by Ray McDonald on Sun Sep 16, 2012 6:20 pm. Posted on ozrodders
URGENT PRESS RELEASE
The 2012 Bright Rod Run will mark the end of an era, after 22 successful years the Northern Suburbs Street Rod club has decided that this years rod run will be the last.
In recent years many entrants have commented that it has become increasingly more expensive for them to participate, and this has resulted in a decline in entrant numbers. All complain that the enforced minimum three plus nights stay, and the artificial 'Premium Weekend' rate increases combined with the general high cost of goods and services in the area are to blame.
Unfortunately this has also been the experience of the club, whilst the revenue generated by the run for businesses in the Alpine Shire is in excess of one million dollars annually, the club has found that whilst it's costs have markedly increased, it's financial support base has diminished.
Despite NSSR's ongoing negotiations regarding these ever increasing problems there has been no positive response. Each year it has become increasingly apparent that short term financial gain is more important than the long term viability of the Bright Rod Run.
The NSSR will not allow its entrants, our fellow street rodders, to be financially exploited any further, the club members have decided that the 2012 Rod Run will be the last held in Bright, and are now investigating other options.
Northern Suburbs Street Rods invites everyone to come to the final Bright Rod Run, to celebrate the end of an era, and to reminisce over what could have been.
Northern Suburbs Street Rods Inc.
Intelligence and wisdom come with age - Growing up is optional
Yeh joanne
My sympathy to all the Rodders, It's a shame that it has to go to this extreme but
pretty much all long running festivals have an element of local area milking about them, Bright is no exception. It happened at Wintersun QLD hence the move for this long running festival.
It generally starts off as a little ripoff, and the town operators getaway with it, once this happens you're pretty much done for, all the operators get their heads together you're screwed well and truly taken to the cleaners each visit, the RIO has started down the same track, I know they are trying to work out how they can charge everybody who arrives in the town for this festival, similar to Tallangatta.
Tallangatta last year, put on the big costs they even charge you to enter the main part of the town, if you want to enter your car in the classics it costs $$. Barham has been doing it for a few years now. We just don't go anymore, when it costs so much to drive, then get screwed for Accomodation plus+, and get dealt a load of budget entertaiment.
We are a little wary and do lots of checking before turning up at these shows now.
Some of the better not so expensive are Kurri Kurri, Saphire Rock & Rod, Wintersun Coffs and Rich River Rod Run.
Yep, sad but that's what happens. Greed is a strange, self destructive thing. Always has been, always will be.
Viva la Revolutione
EDIT: Interesting that there was hot rod/classic car show and shine at Nagambie last weekend run by the cranksters. Bands and hundreds of cars, quite a few that we've seen at dances. The Main street was packed on Sunday. Let's see how long that lasts.
Costs threaten $1million rod event
By NIGEL MCNAY Sept. 20, 2012, midnight
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The Northern Suburbs Street Rod Club says Bright is in danger of losing its event. ORGANISERS of Bright’s $1 million rod run have threatened to axe the event, saying it has become too expensive to run.They say some motels are pushing up costs by enforcing artificial “premium weekends”. But Alpine Council said the accommodation cost issue was a “red herring” and the event could be saved by Bright residents helping to manage the event. It will hold a community meeting on October 10 to thrash out a rescue plan for the event. President of the Northern Suburbs Street Rod Club Ray McDonald said problems with the club’s event had been “brewing for the last couple of years”. “We’re chasing a better deal for the rodders who enter the event,” he said. This year’s 22nd event will be held on November 9, 10 and 11. The event attracts about 10,000 people to see up to 800 entrants, bringing more than $1 million into the town’s economy. Economic development manager Clayton Neil said the council was aware of some of the issues and hoped to form an organising committee at next month’s meeting.
“We’ll explore whether there’s an appetite for the community to take on more responsibility for the management of the event,” he said.
Mr Neil said the club’s 30 members had done a “phenomenal job to run the event for so long. “It’s a massive undertaking for a club not based in the region, and we’re really aware of that" he said “There’s real opportunities for the community and council to see what we can do to help.” Mr McDonald said the hot rod community was finding it expensive to go to Bright. “Accommodation providers are seeking bookings for three, four and even five nights,” he said. But Mr Neil said it was hard for the council “to get a really clear indication” of the club’s costpressures. “Our businesses face a challenging environment,” he said. “They’re trying to keep their businesses fresh & vibrant". Mr Neil said the club had acknowledged that not many motels were enforcing a four-night stay Mr McDonald agreed many accommodation providers were “very good” but said it was “increasingly apparent short-term financial gain is more important than the long-term viability of the Bright Rod Run”.
Phone (03) 5755 0555 for information on the public meeting.
It's all politics, just like club politics, gjo. You've convinced me, why waste ones life on club politics. There'll be a new Rod Run, maybe at Nagambie.
Besides, it has little real effect on our dancing. Their interest is cars, ours is dancing as we were recently told by a car club member.
Same everywhere, when you run a successful event, business owners want to know who is making all the money and decide they want there share ( or more than there share). I have been to car shows at The Entrance, Merimbula and Lakes Entrance in the recent past and found them still affordable, could it be that these events are in there infancy , so to speak, and will have the same problems as Bright as they become more popular. Lets hope not.
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