So, realistically, how do we (and the organizers) improve the show?

[bag_lady]

Parked right across from the little log houses and thought it might be cool to stay in one...

That's what my husband and I were thinking too. If the show's here next year, we're definitely going to try and get one. Actually, as long as the show is in OCMD we're probably going to try to get one.

[71camaro]

is he the only person behind H20 or does he have help?

He's the main guy. He's really alone until a few days before. Cory/others are more like day of support

[BiH]

He's the main guy. He's really alone until a few days before. Cory/others are more like day of support

maybe its time to get some help, looks like the show is getting out of hand. it would be a shame to see it die out cause it couldnt be handled. It seems like if the Ocean City gets involved more in the show it will help everyone....

[stockcarboy]

i really liked the event! i was a judge. it was hard to to judge because the cars were all over the place.

[flat6turboGT1]

I would hope to see the amount of non show worthy vw's toned down and start bringing in a few bmw/mercedes classes too. Maybe when trying to register ppl have to submit a picture and would have to be approved by someone in order to be in the show. I believe that would make the show a lot better and have top quality cars showing.

That really wouldn't solve the problem of no one having anywhere to park though. Think this is more an overall space availability/venue issue.

[stockcarboy]

what if it was held at the dover race track parking lot ?

[AlyssaC]

• Show cars MUST pre-register
• Different entrance for show cars than for spectator parking; road leading to the show/parking should be one way for the day
• Due to all show cars being pre-registered, you can plan the show parking, assign every class a specific area, and notify those owners of where to be ahead of time
• Spectator parking doesn't necessarily have to be directly adjacent to the show. It can be across the road, up the street, around the corner, etc. (even a bit further away if you provide a bus from spectator lot to the show; anyone know what it costs to get a school bus to run for an event?)
• Show cars pay entrance fee not by # of people in the car but by the car (ie show car is pre-registered, whomever is in it when it comes to the show gets in no charge)
• Optionally, don't allow show cars to enter after a certain hour, require them to stay until a certain hour later that day
• Info on where spectators can park should be easily located on the site website prior to the show (like a few weeks before even); as well as the direction/flow of traffic for the day.
• Show cars are Strictly limited to VAG.

Not sure if anyone else responded to you on this, as I am being too lazy to read to see if anyone did...

1.) Show cars can ONLY preregister as it is. So that's been covered. There is no registration at the show.
2.) There is seperate show car/spectator entrance already. Show cars had to enter in the main gate...spectators entered in down by the cabins. All obviously off the same street...but maybe having the spectators turn left ahead of Daly and enter in the back way would be a good idea to keep the traffic at a minimum. But, this was the first year at this particular venue...so there will be hiccups and things to learn from.
3.) Already covered since pre-registration is the only thing permitted. Registration ends the Sunday before the show.
4.) There's probably no parking permitted across the street and down the sides of the road due to it being private property and maybe a safety issue on the side of the road. I would assume school buses are fairly cheap to rent out with a driver. Worth looking into though!
5.) Show cars pay for the vehicle entry and driver entry. They receive a free tshirt and other goodies in the bags they're given at Will Call. Keep in mind this show is a business...so they're going to make their money where they can after all of their expenses are covered.
6.) Show cars must be parked in their spots at 11am. Not sure if you remember the ruckus from last year, and pretty much every year prior to that, but people were PISSED that they closed the gates at 11am on the dot because "they sat in traffic even though they left their hotels/condos at 10am to make it by 11am". Making show cars wait to leave until a certain time is a GREAT idea. That always bothers me when show cars leave early. They get judged and then roll out. Serious waste of the judges time.
7.) Agreed.
8.) The show IS limited to VAG cars. Any other makes/models you saw in the show field with a dash card were registered in Club Parking. They aren't judged. It's just a club that wanted to park together.

[71camaro]

what if it was held at the dover race track parking lot ?

Then it would be the same weekend as the NASCAR race and an hour and a half from OC.

[AlyssaC]

i just want to know when and where the winners are going to be posted.. that is it

This won't happen for a month or two. They always wait until the dust settles.

[Harry@TheRacersEdge]

Yep you clearly can't handle it.

[Waagenz]

Theres an airfield out near frontier town maybe it would be large enough to show the cars in attendance??? I'm not sure. Parking may be a challenge but to convince them to let you have a show there??? That might be another story alltogether.

IMO, I haven't been to H20 in two years and unless things change, I doubt I will be going anytime soon either........

[71camaro]

Theres an airfield out near frontier town maybe it would be large enough to show the cars in attendance??? I'm not sure. Parking may be a challenge but to convince them to let you have a show there??? That might be another story alltogether.

IMO, I haven't been to H20 in two years and unless things change, I doubt I will be going anytime soon either........

First place I went for Vagwerks. Town owned. They claim FAA wouldn't allow it. Might be crap, I didn't press them on the issue, just thanked the manager for his time and went on my way.

[TDI DR!V3R]

I posted my thoughts out on my blog

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

[Ld7w_VR]

Have not read through all I this thread yet but I honestly loved the venue this year despite the fact of how packed it was. I know people were turned away it was so packed. Sucked how muddy the vendor section was, but with the rain that was unavoidable. Did notice how many less vendors there were though. Cars through out the camp ground made for great photos and there was a ton of shade to get out of the sun. Overall I enjoyed it.

[pMak]

Honestly, I have no real grips besides the $20 a head to get in. And really my only complaint is that that money, well, the proceeds from the event should be going to some kind of good cause. I don't mind paying $20/ea to get in, as long as its going to a good cause, and that cause is advertised

[KDI_CUSTOMS]

Has shoup considered putting the show on at the Wicomico Youth and Civic Center? There is a massive parking lot across the street at Civic Ave and Glen Ave. Looks like St Albans Dr runs down the other side of it too.

Link to where Im talking about is below. Its the big tan/beige area. Zoom in and you will see that there is more than enough room.

http://goo.gl/maps/VBIiz

Said it once and I will say it again just in case it was overlooked. Check the map link I posted. I think this may work for you guys. Have 1 entrance for show cars and 1 for spectator parking. Maybe do a 1 road in 1 road deal if you can.

[flat6turboGT1]

Honestly, I have no real grips besides the $20 a head to get in. And really my only complaint is that that money, well, the proceeds from the event should be going to some kind of good cause. I don't mind paying $20/ea to get in, as long as its going to a good cause, and that cause is advertised

That's because you actually got in I'd be happy if the cause was ensuring that there is parking for everyone lol

[fatdubs fatman]

i didnt think the show this year was that bad. Need to work on a few things like parking and judging. There will always be people bitching.

On another note if Jay was still looking into property what about contacting the other groups that have car/motorcycle shows thru out there year and see if they would be interested in renting the property that Jay gets.

If the prpoerty can be set up for general use, a few entrances, few exits, maybe a large pole building to center operations out of along with some of the other things Jay was talking about last year. Burn out pit, port a potties or full bathroom area, camping area, gravel or paved parking he may be able to attract other shows thru out the the year to help generate money and help with the costs of the property.

This is if he can find some property that will work for everything.

[71camaro]

i didnt think the show this year was that bad. Need to work on a few things like parking and judging. There will always be people bitching.

On another note if Jay was still looking into property what about contacting the other groups that have car/motorcycle shows thru out there year and see if they would be interested in renting the property that Jay gets.

If the prpoerty can be set up for general use, a few entrances, few exits, maybe a large pole building to center operations out of along with some of the other things Jay was talking about last year. Burn out pit, port a potties or full bathroom area, camping area, gravel or paved parking he may be able to attract other shows thru out the the year to help generate money and help with the costs of the property.

This is if he can find some property that will work for everything.

This was my thought exactly

[USOPHUNKE]

I loved the show grounds, the location, the idea.

it can be made better.

1. more people directing parking, tons of wasted space.
2. get all the Product venders seperated from each other and spread out throughout the show grounds. This will make it more relaxed and less muddy on damper years.
3. Food area was perfect!!! Having top dog there was also.
4. I saw two huge fields not being used that had access from the show field.
5. I left kinda early as the whole people being turned away was happening. there were tons of empty car spots to park in from all the others who left around 1pm-2pm, many could have been let into the show to park.
6. Talk to one of the farmers or other locals about an alternate parking area and shuttle people in, or shuttle them in from OCMD. Not everyone wants to drive there and those who have been drinking and cant drive can attend the show.
7. Make the show 3 days.
bbq and swap meet friday, free to all except people selling at swap or food venders and let people get will call items.
Parts and performance venders and show sat and sunday. Show cars must attend at least one day to be judged.
8. cars need to be parked in groups... mk1, mk2, mk3, mk4... audi, Porsche for judging. nobody wants to look through a mismatch of cars. everyone has points of interest, define the points and they will spend less time at the show lost looking for the one car they wanted to see.


We set things like this up in the military all the time, you never put all your eggs in one basket. spread it out, slow it down, define your target areas and you will have more people, make more money, and have a much better outcome.

[DUSlider]

Just curious if something like this can be done. Possibly a way for people to sign up for txt msg alerts regarding show happenings, traffic issues, etc? Instead of having to worry about learning about issues via word of mouth, going to the H2O facebook page or website? Maybe make it a part of showcar clubcar registration.

For instance... Where on 50 were the accidents that backed everything up? East or West of the 90 interchange? Most people aren't familiar with the area or what alternate routes are. Looking at the map I'm seeing a few different routes that could have been taken depending on where the accident was. An alert to take a certain route to the show to avoid traffic/accidents would be helpful.

Last year traffic was terrible going to the bbq which the organizers realized and had signs installed for the show alerting showgoers of an alternate route.

[glivdub03]

best way to fix h2oi is to end it.

[MKIIIjettadude]

This year was a mess due to things outside of the event. While the show was at the race track they had 13 years to get everything right. If you think about it, this event this year went good for only holding it there one year. I liked the event area and the layout this year. I hated not having anywhere to "legally" park but I still went and had a good time. If the event is going to stay there they can work on things and correct issues. I'm sure things would go better next year if you work on it. I say keep it here and work things out.

[chadk]

I will approach this in a way that I have had belief in for quite a few years now. I for one would love love love to see the streets hold the show. I agree at this point it may be a far cry to get the mayor, townspeople and businesses on board, but by god it would be most definitely worth while to try.

Lets face it. Everyone is already in town for the event. And trying to hundreds or thousands of cars OUT of Ocean City at the exact same time, to be in the exact same place has proven to be the largest headache of all. At least in my 8 years of going down there. So why not bring the show to the people, instead of making the people drive to the show? Street vendors, restaurant and bar specials, live entertainment, and keep it contained to just the streets specifically for show traffic and pedestrians. Model it much like large bike rallys or hot rod events. People are already on the streets, so why not use it to our advantage.

Jay and the staff of H2Oi at least in my opinion have done an outstanding job with planning and working with what they have been delt. I mean, your talking about organizing an event to accommodate 10s of thousands of people, in a city who doesn't understand us, and at least attempt to keep most people on both ends happy. That takes some balls if you ask me. I would love to see 9 out of every 10 people who bitch about the weekend to do better. They need to think before they open their mouth and be grateful for what it is to begin with.

Maybe the police do get a little out of bounds, but can you honestly blame them? If your breaking the law, you KNOW your going to get pulled over, so why do it? So they dont let you stand in herds on the sidewalks, you blame them? All it takes is one dickbag to pop a curb and that entire group is laid up in the closest hospital. They are simply doing their jobs, do not blame them for your stupidity.

We as individuals are ruining the event, not Jay and his staff. Look what it used to be. HOOTERS used to be the place to be. Every night they welcomed us. But they were just like every other place. They only allowed us to get away with so much **** until it became a liability on them. Why keep helping us when all they got in return was a trashed parking lot and unhappy regular customers? Is it really that hard to leave your mothers house for one weekend a year and at least make an attempt to pick up your own garbage? If its too much to expect, then maybe you all should start packing your mother and bringing her along to pick up after you. Maybe then we would be able to reuse parking lots year after year.

This. Couldn't agree more.

[rip_n_ter]

I agree with everyone talking about the vendors! I wanted an official H2o shirt and no one could tell me where to get one not even staff people???? That's because they were at the outside of the show exiting! They should have been right in front of the bathrooms(that strip not literally in front of the bathroom) I'd say 100% of people went that way. I like the area minus all the mud because let's face it, it rains ever damn H2o and this being the driest one in 2 or 3 years that is a big concern. People don't want to get there show cars covered in mud or stuck nor sink in it while looking around. As far as side goes there's no way to determin the amount of people are going to be there it gets bigger on year to the next sometimes smaller but it's a tough thing to judge.
End rant/

I agree with this. We also looked and asked about event T-shirts and NO ONE seemed to know. "staff" people should atleast know. Finally found them at the last minute before leaving.

[NotoriousWithaG]

I agree with this. We also looked and asked about event T-shirts and NO ONE seemed to know. "staff" people should atleast know. Finally found them at the last minute before leaving.

where did you find them? My gf and I were looking the entire show because we wanted to buy one each for us but had no luck

[MKIIIjettadude]

I agree with this. We also looked and asked about event T-shirts and NO ONE seemed to know. "staff" people should atleast know. Finally found them at the last minute before leaving.

Dang, I was looking for them but thought they didn't make any this year.

[USOPHUNKE]

very nice blue writing this year, sure there are some left you could get off them.

[AKdub914]

Racetrack! <<<<<<<<<<

[CTCORRADOKID]

I totally was diggin the location..

Bus shuttles are also a great idea...

[OMGitsKYLE!]

i actually had no issues...maybe organization for club parking and stuff but i think the venue was really cool! parking amung the trees was really cool aside from stuff falling on the car lol i had a great time, really enjoyed having the shade of the trees and stuff. id be very happy to see it at the campground again

[Bsaint]

Or, it's called getting to the show earlier ... look, if there was no place to park because "50 evos and 50 subis" took up spots in general admission, that sounds like they were on their A-game and you were still recovering from the previous night's alcohol-induced antics.

Secondly, they aren't allowed in the show, so stop bitching. They park in GA, the same as all the rest of you people who don't "show" your car. If you truly want to "show it off", pay for show parking and SHOW your car. Don't bitch because you couldn't park in the GA lot and got turned away. The people who paid, got in.

I've never had a problem getting in the show when I had my GTI or my Audi and neither did my friends that went this year. I think most of you forget that people still go to have a good time with their friends. Hell, Import Alliance doesn't need to turn people away because they PLAN for the crowds and for the last 4 years, Jay and Co. haven't done much of a good job accounting for that (ie, the three hour backup getting to the school last year and the mud pits of 2010).

I don't own a German car anymore because, to be honest, my Subaru and my Honda break less. But that doesn't mean I don't enjoy the show. I still love German cars and I still go because it's fun for me.

Next year, try either one, getting the organizers to find a spot that can handle the show and it's associated traffic, or two, getting up earlier to beat the crowds.

/Whine on guys ...

THIS

I had a great time, didn't sit in one bit of traffic and I flew from 1,000 miles away.

I LOVED the new spot, the trees and random cars parked throughout was awesome, much more fun and enjoyable then a parking lot or muddy open field like the race track.

Instead of bitching at the cars that were there, step your game up. I sat in 2 hours of traffic last year getting to the church and left after an hour. This year I made sure I left my condo before the show started.

People can complain all they want, but H2oi has become much more then just a VAG car event. Some for the better and some for the worse I agree. There was a lot of crap this year, but then again when do you ever remember seeing Ferraris, Lambos, high end turbo Porsches ripping the streets of H2oi..... I enjoy it. And no matter how you "restrict" it, people will come.

I will be there year after year in my M3 I've been coming down for 6+ years and I love the growth. If a group of idiots is doing burnouts at Roses and there are too many cars and no spaces you leave.... I did. I didn't complain once.

[polishsmile]

Since this is only my second year attending, what happened to the race track? Has it been stopped at the race track ever since that A3 went crazy?

[Bsaint]

Since this is only my second year attending, what happened to the race track? Has it been stopped at the race track ever since that A3 went crazy?

It's been thing after thing year after year, I'm pretty sure they just had enough.

[71camaro]

It's been thing after thing year after year, I'm pretty sure they just had enough.

I wish people would stop putting this out there. It's not at the casino/race track because it is now a casino and they don't think they'll make as much money with us there. That's it. It's a business decision on trying to get old folks in and gambling, period.