CAR SHOW
PLANNING AND ORGANIZATION
Contributed by John Jeffery
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The planning and
organization of a ZCCA convention car show is a complex logistical and
multi-task operation. To successfully complete one without any major
complaints or without having a nervous breakdown is a huge
accomplishment. The following is a list of suggested areas that should
be addressed and some recommendations as well.
Venue:
Where will the show be held? If in-doors will there be enough room for
the planned number of cars or will a limit need to be set? To determine
how much room you need plan on measuring the usage space (total floor
space minus exit lanes, spectator walking lanes and any site specific
off-limits spots).
You should start by factoring in 10’ X 20’ as one parking space per
car. Using this you can determine just how many cars can be placed into
an indoor facility. You can then revise it to fit your own specific
needs and requirements. Then as the number of cars in each class is
known, you can assign specific spaces to each entry. Remember you will
also likely need space either in the arena or very close by, for your
judging tally booth, vendors, a location for invited guests (i.e. Mr.
K, Nissan, and others),
supplies and equipment, and a food court.
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A
show conducted outdoors is easier to set up, stage and prepare.
However, potential weather conditions will subject you to
second-guessing and a lot of finger crossing. So make this choice with
a back-up plan in hand (i.e., when do we cancel, when do we decide to
go indoors, if this is an option, what rules change if it raining,
etc.?). Having answers before the questions get asked is key.
For planning purposes you can draw up a proposed parking plan based on
the latest show entry information and revise it the day before the
event. An outdoor event allows you to give entries additional space
around and behind their cars. If you have a large open area, you can
place cars back to back
with enough room behind each for each entries supplies, etc. Between
each double set of cars, an open row (15’) will allow easy entry and
exits for the cars. If possible mark each parking place, access row,
etc. with chalk the day before to aid in placing the cars in their
correct space. |
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Indoor specific
issues:
 Fire
Department – most Fire Departments will require cars that will be
placed in-doors to have their battery cable(s) removed, gas caps locked
or taped, and a stipulated amount of gas in the tank. To avoid problems
you MUST make early contact with your local Fire Department. Plan on
paying for
at least one Fire Department staff member to be on-site for
approximately 10 hrs. See if they will do two 5 hr shifts so you don’t
have to pay overtime too.
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Operational Hours – some sites will only operate for a
specific timeframe and will charge extra if you go over. Pre-determine
exactly what time you can set up all your equipment and what time you
must be off the site (remember to factor in clean-up time).
Lighting – this will have an effect on how much the judges
can actually see, so make sure to check this out ahead of time.
Car Loading/Unloading – how will cars get into and out of
the indoor site? Will an improvised ramp need to be made? How much time
will it take to get one car through the process of loading and them
parked in its’ proper place? Multiply that by the number of cars in the
show and add 20% more time
to get a good estimate of the time required to complete this task. How
will cars get out and what policy should you make regarding late
arrivals or cars that want to leave early?
Room to Move Around – you will need to leave room for
judges, entries’ detail supplies, and spectators to move between each
vehicle. |
Outdoor
specific issues:
Weather – what
are your plans and policy regarding weather conditions and judging? Do
you have protection for your equipment and supplies? What about your
judges’ data recovery, vendors, and VIP areas?
Tents are as necessary in the sun as they are protection against rain.
Restrooms – even
if you have access to indoor restrooms, the site might request you
provide additional portable units. These need to be ordered in advance.
Signage
– whatever signs you use (car classification, directions, vendors,
etc.) should be able to stand up to the expected local weather
conditions and not be a hazard to people or their cars.
Parking – can you mark car location prior to the show?
Doing so allows for faster set-up time and helps but does not eliminate
all the confusion this process entails.
Overall show issues:
Date – what other local events are being held that might
cause conflicts?
Contract – if you have to rent a site to hold the car
show, it would be wise to include officials from the ZCCA to examine
the paperwork prior to you signing any documents or committing funds
upfront. Having someone in
your club who is knowledgeable in this area helps. Make copies of the
proposed contract and read it several times before you start to make
notes and/or mark up a copy. Details are everything. Insurance is
another issue
that should be handled in conjunction with the ZCCA. Due to the cost of
some indoor facilities you may need to obtain an advance from the ZCCA
to secure it. Some facilities will requirement a deposit a full year in
advance.
Staff – an overall car show coordinator and several
volunteers are needed. You will have trophies, site set-up and clean-up
activities to attend to, as well as having people to walk each car to
its’ correct parking
place, runners to move both supplies and information, someone to direct
traffic, a DJ or dedicated announcer, and back-ups to give your people
a rest. Figure on needing at least 6-12 people depending on your layout
and
the number of cars in your specific show.
Classification – an extremely touchy subject but one that
can be minimized by conducting a pre-show entry’s meeting to go over
the rules pertaining to what the constitutes a modification and how
these are
determined. Several last minute changes can be expected based on past
experience. Remember to update the entry’s registration data if changes
are made.
Site Map – as discussed earlier, develop a map to denote
potential
parking places and revise as required.
Police – you need to verify months in advance what the
local Police department will requirement in the way of permits (and
cost) and representation (at the show). Having a Police detail provides
you with a
traffic control officer at the hectic start and end of the show, when
Zs will be stacked in holding patterns awaiting sign-in and parking.
Fire – verify
the exact requirements and determine if you will need to have a member
of the Department on-hand during an outdoor event.
Command Center –
where will you run the event from? If indoors do you have a separate
room to put your supplies, equipment, and scoring personnel or will you
need to set up a table for all of this? If outdoors,
will you use a trailer and if so, where will it be parked so that you
can run power to it.
Vendors – space for a table, tent, etc. may be needed for
each vendor/sponsor.
Power – you will need to run several laptops, printers,
lights, and a potential DJ/speaker system. Determine in advance where
you can get plug in your extension cords, how many feet and how many
lines you’ll need, and
where they will be placed to avoid being un-plugged or damaged. Larger
lines while more expensive will carry more amps and be less likely to
be damaged.
Trophies – at least 6 months before the car show you must
find and select a trophy shop that can make over a hundred trophies.
The style and size is only limited by your budget and imagination. You
will need three
trophies per class (1st, 2nd, and 3rd place), along with ones for best
in show, engine, exterior, interior, NIMSO, Mr. K’s Choice, and
People’s Choice. You may also have vendor trophies, trophies for
farthest driven,
rallye day trophies, track event trophies, etc. A complete list should
be developed for your specific event and each month prior to the show,
you should go over the list with the trophy shop. How the trophies get
to the
award banquet should not be overlooked and where they will be kept
prior to the ceremonies is very important as they tend to take up a
fair amount of room and organizing them by class is very time consuming.
Raffle – if you plan on holding a raffle, you first need
to determine if any local permits must be obtained. As with the other
supplies you must have a way to transport the raffle prizes to the
event site.
People’s Choice – you will need voting sheets and a place
to put the filled out forms. You will also need someone to tally the
sheets.
Parking – in addition to those cars entered in the show,
spectator and worker vehicles will need a place to park their vehicles.
Shuttle Buses – some people will not have their cars at
the convention and will require the services of a shuttle bus to get to
and from the show and back to the hotel. Most hotels can provide this
at a
prearranged cost or a local bus company can be selected.
Directions – a map and written directions should be drawn
up and test driven (from all the various entry points) prior to the
event. A larger version should be placed outside the main registration
area at the host
hotel. A suggested time of departure from and hotel and the time it
will take to get to the car show site is very helpful.
Garbage/Toilets – based on the specific requirements of
your site you may need to have a dumpster and/or portable toilets
dropped off prior to the event. A staff member should be on-site when
these items are delivered
to ensure correct placement. |
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Supplies:
Delivery – how will all of your supplies, equipment, and
personnel arrive on-site? If you or your volunteers have a car in the
show, what arrangements have you made to get these to and from the
event?
Laptops – at least two (2) with the ZCCA scoring software
downloaded on them.
Printers – at least one but two is better. Remember to
bring the
cables, power cords, and extra paper.
Tables – for the scoring team, vendors, your supplies, a
DJ or music area, for Mr. K when he’s signing for charity, etc.
Chairs – see above.
Signs – for each car class, directions (arrows), food,
restrooms, exit, registration, spectator parking, etc.
Electrical – heavy-duty extension cords in various
lengths, portable lights, and multi-prong outlets.
Judges – T-shirts, clipboards, pens, stickers, copies of
the ZCCA
rules, water, coolers, extra paper (in colors), file folders, markers,
paper clips, stapler, knife, tape, (duct, packing, etc.). Specific list
of cars to be judged.
Misc – garbage cans, garbage bags, caution tape, traffic
cones,
chalk in various colors, tent(s) or pop-up shelters, and portable
toilets (as required).
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Schedule:
You will have already determined when cars need to arrive (earlier or
the night before for an indoor event). Normally all detailing ends at
11am and judging will then start at this time. It will take several
hours to complete the first round of judging.
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Another
round of judging (Gold Cup/Gold Medallion) will take another one to 2
hours depending on the number of cars scoring more than 280 points.
Having the right number of judges is very important and while judges
are a ZCCA matter, the car show coordinator should stay in contact with
the ZCCA show person and also arrange to speak with every judge, prior
to the car show itself, to ensure that they know and understand their
duties (class and judging area). A roster of judges should be developed
and judges should be located and reminded on the day of the event,
along with where and when to meet. When the last car has been
re-judged, you will still need to clean the site and remove all of your
equipment and supplies. Expect a 10-hour day. You have either
pre-positioned your supplies and equipment or have allowed ample time
for them to get to the site prior to the first car arriving. Now it’s
time to set everything up. Expect early and late arrivals (traffic,
breakdowns, getting lost, etc.). Registration should open at or around
8am and the judges’ meeting should be held one hour prior to the
beginning of any judging. |
| Sample Car Show Event
Listing |
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2003 ZCCA CAR SHOW EVENT
WHERE:
Manchester Armory
Canal Street Manchester, NH
WHEN: Wednesday, October 8, 2003
Open at 8am for car parking Judging to start at 11am Estimated to end
at 4:30pm
DIRECTIONS: 19 miles from hotel
BUS SERVICE: Bus leaves at 9:30am (Plaza) Return bus leaves at 4pm
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INFORMATION/TERMS: |
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CSM: Car Show Manager
Rain Policy: Car show
judging will occur outside unless there is a heavy rain. No point
deductions will be taken for rain related spotting. In the case of
heavy rain, vehicles will be moved and/or parked indoors. The decision
to place vehicles indoors will be the responsibility of the CSM.
Unless space allows, no daily drivers or peoples’ choice (non-judged
class) vehicles will be placed indoors.
Vehicle Check-in: Upon
arrival at the Canal Street entrance to the Armory parking lot,
vehicles will proceed to the check-in station. At the station, each
vehicle’s class and registration information will be verified and then
directed to the appropriate parking by a member of the Car Placement
Team. A senior show judge may conduct a quick inspection of any vehicle
prior to its’ being placed.
Outside Vehicle
Placement: After the completion of the check-in process a member of the
Car Placement Team will direct each vehicle to it’s parking spot.
Parking will be by class. Vehicles will be parked with room for both
doors to be opened without hitting another vehicle if at all possible.
Room behind each vehicle will be made available for chairs, cleaning
supplies, and other personal items. Please remember to take all
valuables with you if you leave your vehicle. There will be security
guards but the best plan is to leave valuables at the hotel.
Late Entries: Unless
specifically directed by the CSM no late entries will be allowed for
ZCCA judged vehicles. People’s Choice late entries (non-judged) will be
allowed if there is adequate space to park these vehicles.
Schedule: Vehicle
check-in will open Wednesday morning, October 8th, at 8am. In the event
that heavy rain is predicted, the CSM will make a decision to allow
loading of vehicles into the Armory on Tuesday night. Information on
vehicle loading will be posted in the main registration room. A final
update will be made no later than 4pm, Tuesday, the 7th of October.
All vehicle detailing
must be completed by 11am. ZCCA car show judges will meet at 10am to go
over any last minute issues/concerns. Judging will start at 11am.
Except for vehicles that undergo Gold Medallion or in the case of a tie
in a class, all judging should be completed no later than 3pm. The Car
Show hopes to have everyone back at the hotel before 5pm so they can
get ready for “Track Day” and attend the driver’s meeting scheduled to
take place at 7pm. Whatever time you do leave please remember to drive
carefully, both in the parking lot and on the way back to the hotel.
Spectator Parking: A
limited number of parking places will be available at the Armory for
spectators. Additional parking will available in a one to two block
area of the Armory. Remember to lock your car. Covered parking at the
Holiday Inn is located 3 blocks from the Armory and a fee per hour is
charged. Bus service to and from the hotel to the Car Show leaves in
the morning at 9:30am and returns at 4pm.
Indoor Car Loading:
All car show entries will be given a sheet of instructions pertaining
to the requirements set-forth by the Manchester Fire Department (MFD)
for loading cars into the Armory. Neither the CSM, ZCCNE, nor ZCCA have
the authority to make changes to these rules. A vehicle that cannot
comply will not be allowed to enter the Armory.
MFD rules can also be
found on the ZCCNE convention website and will posted in the main
registration room at the Crowne Plaza.
Loading will take
place by class and will be conducted under the supervision of the Car
Placement Team Manager. Once a vehicle has been placed indoors it will
not be allowed to leave until the end of the car show. There will be no
exceptions to this rule.
Judges: There will be
a Car Show judges’ meeting at 7pm at the Crowne Plaza hotel. Check the
main registration room for the exact room location. ZCCA judging issues
and specific guidance for this car show will be discussed. A brief
on-site meeting will also take place at 10am to go over any last
minutes changes and to hand out judges t-shirts. At 11am all judges
should report to the vehicle check-in station to pick up clipboards,
pens, scoring sheets, and completion stickers.
Food: Army National
Guard personnel will be offering food and beverages for sale inside of
the Armory.
Restrooms: Facilities
are located on the first floor of the Armory and two
(2) Port-a-Johns will be placed a corner of the parking lot.
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