1) What surprised you?

It was obvious that clicks had developed from the previous seven years of WTD. No biggy to me, but some newbies may have been intimidated by trying to fit in with an already established social group.

2) What did you like / not like?

More information on drives. Perhaps a strip map with routes and distances. In the event a driver gets separated they could navigate without the seasoned people.

3) Suggestions for making "newbies" feel welcome.

I was very excited about having pictures to share once we returned home. My thread was filled with comments that locals of NC didn't even realize this was happening. Perhaps a video like the one Raul showed at the end of WTD8 be widely disseminated in all the forums a few months prior to WTD9. That would boost interest and get people excited about attending WTD9.

4) Random thoughts....

Out-sourcing some tasks to talented members. There were dozens of folks that have daily jobs that cross over to planning large group events. Graphic design, communications, mechanical, etc... Ask for volunteers and you shall receive.

-Christian

 

I had a remarkable amount of fun. Even though mots of the UMW crew knows me as a former owner, I felt completely welcomed despite not bringing a REAL S2000. I also had plenty of fun on the lunch drives to Franklin (thanks w1ngman ) and Robbinsville, that even if I hadn't driven on the Dragon myself, I still would have had an absolute blast.

 

This was my first WTD event. I have never been on the Dragon either, so it was a lot of fun. There were 4 cars in our group, and two of them have been coming to WTD for a few years and they gave me great advice on the roads and my car, since I have only had my S since March 20th. Great event and thanks to all the organizers, I will definitely be back next year!!!

 

the bill is in the mail for all the "great advice"

 

- What surprised you?
*The resort was nicer than I expected.
*Met some nice people from my home town in Fla.

- What did you like / not like?
*NO coffee maker in the rooms !
*I DID like NOT having cell service - I actually got to talk to people instead of watching everyone have a phone stuck to the side of their head.
*No one seemed to be taking the newbies under their wing - giving these people some encouragement and hints can only make the next meet even more fun.
*I ride the dragon 2-3 times a year on my motorcycle, but stay in Cherokee so the wife can empty my wallet at the casino. It was nice not having to drive to the dragon each day ! (plus, I had cash left over this trip ! )

- Suggestions for making "newbies" feel welcome
*It wasn't until the last day, and the last get together, that first time people were recognized. I think this should of been at the beginning, with seasoned members encouraged to assist the newbies.
*Maybe even set up some less aggressive rides for the newbies.

- Random thoughts....
*Overall I had a great time.
*Since we had a cross section of seasoned and new drivers, I would like to see drives set up for different levels of skill.
*Maybe even some seminars on the car for new owners.
*I overheard some people discussing they were not comfortable on some of the rides, and some people want to see the views on some of the rides. Since I know the area pretty well, I took a couple of people who wanted a more leisurely pace on a slower ride they seemed to enjoy.

(Praises also welcome, of course!)
*Overall, I think the meet was well planned and organized.
*Oh, and yes, I DID read the manual numerous times, and skimmed it each night for the next days activities.

~Scott

 

After giving it a bit of thought, I really only have two suggestions.

First, I was caught off guard by what was frequently considered "leisurely" drives... maybe it was just because I wasn't driving an s2k, but some of these leisurely drives felt pretty intense to me. I still enjoyed them because at that point I realized I could go at my own pace, so I was pleasantly surprised when I got comfortable and was keeping up with everyone. I just think most people expect the "leisurely" drives to be a LOT closer to speed limits and such. I got the impression that a good number of people aren't all that interested in the more intense drives, at least maybe not in groups.

Secondly, it would have been nice to have a bit more of a mixer earlier on in the event. I met a handful of people outside of the group I went with / people I already knew, but I felt like there was still a good amount of people staying within their groups. I'm not saying people weren't friendly or willing to introduce themselves, but I would have enjoyed meeting more people from outside my region. This one might be more MY fault for not being as outgoing as others, but I figured I'd mention it anyway.

 

Really good feedback folks. I appreciate you sharing...

A few years back, I would always hold the Saturday morning Driver's Meeting in person and would always recognize the new folks...review safety concerns and reiterate key points of the itinerary. Again, this event likely had the most new folks I've seen in quite awhile...so I'll be sure to include a better plan for future events.

I really like the idea of a social mixer...this year was a challenge because Friday's dinner was split between the Wildwood Grill and the little pavilion for the Beer Swap. The distance was great. I think the ballpark would have been a better venue...but again, we didn't know until we tried it. There's something to be said about ALL the cars and PEOPLE in one concentrated spot.

Some of the best memories...years ago came with folks hanging out around their cars outside in the parking lots of hotels during 2001, 2002, etc... Ever since using Fontana, we've lost that element of the event...using the ballpark sorta brought that back...but no doubt it has been an issue.

I'll also look into these leisurely drives and agree...if the drive is advertised as "leisurely," then not much over the speed limit should be experienced.

Thanks again and keep 'em coming.

 

Christian, you're right that some groups tend to "hang together" and that it's a result of previous gatherings. But honestly, I think most of the "established" groups are the result of people getting to know other S2K owners through their local/regional events and gatherings, so I would encourage you to seek out and participate in some of the Carolina gatherings. While they're not the Dragon, they are usually more social in nature and a nice way to get to know some of the others.

We've always tried to have the Registration social on Friday nights, but perhaps we could look at having something less formal and more centralized on Thursday nights as well (besides the Hooters gathering).

I also like the idea of calling out the "first timers" early to give them a special welcome. Perhaps at the registration/welcome dinner.

Thanks again to everyone for the great feedback!

 

I had a great time Sheila. I had the wife and I'm kind of an introvert anyway. The earlier social mixer sounds like it would definitely bring people into the clicks earlier.

 

Ahh.. had more time to digest, read other people's comments and here are my thoughts:

- What surprised you?

How awesome the s2ki community is. I mean I know my local guys.. but meeting everyone from all over was very cool. It was particularly nice meeting the other female owners too... (we are a bit of a minority here)

- What did you like?

The organizers did a GREAT job putting everything together. Having done event planning etc.. I can only imagine the amount of time that went into making the things that ran seamlessly look easy - even though it really wasn't!

- What did you not like?
- Suggestions for making "newbies" feel welcome
- Random thoughts....

These all go together... I, too, felt the cliques, but I think that is to be expected. For those that are coming here after 5+ years.. have it down. This year is a bit of an anomaly for a number of reasons:

1. Dragon was partially closed - this actually turned out to be for the better for us new drivers I believe.

2. Hooters meet on Thurs night was a long ways away. Like many people, we came down from many hours away. Trying to get settled at Fontana.. then going back out for that many hours just to do a meet is just a bit much.

Suggestions:

1. Our region has begun an annual 'old meets new' meet. I think this is something we could do at WTD - to identify new people and mix up the cliques a bit. It can also help to identify those individuals that did not come out with a larger region/group.

2. Maybe a formal dinner the first night to kick off the festivities and casual the next night? Perhaps the annual video from the previous year can be shown the first night to get everyone more into the WTD - as a 'kickoff' ... and also tag people in the videos. I saw many people around - i still don't know what their screen names are (though the nametags help). Also helps to identify those more experienced and people you can go to with questions..

3. On the whiteboard - put up a list/section of parts needed. I saw some people posting online but some people purposely disconnect. Sad to see someone had worn brake pads, and 5 other people posting that they could've helped if only they'd known.

4. Maybe a 1st time orientation/meet (optional) where old meets new and can answer questions?



That said, these are just my thoughts and suggestions. I think the organizers did an amazing job of putting a ton of information out there ahead of time (itinerary as only one example). I think the information has always been out there - but as a newb we might not always know where to look?

And as always.. sometimes you just don't know what you know/don't know til you do it I don't think you can fully prepare yourself for the dragon until you've just gone