Alford Classic & Vintage Gathering

[niccis dad]

Well, I noticed in Practical Classics Magazine yesterday that there was the aforementioned event at Alford Motor Museum. Didn't see any other advertising anywhere for it. No mention in the local press as far as I know.

Anyway, I thought it may be worth the 120 mile round trip to have a look, since we don't get much of this sort of thing up this way.

Frankly disappointed, ok, admission of £9.00 includes entry to the museum, but a rather poor use of the great facilities available at Alford. Don't get me wrong, there were some stunning cars on display both classic and vintage and all credit to the owners. but I think they were poorly served by the organisation. Maybe 60 - 70 cars, then...........well, that's it. Nothing else. No traders, autojumbles, or anything else.

Alford offers a huge opportunity for a great event of this type, and I can't help but feel sympathy for all the people who went to great efforts to get there and display their cars when it could well have been done in a pub car park.

Were the regional organisers of the various single marque clubs offered the opportunity to set up a display ? Plenty of room. This is a local authority venue and I don't believe that in this instance the tax payer is getting value for money.

Steps back for

[offshorematt2]

Well, I wasn't there so won't argue with your experience.

But with regards this being a local authority funded attraction, and the tax payer not getting value for money, are you sure? Nothing about that here http://www.gtm.org.uk/the-museum/history/ and I always believed it was private.

I've always been pretty impressed with what GTM manage to achieve with relatively low funding and a few volunteers. I know they're looking for more help at the moment and I'm sure if there's opportunities to improve they'd appreciate feedback?

[niccis dad]

Aye I guess your'e right. But doesn't it attract a certain amount of funding from local government? Anyway, if it is totally privately funded you would think that there would be more incentive to maximise the opportunities to increase footfall and use advertising to better effect.

[Fugster]

I tend to agree with you, I had entered my car to this event and was a little disappointed with the set-up. I had expected there to be more exhibitors and possibly auto jumble etc, just to have a wander around during the afternoon. It would also have benefitted from a parade lap or two from some of the old cars, I think most car folks want to hear some of these classics as well as look at them.

On the plus side, as always the people were all very friendly that attend and I really enjoyed meeting some old friends and chatting to like minded folks.

[cjb1]

I also attended and displayed my car. I was a bit disappointed too. The event was poorly advertised, I found out about it by accident whilst trawling the net early last week. I’m not sure about the funding but it is a registered charity I do know.
The quality of cars and other exhibits were excellent with their owners having gone to some effort to present their exhibits in pristine condition. All of the GTM staff were friendly and helpful but I feel that they should feel as let down as some of the exhibitors may be, if the event had been better advertised their efforts will have been better rewarded.
Furthermore the museum is so packed with excellent exhibits and it’s apparent that the staff have gone to a lot of trouble to make it interesting and fun for all ages. Events at GTM really need to be marketed better. Local Commercial radio stations promote charitable events at no cost, was it advertised on Northsound or Original FM at all? Contacting local owners clubs as someone already said would have helped too.

Maybe add some corporate sponsored awards? best car in show? best pre-war, best commercial?

All in all it was a good day but just felt to be lacking something, didn't quite reach it's full potential.

[cjb1]

Anyone got any photo's of the day to post? I didn't take any.......

[cjb1]

For those who did attend, why not post your favorite car/s or bikes of the show?

[niccis dad]

Here's some. Must say that I'm surprised that no one from the organisers has stepped up to put their views relating to this. So do we assume that no one from there bothers with the largest petrolhead online community?

Curious.

[riosyd]

I'm not connected with the transport museum but
1. The museum is a charitable trust receiving minimal financial support from Aberdeenshire Council
2. The advertising for this event, which has been running for several years now, made no mention of auto jumble or other activities - it was advertised as a "gathering"
3. Every person you saw wearing a hi-viz vest was an unpaid volunteer.
4. Why not contact the museum directly with your constructive criticisms

[grahamtr7]

I liked this one

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Graham

[niccis dad]

Why not run this past fellow enthusiasts to see if I'm just the odd one out? Perhaps my expectations were too high for an event of this type.

It appears that some exhibitors who use this forum also expressed their disappointment.

You say that nothing other than exhibited cars were promised. Yes, well but promised where? Local Radio ? Local Press? Pistonheads? Roadside advertising? None of the aforementioned. Joe Public doesn't buy "Practical Classics".

Yes, I'm sure that all the volunteers who willingly gave up their time for this event worked hard and produced an event of which they could be proud........But, think how better this event could be by involving local clubs such as ADMC, GAC, not to mention representation from the single marque clubs.

I say again that the Alford Motor Museum / Track and grounds offer a facility sadly underused by the current organisation.

Why should I bother to take issue with them? They didn't bother to reach out to maximise the opportunity to put on a fantastic show in a great venue.

And, obviously they don't subscribe to this forum.

Bear in mind I forked out over £50.00 in petrol, admission, refreshments to attend this show. Justify that to me.

Edited by niccis dad on Monday 22 July 23:53

[cjb1]

niccis dad said:

Why not run this past fellow enthusiasts to see if I'm just the odd one out? Perhaps my expectations were too high for an event of this type.

It appears that some exhibitors who use this forum also expressed their disappointment.

You say that nothing other than exhibited cars were promised. Yes, well but promised where? Local Radio ? Local Press? Pistonheads? Roadside advertising? None of the aforementioned. Joe Public doesn't buy "Practical Classics".

Yes, I'm sure that all the volunteers who willingly gave up their time for this event worked hard and produced an event of which they could be proud........But, think how better this event could be by involving local clubs such as ADMC, GAC, not to mention representation from the single marque clubs.

I say again that the Alford Motor Museum / Track and grounds offer a facility sadly underused by the current organisation.

Why should I bother to take issue with them? They didn't bother to reach out to maximise the opportunity to put on a fantastic show in a great venue.

And, obviously they don't subscribe to this forum.

Bear in mind I forked out over £50.00 in petrol, admission, refreshments to attend this show. Justify that to me.

Edited by niccis dad on Monday 22 July 23:53

Very well put. I echo your sentiments. The staff on the day did a great job and were very polite and helpful, they too have a right to feel a little let down by the organisers who clearly could have made more of the event. The Speedfest is much better marketed than the Gathering.

[offshorematt2]

niccis dad said:

I say again that the Alford Motor Museum / Track and grounds offer a facility sadly underused by the current organisation.

Why should I bother to take issue with them? They didn't bother to reach out to maximise the opportunity to put on a fantastic show in a great venue.

And, obviously they don't subscribe to this forum.

So, I was at Grampian Transport Museum yesterday afternoon doing the Fast Car laps for the kids school holiday programme and I pointed Mike the curator to this thread. Interestingly enough, they have in the past posted on pistonheads however being event organisers, were subsequently prevented by the moderators using the boards. So their right of reply is sadly curtailed rather than reflecting just a lack of engagement.

In the interests of feedback, I asked Mike to email over his comments and said I would post them up on his behalf. Just for the avoidance of doubt, I'm not in anyway linked to GTM other than volunteering my car and time a couple of days a year at speedfest, fast laps days, etc. Anyway, below are his key points;

Mike the GTM curator said:

• GTM is a self financing educational charity: our 'real' work is with the thousands of school children who visit each season and to interest and inform our visitors about the NE Scot land travel and transport history.
• Events are a very small part of what we do but we have developed a great events venue over the years that we and many other organisations fully utilise. It is pretty much fully booked... all unseen by piston head forum folk!
• We run events to bring the subject alive, raise awareness, raise funds.
• Events are staffed and run essentially by volunteers managed by a two person part time paid team.
• many events are run as FOC value added extras for museum visitors. The fast car rides are a good example of value added days relying on the goodwill and support of private owner drivers.
• The Classic Gathering is a value added event and is billed as a simple traditional drop in type gathering. It is deliberately stripped down and kept simple so that one paid member of staff can organise and run it backed up by volunteers on the day
• the SpeedFest is the only big event run by the museum at present. This is because the small paid staff are constantly at capacity and simply cannot take on more. In fact this years SpeedFest suffered from low manpower levels and before the event can be confirmed for 2014 a volunteers drive is needed and is being attended to in August.
• There is very little public money involved in developing or running the GTM. The cost to the tax payer is minimal and the economic benefit calculator of bringing 50 to 60,000 visitors to the site each season is impressive.

If anyone wants to support, assist or just lend moral support, GTM is desperately looking for volunteers and there is a big drive on at present. If interested email them through their website. They could also do with more cars for the fast laps days - next one is the afternoon of the 8th August if any performance cars are free? Yesterday there were only about six or seven cars. The event was deliberately under advertised due to the lack of firm cars being volunteered, so there was only 200 odd folk rather than the 700 that have previously attended. That's not a lack of management or under-use but just purely resource driven. If folk want to see this resource differently utilised, then IMHO it's time to put on a yellow vest and muck in...

[cjb1]

offshorematt2 said:

niccis dad said:

I say again that the Alford Motor Museum / Track and grounds offer a facility sadly underused by the current organisation.

Why should I bother to take issue with them? They didn't bother to reach out to maximise the opportunity to put on a fantastic show in a great venue.

And, obviously they don't subscribe to this forum.

So, I was at Grampian Transport Museum yesterday afternoon doing the Fast Car laps for the kids school holiday programme and I pointed Mike the curator to this thread. Interestingly enough, they have in the past posted on pistonheads however being event organisers, were subsequently prevented by the moderators using the boards. So their right of reply is sadly curtailed rather than reflecting just a lack of engagement.

In the interests of feedback, I asked Mike to email over his comments and said I would post them up on his behalf. Just for the avoidance of doubt, I'm not in anyway linked to GTM other than volunteering my car and time a couple of days a year at speedfest, fast laps days, etc. Anyway, below are his key points;

Mike the GTM curator said:

• GTM is a self financing educational charity: our 'real' work is with the thousands of school children who visit each season and to interest and inform our visitors about the NE Scot land travel and transport history.
• Events are a very small part of what we do but we have developed a great events venue over the years that we and many other organisations fully utilise. It is pretty much fully booked... all unseen by piston head forum folk!
• We run events to bring the subject alive, raise awareness, raise funds.
• Events are staffed and run essentially by volunteers managed by a two person part time paid team.
• many events are run as FOC value added extras for museum visitors. The fast car rides are a good example of value added days relying on the goodwill and support of private owner drivers.
• The Classic Gathering is a value added event and is billed as a simple traditional drop in type gathering. It is deliberately stripped down and kept simple so that one paid member of staff can organise and run it backed up by volunteers on the day
• the SpeedFest is the only big event run by the museum at present. This is because the small paid staff are constantly at capacity and simply cannot take on more. In fact this years SpeedFest suffered from low manpower levels and before the event can be confirmed for 2014 a volunteers drive is needed and is being attended to in August.
• There is very little public money involved in developing or running the GTM. The cost to the tax payer is minimal and the economic benefit calculator of bringing 50 to 60,000 visitors to the site each season is impressive.

If anyone wants to support, assist or just lend moral support, GTM is desperately looking for volunteers and there is a big drive on at present. If interested email them through their website. They could also do with more cars for the fast laps days - next one is the afternoon of the 8th August if any performance cars are free? Yesterday there were only about six or seven cars. The event was deliberately under advertised due to the lack of firm cars being volunteered, so there was only 200 odd folk rather than the 700 that have previously attended. That's not a lack of management or under-use but just purely resource driven. If folk want to see this resource differently utilised, then IMHO it's time to put on a yellow vest and muck in...

If the event was under advertised due to lack of committment by exhibitors (I was an exhibitor) then perhaps some marketing and encouraging to car clubs and associations is required? I'd be up for helping with that. I'll contact the GTM to follow this up. I too did the fast passenger laps a few years ago but only lasted half an hour before the brakes roasted on the 911, that circuit is cruel on a clutch and your brakes. The brakes have since been overhauled so maybe I'll get involved in the next one?

[bigblock]

I had previously done passenger rides for the Sporting Bears Charity so when I found out that GTM needed cars for their charity events I offered my services.

I have offered to do the summer passenger rides and also the Speedfest on three separate occasions but was informed via email that these events were by 'invitation' only. I left my details but it appears GTM don't think anyone would want a ride in a 650bhp Shelby Cobra

[niccis dad]

Well, a "value added event", "Stripped down" I'd have thought that "stripped down" certainly would apply. Where the added value came into it I can't see.

I appreciate the difficulties in organising these volunteer reliant events, however my original points still stand : lack of advertising, lack of exhibits, a belief that simply by chucking a few nice cars together constitutes an event. It wasn't an EVENT, it was a static display.

Whatever excuses GTM come up with, fine, it's nae easy, canny get volunteers, perhaps they should rethink their strategy. Involve CLUBS ! Get them to help mind the shop.

I think this "event" suggests that GTM perhaps needs to widen it's vision of a better trade off between exhibitor, range, organisation, and finally the paying punter.

I've always loved the museum, watched it improve over the years and there is some good vision there, please apply same to these outdoor meets.

Thanks
Niccis (Fifty Quid Lighter) Dad