Damn, so i may never make Midnight on the Dragon then..... Even 1am is late....
Since i wasn't going to be able to make it i did do a late night drive on Friday night around 9pm. Wow was that scary, suddenly hitting blinding pockets of cloud which hit the side of the mountain was just crazy!

 

First off, my hat is off to all involved in the 2006 planning, and the following are ideas thru my little mind and not critisim.

First I saw alot of stressed out DC mini people. Maybe the rest of us can give more help to allow them to enjoy themselves a little more.

I like the Idea of removable lettering on the bumper (front or rear) with our screen name. My window is usually down(being a obedient cabrio owner that I am) and the cling wasn't helping me.

The tags that hang around you neck, as already stated, need to be more readable.

I love my badge with my Mini, but the grey backround blends alot with my grey car.

Drive-in idea: how bout the original movie.

Prize giveaways: I think DC and Atlanta Minis would both be open to suggestions to make this smoother or shorter. I know this might add to the time, but I thougt it would have been nice to annouce the screen name of the winner, to help put the screen name and face together.

Registration: Marc can we get a Mini count on there along with the number of people?

I noticed that it's just as dark at 10:00 as Midnight (OK, don't tar and feather me for that one)

How bout if we can mail out some stuff prior to dragon. I found a lot of maps and info in my registration package when I got home (I know thats my fault), but I would be nice if we could mail out maps and maybe get Graham county to mail out there welcome magazine (it even has mini's on the dragon on the cover with lots of great area info in it) Maybe some coperate sponsership could help defray the cost?

Vendors; I'm not a modder, but I love my trinkits. Can we get some T-shirts, decals type stuff. Empire nine makes some great shirts with mini stuff, but do we have to worry about big brother on this?

I myself will definitely host something next year again. I enjoy my run this year and got to met alot of people because of it. Maybe we could post a list of ideas of runs with details and look for leader, to help get more going.
Example:
Dillsboro Run
Tusckalegge Cavern Run
Waterfall Run
Cades Cove Run
I would be more than happy to put some stuff together and maybe make it easier for some on the fence to lead a run of some kind.

I'm more than willing to do the leg work on any of these ideas or anyone else's ideas if you all think there are worthy.

And last, but not least, do I have to wait a whole year for the next Dragon

 

Good we got the flow going. Those with conflicting event times last year note with more and more people attending it is likely that events will be conflicting all over the place. Not a bad thing per say as well if you miss the waterfall run for something this year it gives you something to look forward to next year.

It does strike me that perhaps we ought to make note of the overlapping events and possibly keep SOME of them consistent like drives to various places so one year it is waterfalls, one it is skyway, where others are sure not to overlap like chili and drive in. I do not know why I chose those 2 specificly, but my thought on the non overlapping of some comes from not wanting to have someone involved with say the Chili thing to always miss the movie every year, where drives are drives are drives.

Oh and yes, how many times do I have to avoid "The Italian Job" in EITHER VERSION. ATTENTION MINI and Mini people THERE ARE OTHER MOVIES WORTH WATCHING. I mean get a movie with a Mini scene like "The Bourne Identity". Just a thought. Good call doing "TIJ" once, no complaints at all, but I have been laughing at the classic clubs already for the old "TIJ" movie EVERY TIME A MOVIE IS SHOWN and would not like to fall into that trap.

 

It's pace is different every year, Haemish, depending on how many folks show up. Because there are so many MINIs, it's actually more visible than if you ran it alone at night, since all the MINIs light it up!

kool and Yucca have a good handle on it and the main instruction is for folks to stay in their lane and not drive beyond their comfort level.

 

Perhaps that and maps of some sort and driving protocol ought to be mailed with a registration confirmation.

Send me address decals or a form I can print to decals, stamps, and materials I'll stuff em till I'm blue in the face and get em out.

 

snooter, folks can go to www.tailofthedragon.com and print out a number of local maps AND we can have some on MOTD-2007's forum for people to print out and bring along. That would eliminate the need for expensive mailings. As for corporate sponsorship, I believe that a number of companies provided the raffle prizes and awards this time. That's a good thing for the organizers to pursue for next year, absolutely.

 

for next year is:

Can we please put the vendors and wrenches row in one spot?

I really think that there is enough room along that area of the general store to put everyone.

I can't tell you how many times I would run back and forth. Also it seemed as both areas became a hangout and it would make for a better (more fun) atmosphere to have all those people together since in reality they are all tied in together.

Wouldn't it be cool to look at a part from a vendor and then walk right over to a tent to see it being installed to get an idea?

anyway... that is my 2 cents.

Otherwise I had a freaking blast this year! (and I only drove the dragon once believe it or not)

can't wait for next year....

chris

 

First and foremost and I mean no offence to the great job to DCMM for the job they did this year, but they are not the Prom Queen of this event and DO NOT OWN it nor is it a NAM event, NAM/Mark is a store front and gets his money for the services he provides. This is OUR EVENT, WE THE PEOPLE. If you want something different then come up with an idea, be an organizer or better yet be the head host of the entire project.

I have helped organize no less than five major events at the Dragon over the last three years. My hindsight to the events is 199% as to what I would do different, but at no time can I predict how a future event planed will turn out. All you “Amazing Karnack’s” out there step up to bat.

My hat’s off to DCMM for their job this year.

My suggestion to all of you out there is do not suggest something, DO SOMETHING!!!

 

Okay, the gauntlet is thrown...since they are "queens," DCMMers will have to do something in drag next year!

Perhaps sndwave will finish his satirical opus, MINI Side Story, the MINI version of West Side Story, in time for its Dragon debut, and DCMMers can play major roles!

 

LOL... None of us DCMMers even WANT to be royalty! We just want to do our best to help everything go smoothly. The more clubs and individuals that jump in to play their part, the better the load is spread out... believe me we are more than HAPPY to hand over the reins to those who want to step up to the plate.

The classic example I have given was the welcome and farewell dinners this year. The only reason that DCMM hosted both of them... was because no other clubs (other than AtlantaMINIs with the chili cook-off, thanks!) wanted to do it. Hopefully next year will be different - and already we are seeing signs that Sunshine MINIs might take on a dinner next year. I hope that turns out to be true, but I don't want them to feel pressured into it. That would leave just one dinner remaining. Eventually, if not next year, hopefully DCMM can just focus on the registration and overall event scheduling and not have to organize ANY dinners! Thank you sndwave - you have no idea how much that means coming from you. HEAR HEAR! Ummm... yeah... suuuuuure.

 

Chris, As I mentioned in one of my earlier posts in this thread, that very idea came up while at MOTD... and we will try to do that next year. It is a good idea, if feasible... and it would also allow for more parking up near the rec center - an area that always could use more.

 

Thank you for your compliment. As Edge said, it means a lot coming from those who have been there all four years. (I am just a baby at three years)

There are already some great ideas started for events next year and it is great to see that those who organized drives this year are ready to repeat them next year.

We always want to strike the right balance between some organization and the grass roots feel. I was worried about so many MINIs, but I found the Dragon this year to be nice and free flowing. Folks were finding their own things to do, attending organized events and drives, and actually finding some down time in between.

We don't want to turn this into a convention, it is a VACATION. And for me, it is usually the only vacation I get to take with my husband every year......

 

First of, a huge thank you to all involved with this years event. I had a great time indeed and can't wait to be back.

Here are some of my suggestions:

- I second the idea of one area for all vendors and I must admit I would have also loved to see more vendors there. This would also make it even more so attractive for those who stay in other places to hang out there awhile. I was amazed that MINI USA was not there with a booth and 07 info and stickers etc, considering all these brand crazy MINI folks were there. If I knew of a gathering of similar size of passionate owners of our bikes our company would be there in a heartbeat.
I think the vendors should be all near the rec center and we all should be not worried about parking a few feet away and walking there. The car wash should be down near the general store where the lower vendor area was so the water from it does not run behind the vendors as it did at the rec center.

- I personally did not care for the bag and the bottle we got as part of registration. they are just not my taste at all. The bottle looked a bit cheesy and the bag like something for a grandma. :-)
But if everyone else liked them I guess it is only my "fashion police" problem.

- I do like the idea of a big photo op, social gathering in an area like the base of the Dam.

- I like the idea of bigger writing on registration badges but also think it is up to all of us to come up with a nice way to identify ourselves.

- Maybe we can also start a volunteer list for specific events next year, this way hopefully more of us will be able to help out.

- The MINIS on the Dragon event is unofficial and more people are really not the goal. I think it is great Saturday night late, I even like the idea of a new secret starting point each year.


Herbert

 

I'd like to second this motion. Columbus does not have an organized club, so I doubt we'd ever be able to organize one of the large dinners, but I'm sure plenty of people would be more than willing to act as manual labor for the large events so the organizers can breathe a bit easier.

 

ooh, ooh...and another suggestion...Don't be afraid of the chilly weather/water and come rafting next year. Oh yes, there were only three of us, but indeed there will be a 2nd Annual Rafting Near the Dragon.

 

Hey guys, MINIUSA has been involved in the MOTD since day one! We've had representatives there every year, they supply our AtlantaMINI members goodies for the goody bags, prizes that we give away at the dinners, etc.

Our Atlanta MINI dealerships totally support our events at the Dragon as well.

One of our Chili Cookoff judges was suppose to be from MINIUSA but had a last minute schedule change and couldn't attend.

 

...please someone plan on +++ putting all the vendors in the same area++ for next year. Either up at the Adventure center or down by the General Store. I heard from numerous people that they did not even know that we were down by the store until we had packed up saturday night...

I like the constant traffic up at the top, but I also like the shade from the trees down by the store. If we're all in the same place we will build synergy and it will become THE place to be. Day and night.

We'll be there next year!!

 

This is the point I was trying to make earlier. If a club has more than 5-10 people at the event, they should chip in and help take care of something... no matter how small. My little group of 3 people pulled off the Scenic Drive for 90 registered cars. It doesn't take much work to have an impact on a large group of people and I can honestly say that MY experience was better for having done it.

They did ask for voluenteers and got very little reply.

I realize that it's a tradition for a Saturday night run, but maybe it's worth breaking with tradition to get better participation on Thursday or Friday night... I'm OK with the midnight time, if I just didn't have to be on the road at 5am the following morning on my way out of Fontana.

 

Well, if you can, plan to leave on Monday morning, so you can join us for the Midnight Run on Saturday night. Then you can sleep in on Sunday and have a mellow day!

And as for starting it at 10 PM, there IS a reason we call it Midnight on the Dragon....

 

First off I wanted to give a quick thank you out to everyone that worked so hard to make this happen. It was a great event and we look forward to coming back even bigger next year. Think of it as Club M7 II
For suggestions we have two. We agree with those that would like to see the vendor area combined. We talked to a few people at the end of the event and it is looking like the lower area where we were would contain all of the vendors easily and leave them on hard ground. Having them on the baseball field will not fly. The second one is more of a operational issue. Please have someone schedualed to pickup the garbage . There were several cans in our area which was a good thing but once filled , pretty much on the first day, they were never emptied. As I said all in all it was a great event , take care of these two items and from our perspective it will be perfect

Randy
M7 tuning

 

I think the adventure center parking lot would be better for the Vendors (top and lower tier) because its more of the center of the action. Thats where everybody would have to go for Dinners and registrations and so on. It would give the Vendors the most foot traffic, especially after the dinners if they decide to stay around at night.

Also you could still close off the lower tier to regular traffic and just have people drive around the back. Then all regular parking would be down at the General Store.

 

Many of us who have to make the long distance trips are already taking off Thursday and Friday. Taking Monday off too may not be an option.....

 

So have two. One on Friday night at 8PM and the traditional one.

I dont see any giant rulebook written in stone that says you can't "run the dragon" anytime you want?

I bet you get more cars at 8PM than midnight before the day everyone leaves. Heck ... have a run in the dark everynight .... whats stopping that?

 

The way I read it, you just volunteered to lead one or several at 8pm each day.

 

This was my second Dragon, and I think the organizers did a great job taking suggestions and making improvements over the 2005 version.

The big question in my mind was how many vendors would show up and how they would do. The wrenches did great there, but the main vendor from 2005 did not come back, and others had expressed concern about how difficult it would be to get product there and on display, and how much more difficult it would be to take it all back again.

I talked to someone from OutMotoring, and she said that sales were great even in the heavy rain. M7 posted that they plan to be back even bigger next year. My guess is that even more vendors will show up next time now that this year has broken the ice.

With that in mind, I urge the organizers to consider the radical step of closing the Adventure Center parking lot, and making it the main staging area for both wrenches and vendors. They might also consider making indoor space available to vendors.

Also, please count me as one more vote for having the nighttime Dragon run while I am still awake. I usually leave early on Sunday, and I doubt I am ever going to make midnight on Saturday.