GRRC waiting list and fees

GRRC waiting list and fees

Author
Discussion

DJRC

23,563 posts

235 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
quotequote all
Join the Aero club. No waiting list, better benefits. That goes double for the Revival. And the stewards who are usually locals don't look at you like you are a tosser because you are wearing a GRRC badge and think you own the place smile

34053

50 posts

108 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
quotequote all
GRRC members dont want more members because it will make the club less exclusive. If members are not going to the members meetings it is because anyone can go to the members meetings and members pay the same as anyone else to go (except for a very short period). It is also pretty expensive. Basically it feels like we are subsidising everyone else and getting nothing in return. Because we haven't behaved and done what was expected of us we are being threatened with this increase in membership. If the GRRC wants MM74 to be sold out to members and their guests they need to make it a bit more worth our while.

RichB

51,431 posts

283 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
quotequote all
The Aero club is fine for breakfast, anyone can eat in the café but it's full of tosses who think they're Biggles yet you can bet many of them can't even fly! smile

ecsrobin

17,019 posts

164 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
quotequote all
Tattooboy said:
Fear not, the tattoos are covered by a shirt and tie thumbup

Perhaps if the members number is increased, the GRRC should/will increase area's at FOS/Revival etc?

As for bespoke tours etc, even if 5000 is too many now, another 1000 odd isn't going to be much worse?

I'm a member of the Lloyds of London Motor Club and we have the same problem and our membership is no where near 5000 !!
Then you sir can have a pint with me when you become a member :thumb up:

Goodwood have stated they will make the space bigger at the events but it will need to be seen to be believed.

As for the bespoke events sadly I think it probably benefits the retired folk rather than the working man.

I have asked my butler to open all correspondence from Goodwood so I can be in with a chance to get on the tours but the problem is my driveway is 5km from the gatehouse to the main house and in that time the postman takes to walk that they get fully subscribed frown

Grey Ghost

4,583 posts

219 months

Thursday 2nd April 2015
quotequote all
The GRRC has to be profitable and contribute to the overall running costs of the Goodwood estate I would assume. Therefore given that there are only 5,000 members of the GRRC and an event like the 73MM would need a minimum of twice that number of tickets sold to have a chance of breaking even it was patently obvious that Joe Public would be allowed to buy tickets as soon as it was announced.

If Goodwood keep to their plans to gradually roll out further memberships and at the same time roll out further benefits and facilities to members then all should be well and everyone wins. The issue will be when at events such at the FoS the members area is not increased in size enough to cope with the members and their guests wanting to use the facilities each day. Having said that the likelihood is that even if issues with benefits being increased doesn't materialize the number of members will go up. It is a simple case of supply and demand, with significant demand being fed by very limited supply and hence keeping demand at a level above availability every year.

Effectively if you don't like what your membership fees buys you someone else always will biggrin

Ian Wegg

647 posts

139 months

Thursday 2nd April 2015
quotequote all
Grey Ghost said:
... given that there are only 5,000 members of the GRRC and an event like the 73MM would need a minimum of twice that number of tickets sold to have a chance of breaking even it was patently obvious that Joe Public would be allowed to buy tickets as soon as it was announced.
The actual figures were posted on fortyonesix last year, but essentially it required just half the membership to buy tickets to make the MM viable. As 85% of members buy Revival tickets Goodwood expected that to be a reasonable target, so were taken by surprise that they didn't make the number.

~iw

Grey Ghost

4,583 posts

219 months

Thursday 2nd April 2015
quotequote all
Ian Wegg said:
Grey Ghost said:
... given that there are only 5,000 members of the GRRC and an event like the 73MM would need a minimum of twice that number of tickets sold to have a chance of breaking even it was patently obvious that Joe Public would be allowed to buy tickets as soon as it was announced.
The actual figures were posted on fortyonesix last year, but essentially it required just half the membership to buy tickets to make the MM viable. As 85% of members buy Revival tickets Goodwood expected that to be a reasonable target, so were taken by surprise that they didn't make the number.

~iw
Interesting..............given that fortyonesix was hardly working for me last year (and possibly many others given comments I have picked up on) I wouldn't have seen that biggrin

So effectively the 74MM could be exclusively for GRRC members if 2500 of us bought tickets, assuming that a significant percentage will buy two at least.

The 73MM event looked rather good and I wasn't able to attend due to work commitments but will be making every attempt to make the next one.

ecsrobin

17,019 posts

164 months

Thursday 2nd April 2015
quotequote all
I think by 75th members meet it will be an all GRRC affair. The first year members were probably a bit sceptical. Response was great but March can still be cold and wet this year we have had the cold and it was still considered a success. So again an increase in numbers for next year no doubt.

I have more friends who wish to attend with me next year so it will happen eventually. For those not in the GRRC make the most of being able to buy tickets whilst you can.

RichB

51,431 posts

283 months

Thursday 2nd April 2015
quotequote all
Ian Wegg said:
The actual figures were posted on fortyonesix last year, but essentially it required just half the membership to buy tickets to make the MM viable. As 85% of members buy Revival tickets Goodwood expected that to be a reasonable target, so were taken by surprise that they didn't make the number.
Ian I vaguely remember the thread but recollect them saying that was based on members buying two tickets not one and presumably for the weekend not just one day.

Ian Wegg

647 posts

139 months

Thursday 2nd April 2015
quotequote all
As I've said before, it's a great pity that James's detailed response last year was flushed away with the rest of fortyonesix. All that remains are some quotes in this topic: The 72nd Members' Meeting - March 2014 from which it appears that by February only 27% of members had bought tickets at a rate of 2.4 per member. How that breaks down between daily/weekend and member/guest I don't know but it was clearly well below expectations.

It would be nice to know the equivalent figures for this year.

~iw

4321go

638 posts

186 months

Saturday 4th April 2015
quotequote all
Just my two pennies worth.

The FoS and Revival have become corporate events. The members facilities are sidelined and offer no benefit when it comes to viewing the action (with two exceptions that I'll come to). The best seats in the house go to those who couldn't give a stuff (the boss's secretary in the Jaguar pavilion: he's trying to get her drunk, she just wants to see JB) and those who are willing to pay the extortionate fees for the privilege (Kinrara, etc). The members, all 5000 of them, get a tent in which they can have the privilage of paying through the nose for a distinctly average fried breakfast. Oh, and a slightly cleaner bog....

In return for your £200 each and every year (remember, that's £2000 per decade and an annual income to the estate of £1,000,000 per annum) you will receive 10% off of the price of tickets (and optional grandstands) to the two events, for yourself and ONE guest. At the FoS that is about it. For the Revival, you'll get first dibs on the chicane grandstand (but be quick about it) which you'll still have to pay for and access to the central paddock for you and your guest. That's one guest, remember.

As it stands then, membership doesn't exactly provide a great return for the outlay (here I'm ignoring The Kennals as it's a useless extra unless you're local to Chichester). Personally, I attend the FoS less and less often because it's become rather same-old, same-old and I'm averse to crowds and F1 teamwear. Even the Friday has become horrid. I do still love the Revival and brave the before-sunrise start in a Lotus XI replica to attend each year. But I know damn well that when set against the other expenditures that I've made to the estate, I haven't recouped 5% of the membership fees that I've paid over the last twelve years.

As for the flying club......

The landing fees at Goodwood are dependent on the weight of the aircraft. For my De Havilland Chipmunk the fee is £17.63, which is quite expensive (and it used to be free for pre '55 aeroplanes). For this year's Revival I'm treating my uncle and flying in. Cost to land a two-seat trainer, built in 1952 and registered with the CAA as an historic aircraft, still wearing it's original RAF scheme of yellow over silver and exempt from displaying it's civilian registration (ie: the perfect visual prop for the event)? £123!! That's just to land and park for the day, you still have to buy your two tickets, two grandstand seats and half-price programme voucher.

Oh, and that's after the debacle of the Revival ticket sales last autumn. Tickets go on sale early to the members and there's a stampede for those chicane grandstand seats. Within five minutes the website crashed and was not restored for several days. The estate resorted to making a list of telephone numbers and calling back in order. Thankfully, I'd had a full basket about a minute after the site went live and although I failed to get the payment through, I was high up on said list! Somewhat amazingly, I managed to secure the very same seats that had been in my basket the day before.

So, in summary: it's expensive, you don't get much and what you do get is often second-rate when compared to what is available to many non-members and is inadequate for the size of the current membership.

As an aside, I've attended both of the new MMs. The idea is that there are no "special" areas. Everywhere is open to everyone. Last year that was true, with the exception of the control tower (ok, I can appreciate Charlie wishing to keep somewhere to entertain the great and the good (oh, and some actors, pop stars and sportsmen)). This year it was the control tower and the IWC timing building that were for the privileged few. What'll be off limits next year? But either way, because I can buy more than just two tickets to the grandstand of my choice and because I can take more than one guest into the paddock and because I can take more than one person into breakfast with me, this year as last I took a party of eight to the MM. They had a great (if chilly!) time.

DJRC

23,563 posts

235 months

Saturday 4th April 2015
quotequote all
4321 - all very true, which is why Ive always said GRRC membership isn't that good. I disagree on the Aero Club, I happen to think that you get much more for your money. Landing fees are landing fees and they are extortionate throughout southern England, but even then cheap compared to Europe. And I tend to work at places with an airfield outside my window!

This is why I let dad stump for the GRRC and I stump for the Aero whenever they can be bothered to remember my details!). Flight pan access is invaluable smile

The GRRC marques Ive always said are a disgrace and they have been since the start.

4321go

638 posts

186 months

Saturday 4th April 2015
quotequote all
I work in a place where I have a different airport to view out of my window several times each day, all without leaving my chair... rofl

ecsrobin

17,019 posts

164 months

Saturday 4th April 2015
quotequote all
4321go said:
I work in a place where I have a different airport to view out of my window several times each day, all without leaving my chair... rofl
You didn't happen to have the chipmunk on static at RIAT last year?

4321go

638 posts

186 months

Saturday 4th April 2015
quotequote all
Sadly not. She spent most of last year looking like this:






The re-covering was massively overdue, but was a good excuse to repaint the entire exterior. However, work was delayed as our chosen restoration outfit was busy finishing this:




(Apologies for the spectacular thread creep!)

Edited by 4321go on Saturday 4th April 14:17

DJRC

23,563 posts

235 months

Saturday 4th April 2015
quotequote all
Nothing wrong with thread creep smile I'm in theory stationed by a small airfield south of Munich along with the German meteorological mob, plenty of cloud chasing fun. Unfortunately in reality I'm stuck in Portsmouth at the mo frown

ecsrobin

17,019 posts

164 months

Saturday 4th April 2015
quotequote all
Looking good there. I was at goodwood a couple of years ago when there was a chippy fly in, great site to see so many flying in.

RichB

51,431 posts

283 months

Saturday 4th April 2015
quotequote all
4321go said:
Just my two pennies worth.

The FoS and Revival have become corporate events. The members facilities are sidelined and offer no benefit when it comes to viewing the action <clip> ...
Some good points there, and having just read this it seems the "Waiting List" is the place to be there days. Not only do you get invited to buy tickets at the Members' Meetings but now it seems you can also use the Kennels for £90. hehehttps://grrc.goodwood.com/grrc/kennels-membership-...

Seems Goodwood are keen to keep their waiting list happy at the moment for some reason, or perhaps it's just another way to make some money? Either way it will just serve to make the Kennels more crowded surely?