2025 Annual Meet

[The_Laird]

A bit early, I know!

But Nick and I wanted to know if anyone has plans to organise a ‘traditional’ annual meet next year.

We’re very aware that the usual organisers (many of whom have organised multiple meets up and down the country) might be suffering form ‘meet fatigue’ as, in the traditional format, it’s a huge amount of work.

Now, if anyone at all has an inclination to pick this up for 2025, we’d be delighted and you could probably expect the ‘die hards’ to attend. Plus, hopefully, our newest colleague, Brian, from the 2024 meet.

However, if there are no takers for 2025, Nick and I have a ‘plan b’. So please let us know ASAP!

I’ll let this post stand for a few weeks (particularly as the forum is having problems again), and then I’ll post ‘plan b’

[Mrfaz]

Il be up for it 100% but what sort of dates are looking at? I will only be able to confirm more closer to the time. Also no one looking to get to gether for a mini meet somewhere in north West?

[The_Laird]

The annual meet is usually the first weekend in June, although we changed that to the second weekend this year. However, I think that the small group of organisers have had enough so, unless someone volunteers to run the ‘traditional style’ of meet, Nick and I have a ‘plan b’, but I don’t want to do that if someone is up the organise the meet in 2025.

[tc4332]

I'll keep my eye on this but I'm still tied up with family members being hospitalized.

[HPsauce]

Whatever happens, SWMBO and I very much look forward to these meets and are happy to help as far as we can. Hopefully something will happen next June or thereabouts.

Realistically due to our location (not the best bit of the world for a meet of a lot of big cars) and age we can't take the lead on organising but we want to contribute if we can, having benefitted from the excellent work of many others over the years.

[The_Laird]

Just wanted to bump this as the forum has been a bit iffy recently and some may not have seen the original post.

In brief, we’re looking for anyone to take on the 2025 Annual Meet organisation as most of the regular organisers have run their course and don’t seem to be up for any more.

But, in the absence of any volunteers to organise a ‘traditional’ event, Nick and I have an alternative proposition, but we don’t want to hijack the traditional meet if anyone wants to take it on. Any volunteers for organising a traditional meet will take priority and can count on our full support!

So, in the absence of any willing volunteers, we’ll table our alternative event early next month, in the spirit of continuing this wonderful comunity.

[tintin]

Originally Posted by HPsauce

Realistically due to our location (not the best bit of the world for a meet of a lot of big cars) and age we can't take the lead on organising but we want to contribute if we can, having benefitted from the excellent work of many others over the years.

Oh, I don't know Andrew - age and location (Manchester!) has never stopped me from organising these - from Wales to Northumbria, and points between (and even Ireland!). It's also always a team activity, and I think you could enlist others to share the organising...

It's as much about ideas and planning as anything else, and I'm sure you'd be as good at that as those who've taken the lead before, given your past thoughts and contributions to these meets

[Mrfaz]

What exactly would need to be done to organise a meet? I don't mind helping out. I'm in Manchester

[The_Laird]

It’s a big, big job and, if you’ve not been to a meet before, it would be difficult to explain. You need to find a location of interest and a hotel to accommodate us all. Then plan a driver-friendly route for a circular drive on the Saturday with interesting stops along the way (museums, scenic stops, lunch break and so on. Then drive the route a number of times and map it. Then test your map (a digital one with sat nav). Plus an evening meal on the Saturday (usually with pre-booked menus) and a Sunday morning event of some sort. Then you have to get people to sign up, book the hotel and pay for the ‘interesting’ stops. Then chase folk up, again and again!
I’d be happy to entertain low level help on the phone (not calls to help organise as I’m one of those who have done their quota), but ypu’d be best teaming up with a veteran meet goer/organiser, I’d suggest.
As I’ve said. We have a plan B that eliminates much of the above, but I’m awaiting a volunteer to take the main role in organising the ‘traditional’ meet format before I implement it.

[tintin]

Originally Posted by Mrfaz

What exactly would need to be done to organise a meet? I don't mind helping out. I'm in Manchester

I'd be happy to discuss with you in person sometime, if you're seriously interested in doing this (I'm also in Manchester ...).

We're always interested in new members taking an active interest in doing this - as you can probably tell from this thread, the organising of previous years meets have generally been managed by a small subset of the people who are members on here.