Keith & I enjoyed the Friday run (Blue Ridge Pkwy) that we were on very much, and we were quite impressed that we managed to keep so many cars as together as we did. Kudos to our leader and sweeper!
If you want to reduce the number in the groups (which I think would be helpful), then either increasing the options or splitting the cars into groups is the way to go. I imagine it will depend on who is available/willing to volunteer to lead groups.
Yep! Yummy!
We thought the length was fine.
Yep! Well done!
I'm not a big breakfast eater, but if it was included, it would be fine with me. You might also see if Fontana would be willing to open the Carolina room as a breakfast room for the group then. Any pertinent morning announcements could be made to the group there to keep everyone up-to-date.
I didn't think that staying at Fontana was a requirement for participation in the event, but a one-day registration might be helpful for those who are local. You might consider offering a one-day registration (Friday or Sat), a full-event registration (Thu night thru Sat), and make the Sat banquet a separate fee. Then you will still have your head count for the banquet guarantee, and anyone who is local and daytripping, or staying at another hotel could be included in the Sat dinner.
Registration both at the lodge and for the event went wonderfully. Kudos to the registration staff! I love my Dragon lanyard...I'm already planning a continued use for it.
Now for some other general observations:
First, if absolutely nothing changed next year, Keith & I would still enjoy it. None of our comments should be taken as any disappointment with the event. We loved it and can't wait to get back. We used the time at dinner tonight to brainstorm a bit...
Communication. It sounded like the group has been growing each year and Keith & I thought that a more central communication system might help things a bit. Perhaps a central bulletin board or signage with announcements for the group in the lodge lobby. Or, just a booklet handed out at registration that includes all the helpful information (Rally maps, daily itinerary, group listings & meeting times, etc) that was posted in the Dragon thread in the weeks leading upto the event. I know that I sat and re-read every post in the Dragon thread the night before we left and printed everything I could. It took a while, but in the end I had a good outline of what was planned.
In working other conferences, I've found that it's good to assume that people have signed up to attend, and then never read another stitch of information on the event before they show up at the desk. Glitches and hiccups always happen, there's no getting around it, but at least everyone starts out with all the original information.
Also, for those new to the event, it would be helpful to post a reminder about bringing a set of two-way radios if they have them.
Friday night run. I enjoyed running the Dragon at night coming back from dinner on Friday night. It sounded like people were just plain tuckered out from all the driving during the day. Perhaps Friday night could just be a selection of runs to nearby restaurants, so that everyone can plan to be back at a reasonable time, yet still have an opportunity to run the Dragon at night. I was also looking forward to the stargazing run on Sat night; it's a shame the weather didn't cooperate.
Driving styles. Keith wondered if it would be possible to shorten the runs through the Dragon that are divided by driving styles so that someone could run one style in the morning and a different one in the afternoon. As an example, in our case, Keith & I have 2 different styles that we are comfortable at. He would have enjoyed the challenge of the Hot Shoes group; especially after having the chance on the in-between run to get used to the Dragon. Not sure if that's really a possibility; just throwing it out there.
I'm very happy to volunteer to help with formatting such a booklet/packet, as well as with Registration if the timing works out that Keith & I can make it next year (definitely have all my finger and toes crossed on that one!). I'm too new to the Dragon area to feel comfortable leading a run, but I'm willing to help in other areas.
Hopefully this isn't too long!
~ Shelley