andy james Posted June 13, 2022 Share Posted June 13, 2022 The Ace Cafe meet that Martin kindly organised last weekend has yet again shown up a trend where members are putting their name down for an event with maybe limited numbers and not turning up. Life can throw all of us a curve ball at times but there is no excuse for not messaging an event organiser if you cannot attend which could deny someone else the chance to display their pride and joy. I have discussed this issue with the team and we all agree things need to change otherwise we will lose the enthusiasm and dedication of our event organisers and also the venues who rely on our support for revenue etc. Moving forward can all members only add their name to the list if they are 100% committed to attend and not just reserving a slot. We don’t want to go down the road of penalising etc but this must stop! Everyone needs to remember this club is run by enthusiasts who give up part of their busy life for free to keep this great place going so don’t take it for granted. 14 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly350z Posted June 13, 2022 Share Posted June 13, 2022 Unpopular opinion I'm sure Andy and i have no doubt there will be those along shortly to try and shame me but I do feel the need to say it, as I have said it to you, Steve and Martin in person. Nothing said is meant to cause offence in any way shape or form. I truly appreciate the effort you all go to and its a task I openly admit that I would not want to do so please don't think its taken for granted, nor do I say this lightly However in that same sentence, I really resent going to the effort of preparing the car, spending the majority of the day / weekend before washing, waxing, all the works to then wake up on the day of the show and see it pouring with rain, just to get me soaked, the car soaked and drive to a wash out show especially while fuel is the highest its ever been. Don't get me wrong, it's a gamble as there have been several shows that the weather has cleared up and I could've gone. Only harm done is I'm out of pocket in places. Incarnation 2022 as an example was a great show and i really enjoyed seeing familiar faces however I will voice the one part of it that did annoy me. Without mentioning names, it did get back to me that several people were "surprised" to see me and that I'd made the "effort". Truthfully, this did proceed to wind me up as I honestly feel if it could get back to me then this is something that could be said to me in person. Moving forward, it is my person view and feeling that if there is a threat of penalties for not turning up or 100% commitment is required then I think I'll have to tip my hat to you all now and say that will be the last show I'll attend as part of 350z-UK, as I personally feel that is an unfair request. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zippypooz Posted June 13, 2022 Share Posted June 13, 2022 Olly mate, this post isn’t aimed at you. It’s merely to politely ask people to turn up at an event when they’ve put their name down…unless of course there is a valid reason not to attend. And should there be a valid reason, to at least have the courtesy to inform the REO. it was a real shame to see so few turn up at ACE when there were over 20 names on the list. it not only messes the REO around but also the venue who allowed us to use their premises exclusively for the morning/afternoon. like I said though mate, this isn’t aimed at you, it’s aimed at all of us on here. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy_Muxlow Posted June 13, 2022 Share Posted June 13, 2022 I have to agree with Andy and the other organisers here really. I do understand that weather and stuff can affect the day but, there is really a need to get in touch with the organiser to let them know if people can't attend. The venues will soon also not want us to attend if we cant get people to attend I would think. They will want to fill there car parks up and not have them empty. Its such a shame. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly350z Posted June 13, 2022 Share Posted June 13, 2022 9 minutes ago, zippypooz said: Olly mate, this post isn’t aimed at you. It’s merely to politely ask people to turn up at an event when they’ve put their name down…unless of course there is a valid reason not to attend. And should there be a valid reason, to at least have the courtesy to inform the REO. it was a real shame to see so few turn up at ACE when there were over 20 names on the list. it not only messes the REO around but also the venue who allowed us to use their premises exclusively for the morning/afternoon. like I said though mate, this isn’t aimed at you, it’s aimed at all of us on here. Haven't taken it as being aimed at me Steve, I've just simply put my feelings on the matter across as I'm sure others will. Whatever the outcome I will support the staff's decision because as I said truthfully I wouldn't want to be the one organising these events. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loadmaster Posted June 13, 2022 Share Posted June 13, 2022 I attended last year's Ace meet and the car park was rammed. I had my name down for this one, but five days before the event I had to message Martin to say I needed to pull out due to an appointment to deal with a university accommodation issue. I was deeply disappointed (and a tad embarrassed) to have to do that and having been involved with organising events with one of the BMW clubs in the past, I fully appreciate the work that goes into it. My heart sank when I learnt of the actual turnout in the day, particularly as I had unwillingly contributed to it. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldel Posted June 13, 2022 Share Posted June 13, 2022 (edited) And another plus one to Andy's post. To be clear, what Andy is asking is that people communicate non attendance in advance. Respect the time and effort our REOs put in by putting in a few minutes of your own time to let them know. Having organised events in the past where I have had more than 50% no shows at limited number events its massively frustrating. Standing in a mostly empty Ace car park on Saturday was very frustrating and all those that came agreed something had to be said. Especially as I can imagine we now have a black mark against our club at Ace, I wouldn't be surprised if they dont let us back next year. Additionally (and dont take this the wrong way Olly its just I noticed your valid point about driving miles in crap weather to stand in the rain is no fun) I would suggest that at limited number events that are over subscribed where you are unlikely to show depending on the weather or any other reason and decide on the morning of the event not to come, I would consider having a think about whether you should really be putting your name down, or at least volunteering to go on a reserve list, let someone else grab a spot who is willing to go out come rain or shine. Edited June 13, 2022 by coldel 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azurez33 Posted June 13, 2022 Share Posted June 13, 2022 1 hour ago, andy james said: The Ace Cafe meet that Martin kindly organised last weekend has yet again shown up a trend where members are putting their name down for an event with maybe limited numbers and not turning up. Life can throw all of us a curve ball at times but there is no excuse for not messaging an event organiser if you cannot attend which could deny someone else the chance to display their pride and joy. I have discussed this issue with the team and we all agree things need to change otherwise we will lose the enthusiasm and dedication of our event organisers and also the venues who rely on our support for revenue etc. Moving forward can all members only add their name to the list if they are 100% committed to attend and not just reserving a slot. We don’t want to go down the road of penalising etc but this must stop! Everyone needs to remember this club is run by enthusiasts who give up part of their busy life for free to keep this great place going so don’t take it for granted. 100% mate, communication is key and it barely takes any time to message. Always appreciate the time and effort put into keeping the club running. I do however see some of Ollys point it is a pain to go through all that for it to rain but we live in England so always expect rain 😂 But we are British And we have a right to complain 👍🏼 1 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nso93 Posted June 13, 2022 Share Posted June 13, 2022 (edited) Not been on for a while but agree with Andy. One suggestion to help prevent this is to put a refundable deposit on the limit number events in the eventuality of a no sure which could be used to compensate the venues or at the end of the year donated to a charity voted for by the forum members. but if the member’s show they get that money back in way of a voucher towards food or drink if the venue is up for that Edited June 13, 2022 by Nso93 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monkey1983 Posted June 13, 2022 Share Posted June 13, 2022 Not messaging to say you can’t make it is really not fair. It only takes a minute to do and then everyone knows what going on. you don’t even have to give a reason if you don’t want , just let somebody know. I really appreciate the guys who set the meets and events up , it’s the best bit about this forum and I really enjoy them. Plus I enjoy discussing what’s fallen off each other’s car that month 🤣 1 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davey_83 Posted June 14, 2022 Share Posted June 14, 2022 (edited) Following the poor attendance at Ace Cafe the other day something definitely needed to be said, without question. To let folks know you can't make it is common courtesy and I know first hand it makes the difference as you don't end up looking a prat to the venue owners not knowing your numbers. Only thing I will say is the Ace Cafe gig is ran clunky, both part of Ace themselves and possibly us. Now the best and easiest way to notify you won't be attending is on the thread you initially put your name down on. That thread circa 2 weeks before the event is closed, why I don't know. Now if you're swift on the forum and regularly drop folks PM's that's ok but it's not ideal compared to sticking a quick post on the thread itself. Limit numbers events I understand, however if say 25 spaces are booked and you have a thread of 25 cars (no reserve due to thread locking down weeks before the gig and that was the amount of interest up until then) to expect drop outs is the nature of the beast. Having to provide regs is clunky also as this further limits our ability to attach more members. Look at Japfest thread for this year, a tone of cars literally came on during the last few days of the thread. This is because of circumstance and the weather looking decent therefore folks are able to commit to events. Again a closed thread probably for this event in question limited the number of people wanting to attend. For the breakfast meet on Sunday gone, we literally had a couple that had the day before searched on Google 'midlands 350z 370z car meet' saw the active thread without restriction and came along. PERFECT situation, and they'll be coming to the next one. How exciting and another way to attract newbies. Now with a closed thread and a reg needing to be submitted, never would have happened. ACE need to loose that feature, does more harm than good. No shows are going to happen, no two ways about it. The means to easily put your hand up to notify someone, gone. Ability to attract late comers gone. What if a Z was driving pass Ace on the day, can I come in? No, your name's not down? Terrible, absolutely terrible however that's the impression given on the thread even if you did come across it online. I feel changes need to happen otherwise Ace meets will continue to die off. Edited June 14, 2022 by davey_83 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Payco Posted June 14, 2022 Share Posted June 14, 2022 (edited) Dave. There are a few things I need to explain to everyone about Ace. Regardless of what it may appear Ace are very organised and on the ball. Mark Wilsmore who manages the events request we supply names and registrations every year without exception. He also gives me a two week prior to the event deadline to submit them and is very clear about cars not just turning up on the day. His rules, not mine. I am more than happy for someone to step into my shoes and run this event. I act as REO to help make the forum an enjoyable place for guys and girls to go to events with their cars. Until you walk in Andy James and my shoes for a season nobody will appreciate what a commitment it is. I know we do it out of choice but it really isn’t much to ask people to let us know if they can’t make an event. I also don’t want people to think you can put your name down and then providing you notify us it’s fine to not show. I’m my mind you should at least have a valid reason to pull out.The other key point here is events plan their stand allocation and site plan based upon the number of club members attending. Therefore for example if we have 30 attending a show the event will allocate a spot for 30 cars. When only 20 show it’s a very awkward situation as a REO to explain. A situation where you just roll up on the day is not workable .There’s more to this than members appreciate. Edited June 14, 2022 by Payco 4 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldel Posted June 14, 2022 Share Posted June 14, 2022 As above. Their rules not ours. Ace is very different to monthly pub meets etc they have club meets literally every day and the calendar is full, it’s massively popular as a venue and they have not just us to contend with but 100+ other clubs they allow in - absolutely makes sense to take regs and limit numbers (number limits are most likely agreed with the local council who don’t want queues of cars sitting on the A406) and again that’s not our fault that’s the rules of the venue. In the same way you cannot rock up at caffeine and machine and have to book in advance for certain days. And so on. Yes there were two sets of no shows Saturday, those that had extenuating circumstances and let Martin know (which is fine) and those that just didn’t bother. As for being able to contact him, I don’t believe for one second that he is uncontactable. If I posted on the forum on Saturday that anyone sending me a PM got £1000 I guarantee those that no showed with no comms would find a way to contact me and claim the cash. It comes back to what I said above, respect the efforts of people who put their time aside to help other people have a great ownership experience. Try and attend if you put your name down and let them know if you can’t. 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George1966 Posted June 14, 2022 Share Posted June 14, 2022 There are a number of points raised in all the above comments but the facts still remain that Martin went to a lot of trouble to organise this event and was let down I travelled all the way down from Northamptonshire and intended to turn up rain or shine I didn’t buy my 350 6 years ago to keep it in the garage and push it out on a Sunday to polish it and I use it everyday winter or summer. I personally enjoyed the day and it was great to meet other members so well done Martin. 6 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShortPaul Posted June 14, 2022 Share Posted June 14, 2022 I made a five hr round trip from Bristol, i was expecting to see the ace car park full, very disappointing, nether the less, it was good to catch up with payco, zippy, and the dealer made me do it, loved the colour of Andy's zed. 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Humpy Posted June 14, 2022 Share Posted June 14, 2022 Think this thread needs to be posted with every event that is organised/created. Just so people know the what is expected of them when they put there name down on the list and no excuses that they didn't know etc etc Yes things in life do happen and all it takes is a simple message to say. Tbh it's why I didn't put my name down for Ace which I do normally go to. I just couldn't guarantee that I could make it. Event/REO you have my respect for putting your own personal time and effort into organising shows etc. 4 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docwra Posted June 14, 2022 Share Posted June 14, 2022 (edited) 2 hours ago, Humpy said: Think this thread needs to be posted with every event that is organised/created. Just so people know the what is expected of them when they put there name down on the list and no excuses that they didn't know etc etc I dont think thats necessary, just a note to say that if youre not going to make it you need to let the EO know or you may not be able to attend future events. In fairness there was a lot of stuff cancelled due to weather last weekend, we had storm warnings here but as someone else said it only takes 15 seconds to send a message. This bit though: Event/REO you have my respect for putting your own personal time and effort into organising shows etc. 100% fully agree, its a thankless task at the best of times and a PIA when (invariably) stuff doesnt go entirely to plan Edited June 14, 2022 by docwra 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zippypooz Posted June 14, 2022 Share Posted June 14, 2022 Personally if I put my name down for a meet I’ll go rain or shine. I enjoy cleaning and polishing my zee but I also enjoy meeting up with old friends and potential new ones. For me the weather isn’t an issue it’s the company that counts. And to be fair, I’ve never been to a meet where it’s an absolute total wash out. There’s usually a break in the weather at some point. I think as said above, if you’re unsure about going just in case the weather turns then maybe give it a miss and enable someone else to step in. was great to see some nice 370’s there too. 6 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GranTurismoEra Posted June 21, 2022 Share Posted June 21, 2022 (edited) Unfortunately I was one of the no shows. I literally thought it was this weekend. Then again I hadnt checked the thread since April/May. Kinda gutted but thats life. End of the day I was even wanting to invite some people mark 1 Nismo and a Supra. and remembering you couldn't just turn up. Obviously got the dates mixed up thinking it was 24th June. Life happens, gutted to have missed it. Regarding weather, Id still turn up. I can understand its not everyone cup of tea though. Having a clean car at a meet in England is a bonus tbh. The whole Z driveby thing I dont know why anyones suprised seeing Zeds youd never see normally especially in that area drive by during a Z meet. I did the same with the 350 back in the day. There were 6 cars that day. Its a closed event and no guarantees youll make it. A lot of people watch the forums but have no plans to interact. I actually have no recollection of that day June 11th. Anyway I agree with davey about the list but thats the rules of Ace Cafe. Apologies for not showing up! @Payco No excuses. Can only apologize. Edited June 22, 2022 by GranTurismoEra 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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