Racing and how to increase attendance ??????

[Steven Vaccaro]

Lets start a discussion on how to increase racing attendance. We have the platforms available. Social media should help us. But how do we recruit newbies? Lets try to keep this from morphing into rules issues. Please

[longballlumber]

I remember as a kid the nitro club my dad belong to would set up a few display tables over a weekend at the local Mall. They would have several club members bring boats to display, they would have VHS vids playing, and they would all take different shifts manning the tables to provide information. I would like to think this is still a relevant method, but it takes a commitment of many.

[eric113]

Are you talking racing on club and/or national level?

It going to be like any other section in RC’s. Most time this hobby is 3rd..etc hobby for them and not serious. Another big part is commitment. Most time they aren’t super committed to hobby.
I think another big thing is shock of start up cost. Say some are buying a Spartan or M41 then learn that boat doesn’t fit into a class. Or they read or hear about the rules then say nah, nevermind.

[Steven Vaccaro]

Im talking club level. we need to build the numbers at clubs. I think Namba Imbpa should work on some sort of advertising campaign. It can be done rather cheaply. For the cost of just putting together the idea to pitch. We have so many avenues of getting it out there at $0 to little cost these days. it seems we are letting this pass to easily.

[T.S.Davis]

Well, a number of MMEUlligans will be spending a little bit more time with car guys. I don't know if that will net anything.

Steven, are you thinking about more participation in major events or just more participation? I'm not sure those are two of the same thing.

I recently made an 11x17 laminated flier to place on the counter at the largest hobby shop in our area. It has on it boats that can actually race right out of the box in classes we run locally. All of the boats on the flier are available right there in the store. It has our club information and how to get a hold of us. Nothing really fancy. It being an icy tundra right now I don't know if anything will come of that either.

There's some kind of mental barrier that keeps people from racing too. Fear? That first heat is nerve racking. The fear of getting in the way the fast guys maybe. I'd don't totally understand that part but I do totally get it. Racing cars for the first time ever on Sunday. I'm very nervous. Makes no damned sense. Toy boats, toy cars, fer fun, it's a hobby, git a grip, etc.

FB advertising could/maybe/might get people to the pond to check it out. The tricky part is how much of a commitment it is to get out and play for the first time. At our pond you can't just show up with a boat and run. You have to be insured. We can work around the club membership thing but there is no solve for protecting everyone. I've thought about this one for ages with no reasonable solution. Some way to get a guy to run a boat in a heat without him having to commit to it totally.

Someone mentioned in the other thread the major marketing. Traxxas does lots of that but they also have the funding to do so. I wonder about the organizations setting up tables at trade shows and if that's ever resulted in more membership. There used to be NAMBA funding available for that.

[T.S.Davis]

I think another big thing is shock of start up cost.

This is where a club does help. We've actually used our own fleets to entice guys we could tell were for real interested. Not just curiuos peeps. People you could tell would show up and race.

[T.S.Davis]

Steven, are you thinking about more participation in major events or just more participation? I'm not sure those are two of the same thing.

I typed too slow. Every once in a while I do some work at the office.

[eric113]

Im talking club level. we need to build the numbers at clubs. I think Namba Imbpa should work on some sort of advertising campaign. It can be done rather cheaply. For the cost of just putting together the idea to pitch. We have so many avenues of getting it out there at $0 to little cost these days. it seems we are letting this pass to easily.

I think it also if there not club near by, then forget it. Nearest club for is Houston and I live in Austin. It 2.5-3 hour drive one way for me. But I don’t mind the driving.

As far I know as newbie looking in, I don’t see neither organization doing ANY advertising. I seen few people mention either organization with link but that about it.

[eric113]

This is where a club does help. We've actually used our own fleets to entice guys we could tell were for real interested. Not just curiuos peeps. People you could tell would show up and race.

Clubs do help with this plus more. I have made some good deals with other club members.

[dethow]

I think what Mike said makes some sense and could even get closer by setting up a table at local hobby stores instead of a mall. Get peps that already have interest in RC. But that takes commitment from a few good members.

Terry's thought on going out to do some car racing and maybe spreading the word or even flyers there sound good because at least you're doing something instead of just committing to sit around waiting for a conversation from interests parties.

Visiting local flight clubs could also be helpful. We have a few good sized ones around.

I think we could get some fliers out to other hobby shops besides Larry's. There are many in the Metro Detroit area which could pull in racers. Time spent talking to the guys working at these local shops could also help them and make sure they have a flier to hand out if they have someone in their shop looking and/or buying a boat.

To be honest... I think MMEU should have a core member which is specifically tasked with heading off recruitment. Not this year (2018)... but I may have some interest in doing something like that down the road. It's hard for me to be a full out core member since I'm not that local to our pond. But I can do other things for the club.

This recruitment position is something all clubs should consider. I'm sure all clubs, like MMEU, talk about the things that should be done but with no one specifically tasked... things never happen.

[JestDanny]

Location, location if people see you having fun, people will want to join in on all the fun. The club I raced in years ago, our race lake was in a large public park lots of on lookers. The club had fliers in all local hobby shops, we even had the local weekender news print magazine do a rite up on our club complete with action photos.

Unfortunately where I live now is far from a hot bed of clubs and racing action, can't find a race within 200 miles. If I want to race again I'll have to move back south ha ha wife says NO. What's worse is I heart tunnel boats, find another one of those here in N.E.

I club raced motorcycles up in Louden N.H, in years gone by, not every biker wants to race, nor can every biker afford to race, or have a full on tracked prepped race bike. So for those who did not want to, could not afford to, not have race bike to, all was not lost, you could still get out on the race track and have fun no matter what bike you did have. Track days, just show up at the track with a half descent road worthy bike and riding gear, pay the man, green means GO, yellow means slow / caution, red means return to pits slowly, have fun. 4 classes set by speed and experience , 15 min each class rotate all day no speeding tickets fun.

Fun run days show up at the lake follow simple rules, safety first, run what ever rc boat you did purchase. cook out, have fun see you next time.

[G-UNIT]

I like to join a club but where is one near orlando fl with out going to the west coast.

[T.S.Davis]

MMEU has set up tables at swap meets multiple times and netted not a single new member from it. That said, locations as well as dates could vary.

The trick to starting a club is really......find someone you know personally that digs RC stuff. Network with people you know. Hand them stuff to try out when/where you can. "First ones free!" Once you have literally 3 dudes to play with you have a club.

Then volunteer your knowledge and even your services if you can. Ken Joye and Dennis Whitt helped me a lot early on. I built a Stealth for one of our club guys that I had met one time. Now he's a junky. He can't get enough RC boats. I try to answer every question I get via text, FB , on here, emails, in person. I even forget who I've talked to sometimes. Getting guys to agree to play (at first) together is how the club forms. Doesn't have to be racing right away. That can come later. Then you need to get the group to agree to a particular type of boat to make heats. Cats, mono, spec, full P hydro, 10th. Doesn't matter. Just so long as the group picks something that everyone wants to run. Then stick with it. Only add if you have the numbers.

Danny's right on. People see you having fun, laughing, acting a fool........they notice. If you're doing it right, the people aspect will keep them interested. Don't get too serious either. I've personally done this. Blew it. A hobby that's stressful isn't a hobby. It's a job. Nobody is getting rich racing toys so keep it fun. Someone once said "The first rule of racing is........have fun". Took a while for me to believe it though. Did I say fun enough times? I could go back......

[T.S.Davis]

Should have said, buy all the boats ya want but make sure you continue racing the class the group agreed to. Consistency matters. We bailed on a class we felt we had outgrown and lost a member over it.

[Shooter]

One of the biggest deterrents (at least for me) is the time commitment. If it was an 'afternoon' or a
'morning', then maybe less of a problem. Giving up an entire day + prep is not everybody's bag. My wife still looks at me like 'an entire day??? really???'. Maybe I'm the oddball, but I work full time, come from a big family with wknd b-day parties, little league games, church, etc..., it makes it nearly impossible, even WITH the FE FEVER!!!!