rich5962

Tyler asked me to post some updated info on the upcoming Regional.

See Post#7 in the SE Events Section.

Rich
ps Hope all is well and hope to see some of you next month. It's been a while since I've checked in.

edit....Updated above link with new vendor list and new vendor layout map.

rfn026

Don't forget the Forum Meet-Up

Saturday at 10:00 am

The hanger door. Look for the yellow Jegs hat.

Richard Newton

Frankie the Fink

I just hope the weather cooperates this year....the last two years it has been abysmal. Parkas, hot chocolate and windburn. We're overdue for a nice Florida event with clear skies and decent temps...

rfn026

I totally agree. Last year I vowed to never come back. Yes, it was that cold.

Then 12 months rolled past. I'll be there. It can't be as bad as the part two years. Can it?

Richard Newton

mmaturo

I wish this was offset from Mecum since I would like to go especially now since I do have a vette and still want to learn more about my car and the 63s I would like to have one day. I enjoy Mecum too much and bought my vette there last year.

Weather should be good. It was freezing last year.

toms silver 60

Seeing how Tyler has been in charge of the weather department, we can only hope......It's been like playing weather disaster Russian roulette with five out of six cylinders loaded! Last year I found out hard way why golf carts need windshields. :

Tyler and Monte have put a lot of time into setting this thing up, thanks to them and Rich for their efforts.

Come on by SACC tent and say hello!

MikeM

Move it back to Old Town or back up the highway toward I-4 where it used to be and I'll come and see you.

Mike Terry

move it back to Old Town area where there are a lot more Hotel rooms and not to far from the Mecum Auction for those who want to go to it. That is just my $0.02 worth. If I can't find rooms I am not coming and driving 1/2 way across FL. every day to go to the event for a couple days.

vettebuyer6369

I go to both. You can go to Mecum all week, and hit the NCRS meet Fri and / or Sat, and even do Mecum later in the day if you want. Be sure to get your bidder pass before the auction, though, they are charging double on site these days.

It's a bit of driving, but doing both events is worth it.

Really hope the weather is better than the last 2 years, though.

Chuck Gongloff

From what I've heard, that will never happen. I guess it's better to say that it cannot happen.

Although I've not been to Old Town recently, I'm told that the grassy area where the swap meet used to be held is now a paved parking lot.

Frankie would know.

I'll offer my opinion... FWIW...

It's hard to believe that you can find a location in Florida between Tampa and Orlando where there is nothing to do. Few hotels, few restaurants, and you're far away.. 35 or so miles from Tampa, 50 or so miles from Kissimmee...... from centers of activity. Although the venue, Sun N Fun is great, it's isolated.

Personally, IF the meet continues beyond this year, I'd like to see it move to the Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, the site of the Mecum Auction.

It's closer to "the action". It's closer to Disney. It's closer to numerous hotels and restaurants. And, IMHO, it's more "family friendly" if you're bringing your Corvette to the NCRS meet and your wife and kids want to do something else while you kick tires.

capevettes

We are going to both the Mecum and the Regional. I really enjoyed Old Town but, as was stated, the swap area is unavailable. Lakeland is great for those having their cars judged, but vendor participation has diminished. Chuck may be on to something bringing it closer to Mecum.
We are down on Pine Island and the temps are running in the 80s every day with no rain. Hopefully it continues. Going to car events in January sure beats snow.

Frankie the Fink

It was sure nice having your car in a secure hangar for three days (judged cars that is) and getting out of the weather as well at Lakeland. A ton of room for vendors, car corral and swap meet too. But I can tell you after 6 years of working on a Navy depot flight line, when the weather is bad (wind, heat, cold) the sweeping vastness of an airport and acres of empty tarmac only magnifies the intensity. I thought there was a 3 year commitment to the Lakeland spot and so there could be a possibility of moving things after that.

Not sure what to say about Old Town, seems like they are changing direction monthly. The middle of the cobbled street is now torn up for some reason and the Sat night cruise route through the area is modified monthly as well it seems. The whole front Rt 192 facing zone is ripped up for a new, glitzy entrance.

The large grassy area is rumored to become an outdoor stage with adjacent parking with big name (sorta big anyway) stars performing concerts. With complete access between Fun Spot and Old Town now the crowds have gotten 'rougher'. Its easy for families just to bring their brood, hyped up on sugar and thrill reads, straight over to your car to lay all over it and f*ck with it; its made me miss the old chain link fence separator. Seems to have been a 'step up' in the level of rudeness and booze-induced belligerence too. However, the NCRS meeting seems to quell much of this nonsense with the 'older crowd', less youngsters and the preponderance of "car people". I don't know if it is still an option or not for the NCRS; even the rank and file employees I talk to are surprised at the changes when they show up for work.

Osceola Heritage Park is an interesting thought; its huge and indeed quite centrally located to theme parks, restaurants, shopping and in a bit of a more "upscale" surrounding. Closer to the parkway and if things could get juggled with the Mecum event there would be 'spillover' both ways I bet.

Tyler or folks with more of an 'inside' track would be best to respond.

BTW, Kissimmee/Old Town had its issues too...maybe some don't remember "The Year of The Flood" when lakes appeared, pumps were used to suck the water away, first responders were on high alert and there was mention of Tom Blount starting to gather animals two-by-two.

Indeed FTF came into being based on ancient graffiti behind his car at that event.

rfn026

You might want to try Bartow for rooms. It's the same distance from the show as Lakeland and the rooms in Bartow are a lot cheaper. Bartow has all the usual name brands.

Richard Newton
Historic Racing Images

Chuck Gongloff

Osceola Heritage Park is a 150 acre venue.

It's so large there is a minor league baseball stadium on the grounds.

http://www.experiencekissimmee.com/l...hUHPPysr3YZ.97

Tyler Townsley

Imperial Swan $72 per night, 6 mi easy drive. There are always many ways to skin a c** (wife just saw this and she likes c**) unfortunately there are very few skinners out there. If I quit there is no one who wants to step up, no one who watches what i do is willing to do the job so the end will be sooner rather than later, luckly I have a lot of people who have stepped up to help do things I used to otherwise it would fini. If its in your bit bucket better make it happen soon. Damn cold front this weekend.

Tyler

65hihp

Tyler
thanks for keeping the event going. Much appreciated, and I can't wait to get there again this year and hopefully into the future.
thank you

gbvette62

I was in Orlando in September, and took a quick ride past Old Town. I was curious to see it, because I had been told that there was construction in the field where the swap meet had been. From what I could see, it didn't look much different than 3 years ago?

I liked the convenience of Old Town, but I don't find Lakeland any different than going to Carlisle, Bloomington, Knoxville, or even the old Cyprus Winter Regional location. At most shows I end up having to travel 10-20 minutes to find hotels or eat. The Old Town location really spoiled a lot of us.

There were a lot of rumors floating around Lakeland last year. One was that the show would be going back to Old Town in 2018, and another was that it would be joining Mecum at Osceola Heritage Park. These were just rumors, but who knows, they had a 3 year commitment for Sun N Fun, and it ends this year.

That is the biggest impediment to going back to Old Town, or a lot of other places too. Now a days, the NCRS really likes having indoor facilities for judging. At the National Convention in Rhode Island this year, they erected tents to cover the judging field. Not a cheap proposition.

As a vendor out on that field the last 2 years, I can attest to how brutal the Saturday winds were both years!

Frankie the Fink

I thank you Tyler and yeah, none of us are getting any younger and the grueling amount of work you guys do for the event is mind-numbing. I know I don't have the stamina for such a task anymore and suspect replacing just what you do would take a team of folks....same with Ed Augustine. He doesn't get too much heraldry about what he does but he's a pillar of the Florida NCRS scene...

The volunteers (draftees ?) like Rich M. and Tom Blount and others don't get enough credit either by a long shot.... Last year Rich helped out while also completing the finishing touches on a Top Flight-awarded midyear.

Bajaholic

I am now only a participant by visiting the event. I attended many years ago as a vendor (when it was at Old Town) so My personal observation is based on this.

Number of Vendors, really have nothing to do with where the venue is held, they have been shrinking for years in numbers, this is because of a number of reasons, but in my opinion these 3 are the main ones:

1) Internet
2) Age of participants
3) diminishing inventory and people that are restoring vehicles. (This likely goes back to #2)

Anyone that went to Bloomington this last year can attest, it keeps getting smaller and smaller.

It costs BIG money for a vendor to travel and set up to sell their wares at an event, where on a web site, advertising is the biggest cost. I am not saying this is a good thing for the Hobbyist looking for parts, it is just the reality.

The Venue: Personally I Like the Fun and Sun, facility/grounds: it is Huge, has room for expansion and I like the vibe. To Me I get the feeling they like having the NCRS event there, because in many ways, it reflects their goal of preserving history. Much like the Airshow and displays they have for their event. So they understand what it takes to run and hold an event. Besides, it is a non-Profit as well so what the Organization brings in financially also goes back into their event.(Fun and Sun)

Lodging: Though there is no facility on the grounds, locating a room is convenient and easy. I have never had an issue finding a place with in 10 minutes of the event.

Relocating an event: Every time you move an event, it is a risk of losing momentum. Being established is the key. No one will ever like everything about any one place, there will always be pros and cons, but personally I feel the "Fun and Sun" grounds are the closest you will find that checks off every box, plus the cost is reasonable from my understanding.

These all play into the success of an event for the Future...JMHO.

93RubyRedCoupe

Chuck,
Couldn't agree more. I have mentioned this to people way above my pay grade in the organization. We would have cross over from the attendees from the auction, get more name recognition and publicity, get TV coverage, be closer to Disney (thus more wife's/kids may come which makes it LARGELY easier to get permission from the misses to go to the meet), be close to Orlando airport, be waling distance to the auction, etc. Again, decisions that are above my pay grade, but i know PLENTY of good friends from the Northeast and Mid West that want to come to the Regional for a while, but want to go to the auction for a long while. Thus, they fly into Orlando and go to Mecum and NOT the Regional. "Oh maybe i will go to the regional fora bit on Sat"....then they see the driving distance....never happens...
Tyler kills himself doing this for ALL of us....just wish the venue made it easier for him to do his work......Again, just my two cents....
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Happy Holidays to all..>ARA