Poorhousenext

Cooper Events Corvette Expo that has been held in Sevierville, Tn in past years, has moved to Loudon, Tn for Fall Expo.

http://www.corvetteexpo.com/fall2015.html

Vette Vues Corvette Chevy Expo decided to step in and start another Corvette Chevy Expo event, a Fall one in Sevierville, TN on same dates Oct 16 & 17, to go along with their Winter Houston, TX held in FEB.

http://www.corvetteexpo.com/fall2015.html

Looks like Vette Vues show is going to have most of the Major Corvette Vendors. Can't find a vendor list for Loudon TN, Event.

Because of years of Friendship With Bryon Cooper, my Builder an it seems me, my car Lydia & my current in progress car, Jimmy Joe will be at Corvette Expo Loudon, TN event site Fri Oct 16 & Sat 17.

The Friday Cruise this year is "CORVETTES CRUISE THE DRAGON", see link for info on it.

There will also be low speed autocrossing course open to all makes of cars both days.

Hope People/Members will check out both Events.

ohiovet

It seems like the Coopers let go of a good thing.
I hope to get to both of them but it is doubtful.
Bruce B

gbvette62

It was explained to me that the Coopers decided to drop the fall show this year. After the fall show was cancelled, the Vette Vues people, who also run the Houston Corvette Expo, contacted the Sevierville Expo center, and made arrangements to host their own show there.

Apparently, when the Coopers heard that there was going to be a fall show in Sevierville, they decided to resurrect their show. I can't think of any good reason why they would chose to have it the same weekend as the show in Sevierville though? Having two shows the same weekend, about an hour apart, isn't going to be good for either of them.

I've been a vender at both the spring and fall Corvette Expos. I can tell you that neither show has ever been as good as they were at the park, and the fall show has particularly suffered. Two shows the same weekend will just mean that both shows have less of a chance to prosper.

This isn't the first time the Fall Expo has been cancelled. They did the same thing about 3-4 years ago, and another group put on a fall show in it's place, about forty miles east of Sevierville. The next year, the Fall Corvette Exop was back again.

Poorhousenext

The old shows at Chillhowee Park in Knoxville were great shows, with Buildings for the Auction, and Vendors who wanted indoor space. along with lot of outside space as well.

Then the move to Sevierville TN less space all around, but vendor attendance was OK, that is until Coopers started auctioning inside and auction's noise level made it near impossible for vendors to talk with customers, so Vendor attendance dropped, same goes for Spring Expo too. Vendors quit coming, inside as well as outside ones an attendance drops.

Attendance dropped and Auction suffered which was main source of revenue. That made Cost of Renting Center in Sevierville prohibitive so move to Loudon, an auctioning under a tent again like they did at first at Sevierville, leaving building to the Vendors and car display/show.

ohiovet

I still vote fopr Chillhowe, Chillhowee Park or however you spell it.
Great setting for Corvettes and all other cars. Plus inside and outside spaces for vendors. Yea rain once in a while but worth the inconvenience.
Coopers told me that people didn't like the neighborhood.
I never had a problem and only heard of one or 2.
I guess things change, but not always for the best...
Bruce B

gbvette62

I agree, I liked the park a lot more too.

I don't remember it raining there to often, but I do remember it snowing a couple times!

The neighborhood was a little dodgy, or maybe just run down, but once you where at the show, there was no reason to be in the neighborhood anyway. Besides, the city zoo was right there, so how bad could the area really be?

As a vendor, the swap spaces were larger and cheaper too, and the show was three days, not two like at Sevierville. The hotels weren't as close, but they were cheaper and easier to get, especially in the fall when Sevierville is full of leaf watchers. The traffic's a lot worse in Sevierville too.

mudbone64

Well I'm glad somebody said something because I would have just loaded up and drove to Sevierville without even checking. I got on the Expo site the other day to check the date but I didn't even check the location.

These Cooper people just don't exhibit much knowledge about how to put on a car event. Ever since the show left Chilhowee the Expo seems to have been in a state of flux. The Sevierville location seems to be all corporatized while Chilhowee seemed like a county fair. I used to pay to park in people's yards at the Chilhowee location so I don't remember the neighborhood being that bad.

I too remember the last minute fall band-aide and from what I remember that show wasn't much either. They had a couple of vendors in the parking lot and some cars inside the main building but the whole thing was a big downer.

Something tells me both of these shows are going to suck so I may site this fall show out for only the second time since 1996. Who knows, maybe the vette vues folks will kick the crap out of the Cooper folks so hard that the Cooper folks will throw in the towel. I say good freakin' riddance.

GC2X4

move to Loudon, an auctioning under a tent again like they did at first at Sevierville,

Is there an Auction in Loudon ??>

BB767

I was all set to go, I was especially looking forward to the CORVETTES CRUISE THE DRAGON event. I've always wanted to drive that in my Corvette and the weather this coming weekend looks to be as good as it gets. Now from what I'm reading here I'm not so sure I want to drive over 500 miles and commit to 3 days for this show, especially if there's a nearby competing show on the same dates. Thanks guys for the heads up on what might have been a very disappointing time.

Thomas

mudbone64

From what I can see from the link below the Sevierville show will include many of the past Sevierville vendors.
http://corvettechevyexpo.com/vendors.html

Easy Rhino

What a great area for Vettes.

I'm a little jealous.

Poorhousenext

Thomas,

Why not do both shows. Friday, Loudon at least before 4 PM if you want to do the Dragon. If things are a little slow, drive a little farther and cruise across the Cherohala Parkway. You get to go from around 600 ft above sea level on TN side to a mile above NC side and with the leaves turning this time of year, it's a beautiful drive.

http://www.cherohala.com/#

map

http://tailofthedragonmaps.com/cherohala-skyway-map/


Then do Sevierville show on Saturday.


No auction as best as I can tell at Fall Show, only Spring show.

mudbone64

Well that sucked. Yesterday gearbanger and I drove his GTO to Sevierville, attended the show for about an hour, burned maybe just a little rubber on the back streets, ate some wings, drank a couple of Cokes and hauled it back to south central Kentucky. Though riding in the GTO is a treat in itself, I simply cannot understand why this show has to continue to suck. It's almost as if the original promoters are determined to make it suck. If I were one of the vendors that supported the original Expo all of these years and original promoter called me to be a vendor at next spring's show I'd tell them to cram it up their a$$ after the stunt they pulled.

I could go on a long tirade about how I think the original promoter sucks but maybe that wouldn't be appropriate. Maybe I should say I think they should be run out of the car show promoting biz and leave it at that. One thing's for sure. I've seen with my own two eyes what the previous promoter is capable of. Their record speaks completely and entirely for itself. It's time they stepped out of the way and give some new blood a chance. I can't see how new blood could do any worse.

Oh yea, Mike Terry did have his car there and gave gearbanger and I the most cordial of tours. That part definitely didn't suck and was certainly the high water mark of the show. A big thumbs up to Mike.

gbvette62

A couple friends of mine stopped by both shows, on their way to Florida. They spent about an hour and a half at the Expo center, and then drove over to Loudon. They were at Loudon a little longer, only because they got there as the group was leaving for the tail of the dragon, so they watched the cars roll out.

From what they told me, both shows were a bust. They were going back to the Expo Center today, mainly because they had a room reserved for last night, that they couldn't cancel.

For anyone interested, here's a link to some pictures from both shows, that a Forum member posted in the Southeast section yesterday.

https://jdsmotorsports.wordpress.com...tn-10-16-2015/

Poorhousenext

I guess Bust is relative to why you were at show.

Crowd wise on both Days, Loudon had the bigger crowd. If you friends had arrived sooner, like at 9AM their thoughts on subject most would have been different. There was at least 739+ cars that were there to be judged over the two days.

Not a lot of vendors at Loudon, but Tee shirt vendor had to print more Dragon Tee shirts as they ran out on Friday before 3PM. Saturday was even a good day for them (they were right across form my Builders spot.).

There was a couple of people I knew that worked for Vendors with Spaces at Seveirville that dropped by to check on crowd an both said it was dead up there.

For my builder, he said it was the best show he'd done in a number of years potential customer wise. People didn't just pick up a business card, they talked with him about their cars and what they wanted to do. When they ask how many cars you are working on, and when he might be able to start on theirs, it's a good sign.

I'd like to thank Cobra_4 (JDMSMOTORSPORTS) for dropping by and taking a picture of Jimmy Joe.