No-Food-A-Palooza?

[festivus44]

Just received an e-mail from Clark's Landing re: this weekend's Aquapalooza stating: "Please plan on bringing your own food and refreshments." Huh :smt017

What's up with that?

[Presentation]

We have our first on the body of water where we boat this Sunday.

[Four Suns]

Hmmmmm......

You guys really know how to throw a party up here.

[osd9]

Gary:

This might the perfect place for you to bring all 'dem soup cans... :grin:...could even yield a profit...... :thumbsup:

[jrirvine1]

Here is the link for this weekend.
Looks like this is a BYOE event. (Bring your own everything)

Too bad we don’t have the CSR Burgees for those that are attending.
One positive note, as of last weekend this area was free of sea nettles.

http://www.clarkslandingsearay.com/content.asp?nav=101712&cpid=5769&

[STIHLBOLTS]

From the advertising link.

Invite anyone you know with a boat!
:smt017


OK....so anyone that owns a boat can show up. Great. :thumbsup:

I almost went to the one in Savannah last year. Glad I did not go, it was nothing more than a sales event. :smt009

[festivus44]

Really dumb. How much could food and drinks cost compared to the advertising budget of Clarks Landing/Sea Ray/Brunswick.

When I owned a new Beneteau (yes a sailboat :smt101 ), they threw great parties for their owners, and yes I even bought a second new Beneteau. Not due directly to the parties of course, but it's all a matter of building an ongoing relationship with customers.

Oh well... we have cancelled our plans to be there. I can hear lame bands anytime I want at Watermans!

P.S. let me beat you to it: Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! :smt089

[Bridog]

Well....I only signed up because I figure I could get 2 T-shirts out of it. :grin: As far as food goes.. if you are out with your family, you should plan on providing for them. Do you think Sea Ray will flip the bill for 25,000 guest? And what about all the non Sea Ray people? Maybe get a shirt that reads..." My friends went to the SR party and all I got was a lousy T-shirt". Go fly your CSR burgee instead.

[festivus44]

if you are out with your family, you should plan on providing for them.
I wish I had thought of that :grin: :grin: :grin:
I do try to occasionally provide a crumb or two for those freeloaders.

Go fly your CSR burgee instead.
I only wish I could... :smt043

[jrirvine1]

I can hear lame bands anytime I want at Watermans!

P.S. let me beat you to it: Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! :smt089

I’ve heard the Reggae Band they have scheduled. Every song they do sounds like Bob Marley’s “Jammin” – they just change the words.

[STIHLBOLTS]

Brian, are you chiding us for wishing for a few free hot dogs and cokes? :smt021 You know we all paid extra for our boats just so we could hang out and commiserate about how expensive our boats were while SR picks up the tab on 3 day old buns and burn hot dogs. :smt043

Not to mention their marketing department takes advantage of us with cheap tee shirts in last years styles to make us think we got something for nothing. :smt101

[Bridog]

if you are out with your family, you should plan on providing for them.
I wish I had thought of that :grin: :grin: :grin:
I do try to occasionally provide a crumb or two for those freeloaders.

Go fly your CSR burgee instead.
I only wish I could... :smt043 :lol: and then... what's next.. Sea Ray should provide everyone with a PFD?

[STIHLBOLTS]

and then... what's next.. Sea Ray should provide everyone with a PFD?

YOU did not get yours!!! :smt017 I got mine... :smt043

[festivus44]

:lol: and then... what's next.. Sea Ray should provide everyone with a PFD?
They already did that, my boat came with eight!

Look, I could care less about a few pucks and sticks and some warm, flat soda. From a marketing perspective I feel that this is a lost opportunity for Sea Ray. The most difficult part in any promotional campaign is reaching the customer. When your customer (or future customers known as "non-Sea Ray people") bring themselves to you, even 25,000 people times $10 can be cost effective compared to what Sea Ray/Brunswick spends on other less effective forms of advertising.

That's all I'm saying...

Plus, I was mainly in it for the t-shirts too.

[Four Suns]

I got 12... so there!

[festivus44]

I got 12... so there!
Wow, I got hosed!

[Bridog]

Brian, are you chiding us for wishing for a few free hot dogs and cokes? :smt021 You know we all paid extra for our boats just so we could hang out and commiserate about how expensive our boats were while SR picks up the tab on 3 day old buns and burn hot dogs. :smt043

Not to mention their marketing department takes advantage of us with cheap tee shirts in last years styles to make us think we got something for nothing. :smt101 That's great Richard but I was thinking of something more incredible...at least to Sea Ray standard's......Take all that money your spending for Aquapalooza and.......... get ready for this............................ PUT SOME REAL HORNS ON YOUR CRUISERS!!!! Just a thought.

[Bridog]

I got 12... so there! Show off!!! I only got 6. But that's average.... uhhhh ....I mean for PFD's of course. :thumbsup: :smt043

[JeffM]

Ummm, getting back to the (un?)party.... :smt018

I had the same reaction as Tim, but then went back and looked at the email I posted in the BIH thread and saw that from the start they've been saying it's a Bring Your Own. Guess I just ASSumed if they were giving a party they would provide refreshments. I too think it's a great marketing opportunity missed.

Right now we're still planning to go, though.....unless we want to organize our own 'Palooza at Fairlee, Still Pond, or......

We'll bring hot dogs :smt043 .

Jeff

[STIHLBOLTS]

Jeff - Organize your own is the best idea! :thumbsup:


Brian - Horns were always optional. :smt043 But there is nothing like a Sea Ray horn, all our friends can say, "There goes another Sea Ray" :smt043

And since I have to bring my own, it's Black Angus Burgers for me! :thumbsup: On a grill a great friend provided. :wink:

[Bridog]

And since I have to bring my own, it's Black Angus Burgers for me! :thumbsup: On a grill a great friend provided. :wink:OK I'll shut up now. :grin:

[RiverGalsMan]

I like the idea of having our own event. I'm game for anything within 25 miles of Annapolis. I'm between boats until early August so I'll start by proposing August 11. You all know the better spots so I'll defer the location to the long-time locals.

Can anyone say Mini-Looza?

[standers]

My $ .02 on these events - and please, I'm not trying to defend any of the dealers. Several years ago, SeaRay ran an annual get together alternating east or west of the Mississippi River with this gala event. Dealer's also did their thing - in the case of Clarks Landing, it was an annual Customer Appreciation Weekend.

If anyone was at the 2004? SeaRay event in Cambridge, you'll remember it was pretty incredible. Gifts every morning on your boat. Food and drink for 3 days and plenty of activities. Cynthia Trudell, then President of SR, was there and was very approachable and would talk about anything.

Clarks did their thing typically the end of July and would usually prance Coach Billick around and charge a lot of money in the name of appreciating our business.

SeaRay stopped their big party - Cynthia got the boot and some time thereafter, some marketing genius came up with Aquapalooza. Now, SeaRay could boast an annual event bigger than anything and push much of the burden and responsibility to the dealers. So, while not defending Clarks, they're stuck with this thing and have to find a way financially to pull it off. There are some subsidies from corporate, but not what you'd think. This year, Clarks has cancelled their "Customer Appreciation" gig - I can only guess the resources are shifted to Aquapalooza - what resources they may be.

From a business perspective, dealer's should hit a home run on this if they'd only invest in true customer awareness and appreciation, but sadly, they only know sales. Like many businesses, myopic leaders at the top making uninformed decisions that trickle down to all of us causing these rants, like the one I'm on.

OK, I'll shut up now....and yes, I feel better.

And, I'll get my T-Shirts... :thumbsup:

[festivus44]

OK, after a call to Clarks it turns out that, despite what the e-mail said, there will be some food and drink there afterall. I don't know why I'm so cheesed off by this given that we probably won't eat the food any way!

So, now we are going to go to pick up our free T-shirts! Sorry for stirring up this nonsense...

[Bridog]

Well I have to admit it when I'm wrong but... Prodigalson you are 100% right about SeaRay providing food at this thing. After flipping through at least 7 different boating magazines (most are all the same anyway) I am getting tired of all the Aquapalooza ads. If they have that kind of money to be advertising in EVERY single boating magazine out there, then they darn well better make this thing an event worth remembering. And if that means some hotdogs, hamburgers, and soda then they better do it. You are absolutely correct. I hope the weather is good next weekend and I hope this "Aquapalooza" thing doesn't suck. :grin: At least I'll get my T-shirts. On another note... I wonder what it would sound like if all 25,000 Sea Ray's blasted the "duck" horn at the same time.

[STIHLBOLTS]

I wonder what it would sound like if all 25,000 Sea Ray's blasted the "duck" horn at the same time.



Like one large quacker. :smt043 :smt043 :smt043 :smt043

[DebFinder]

Ummm, getting back to the (un?)party.... :smt018

Right now we're still planning to go, though.....unless we want to organize our own 'Palooza at Fairlee, Still Pond, or......

We'll bring hot dogs :smt043 .

Jeff

Jeff -- Don and I are planning on going tomorrow as well. What time do you guys expect to be there?

[JeffM]

Great! We're looking forward to it.

We're aiming to arrive about 1 pm -- but that means rousing two teenagers before 10 am........ :smt009 . Hopefully we'll be pretty close.

The bands start at noon and end at 7; we aren't sure if we're going to stay the night or head back. If we don't stay, we'll likely leave about 6:30.

Jeff

[jrirvine1]

We will also head up to Conquest Beach shortly after 12. Hope to meet you there!

[DebFinder]

Great! We're looking forward to it.

We're aiming to arrive about 1 pm -- but that means rousing two teenagers before 10 am........ :smt009 . Hopefully we'll be pretty close.

The bands start at noon and end at 7; we aren't sure if we're going to stay the night or head back. If we don't stay, we'll likely leave about 6:30.

Jeff

It will be good to see you guys again! My parents will be meeting us there too, on their Sea Ray, Meant 2 B, so keep an eye out for us; we'll hail you when we get close.

[rondds]

how'd you all score t-shirts? do they toss them around with one of those t-shirt shooting machines at the aquapalooza event? that's the only reason i "registered" (which is just a way to get you on their dopey spamming list). no way on earth was i expecting any eats down a tice's shoal. i'm just going to drive through to watch the display of bad boating and intoxication :smt038 . that place is bedlam on a typical weekend day - imagine when there is an "organized" event. :smt100

[In Deep]

got a e-mail from my Marinemax dealer about our event on Lake Hopatcong next Saturday. They said there is food and beverages being supplied and that the barbaque is at a lake side bar/tavern. They are even supplying a Boston Whaler to shutle people from the raft up to the bar.
Sounds like a good time to me.

[In Deep]

Well Lake Hopatcong MArinemax did a outstanding job on the Aquapalooza yeaterday. Great food, fun things for the kids to play with, good music. And we even met some new freinds on the lake and just plain had a great time.
My hats off to Sea Ray and Marinemax for a great event!
:smt038