RyanR0101

After attending Bloomington Gold for another year of what seems like unfortunate decline, it got me to thinking about all the things I miss about shows past. I went for the first time as a kid somewhere around ’89 or so, then have gone every year from about ’98 until present. It was such a good show for a long time and I have a lot of great memories. Here are some of the things I miss from Bloomington over the last 20 years…I would love to hear your comments and additions!

1. Signs on the road saying “Corvette Show” and an arrow pointing which way to go.
2. A road tour that you didn’t have to pay for.
3. Banners on downtown light poles welcoming the show.
4. Test drives of the new Corvettes.
5. Advance ticket price discounts that made it worth getting your tickets ahead of time.
6. All the workshops: from how to rebuild parts of Corvettes to how to buy one. And for at least a few years, if you bought workshops, they included your tickets.
7. The auction. A great place to rest your legs, be entertained, and see what the cars were going for. This is one of the biggest misses for me.
8. A corral full of cars for sale, all bunched together, both private party and several dealers offering Corvettes old and new.
9. A “Who’s all going to Bloomington” thread starting on the forum months in advance.
10. The dynamometer: 3 pulls for $75.
11. Vendors aplenty. Lots of private party swappers, and ALL the big names in Corvette restoration and distribution.
12. Venues that weren’t massively oversized for the size of the show that made the show look small.
13. The 50th anniversary Corvettes getting in for free in appreciation of the owners showing their cars in the display, and the display being a central, featured part of the show rather than an afterthought out in the back forty.
14. Setting up a couple chairs on the grass by your Corvette and socializing with the cars around you.
15. Vendors all together, without anyone way out there on their own.
16. Looking at the auction sold cars close up and discussing what they sold for, and who got a deal.
17. Reasonable admission prices. $15/day, $40/weekend as recently as 5 years ago.
18. Watching the judging on a GRASS field (think the undercarriage judges miss this too???).
19. Seeing tons of Corvettes in the host city for the whole weekend.
20. Not being able to see and do it all in half a day.
21. The picturesque and high class atmosphere of Pheasant Run Resort.
22. Seeing all the Corvette “big boys” buying/selling at the auction or just representing their companies.
23. Local Chevy dealers advertising mechanics on duty after hours due to the number of Corvettes in town.
24. Having to wait for a table at the better restaurants in town. On one hand it sucked, but you knew it was because you were a part of something big so you didn’t mind.
25. The immediate outskirts of the show not being a total dump.
26. Fast rides in the top of the line new Corvettes with Spring Mountain drivers.
27. All the businesses in town recognizing the show on their message boards/signs.

Jeff T.

I think you covered it quite well!!

gliot1

Nailed it. I went for the first time since it left St. Charles, IL. It was a real dissapointment I am sorry to say for all of the reasons listed. I wont be going back.

HEB

Went for years Bloomington,Springfield and St Charles Go to Carlisle!!!

Bajaholic

I miss all the participants we used to see and get to know, that lived the Corvette Lifestyle. Unfortunately, many have aged out....

How do you fix it? NO ONE wants to see the decline of any event, but it is a much larger than just putting a number of gripes on a piece of paper. You have to ask yourself, what can you do to help an event continue to prosper and succeed.

Putting on an event does not cost hundreds or even thousands, it is in the hundreds of thousands. Unfortunately that is fact, and how do you make the revenues that is needed in order to sustain? I can guarantee you it is a TON of work to put on an event. You do the best you can and still not everyone will be happy.

I recommend coming up with ideas to sustain the event, not just point out an issue, plus show how to make it profitable.

I'll start, move it to a resort or facility that is not so overwhelming, taking a step back will actually make it look bigger and in my opinion will grow the enthusiasm. Perception is key when it looks prosperous, people will be more excited to attend.

RyanR0101

That’s idea #1 from me as well. Move it back to St. Charles, Bloomington, or some other smaller venue in a smaller city that’s not surrounded by a ratty area and regroup a bit. Hopefully this means less cost to rent the space, and it would reestablish the atmosphere of the city “hosting” the show with respect to restaurants, hotels, etc. Less cost could translate into lower ticket prices, lower prices for vendors to rent spaces, and that could lead to more attendance. You could also stick some of the saved $ into local advertising, giving away tickets on the radio, giving some tickets to Corvette clubs to try to get them to come back, etc. It would be great to get some of the general public excited to have the show in their city and to attend, as well as pull in curious passers by. Nobody passing by IMS these days would even know there was a show there!

Vetteman Jack

OP - I think you have nailed it as far as things from the past that made the show a must see event each year. I started going to Bloomington Gold when it was in Bloomington back in the 80s, then to Springfield, St. Charles, Champaign, and now twice to Indy. It hasn’t been the same since St. Charles IMO.

What’s the answer to get the show back to the glory days - I don’t know. Perhaps a smaller city with a better atmosphere would work, a return of the auction, more major vendors displaying their wares and not just mail order booths ( I know bringing merchandise to the show costs money), etc.

I hope the management of Bloomington Gold can step back and evaluate what is working and what is not and adjust as needed - otherwise the show may not be around for much longer. And that would be a sad thing to happen.

BOB'S C6

You covered it quite well, since Mecum sold the show it has gone downhill, but moving it out of Illinois was the real kicker! St. Charles was the best place for it.

ZR Guy

Thanks Bajaholic. I appreciate your positive response and coming up with an idea of what to change/ improve, and not just say " I wish it still was ......" . First, of the many things that have changed over years, many are beyond the control of the Show and griping about them doesn't really do any good. For example; Pheasant Run went into receivership with a group of banks who were owed money. No one knew its future, but we could not stay at a destination that could not tell us they would be open the following June. Another example; the auction leaving Bloomington Gold. This was Dana Mecums decision and a wise one for him. He needs large facilities and attraction of all cars, not just Corvettes. Dana continued the Corvette auction at BG for several years, even tho it did not fit his business plan and did not show profit. People do not understand how hard Dana tried to make this work - but his business model changed. And, yes we did try to get other auctions..... many meetings and visits.
My point is that there are reasons many things change in the hobby and in life. Some are not so obvious to the attendee.

We have looked at moving to a resort. In fact, when we left St Charles and left Champaign, our first focus was to find another golf course resort. We first searched Bloomington IL. And several other cities. In the end, we chose to change up the show and move to the iconic IMS and add driving events. Because at that time, the vibe was that people were tired of walking around parked cars. They wanted things to do.

Some will disagree with our decisions. But we do look at what people want and try to explore those. So thank you for your suggestions.

Here's an area we could use some help with : the Road Tour. It is hard to come out of IMS and get to the country for a leisurely drive. And shut down stoplights and crossings to get there. ( And by the way to the person who griped about the $10 fee for the tourer... the towns no longer supply police to work the event for free. It costs us $4- 5,000 for police alone. ) Any suggestions on Road Tour would be appreciated.

Happy Holidays. Wave on !
Guy

RyanR0101

As I mentioned, I've attended 20+ years...I haven't spent my time and money each year doing so just to get ideas to "gripe" about on the forum. I have attended because I enjoy Corvettes and fellow owners; it makes me sad to see it dwindling. I was hoping my initial post would spur some positive memories of what we missed about old shows and perhaps offer some constructive ideas for the future that might help turn things around a bit. I want very much for the show to succeed.

I think some of the frustration has been in the mixed messages received as to whether or why things have changed. Examples...I asked one of the staff ladies in Champaign the first year why the show moved, and I was told that the "Chicago locals" didn't embrace the show like Bloomington did, and they viewed it as more of a nuisance than a treasure. No word about Pheasant's financial issues. Then, after rumors of another move, on August 23, 2014, there was an announcement on the Facebook page stating, "Contrary to any rumors you may have heard, we haven't been sold and we aren't moving. Bloomington Gold will be returning to Champaign IL June 26 -28, 2015!" I'm sure many made plans (and laid out money, some not refundable), as did I, only to be greeted with another announcement on October 11, "Bloomington Gold is Moving! Mark your calendar for THURSDAY, June 25- SATURDAY, June 27, 2015." I don't remember any answer being given as to why this happened. I spoke with the Champaign County Chamber of Commerce, and they told me the show just bailed and never provided a reason, despite their asking if it was an issue with the location, hotels, restaurants, etc. or if there was anything they could do to be more accommodating. They said they were told no on all counts. Although not a golf course, I thought Champaign was a fine venue (other than no shade) and city, with plenty of space for the show, road tour, test drives, grass field for judging, etc. Big enough to hold amenities, small enough that you knew there was a Corvette show in town. Recently I inquired about the auction, and I was told that they didn't want to offend Mecum by bringing in another auction company when they are a show sponsor. I also asked about the road tour not being free, and they said that this money was for IMS' insurance for the cars being on the track to start out. Many mixed messages.

I think the move to Indy plus the admission hike from $15 to $25 were the toughest one-two punch to the attendance, for what it's worth. Not sure if vendor admission increased too, but if it did, lump that in. If we could rewind to '14, go back to Champaign (or similar digs), and drop the price, I think that would be a great start.

C 7

I have nothing to compare it to. I went for the first time last month and I was blown away how cool it was. But again, first time I've ever gone to it.

The only Corvettes I've ever sat in were a friends 2000 and a 2012 (both bases). So, when the QC engineers at GM allowed me to sit in a running red ZR1, I went into something similar to diabetic shock lol... That will stick with me forever. I was just hoping to see a ZR1, not sit in one. For me, that was worth the 4 hour drive, $25 ticket and $45 ice cold hot dog..

I was also very pleased to see the Manta Ray. My grandfather worked for GM for a long time (EMD) and I used to look at GM hardcover books he brought home that would have pictures of all GM cars including prototypes. I remember that and the Mako....


I was sitting with a vendor while eating when he mentioned that the show to go to is Carlise. However, way too far for me.

Paul Borowski

...very well said. Springfield LOVED having us and it was GREAT. I thought Springfield was the best, especially the after hours cruising & hotel parking lots. Would cruise for hours after the show watching all the Corvettes driving around. I went every year from 1991 - 2006. Was at Indy in '15 & '18, not the same, too small, not going to drive 6hrs one way(12hrs round trip) to see everything in 2hrs. All good things must come to an end eventually.