Timely notification of media outlets results in free classification in diary and almanac listing published free by those same media outlets. The budget is thus several rounds of communications, but is clearly dependant on a an early, organised and informative publication of information. Indeed the budget is more about effort and responsibility, than it is about money. Time was this was done, Weston Parks etc. The National Microcar Rally was a known fixture in the calendar of events. For what ever reason, and I can suggest several, this is no longer true.
Secondly the venue chosen has an immediate impact on the amount of advertising. Farmer Giles field probably has no public attractions, and no publicity budget. If your venue has a publicity budget, as it is an attraction of some kind, then an early agreement in holding the event means free advertisement from your host.
The clear and obvious logic here is that the earlier you organise where and what you are doing, the more free advertising you gain access too, if someone bothers to take advantage of it. I have never understood why this simple message is so difficult to understand.
Quite clearly all the following comments on how its chosen to fund the event stem from the active pursuit of a good venue, early, and thus the free advertisement and invitation of all interested organisations up to and including the Luxemberg Zwerg Club. For having caste your net wide and long your will inevitably catch more fish.
This is before any sort of media coverage, or publicity stunts, are created. Again, with the right venue, that publicity would normally be in a presentation advertising the host as well. Good venues employ a PR executive, who will be able to help maximise this. Now the clever bit is to realise that free major media coverage is worth a lot of money to a suitable host venue. 3 TV spots on local news is worth about £50k - £75k, in advertising purchases, and we can get that free. The perfect leverage on which to negotiate some discounts or privileges from the host venue, thus gaining a cheap, or more flexible venue. That is a clear advantage to those attending and can be advertised, that word again, to potential attendees, moving some wavers to come as well.
Thus while I accept your dissertation on the way that it is chosen to work out the costings of the event, I will not comment greatly on it, for it will be clear from the above I would not be doing that way. I would say that a form of taxation based costing is a good analogy, and quite clearly exhibits a tendency for subsidisation of certain pressure groups. Since taxation is a policy, you can vote to avoid it by not paying, ergo a no show, or 'unemployment', by not bringing a car, just walking about getting under peoples feet for a day's walking entrance. (I could have done that free last year, but as always, made a point of paying my dibs to the control ten)t. For years Basil used to drive into the Cotswold Wildlife Park, pass the main gate for free, then park in the public car park and walk into the Microcar section for free. Looking back, who was the fool for bring his car on site? Me. But I believed in club ethics and that things would get better if we all pitched in, then.
Comes down to some simple questions.
1/ Who is the rally, if a rally it is, not a show, for? If its the National Microcar Show, then you have a closer template on the modern events. Rally is to suggest a principally driving based event featuring working cars. Shows are more static and suited to stuff like stationary engines.......
2/ What sort of venue does the target group, and here I am pretty certain we are talking about Microcar Drivers and Owners, want.
3/ How is that best achieved to gain the fullest of uptakes? Well I have pretty much answered that for you. Early booking. For prime venues that is probably 18 months in advance of rally day. Due to the nature and timing of National Meetings that really means two years in advance. Currently this seems to be resisted, its certainly not sought as a policy. So your hamstrung before you have started.
None of that is negative. None of that is anti campervan. But from my perspective the campervans are a pressure group, pushing for venues that suit their needs, not the needs of all microcar drivers and owners. The one lot are in principle minimalist and only need a small area to be happily active. That opens up quirky, unique venues no one else, except perhaps motorcycles, can use. The other group are the exact opposite of what they claim their interest is, So they are not minimalists by habit, and need huge fields of space, pushing up costs, to be on site. To be on the event field, the presence of large support vehicles reduces the number of venues, and tends to dominate the event - the damp Calne will for ever tickle my ribs. An event actually trashed by campervans. Micros on there own would have been no problem, and were no problem. I have no doubt this will be an unpopular view, but its not a negative one, since the campervans can be catered for with a little imagination, and a little bit of giving by those who wish to use them, by not being the centre, be all and end all, of what is going on. Get them off the rally field, and stick them somewhere out of the way, where they pay their fair share for being there. Let the microcars dominate the proceedings. Make it so they want to be there. But this all goes back to what your answers are to those three questions. If the majority compromise towards campervans then fine. But do not whinge of other people choose not to play and call you out. Yours is very clearly not the only answer.
