Where was the AMCA at the Barber Motorsports Motorcycle Festival ?

[KNUCK]

I could not find anything concerning the club at the event. I was there for 3 days and made a point to look for the club signage or even a space in the swap meet. This is a huge vintage motorcycle event, shouldn't we be there? Are we still trying to recruit new members? Maybe I just missed it.

I went and had a great time watching the racing, vendors, swap meet and the museum was over the top. Got to meet Kenny Roberts who was the Grand Marshall. The Wall of Death is just a classic thing to see!

Just wondering if you went and any thoughts on this.

[hacksaw01]

i myself have no clue. i will say though, having never been to Barber and hoping to do so some day, that finding an organization set up there that i belong to would be a most welcoming thing to find!i imagine there must be a back story to this as i cant fathom this is a new issue. but thanks for brining it up.

[KNUCK]

I saw all the big motorcycle manufacturers were there with their demo rides. BMW, Triumph, Royal Infield, Yamaha, Suzuki, Honda. Indian, some China clones even. 500 swap meet spaces sold out. Mecum auctions had a space showing a few bikes coming up for Vegas, and their signs all over the area. Turn out was amazing!

Not one space even in the swap meet area for AMCA, spaces were pretty cheap there compared to the fan festival vendor area. What is going on?

[T. Cotten]

It would have been an opportunity to attract younger members, indeed, Knuck!

So, which Chapter claims the region?

....Cotten

[KNUCK]

Smokey Mountain maybe. Any AMCA board members hang out here and can shed some light on this mystery at Barber?

[jim d]

I also spent all of Friday and Saturday there and didn’t see anything from the AMCA set up. Maybe I just missed seeing it?

[hacksaw01]

no official type of reply as of yet. any AMCA official reading this forum?

[Keith Kizer]

In fact, the AMCA did have a booth at Barbers this year. It was space G17 on the vendor field. Keep in mind that this year's Barbers coincided with AMCA's final national meet of the year at the Southern National in Denton, NC. Five board members and I attended this event.

Due to the conflict, Richard Hinely of the LowCountry volunteered to host an AMCA booth this year. I even sent out an email notice to the entire membership on August 31st announcing this.

For some background to this event. AMCA has been present at this event since it began with various displays. For the first ten years the Confederate Chapter hosted a display and bike show in the area now known as the FanZone. In 2015 Zoom Motorsports moved us and VJMC to Lot A. This is where we were for half a dozen years with a massive show of 100 bikes and a 20' x 40' tent for our century bikes. The cost to the club to put on that event was over $10,000. We sold a whopping five memberships that year. I've personally had AMCA booth's in the Fan Zone a couple of times with the same results. The cost of being at Barbers for four days far exceeds the benefit. We have similar results at shows like Born Free. A couple of years ago, I gave out 5,000 coupons for free memberships at the Born Free show. Only ten people joined. I've been doing consumer shows for 30+ years. From my experience, they never produce enough memberships to justify the cost.

We all agree, on average the Barber Vintage Festival is the greatest vintage motorcycle event in the country. The Southern Coalition is working to move their date off of Barbers for 2025. If so, you will see a stand-alone AMCA booth in the FanZone again but the days of huge bike shows are not likely. If anyone wants to through their name in the hat to volunteer or help man a booth, I would love to hear from you.

[tomfiii]

Maybe moving the date of Denton, was supposed to be temporary, to week later.

[T. Cotten]

...We all agree, on average the Barber Vintage Festival is the greatest vintage motorcycle event in the country.

How can we all agree if we all cannot attend it, or even larger meets to compare, Keith?

I appreciate your assessment, but please don't tell me what I think.

How ironic that so many contenders are not AMCA!

....Cotten

[KNUCK]

Keith Thank you for the response on this. This was my first time there and had no history of the AMCA there. I understand your point of view on this and moving back to the Fan Zone is a better location choice for sure and moving the Denton meet will also help. A club banner at a members space might be also be a cost effective idea also. I must have missed the G 17 space but with 500 spaces I guess it slipped by me. I hope to go again some day but I'm 2000 miles away and spending 2-3k again won't happen every year.

[hacksaw01]

i am glad that got cleared up.
myself i wasnt thinking about new memberships. i was wondering about current memberships having a place of reference.
thanks all.

[KNUCK]

As a foot note I don't think the AMCA needs to spend 10k at this Festival but $100 bucks for the weekend space was a rather thrifty foot print. So a vendor space would indeed be a reasonable step up to fly the flag and gain a few new members. Also would not hurt to include a members only spot to rest your feet and cool off in some shade.