D14 Enduro Survey: '08 Awards Banquet

[Smit-Dog]

There are a lot of challenges in having the Enduro awards banquet less than 1 week after the last race of the season.

Would you be in favor of separating the Enduro and Hare Scramble banquets so that there is more planning time available for the Enduro awards?

If you are a D14 member and enduro rider, please take this survey (vote only once - IP logged):

http://pub45.bravenet.com/vote/vote.php?usernum=3809030787

Thanks!

 

[Don Marsh]

Bill, before I vote is having the Enduro & HS banquet together at a later date not a possibility?

 

[Smit-Dog]

Based on the feedback that was passed on to me, the HS division is not interested in changing the date. The possibility of the Enduro division splitting off did not seem to affect their level of interest or motivation one way or another.

 

[bbarel]

I was wondering the same thing, too bad.

 

[Smit-Dog]

FWIW, an Enduro / FES-specific banquet comprised of a smaller group does open up a number of options for other locations and potentially better rates.

 

[Fred T]

FWIW, an Enduro / FES-specific banquet comprised of a smaller group does open up a number of options for other locations and potentially better rates.

I disagree on the better rates. Based on the economies of scale a banquet facility will be able to offer better rates for banquet room with food when the numbers are guaranteed to be larger. So most likely those that vote to have the banquets seperate will also be voting for an increase in thier price. Also I doubt that a multi event HS/enduro competator is going to want to spring for 2 banquets especially if it involves an entire family. That can compute to a few hundred bucks plus possibly over night stays-my guess is that it could kill of the feasibility of an affordable banquet and possibly drive down attendance.

I'm not offering a vote one way or the other here but just offering what I know about the business -money and volume talks when an operation has to pay for employees to service the event, pay to heat the banquet room and pay to order and prepare the food.

 

[Smit-Dog]

I'd be curious to find out what the typical banquet costs (per dinner fee) are for other districts. I've heard rumor that some of their cost is subsidized by the district. I realize that local competition and economy play into it as well.

Regardless, I think Valley Plaza puts on a nice event and the food is good.

 

[wyatt]

splitting off is a bad idea. Years ago when there were more participants A seperate banquet made sense. With the dwindling number of riders you could have the enduro banquet in your basement. Quite a few riders attend races for both series, having to attend two small banquets doesnt make sense. It is a opportunity for all the off road riders to get together and there is financial strength in numbers.
Surely the two divisions can come to an agreement on a suitable date. Just my 2 cents

 

[Smit-Dog]

... Surely the two divisions can come to an agreement on a suitable date.

I would think and hope so. It gets tight pretty fast in November / December (hunting, Thanksgiving, sanctioning meeting, holiday parties, etc.). Before you know it we're into January.

 

[Don Marsh]

Are the majority of the people against January? I would make sense to me.

 

[Smit-Dog]

It makes sense to you that the majority of people are against a banquet in January, or having the banquet in January makes sense?

Does that sentence make sense? :whoa:

 

[fatherandson]

I did some research before the sanctioning meeting on locations for a banquet with 250-300 people and only found two locations in Lansing large enough to accomodate our enduro/hs group. The cost was very similar to Valley ($27-$30 per person). The dirt track division is having their banquet at one of these facilities and the food cost is much less, but I have not seen their menu option or the number of attendees.

While at the sanctioning meeting I spent time in both the enduro and hs room to make sure our schedules were coordinated. I mentioned a few times about moving our banquet to January or February. As the meetings broke I ran into a HS board member and asked about the banquet. I was informed that they have no intention of changing the date ("they have too much going on in February"). I emphasized that our current date was a week after our last event and we may need to split the banquets. The response was - OK. I left the sanctioning meeting at that time. If there were other discussions between the enduro and hs leadership during that weekend or since the sanctioning meeting, I have not be part of them.

I would prefer to have the banquets together. I do not understand why we could not move the banquet to January or February - other districts and divisions within D14 do it. I attended the D15 and D17 banquet last year. The cost was lower ($15), but all divisions were at the SAME banquet. D15 did it the right way...doors open at 4:00 - four of the divisions have their awards banquet. We eat at 6:00 and the other divisions have their banquet after dinner (we left). At D17 I felt like enduro was treated like a step child - our awards presentation was in a smaller room - not in the main meeting room.

A smaller group will allow for more options, but based on the comparison to the D15 banquet I doubt the costs will be lower (especially for the riders who qualify for both banquets).

 

[bbarel]

Based on the feedback that was passed on to me, the HS division is not interested in changing the date.

Is that set in stone and does this really represent the opinion of the majority of riders who attend the banquet? Considering the amount of crossover I bet the majority of HS+Enduro riders would prefer a combined banquet in January…

 

[Smit-Dog]

Is that set in stone and does this really represent the opinion of the majority of riders who attend the banquet? Considering the amount of crossover I bet the majority of HS+Enduro riders would prefer a combined banquet in January…

I don't know if the HS leadership stance on a date change represents the majority interests of their riders, or it's just what they want to do.

.... And just what exactly goes on in February that keeps the HS division so busy? Regardless, that still leaves the month of January as viable option that works for ALL parties involved.

I've blasted the survey out to about 280 riders on the D14 enduro distribution list. If the HS leadership is open to surveying its riders in order to make decision that is in the best interests of the majority, they should really do the same thing.

 

[Fred T]

The survey isn't asking the right questions if you want the leadership of the hs to see what the riders want. It asks if you want seperate in Janary of combined in Nov. I'd vote for combined in Jan/Feb but I can't vote on that so I didn't vote at all. What is the intention of the survey? who's indicating they wanted the survey and for what purpose?

 

[Smit-Dog]

Fatherandson requested the survey, with the two options as presented. The purpose is to see if the majority of enduro riders would be OK with a banquet date in January / February, even if it means splitting from the HS banquet.

Even though I'd like the HS leadership to survey their riders before making a decision like this, I don't always get what I want... ;)

I don't have access to the HS rider base to blast out a survey... I only have access to the enduro riders, with only some of them crossing over. It's not a perfect survey, but it's better than nothing, and is what we have available to work with.

I agree that a combined banquet in January / February makes the most sense, but evidently that's not an option the HS division is willing to consider.

 

[Fred T]

OK, I got it. Too bad those are the only 2 choices. It just sounds like to me that the Hs people need to listen to some one about it as Ill bet a larger portion of the attendance is from FES and Enduro and if they loose that they will realize too late what they will lose. Their race attendance is dwindling while Endruo is growing.............

 

[D.LEATHERS]

OK, I got it. Too bad those are the only 2 choices. It just sounds like to me that the Hs people need to listen to some one about it as Ill bet a larger portion of the attendance is from FES and Enduro and if they loose that they will realize too late what they will lose. Their race attendance is dwindling while Endruo is growing.............

FRED I HAVE TO DISAGREE. :coocoo: THE H/S NUMBERS ARE VERY CLOSE TO PREVIOUS YEARS. OUR NUMBERS AT PORTLAND ARE ALSO. I WAS IN ATTENDANCE FOR THE H/S MEETING, THE LAST H/S ON THE SCHDULE IS IN EARLY OCT. THEY DON'T WANT TO WAIT 3 MONTHS FOR THEIR BANQUET.THEY WANT TO GET IT DONE AND OVER WITH BEFORE DEER SEASON AND THE HOLIDAYS. WE DISCUSSED THIS IN LENGTH. I WOULD SUGGEST YOU CONTACT THE H/S BOARD FOR FUTHER INFO ON THE REASONS WHY THEY DECIDED TO SPLIT THE BANQUETS. :uh:

 

[Fred T]

FRED I HAVE TO DISAGREE. :coocoo: THE H/S NUMBERS ARE VERY CLOSE TO PREVIOUS YEARS. OUR NUMBERS AT PORTLAND ARE ALSO. I WAS IN ATTENDANCE FOR THE H/S MEETING, THE LAST H/S ON THE SCHDULE IS IN EARLY OCT. THEY DON'T WANT TO WAIT 3 MONTHS FOR THEIR BANQUET.THEY WANT TO GET IT DONE AND OVER WITH BEFORE DEER SEASON AND THE HOLIDAYS. WE DISCUSSED THIS IN LENGTH. I WOULD SUGGEST YOU CONTACT THE H/S BOARD FOR FUTHER INFO ON THE REASONS WHY THEY DECIDED TO SPLIT THE BANQUETS. :uh:

So then 60-80 riders per event is good? OK thanks for the feedback Dave.

 

[Smit-Dog]

FWIW, this past season the D14 Enduro Series saw an 11% increase in overall entries compared to the '06 season (but we did have 1 additional event). Our average number of riders per event remained about the same at 170.

For the FES series we had a growth in overall entries of 101% (but had 3 additional events). Regardless, we had a 68% increase in unique participants, and the average riders per event grew 25%, to 133 riders per event.

Considering the increased cost of gas and general downturn in the economy, I personally think these numbers are great.

 

[sanford]

There are a lot of challenges in having the Enduro awards banquet less than 1 week after the last race of the season.

Would you be in favor of separating the Enduro and Hare Scramble banquets so that there is more planning time available for the Enduro awards?

If you are a D14 member and enduro rider, please take this survey (vote only once - IP logged):

http://pub45.bravenet.com/vote/vote.php?usernum=3809030787

Thanks!

What "specifically" are the challenges of having the banquet a week after the last race.

 

[tdunn976]

For all to know!
This was brought out to see what the feelings of our rider base was.

Originally the Enduro/Harescrambles Divisions discussed,due to our contract at Valey being up after this years banquet.

This IS ONLY to see what your thoughts are,at this time there is NO plan to seperate unless I should get over 80% of the enduro riders to want it.
Which at early results would indicate there is not a need.

 

[tdunn976]

The difficulties of having a banquet less then 1 week after our last event,do exsist, but have been helped out by our scoring system.
In the past when names were on the trophies, I have had to change names all the way up to friday the day before the banquet(expensive and time consuming,)
As many of our class and overall champions are not crowned before the last event the short time frame and Oct sign up deadline causes some not to sign-up not knowing if they will recieve a yearend award.

I have no problem continuing the banquet as in the past,just a thought that I believed should be brought up.


Thomas Dunn
D14 Enduro Chairman

 

[sanford]

TOMMMY MEEE LAD!!

In my opinion, if the general concensus that most riders do not want to move the date and it's still a major hassle to get the names on the trophies, I have a solution. NO NAMES ON TROPHIES.

 

[D.LEATHERS]

So then 60-80 riders per event is good? OK thanks for the feedback Dave.

HEY FREDDY, I THINK THE EVENT YOU ARE REFERING TO IS THE TREE TOPPER, WHICH IS AN ENDURO. I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU ARE GETTING YOUR INFO FROM FOR H/S COUNTS BUT IT IS WRONG. YOU CAN NOT COUNT THE FES SERIES AS IT IS NOT A D-14 EVENT. IF YOU WOULD BOTHER TO SHOW UP AT ONE OF THE MORE POPULAR H/S TRACKS YOU WOULD SEE FROM 150 TO 300 RIDERS. I WOULD SUGGEST AGAIN TO YOU TO GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT, CALL THE H/S CHAIRMAN, AND THEN MAKE YOUR POST BASED ON THAT INFORMATION.

HEY DW, MAYBE YOU WOULD LIKE TO INTERJECT HERE SINCE YOU RODE ALMOST ALL THE H/S SERIES AND TELL FREDDY HOW MANY RIDERS THERE ARE AT EACH RACE. I REST MY CASE.