So, for a while now I've been wanting to put together a sizable MK gathering and wonder how much serious interest there would be for such an event. If I invest my time (and money) in this, here's what I'm thinking...

LOCATION
The event would take place in Colorado. Why CO? If you look at North America (http://www.north-america-map.com/north-america-relief-map.gif), Colorado is pretty centrally located, has a number of expressway options to get here, and it has a wide variety of terrain. There is also a culture of such events here, making sponsorships easier to come by. I'd also like to find a base-camp that is not overcrowded by other such events like Moab is. A small town that will bend over backward for the opportunity to host such an event would be prime.

DATES
Obviously, the midst of a recession is not a good time to put this together for either participants or sponsors. Additionally, I've found more time is better when it comes to planning such an event - especially for those traveling some distance. The earliest I think we should shoot for is August 2011, 19 months from now, or even summer 2012. By then, I hope, there is more stability in our economy and people can save for the event.

COSTS
Of course, the on-site costs should be kept as low as possible, which will be accomplished with sponsorships to cover site costs. Ideally, the only expense for participants would be travel, food, and lodging. Lodging options should range from a free tent-city serving as base camp to nearby hotels/lodges.

EVENTS
You can't come to CO without seeing the sights, so trail runs will be the primary activity with trails for all vehicles and skill levels. There will also be a number of social events with plenty of opportunity for meeting other MK owners and swapping stories or mod advise. It would be nice to see a market place of sorts for related vendors as well.

REGISTRATION
To secure quality sponsorships for the event, and draw vendors and local support, it would be best to have a registration process with accompanying fee. This will create an estimated participant base of those serious about attending for use in securing sponsorships and planning events. The fee would also generate funds for up-front costs. Ideally, the fee, in whole or part, would be refunded to those who come to the event, depending on how much sponsorship money is secured to cover event costs.

ORGANIZATION
To produce a quality event, a committee will be formed to handle various aspects of the planning and execution. I think we have a very good base of enthusiastic members and talents here on the forum. If you would be interested in volunteering (consistently and professionally) your time or talents, please PM me and include how you feel you can benefit this project. In particular, we could use a web/graphic designer.

In the past, I managed to pull together a small Auto Show at Brimley State Park in northern Michigan. The show only lasted three years, and I folded it after moving to CO and the economy crashed in MI. But, I learned a lot through that experience, and still have much of the infrastructure needed to build upon, including registration documentation and web space.


So, that's where I'd like to see this go, and would like to start with a discussion to gauge serious interest. If it seems this may be viable, future posts and polls will help us determine location, events, registration specifics, etc. Feel free to post your ideas here, but don't forget to keep checking back. Maybe we can get a dedicated forum under the Meet & Greet / Trail Runs section for this particular topic - North American MK Jamboree (for now).

The event would take place in Colorado. Why CO? If you look at North America, Colorado is pretty centrally located,


sounds like a great trip,
And CO is a great destination for Jeeps,
But think centrally located is a stretch. :)

I sure would consider going, and might be able to help a bit with organizing.

One thing to consider is maybe combining it with a GEOCaching event. There are a lot of Jeep geocaching events, and that might open up more sponsors too (like Garmin, etc).

I am certainly interested in the possible Mk Jamboree as well. I have a friend in CO so that would be another excuse to go out there. Heck others might extend their trip and swing by Vegas, lol (I've got a rarely used timeshare out there).

Having more large events is a great way to meet others with similar interests and share advice/show-off in person :D.

GEOCaching= I agree with dixiedawg. Recently learned of this and "Travel Bugs" on a little Jeep ride this past weekend.

:smiley_thumbs_up: Sounds interesting! :smiley_thumbs_up:

FYI: This past year Mini, Saab, etc... had their National meets at Copper Mountain Resort. It's about an hour West of Denver, CO.

You can visit http://www.jeepcommander.com and see a thread from their "Western" Event a few months ago. Also in Colorado with Camping, etc... :notworthy:

I have been to, and worked with groups on other forums to organize, international meets.

I am definately Interested.

I'd like to thank the five of you who've replied to the initial post. Quite frankly, I'm surprised there weren't more who weighed in. If we're going to do this, it would be great to get as much input as possible, giving you all a stake in seeing it succeed.

Langsta has stepped up and volunteered his graphic and web design talents to the cause and I've asked him to start brainstorming some graphic ideas.

I want to address some points that were brought up in your posts for further discussion and clarification.

...centrally located is a stretch. :)

My emphasis on this event is to make it open and inviting to those throughout the North American continent, including Canada, US and Mexico. I agree that Colorado is not ideally located for those on the east coast, however, if we went any more central to the US, we would be somewhere on the plains which doesn't offer much in the way of terrain for a good event of this nature.

I edited my original post to include a map of North America (http://www.north-america-map.com/north-america-relief-map.gif), which I think if you take a look at, you'll understand where I'm coming from.

Additionally, I live here which will aid in the planning process through one-on-one interaction with the host community and potential sponsors.


One thing to consider is maybe combining it with a GEOCaching event.

I think this is a great idea if there is enough interest from MK owners. I know absolutely nothing about the activity though.


You can visit http://www.jeepcommander.com and see a thread from their "Western" Event a few months ago. Also in Colorado with Camping, etc...

I was unable to find the thread you referred to, but this sounds just like what I'm hoping our event will be - more on the camping side than the resort side.


GEOCaching= I agree with dixiedawg. Recently learned of this and "Travel Bugs" on a little Jeep ride this past weekend.

Not sure what Travel Bugs are, but we'll put that in the same group as GeoCaching and see where it goes. Love the drinking smileys!


I'm really hoping more of the "regulars" will weigh in on this topic. Unless the response to date of 71 views and only 5 replies is indicative of what we can expect for turnout... I'm most interested in what would keep anyone from setting aside a week and making the trip, given over a year to plan for it...

I took some time to look through the Jeep Jamboree site today, which is obviously a well funded and managed group who has a LOT of outings yearly. Personally, I'm leaning more toward a single large gathering every couple of years that people can plan for as a vacation.

Anyway, thanks for your replies thus far and keep the ideas coming. Once I get a hold of Gaze, I'll try to have a separate sub-forum made for this so we can organize our discussions on various topics like Name, Dates, Destination, Events, Registration, etc.

I'm interested too, sounds like a good idea.

To give the forum members some idea of distance. My wife and I can drive straight thru from northwest IN to Denver in about 18 hours.

I'm really hoping more of the "regulars" will weigh in on this topic. Unless the response to date of 71 views and only 5 replies is indicative of what we can expect for turnout... I'm most interested in what would keep anyone from setting aside a week and making the trip, given over a year to plan for it...


Unfortunately some of those regular forum members might like to just stick to the forum.

I think there will be a good size group of us that will be interested within the next year. Just give it time. :smiley_thumbs_up:

I am very interested is this, I think CO is a good place to go and do something like this. Next year might not work for me, my youngest will almost be a year old and hard to tell what he will be like to travel then, my other kids would be up to it though, they love wheeling and riding. I know the following year (2011) would work best for me and would definitely go to this. Not telling anyone to when to do this just giving my input. I would also like to offer my help in any way, just contact me and let me know.

Sounds like you have a good plan, good luck!:smiley_thumbs_up:

sorry, great idea, but definitely too far for me to join. In a city of 2 million, I've only had 2 others come out to trail runs (logging road drives). Definitely a downer for me.

sorry, great idea, but definitely too far for me to join. In a city of 2 million, I've only had 2 others come out to trail runs (logging road drives). Definitely a downer for me.

Heckler, the point is to make a road-trip out of it, or fly-in and rent a Jeep... You're only 22 hours away! What is it that would stop you from coming; perceived lack of participation, time off work, distance to travel?

Just curious. Honestly, if only 5 people show up, we're still going to have a blast! Of course, I hope for more than that.

I usually make a trip to our cabin in Montana in the summer and that takes us 23 hours of straight driving, I would be willing to give one of those trips up for this! Hope this works out.

Even from the East Coast, i.e. Washington D.C. a rough distance to Denver, CO is 1,689 miles and can be driven within 2-3 days with a modest 8-13 hours of driving per day.

I've been in two coast to coast trips, once as a 10 year old and several years ago drove a recently purchase Dakota from Washington state to Rhode Island, both were enjoyable 6 day trips, including stops at national attractions along the way. This trip would be half the haul I'm familiar with, and there is plenty of recreation to be had!

Others may no be comfortable with long drives, but 2 or 3 days on the road is not too bad with a good companion or two and some good music (a whole big family might be too much, lol).

As mentioned above, give it some time. As more "definite's" are established about participation and the event itself there may be more interest. For instance, I can't even get a "definite" answer from my supervisors on vacation approval when requested several-months in advance.

Bump

Can we get a seperate thread for this?

We should be able to do this, and I agree on going out a couple years, but not too far. Maybe 2010 or 2011, I could do either.

What do we need to do? If we get a list we can start to portion things out and prioritize.

I'll help in some way. How do we attract sponsors? I think that might be key. I could print raffle tickets. Maybe a 50-50 or something.

We'll need to raise some money for a web site, equipment, and a place to set up.

A web site to promote it, and where folks can sign up to attend the event, and sponsors can sign up, seems like a good idea.

On it, Jeff! I'll put you on the list for helping out. This first thread is to see who's generally interested, and so far, I'm not convinced it's worth the time and effort. It seems the biggest problem is going to be getting owners from a distance to attend. If it turns out to just be a Colorado trail run, we can do that already. I want this to be BIG!

Don't worry, I'm taking notes and will likely organize some sort of meeting in the near future.

On it, Jeff! I'll put you on the list for helping out. This first thread is to see who's generally interested, and so far, I'm not convinced it's worth the time and effort. It seems the biggest problem is going to be getting owners from a distance to attend. If it turns out to just be a Colorado trail run, we can do that already. I want this to be BIG!

Don't worry, I'm taking notes and will likely organize some sort of meeting in the near future.

Well even if it doesn't work out, Ill drive out to Colorado for some trails. :smiley_thumbs_up:

Im hard core. :banana:

Remember, you will want to get legal/insurance advice. Will this be some kind of not-for-profit organization? You will want to limit personal liability in the event of some sort of accident.

I'd like to thank the five of you who've replied to the initial post. Quite frankly, I'm surprised there weren't more who weighed in. If we're going to do this, it would be great to get as much input as possible, giving you all a stake in seeing it succeed.

I was unable to find the thread you referred to, but this sounds just like what I'm hoping our event will be - more on the camping side than the resort side.


Here's the linky to the 51 page 2009 Jeep Commanders GTG/Campout in Colorado. :smiley_thumbs_up:

http://www.jeepcommander.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5525

Here's the linky to the 51 page 2009 Jeep Commanders GTG/Campout in Colorado. :smiley_thumbs_up:


There are actually 59 pages to the original thread (http://www.jeepcommander.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5525), and another 11 pages on the post-trip thread (http://www.jeepcommander.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9709)!!!

After skimming through it all, it is apparent we will definitely benefit with a web page dedicated to the event, and a separate thread area for different topics.

Looks like they had a total of 12 attendees and the event was held in Silverton, CO area. I assume the event was only directed at getting JeepCommander.com forum members to attend. AND, there was a small write-up in JPFreek magazine on the event.


Just to clarify the time table, because there have been questions and comment on when this may go down... My intent is for this event to happen, at earliest, in late July or early August 2011. If it doesn't look like we can pull it off by then, we'll look to 2012. I hope by then there will be more job and economic security amongst owners, allowing more to be able to plan and budget for the event. 2010 is just not enough time to pull it together and for people to plan on attending.

We're just in the beginning stages of this and there is a LOT to consider and pull together. I hope to have a web page for the event live by July 2010 - after we work out all the details through polls and discussion threads on the forum.

Keep the ideas and thoughts coming!

Hey I would totally be down for a meet. I have been wanting to attend one for the past year. I live in Kansas City so I would love to go and help out with whatever I could. Subscribed, Ill keep up with this.

Holy cow! I don't know how I missed this thread. I'd be down for it, but it'd be a 2-3 day drive for me I think so it may be tough to take that many days off from work.

Holy cow! I don't know how I missed this thread. I'd be down for it, but it'd be a 2-3 day drive for me I think so it may be tough to take that many days off from work.

The more I think about this, the more I like the idea of having it during a week. That way, those in cases like yours could leave Saturday morning and arrive Monday afternoon (2.5 days on the road), then leave the event Friday morning and arrive home Sunday afternoon. Then, you wouldn't have two weeks where you're taking a couple days off work... Does that make sense/sound reasonable? Having it during the week will likely reduce costs as well.

BTW, I haven't forgotten about this, but I may scale back my ambitions and go for something more primitive this time around.

I think that a week long even would be to long. Most people would probably just wanna stay maybe two days.

I would like to see a huge gathering maybe spread the word around other forums once we get something more set in stone. If all goes well who knows it could turn into an annual event.

I can see a caravan coming from the east. Map out a couple places to camp along the way, and enjoy the trip too.

If I am able to get the vacation time, I am in. Would be about 24 hours of driving for me. If I get a friend to help share the drive we can do it in 2 days easily. I agree with a middle of the week deal. If I am spending 48 hours driving, I am going to want to spend more than 48 hours there... Would probably make a whole week out of it regardless of how long the meet is (if the meet is only a day or two, maybe I travel westward and try to make it to the coast?).

As for dates, I only get 2 weeks of paid vacation per year. One week is usually taken up by a family vacation to the beach. Next year (2011) my family is also considering a trip to the Caribbean. Obviously, if that happens, I would prefer 2012.

Definitely interested, though.

Oh the coast is long drive, last time I did it was on a bike. There's alot on the way there though. The badlands, Mt Rushmore, and Wyoming, Yellowstone, the Tetons, etc, are not too far away. Or even just touring more of Colorado would be cool, it is beautiful in the Rockies.

About 20 hours from Pgh to Denver I think, maybe a bit more. Close folks could have more time there, but a week for most others would probably be about all they could spare. So depending on how many days travel, would determine how many days they could spend there.

I am thinking that I would drive Friday (after work) and arrive late saturday or early sunday. Spend Sunday through _______ there, and work my way back from wherever I am the following Friday (all day) Saturday (all day) and Sunday (if needed, i.e. driving back from California).

Heck, forget about the meet, lets just do a week long caravan around the US. Make a giant loop (would have to be 1.5 loops to get the west coasters back to the west). Just join in on the highway as we pass through your state. Eat together, camp together, explore together, and eventually all make our way back to our homes.

If we could get someone with a motor home to tag along, we'd have our own traveling rest area too. Sounds like fun, but I might be too old for that, lol.

bump

Anything becoming of an MK Jamboree? Not seeing many MK friendly Jeep sponsored events this year.

You can come to PA for the weekend in August.

I think this one from Dawson will be in a couple years. If it still happens I'm going to try my best to make it.

Gaze was talking about something in eastern PA too.

Yeah... I just dunno, guys. I came up with the idea when I had a ton of vacation time to burn and things were not as crazy with work. Now that I'm back in the private sector, I have less vacation time and am working twice as hard for a paycheck. We're SLAMMED with work this spring, and it may continue. I'd be happy to help put something together, but honestly, I don't see a big turn out happening, so I'd hate to put a bunch of time and effort in that I don't have, for little result. It may just be a long weekend sometime next summer, but again, there may be a wedding too. Could be 2012...