE mentioned the big sponsors.
Apparently during the Judge's meeting, the decision was made that if your car was judged, you can leave the show field at 5PM and go back to the hotel (permanently). Those cars that hadn't been judged were to drive to the hotel for judging first thing Sunday. The Big Rigs were informed that there was no need for them to be there at the show site on Sunday. That info was not relayed to the smaller vendors. I arrived Sunday morning to see about 2 dozen of the 600 cars still on the show site. Ugh. The Awards Ceremony was at the hotel at 11AM Sunday. I passed by the hotel about noon, and the parking lot was completely full and no one could get access in or out. I should mention that Dream Car Weekend was also at the hotel, competing with MCA members for parking.
The vendor spots were 2-3X the cost of other MCA National Shows. With an expected three day show turning out to be 2 days, we got ripped off. There were only three used parts vendors (myself, a couple of guys from Jacksonville, and Fast Freddy) in attendance. No car corral, only 25 or so vendors in total, including food vendors.
Just some observations useful for lessons learned for those who want to put on shows.
