Before everyone gasps please let me explain....

In planning for the Banquet we were planning on 300 people. We hit 350 earlier today. Given the type of dinner we were planning and the size of the room, 350 is really the max we can easily accomodate for seating. With this in mind I've closed Banquet ticket sales.

There is an upside...

Because we have two great speakers joining us for the evening:

• Neil Smith of Butler, Shine, Stern, and Partners (MINI's advertising agency)
• Thomas Kurz - who heads up accessories for MINI USA (I just arranged this)

AND great prizes to give away I wanted to make sure that people have a dinner option so they can participate. Given this here is what I've arranged:

A plate dinner for $12.50 at the Wildwood Grill (next door to where the banquet is being held. Menu includes:

• Fried Grouper or Lemon Grilled Chicken
• Cole Slaw
• Green Beans
• Tossed Salad w/ Choice of Dressing
• Beverage (Tea, Coffee or Soft Drink)

How It Will Work
You'll come by the same check-in table for the Banquet and we'll check you in, verify your vendor scavenger hunt card, and give you a different colored arm band for the Dinner at the Grill. You'll head off to eat and come back to the Banquet around 7:30 for the presentations and giveaways. Unfortunately this will be a standing room only type of affair but we'll still be able to accomodate everyone that wants to hear Neil and Thomas speak as well as be present for the big giveaways.

How to Partipate
If you haven't already registered for the event just select a Driver or Passenger registration. To take advantage of this extra dinner just select this as option before you add it to your shopping cart.

I know its unfortunate that we can't accomodate everyone for the banquet seating but this is the largest room that Fontana has available this year....and we filled it in only a few days...way beyond our expectations . Next year we'll explore some different dining options that will create a flow of people over a few hours to maximize our ability to serve the masses of MINIacs attending. Perhaps we'll erect a circus-size tent on the ballfield and we can have it double as a dinner hall for 1,000 people as well as a lodging hostel

The updated registration options are now available in the NAM Store.

Thanks for your understanding and awesome support of the event!

Mark

 

Does it take a while before your name shows up on the event list? I registered for the Fri night BBQ for me and my wife and my name doesn't show up. I just wanted to be sure I didn't lose out on it as well as the Banquet!

Thanks

 

MOTD has exploded in popularity and the events are selling out faster than anyone could have possibly anticipated!

Kudos to you Mark - you are doing an amazing job! Thank you for all the hard work you are putting in to make MOTD events accessible to as many of us as possible. We appreciate all your effort!

 

Mark,

I think you may have covered this in a different thread, but I don't remember which one... For those of us that already registered for MOTD but not the banquet, what do we need to do in order to register for this extra dinner?

Thanks,
Ed

 

If you go the MOTD area of NAM just click on the Registration Change Request in the menu. This iwll prompt you for everything I'll need to update your order. Once I receive the information I'll update your order, charge your credit card, and send you a confirmation that its been done.

Thanks

Mark

 

This has been resolved. It was a problem introduced when I was switching over to the new registration packages including the Dinner at the Grill option.

Thanks

Mark

 

Is it necessary to order the Grill dinner, or would it be possible to buy a bunch of raffle tickets instead?

 

Currently the only way to be eligible for the drawings is to fill out the vendor scavenger hunt card and check-in at the dinner (by way of having a dinner). We are still giving consideration to providing those that are in attendence the opportunity to purchase additional raffle tickets.

Mark

 

For those of you choosing this option:
Please let me know if you need a vegetarian option, you can either send me a PM or simply post something in here. I'm already aware of one person who requested a vegetarian option, I just need to know how many others will need it so I can arrange it with the Fontana people.

 

Mark, Now why can't something like this be arranged for the Thursday, Opening Dinner? And you are doing an amazing job! Michael

 

Ditto that, considering more than 50% of the MOTD attendees are not able to be accomodated for the welcome dinner. There is still over a month to go, and with more than 300 people wanting, any chance of expanding the welcome dinner??

 

There is already another choice for Thursday night, the NSW dinner. See the thread in this forum for details.

I'd like to ask people to be careful with their words about the Welcome Dinner situation. I've seen a few posts lately (not yours Grover) where people are complaining about the sell out. Please remember that the only way to base planning for something like this is to look at the previous year. The planners did that and made their plans accordingly. Next year the capacity will obviously be increased based on the demand this year.

The planners have put in a lot of time and hard work and no one needs to be complaining that it is sold out. Next year be prepared to register as soon as it opens.

 

No complaints here, I'm just happy to be attending!!! (And Yes, I have my reservations in for the NSW dinner, gotta love the Badger state peeps!!) But I see the Monte nite event isn't getting enough peeps and are considering rescheduling to Thurs, and the welcome dinner is a bit overloaded, so maybe they could both get together and ????


Either way, its gonna be a crazy good time!!!

 

Sorry but I respectfully disagree, on several differnt points.

1. There is 5 weeks to go and the organizers' of that dinner can't work with the Fontana to organize an overflow room? What exactly is the issue?
2. NAM is about INCLUSION not EXCLUSION, while I will join the "unofficial dinner" or the Helix BBQ, that's not the point, we who admittedly waited an entire 4 days?! are excluded from the event with a shrug of "that's just the way it is". Well why not set up audio and video into whatever venue that the unofficial dinner will take place so that we can share the same festivities that the chosen 300 get?
3. I predict that next year NAM's server will have issues in the first hour of MOTD 2008 registration as everyone tries to log on and get their's first, or we will go to a lottery like the Porsche Convention does.
4. You accomodated all of us at last year's Brew Fest, it was tight but you did it and this year you moved to a different venue. Again what prevents those organizing the Opening Dinner from doing the same, ie adding to event by use of an overflow room for this year and doing something in the bigger room next year?

 

MOTD can only get so big because of the venue. The only option is to have a massive tent covering the field that the drive-in is on. That is what happens when you do something up in the mountains. IMO, MOTD is MAXED out and can't get any bigger because of the venue, and there aren't really many options since the event was created around the road. Man, I wish we could have 1000+ people with as many MINIS/minis, but it will never happen.

 

3. I predict that next year NAM's server will have issues in the first hour of MOTD 2008 registration as everyone tries to log on and get their's first, or we will go to a lottery like the Porsche Convention does.
quote]

NAM's server logjammed for me on Thursday morning after I read my email that said registration was open. If I were able to get on then, I would have gotten my tickets for the Welcome Dinner. I can imagine just how overcrowded the Dragon will be this year. It'll still be fun, but it'll be busy.

 

There may not be a room available for the overflow, that is up to Fontana.

The welcome dinner is already being held in the biggest room Fontana has.

 

Oh come one. The chosen 300? Give me a break man. You are acting like the organizers hand picked 300 people and told everyone else to bugger off. If you think its such an easy thing to just throw together another room somewhere at fontana with a catered dinner then by all means, step up and do so. Cry all you want about it but if you aren't willing to put yourself out there to do it then keep quiet. I nominate you to organize next year's Welcome Dinner and we'll see how you plan for it and handle it.

I do agree about the concerns for next year, the servers and god I hope it doesn't become a lottery. Even if we did "cap" attendance at MOTD to say 600 or 700 people it's clear that people who wait and miss out will be like, screw the fact that I don't have a ticket, I'm showing up anyway.

And yes, I was able to make better accomodations this year. But what about the people who NOW want to get in on the Brew Swap? Are you now a part of the chosen 250? Should we set up a smaller brew swap elsewhere in Fontana that night?

There are other options for a Thursday night dinner available and I suggest you take advantage of them.

 

Fontanna is out in the middle of NOWHERE! Remember they are not a huge hotel/resort in a large metropolitian area...
I am sorry you feel left out. I am very surprised myself just how quickly things have filled up. Happily too. It shows just how popular MOTD is becoming.
There is nothing 'handpicked' or exclusionary about it. There just is NOT room!!!!

 

Mark Pm sent with ?'s

 

Is there any way that those that will not be going to the dinner (for whatever reason), could particpate in the vendor scavenger hunt and/or purchase additional raffle tickets?