What would YOU want?

jason thompson · **Posted:** Fri Sep 28, 2007 7:59 am

OK folks here is the deal.
I am very involved in organized off roading events.
We are trying to make on of these events HUGE and are working ideas out.
My question is what would you want from an event?
We do already have vendors, food, live music, raffle, silent aucion, a huge 101 corse, and several trail rides.
what we dont have or can not seem to get is people to show up.
We get the "same crew" it is all the members of the clubs involved ,300 or so people.
I would like to see more, I would like to see folks drive 500 or even 1000 miles for this event like they do for a
Jamboree or camp jeep.
The entrance fees are ~$35 IIRC for both days for a family of 4 compaired to a jeep jambo or camp jeep that is nothing

So what would it take to get YOU there?
What would you want to see or do?
let me know

elephantrider · **Posted:** Fri Sep 28, 2007 9:37 am

you meet all my requirements, post up when you have something going in la.

I have friends in east tx that can caravan over to your side of the world for a good jeep cause !!

jason thompson · **Posted:** Fri Sep 28, 2007 6:42 pm

jasonk wrote:

you meet all my requirements, post up when you have something going in la.

I have friends in east tx that can caravan over to your side of the world for a good jeep cause !!

try this
http://www.lostjeeps.com/forum/phpBB3/vie ... hp?t=24612[url][/url]

JJsTJ · **Posted:** Fri Sep 28, 2007 6:49 pm

Sounds great for the price. Do you advertise the events in any popular mags, online, etc?

jason thompson · **Posted:** Fri Sep 28, 2007 7:10 pm

JJsKJ wrote:

Sounds great for the price. Do you advertise the events in any popular mags, online, etc?

HA funny you ask
I have posted it for the past 2 years here on lost in the Trail rides section as well as the southern ,Texas and i think FL sections and I have had a VERY VERY POOR LOST showing
I posted it on an FJ forum last year and had 3 or 4 show up

My thinking is that we may be missing the boat on what people what at these events
how ever we have people who have been to camp jeep
also we work VERY closely with the local Jeep jamboree crew so we dont make the trails to hard or to easy
and the 101 corse is "one of the best I have ever seen"
one of the Superlift reps said that last year
we missed the dead line for mags last year and maybe this year with a push for cooler weather
and the up dated web page will be up very soon

We just need to figure out what the people want
we have built it but they still dont come :lol:

JJsTJ · **Posted:** Fri Sep 28, 2007 7:21 pm

I question if the word is getting out well enough then. Hit up the new online mags (jpfreek, etc.) for ads, local off road stores, local web sites in your area, ALL of the online forums, etc. I am sure you know all that so maybe stating the obvious. It really sounds like you have the right Goods for the event. Maybe more word-of-mouth would help from those that have been there and had a great time, play it up online.
You have to make the newbs feel like they will be taken care of while there and that it is for them too. I think that is what draws a lot of folks to the Camp Jeep style events. If you were closer, I swear I would be there but 1700++ miles one way for me is too much for a weekend event.

jason thompson · **Posted:** Fri Sep 28, 2007 7:53 pm

JJsKJ wrote:

I question if the word is getting out well enough then. Hit up the new online mags (jpfreek, etc.) for ads, local off road stores, local web sites in your area, ALL of the online forums, etc. I am sure you know all that so maybe stating the obvious. It really sounds like you have the right Goods for the event. Maybe more word-of-mouth would help from those that have been there and had a great time, play it up online.
You have to make the newbs feel like they will be taken care of while there and that it is for them too. I think that is what draws a lot of folks to the Camp Jeep style events. If you were closer, I swear I would be there but 1700++ miles one way for me is too much for a weekend event.

Yeah no doubt on the 1.7K but the ones I dont get are the 170 mile away folks
I know that people travle 800 miles to camp jeep
I did 700+ for a jeep jambo
This is why I am asking what people want so that they dont feel like it is not for them
as far as the new comers or first timers
we do a 101 and if they want we do that 1 on 1 with guys who know about off roading
with no geif to the person who ask
I worked with a couple last year that had a brand new FJ ,paper tag, and brought them on the most radical obsticle we
have on the corse
They had a blast and wheeled like pros the next day

jason thompson · **Posted:** Sun Sep 30, 2007 8:12 pm

I still want your ideas and thoughts
any input is more than welcome
even if you want to pm me I dont care
we want this to be for the EVERY ONE not just us

with over 200 views and only a handfull of posts how can we make it for every one?

JL Rockies · **Posted:** Sun Sep 30, 2007 8:34 pm

Funny that you should mention the Jeep Jamboree as a model. I think they do a horrible job of promotion. I find out about them only after I see pics or write ups after the fact.

nlife · **Joined:** Thu Aug 16, 2007 11:43 pm **Posts:** 226

Having organized a few community events, the only thing I have found that will bring people in is calling each and every one of them on the phone and reminding them that the event is on at X time either the day before or a few hours before the event. Sometimes it still doesn't work, and it may not be possible for your situation. I've also had people go door to door telling the community about the upcoming event. But again, still not really an option for you.

Radio ads, community papers and word of mouth didn't work.

Neil

Gopher · **Posted:** Sun Sep 30, 2007 11:35 pm

I think a reminder would be the best thing. If I don't put something on my calendar well in advance and no one reminds me, I usually miss it. Maybe you could offer to have people sign up and send them a monthly newsletter about off roading that would include reminders for upcoming events in it. You could offer a discount for large groups too (it doesn't have to be a huge discount, people just like to think they're saving money :twisted:

). Try having it on a minor holiday weekend. Now I'm just throwing out any idea that comes to mind. I'll stop before it gets ridiculous.

JJsTJ · **Posted:** Mon Oct 01, 2007 8:11 am

HOw many new people do you get that are not affiliated w/ local clubs? How many Newbs like the FJ owners? Do you advertise at the local dealers that sell 4x4's? How about advertising at dealers, clubs, etc. that are 250-500 miles or more away?

I would enjoy an event that had some cool trails to do, good camping areas, good food, night time entertainment, a Family atmosphere, limited drinking/ night time partying (Gotta get my sleep), 101 course would be cool, ......... sounds like you have it covered. also sounds like you could charge more $$ too for sure.....

skywarn · **Posted:** Mon Oct 01, 2007 1:38 pm

post on www.craigslist.org

jason thompson · **Posted:** Wed Oct 03, 2007 9:24 pm

Trying to keep this thing going
and still looking for what the people want

I know that there must be 100 members on this board within 500 miles of the Expo ,I-12 and I-55, so what would it take to get yall to come out to this event?
This would include Houston maybe Dallas
all of LA and MS close to if not all of AL a real good reach into FL so what do yall want?

_UnLiMiTeD_ · **Posted:** Wed Oct 03, 2007 9:26 pm

should try for bc canada, they ahve tons of 4x4 clubs seein as we have all forest lol

jason thompson · **Posted:** Wed Oct 03, 2007 10:42 pm

_UnLiMiTeD_ wrote:

should try for bc canada, they ahve tons of 4x4 clubs seein as we have all forest lol

we have 5 clubs putting this on and
3 pcs. of property that we use to wheel
we just want more people

hooperswish · **Posted:** Thu Oct 04, 2007 9:04 am

The price sounds right for all you get. My problem is finding the time. I have 2 boys ages 7 and 9, and we are always going to soccer, basketball, music, art classes, blah, blah,blah. It is all I can do to finally sit down and watch an nfl game on Sundays. BUT, with that said, the one thing that has to be available when I go to an event (and I know this is not a good idea when wheelin') is BEER.

JJsTJ · **Posted:** Thu Oct 04, 2007 9:29 am

jason thompson wrote:

Trying to keep this thing going
and still looking for what the people want

I know that there must be 100 members on this board within 500 miles of the Expo ,I-12 and I-55, so what would it take to get yall to come out to this event?
This would include Houston maybe Dallas
all of LA and MS close to if not all of AL a real good reach into FL so what do yall want?

Gonna bet what most really want is Time & Money. It is what keeps me from going to a lot of events that are over a couple hours drive away. It is the main reason that I plan so far in advance and start saving up for our Moab event. No matter how you slice it, it costs me between $1100-$1500 to attend the Moab event and it is just over a days worth of traveling round trip. Now of course it is a week long event but it makes more sense to me to travel that far for a long event Vs. a shorter one.

KW AV8R · **Posted:** Thu Oct 04, 2007 2:20 pm

Here's my $.02

One of the things that draws people to the Jeep Jamborees is the notion that the guides are professionals (we all know they are just like us but that notion is still there). Another thing is all the "free" stuff you get when you go to one of their events. Once again we all realize the stuff isn't free because it's all paid for with the entrance fees but the average person gets the feeling of it being free. If you can schedule it for a holiday weekend that doesn't compete with another major event at least in the same area, that would draw more people especially if it's during the summer (kids will be out of school). When you advertise make sure to use pictures of not only the hardcore pictures everyone likes to see but of those more experienced teaching the less experienced. Keep it on the same weekend every year and be patient, it will take about 5 years for the event to really take off as word of mouth gets around.

Like I said: just my $.02

jason thompson · **Posted:** Thu Oct 11, 2007 11:17 pm

KW AV8R wrote:

Here's my $.02

One of the things that draws people to the Jeep Jamborees is the notion that the guides are professionals (we all know they are just like us but that notion is still there). Another thing is all the "free" stuff you get when you go to one of their events. Once again we all realize the stuff isn't free because it's all paid for with the entrance fees but the average person gets the feeling of it being free. If you can schedule it for a holiday weekend that doesn't compete with another major event at least in the same area, that would draw more people especially if it's during the summer (kids will be out of school). When you advertise make sure to use pictures of not only the hardcore pictures everyone likes to see but of those more experienced teaching the less experienced. Keep it on the same weekend every year and be patient, it will take about 5 years for the event to really take off as word of mouth gets around.

Like I said: just my $.02

Yeah we have the same trail guides as the Jeep jambo
and we have give aways along with a silent auction
we try to have it on a cooler weekend this is why we changed the date
and we are now going to have "one of the biggest 101 corses in the US" and what is better about ours is that you can drive your 4x4 on it most places make you drive there rig and some even drive you in there rig
what fun is that?

oh yeah and TTT

What would YOU want?

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