Cobra Nats 2017!

[Philm]

In my experience the entry fees have never covered the costs of the track hire.

You also have to factor in Sponsorship, merchandise sales etc etc.

My gut feel is that the numbers would be close, so maybe 50 at $600.00 per entrant would bridge the gap.

As I said my gut feel, it was a long time ago since i was involved.

My 2 cents, 70 cars would be ideal, with a slightly higher entry price would make it comfortable, enjoyable and sustainable.

In a committee meeting working out what entry cost do we offer, one member who I always held in high regard simply said, workout how much it costs and divide by the number of people, and that is your entry fee.

The nationals is extremely good value.....3 days on a privately hired track, with all safety crew, computerized timing and a team off official working hard to ensure the days are successful. 3 sit down meals, trophies event shirts all for $550.00.

Every entrant would be subsided by a couple of hundred dollars from sponsorship etc etc.

Simply increase the entry price as at say $700.00 its still fantastic value.

[Modena]

The weekend cost me pretty much an even $2K or just over. If the entry fee went up by $200 this would not stand in my way. I'd pay that just for tickets to watch the M.C. over three nights.

[tomcat racing]

Originally Posted by spookypt

Hey Tom, if in that time the numbers have halved but the overall format, time frame, venue essentially hasn't changed what makes you think its the "racing" that is seeing the decrease? If the format when you attended was the same and attracted 110 entrants why wasn't the racing format a turn off for those entrants then?

Not picking a fight, I'm encouraging your views and am interested as to your perspective on this?

You asked my opinion, i gave it to you.

[Legless]

I can’t comprehend why anyone would want to own one of these cars and not want to experience it on the track or join a club.

On the track, sure it’s a bit confronting at first while you get accustomed to everything but members of the committee that run the dummy grid do a fantastic job in placing you within your heat with similar skilled drivers and there is no better way of improving your skills than chasing someone who is just that little bit quicker and we all know its great fun. Prospective drivers should have no real cause to fear being intimidated by the experience.

Maybe the decline in racers is just due to the fact that the pimply kid that lusted after a cobra back in the late sixties is unfortunately now about seventy years old and most are not interested in racing anymore. Realising that generation’s dreams of owning a cobra and or driving a cobra on the track probably peaked a few years ago.

I think the Nationals is a great event and experience and it probably can’t be everything to everybody, as Andrew and probably others have said the NSW club have plenty of other social outings. Maybe a poll would be interesting but I’m guessing most people that don’t attend would probably just say that life gets in the way.
Like Spook has said maybe we just need to try harder and motivate all owners with cobras to attend and give it a go.

[Kimbo]

From my point of view, we could continue to run the event with the current number of 60 entrants and still break even (which is all we are ever aiming to do financially). We have become very good at raising money through other avenues (sponsorship, merchandise etc) to help make up the shortfall.

The big question is, with 60 or less Cobra entrants, are we really doing what the Cobra Community wants us to do with this event.

There will a survey coming out shortly asking for feedback on what all Cobra owners would like to participate in.

We have seen a lot of feedback from this forum but I am very aware that this is a very small sample of the overall community.

It will be interesting to see what sort of feedback the survey brings.

[Dimis]

Originally Posted by Kimbo

From my point of view, we could continue to run the event with the current number of 60 entrants and still break even (which is all we are ever aiming to do financially). We have become very good at raising money through other avenues (sponsorship, merchandise etc) to help make up the shortfall.

The big question is, with 60 or less Cobra entrants, are we really doing what the Cobra Community wants us to do with this event.

There will a survey coming out shortly asking for feedback on what all Cobra owners would like to participate in.

We have seen a lot of feedback from this forum but I am very aware that this is a very small sample of the overall community.

It will be interesting to see what sort of feedback the survey brings.

While this seems a very reasonable & practical proposal, I'm reminded of the Old El Paso taco ad.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqgSO8_cRio&sns=em[/ame]

[Kimbo]

So would racing be hard Tacos and cruising be soft Tacos then

[SydneyChris]

So now we have a multitude of unstructured views.... with more to come.. who's listening.. who's acting, who's reporting, what resolutions and actions have ensued as a result?? My thoughts a few pages back.. hate to see good ideas and talent not properly leveraged.

Chris

[Tenrocca]

Originally Posted by SydneyChris

So now we have a multitude of unstructured views.... with more to come.. who's listening.. who's acting, who's reporting, what resolutions and actions have ensued as a result?? My thoughts a few pages back.. hate to see good ideas and talent not properly leveraged.

Chris

Not sure if this is a serious post or not Chris? Ill just check with the full time board of directors at Cobra Nationals Corporate HQ in Sydney and ask them why they haven't completely taken on all the ideas presented since this thread started and redesigned next years nationals in the last 5 days.

[stiffy]

Tenrocca,

You never fail to crack me up.....

My dinner party guests, Tenrocca, Gav, Wazza and the bloke with the

SHELBY AMERICA Cobra (so he thought) from NSW........

That would be a hoot........

Stiffy

[Gav]

I don't think he would turn up Stiff.

Hey Chris, I'm pretty sure no one hands out invites to be a committee member

[SydneyChris]

Originally Posted by Tenrocca

Not sure if this is a serious post or not Chris? Ill just check with the full time board of directors at Cobra Nationals Corporate HQ in Sydney and ask them why they haven't completely taken on all the ideas presented since this thread started and redesigned next years nationals in the last 5 days.

See my original post.. is frustrating to watch good intention, capability and the value of the event apparently slowly decline... my post was Nats2020, which had as one outcome a small number of full time staff as part of a more profitable and focused Association model.

With that objective, lets make a plan to transform.. not just share unsolicited ideas around and then get frustrated at the lack of outcome or change, or do the same thing next year and see if we get a different result.

Unless... the event is actually doing fine, a few ideas and tweaks are all that's required.. then whats happening serves as a suggestion box of sorts for potential consideration at some future stage and all's good.

I may have misread entirely the apparent threat to the events ongoing viability and responded accordingly.. if so.. then lets enjoy the process and look forward to next year..

In short I am serious about managed change, if in fact it is required as I would hate to see the event lapse or decay to the point of cancellation when there was time to act and remedy.

Would be happy to get a contact from the relevant Club post holder/s and lend my experience in this process.

[750hp]

Originally Posted by Kimbo

So would racing be hard Tacos and cruising be soft Tacos then

And when Wazza's red car used to keep breaking SBF motors, was he the Jalapeño Popper?

[Kimbo]

For those interested in where we are currently at, the NSW Cobra Nationals Race committee had an event review meeting last night with the focus on looking at improvements for 2017.

Before this meeting, I have had input from both Wazza and Stiffy (QLD and VIC Presidents) on what changes we could make for next years event. I have also invited input from the Melbourne Cobra Car Club, which they have said they will give me in the next week or so. I have also been following this thread with interest to get a feel for where we would like to go.

The discussion last night within the committee confirmed that we are open to making changes to the event although we did acknowledge (as I have stated earlier in this thread) that major structural changes to the event also involve an element of risk if not successful. Some of the focus for next year will include shifting the balance a little toward the social, cruise, show and shine aspects that our clubs enjoy.

Tenrocca has created a Cobra Nationals survey that will shortly be posted on the form as well as many other places. We are inviting everyone interested to complete this survey by the end of October. We will then be reviewing this data at our next scheduled club meeting at the start of November.

We will then put an updated framework together for the event in consultation with the other east coast club presidents.

I would like to thank everyone for their interest in the event and their input so far. This all helps to guide us in improving the event for 2017.

Kim

[leroy17]

I have not been to a nationals, so my comments are based on no experience, however these past 5 pages or so are collating some great ideas and setting a foundation for future events.

As has been outlined already , some of the previous attendees have either sold, moved on, distance is to far and I am sure there is a host of other reasons like, been there and done it and moved on. Some may have got to the point that whilst they want to be competitive, with the year on year of uplift in results realise they just can't compete any more at the level that they want to.

So, if it's an increase of numbers that is sought, it appears that this may come from owners that have not attended a nationals before. Now along with transport, accomodation, car prep with tyres brakes etc and other associated costs, this starts to add up for a first timer.

Where I am getting at with this (unless it already exists) is 1/2 price (for example) entry for a first timer, being anyone who has not attended a nationals before. After all, this is the only part of the expense of a weekend that has the opportunity for discount. As the intent is to build the event with more participants, perhaps this is an incentive.

I remember attending my first Summernats as an entrant, it was a little daunting as I did not know what to expect for everything. It turned out to be an awesome weekend and I then participated in the next 4 without even giving it a second thought. Now I didn't start because of 1/2 price entry for first year, but to give it a go. So for an event the size of the nationals, perhaps this is that little carrot that leads to a commitment for a newby.

Also (and this may be currently undertaken), but how about a quality production for DVD for the weekend. A friend of mine runs a small video production business, he makes videos for JetSki nationals. He does it for the joy and only for accomodation expenses to be covered. He then has the right to sell videos for $20 for a 80 minute production to whoever is interested. Perhaps, for example, the entry had an automatic $25 fee, which includes the DVD with the additional $5 going to the club to assist with the covering off accomodation expenses.

Just a thought to throw into the mix.

[Mrs flatchat]

We've always enjoyed the epic journey of Cobra lot nationals -- however they've run it since '93
Roll on 2008 -the GFC hits hard so the toy box gets closed for a time --motor sports events in general have taken a while to get momentum up
The main thing is to keep the event alive

[Tenrocca]

Hi guys,

Please find the time to complete the Nationals survey on the following link:

COBRA NATIONALS SURVEY 2016


Should not take more than a few minutes to complete. Has already been posted on the NSWCC Facebook page, and a email link will also be sent to club members. You only need to complete once, so no need to redo if you get the link via email.

A few more than the 2 questions alluded to a page back, but we have tried to incorporate many of the great ideas that have been been suggested already into a (like it\don't like it) type response.

We cant customise a Nationals to each individual entrant, but are trying to see what features can be incorporated, or changes made, that makes it most appealing to the majority.

Cheers

[David Hodgson]

Completed mine. Not sure if the questions get to the root of the issue, however a good start for the committee to get some good feed back from members to work with.

[schipps]

Hey, great idea Andrew and NSW cc.

I didn't see a section on ways to stop your son driving faster than the old man...

regards

Mick

[spookypt]

Completed. Well done Andrew. I assume these are going to be sent out to all financial members of state based clubs as well?