I'm attempting to plan a first annual car show to raise funds for an organization that I'm the president of here at school.

So far I have the following Ideas on what we should Include.

• Date sometime in March
• Location?? Big parking lot ( Mall) (Parking lot next to Kroger) ( Stadium) would probably be better off campus.
• Flyers advertising etc.
• Porto potties
• Food allow domino's to set up pizza stations, walmart donate sodas, paper plates and paper cups and napkins?
• Sponsors: Car Dealerships, Radio Station ( Music)
• Prizes 1st 2nd and 3rd Best Truck, Car, Motor Cycle, Best Classic, possibly best ford, Chevy, import etc… Cash and or Trophies for winners.
• Entry fee of $25.00 per car. Free? T-shirt with entry fee.
• Parking for spectators, Spectators entry fee? $1-$5?

I'm pretty sure i covered everything but I would appreciate your thoughts and Ideas. Keep in mind that our organization does not have access to a lot of money seeing as its the First Annual car show.

 

For a first time car show-creator (not entirely sure what that title would be..), I wouldn't put the entry fee at $25, but if you do then don't expect much of a turnout. In this economy $25 is a lot. I've done two car shows, entry fee was $12 for cars, $5 for adults 18+, $3 for teens 13-17, and free 12 and under. With the ColoRODans car group we've got in state, we had a turnout of around 90-100 cars. It was fun. My dad is in the music business so we got a local band out there, had a barbecue, and had a good time. Had a few local sponsors (Childrens Miracle Network, Dominoes, Meguiars, and a few car dealers).

The key is to advertise everywhere. I must have put out 1200 fliers, and 40-50 calls about how I'm not allowed to stick a flier on the door of Autozone then run off.

You've also got to do online advertising on various local car groups. I think Scion has a pretty big group in Houston, so you might look in to that. You also get better turnouts if you post competing ads on Chevy and Ford sites telling them that some Fords and Chevys are coming.

Anyway, I kind of went off into my own little rant here...so sorry if I didn't answer your question.

 

Friend of mine at work does Classic car shows alot. I'll ask him for some pointers.
IMHO, though:

I think you should advertise in your local newspaper for one.
And ask for volunteers to help out.

Flyers work ok, but alot of people read the newspaper. Make sure to mention that it's a non profit thing too, and you should think about some rules and regulations for crowd assembly from your city.. You may need some permits and stuff.

Sounds like a fun thing to do, but I'll bet there's a lot of work ahead of you and your group.

I ran up on a Corvette show last year, and they had it set up for early models to late models all in different rows. It was cool. Must have been a few hundred vettes.

 

If there is going to be a band and this is an outside event, you need a permit.

 

edit:

Aye, a permit.