Future Rally Size.

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But I also see a central national seminar as being a loser. If we have centrally located rallies conceptually it seems the way to go, but the reality is that everybody has a long and expensive drive and that may serve to reduce attendance.

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So, this brings up the question to me, as to how do we accomplish getting everyone involved? Previous rallies have been somewhat centrally located (Santa Fe, Kerrville, and Branson). Because of this we were able to have a pretty decent turn-out from the west coast folks.

Now, with Pahrump coming up, there were only 9 coaches registered to attend (will be 8 now due fire damage). Although I'm sure that everyone will have a great time in Pahrump, you cannot have the same rally experience as just happened with everyone in TN, with only 8 coaches. It wasn't really clear to me, until I took a quick look at Dale's membership map. It's quite obvious that the vast majority of the POG members live from central to eastern US. Basically no-one east of Arizona, (with the exception of Jon, I believe), chose to attend the Pahrump rally.

I'm not complaining here, just asking that we consider how to include everyone in future rallies. Obviously it's difficult for east coast folks to come to the west, and vice-versa. At least centralized, it's kind of equally difficult, but I don't know if that' the solution either.

I do know that many west coast folks are planning on attending the SD rally. I would have been there, if not for other committments right during the same time period.

Thanks for listening.
Ray

Hey Jerk Chicken Boy, your the one that started the fuzz removal from poor ole Jdub and stiffed him for a grand, what a buddy!:eek: Many of us bailed him out and gave him cash on the side to help ease the pain from his Taco Twin torpedo job. Now if you would like to chip in and reimburse some of us, just let me know and I'll tell you where to send the money.;)

Okay, I'll bite on this one.

I think the prospect of a "national" rally is only from a location standpoint. As Ray points out, it is not near as much fun if there are only a few coaches in attendance and if the attendees are always the folks you have mini rallies with. I can tell you that the reason the Nevada rally is poorly attended is because it is two weeks after the Sevierville rally, plain and simple. Great concept, poor scheduling.

But then lets look at the technical stuff. In Santa Fe and Kerrville, less than half of the attendees went to any of the technical sessions which is fine with me. Some folks come to socialize and ask a few technical questions, but really don't care about how to operate a DDEC reader. I'm cool with that.

I suggested a rally in the middle of the country to help the West Coast guys out and to help recreate the ambiance we had a Santa Fe and Kerrville. I have enjoyed every rally we have had and having a group of folks decide they want to have an impromptu rally or gathering is just fine with me. I live in the middle of the country so I can go either direction with equal ease.

However, to convince the converters, sponsors and other interested parties to drag up two or three times a year for a handful of coaches is somewhat unrealistic. I enjoyed their presence and support and the camaraderie.

Yep, the open coach deal was a little mixed up. We need to do it by row next time and just set it up like a moving block party. But we also need to figure out how to get all the coaches parked TOGETHER and not all scattered out. Except for the Krakman's Sheep Palace. He needs to be out with the goat people.

I also think the location is important. I personally thought the Polk City location sucked. But that lake and the flight museum next door redeemed it.

I thought Santa Fe was great because we coupled it with the Balloon Fiesta.

Kerrville was the best location we have been to facility wise as the spaces were great, the roads were good, the meeting facilities were first class and there were other things to do locally.

Branson was "quaint" but for the most part we were all bunched up together and if you couldn't find anything to do there you were brain dead.

Sevierville is Branson on steroids. I was somewhat unimpressed with the parking spaces (pads don't line up with anything, sewer dump was about 1 foot in the air and gravel roads. But the meeting room was first class and the food was done well and it was a very pretty location.

I think if we can get 50-60 coaches together in a central or pseudo-central location annually, then we can get some sponsor help and put on some nice technical seminars. If the location is good, then there are enough other things for spouses, non-technical folks, 12 step guys (insert "Shookie" here) or anyone else. Will it ever be everything to everyone? No. Will it be a good mix and a fun time? Hopefully.

I think we also should rethink the technical stuff. I know all I need or want to know about a Webasto, but there are lots of new folks that want to know this. A list of potential topics with a poll (yes you can do this on this version of the POG forum board) could help with this.

I also think location could dictate the topic. I mentioned the possibility of calling in some markers with United Engines if we decide to do a rally in OKC. If we have leverage with someone like this, then getting one of our busses in the air on their lift and having Jon give the Level Low / Suspension / Air Brake seminar with the real thing is about as good as it gets. If there are 50 people there, then he has to do it twice while the other group sees one of our busses running on a chassis dyno. How many times do you get that opportunity? Or if we ended up close to a Prevost facility and had a tour / technical seminar at their digs. I am curious enough to go at least once.

So what does this all mean? Crap I don't know. For me it means I had a good time, I want to have another good time, I want the next good time to be better than the last one and I want all my POG buddies to have a good time too. (As well as their wives).

What else?

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Originally Posted by truk4u

Dale,
I think one of the problems was folks had to walk around the campground and look for the signs in the windows and we were pretty well spread out. At the next Rally, maybe a balloon tied to the mirrors would be easier to identify and possibly a list prior to the open house identifying the site numbers.
I'm sorry if someone felt isolated and I hope we can do better in the future.

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Truk, I am sorry as well that anyone felt neglected. It was difficult to get away from our coach to look at others. Every time I stepped out someone seemed to step in :D There were many coaches I wanted to see but time was limited. If I remember correctly, in Kerrville the coach tours were divided into two different days? Certain rows for specific days? I think that was a good plan. It is just too much for everyone to participate within a limited time frame. I like the idea of balloons attached to the mirrors for easy sighting too.

I also would like to see something more informative for the ladies. Helpful hints regarding decorating your coach, shopping for your coach, specific cleaning ideas, i.e. granite, corian, etc., how to use your convection oven would even be helpful to me:rolleyes:

Debi

A suggestion about open house.

Upon registering for a particular rally, have a box on the sign up form to check for wanting to be an "open house" Coach. Upon participants arrival to venue to check in, they will be presented with a sheet listing those coaches on rows/area/block that are open for 'OPEN HOUSE' and a time span, and have a map of the campgorund to plot your viewing of Open House coaches..
This was sort tried at Kerrville, but a list prior to beginnning for the rally would be nicer.

Just as an FYI, when we tried the open-house stuff in Kerrville, we set it up for three different evenings, all around cocktail hour. We did try to set people up in similar areas, for the same evening. The first evening was just the CA group and Coloradobus.

I think this worked fairly well, however, it was a "new" tradition, and not everyone seemed to know about it. So, I think we had less people trying to visit coaches. It seems though that this has become popular!

Ray

Its odd to me more west coast members are not participating in the forum and the rallys. I have met a few who belong to POG but do not participate. I wonder if this is a west coast thing. I think we need to focus on membership and particpation per region . When I meet a Prevost owner, I always give them a POG card and share a little bit about our group. You know, we have a wonderful group of people here, we just need to widen our circle.

As much as I would like to see our membership grow to where the vast majority of Prevost owners are POG members I doubt if that will happen as we are currently doing things.

POG started as a group of owners that wanted to develop a better understanding of the mechanical or operational side of Prevost ownership. The owners and the programs we have, along with discussions on the forum seem to indicate that is still the core group.

If we really wanted to attract more members then POG has to shift gears and also include programs or activities that attract others to the Prevost lifestyle. The Prevost Prouds for example have a completely different emphasis. A lot of the activities they enjoy are along the lines of upscale social events. When we were in the Prouds there was always at least one evening where the men and ladies put on their Sunday finest for an evening out. Maybe the ladies in POG would like something like that at least one evening of a rally.

Other Prevost groups or owners may want to play golf rather than listen to a seminar on tire pressures. My point is the only way we can greatly expand our numbers is to create rally agendas with all kinds of activities, open the forum up to more topics including discussions on a broader range of interests, and we have to quit cutting off ties if guys wear one.

Personally, I think as we evolve, and membership expands we may see a shift in some of the activities, and there may be a rally location that has a real fancy place to hold a charity dinner so the guys and ladies can dress up. But for now, unless all groups join forces there will probably be Prevost Prouds, Bus'n Bikers, and POG.

I would like to see more free time. There are places and things to see at the rally locations, but we're all so busy, we don't have time to check them out. Maybe we could do seminars in the morning on a couple of days and then have the rest of the day to do our own thing. Of course many will be helping others with bus projects, but at least we would have the option.

The ladies for sure should have more activities of interest to them. I suggest a steering committee of lady volunteers for the rallies to set their own agenda.

Did anyone notice that Mango always needs repairs at rallies!:o

Having participated in 2 rallys and 1 mini rally, don't lose the fact that what we are experiencing is why POG is POG. There will never be a perfect situation, someone will always feel that one rally was better for them than the last rally. My personal feeling is let the group grow naturally. I have realized that this group is a group of equal opportunity offenders. What happens at our rallys may not appeal to the "universe" of Prevost owners. I think some of us have pitched the group to Prevost owners we have had contact with and never heard from them. We leave our coach in Florida where there many of our neighbors own Prevosts and I don't see any of those people participating in a group like this. If they follow the forum, as I am sure they have, it may scare them away...but that is why POG is POG. Those people who enjoy the kind of activities that are talked about on the site will join.
At this rally we were a few rows over, we never felt isolated but needless to say the fun is when everyone is side by side.
As far as the location of rallys, the unfortunate thing is that we're 3000+ miles apart. I think one centralized rally a year would be the attraction to keep both coasts in contact with each other. My feeling is that the mini-rallys will be the element that will make the group grow.
Just my 2 cents....