The JAE Feedback Thread

[Mark]

Right now the dust has settled and the hangovers have worn off it would be a good time to get some feedback from you guys about how well the weekend went

What did you like, what didnt you like? Feel free to address anything wether its something on the club side or the JAE side

I think we all know we was given a small pitch so the stand wasnt a great display, hopefully this is something that can be resolved in the future

Also do you feel JAE still has something to offer the club or have we outgrown it Should we focus more on our own weekender and have a smaller presence at JAE or even knock it on the head completely

So who wants to go first

[JJ]

Well to start as the first foreigner....

The weekend was brilliant arranged by our arrangers ( spelling ). Big up for the staff of the SXOC.

JAE staff could have done way better to be honest. Failure in space big time, was struggling with the space as we all noticed.
They shouldnt adjusted the place we were placed on the map we got before, that place should have been better, and they knew.

Knock out competition was a good thing, it added something to the weekend to be fair. To have some extra contact with the other clubs and people. Was good
But they failed on the rules and stuff like that, but fair play, first time is always hard isnt it.

I personally like the idea of a bigger or 2 Weekenders. But also do still like the JAE for god knows which reason.
Can`t really take part in the decision for this to be honest as its a long drive anyway. So cant attend every event....Ill have to make choices anyway.

But if i look to it now, I would preffer the Weekender over JAE.

my 2 euro-cents

[justin666]

I personally love JAE and think it would be a shame if the OC wasnt part of it in the future... Dont get me wrong the SXOC weekender are a fab idea but then JAE can be a fantastic advert for the club and all things 200 related.

I think JAE hit its peak back in the old Billing days and when it moved to peteboghorror it def lost some of its atmosphere which was a shame.. However, Even tho the security were a bit OTT and our stand was a bit out the way and to small, there was certainly somthing in the atmophere of this JAE that I personally havent seen since the days at Billing

Being part of the SXOC at events like JAE is summat special and it really brings everyone together. Think I spoke to More people at this years JAE than any other show ive been to in years.

PLEASE please dont let us as a club drift (no pun intended) away from the likes of JAE. A club the size of this can help in so many ways and get JAE back to the awsome event it was only a few years ago.

J.

[Jonny Wilkinson]

Mark, You've asked for feedback so I'm going to be honest. I hope I don't get flamed for it.

First off, I take my hat off to the guys that organise our attendance at these events. They get nothing for it and they work extremely hard for the club and deserve praise for the effort they put in.

Some good things...

Hogroast
Games on the stand
Good turn out for SXOC
The weather

Some bad things for JAE ....
The original stand plan looked OK. The actual layout on the day was sh!te. It was more like wandering round a camp site with some interesting cars than a car show
The signposting was lousy both on the approach and in the grounds.
There is NO support for Jap classics. Why ? For me, that would add a significant bonus. I saw one 70s car all day and the owner was saying he wasn't coming next year.
The only traders I saw were selling tut. No serious performance parts at all and the only one I even paused at was the Autoglym stand
They had loud and pointless commentary for the whole of the 5-a-side competition but nothing for the show and shine. Sorry but I thought this was a car show
Where was the bliddy ice-cream van ??? It was HOT on Saturday.

One bad things for SXOC...
The cars were just parked not displayed. There was no pattern or attempt to show off the cars/club to the people attending the show. It was almost like the club had turned its back on JAE. I think that might be symptomatic of the general feeling that JAE is an event for SXOCers to get together for a weekend rather than for SXOC to be a part of something bigger.

A better example (IMO).

One of the best shows I go to (for me anyways) is Bromley. Its very well organised, lots of club stands with a few (usually very high quality) cars on them. There are lots of events, a whole field of traders selling proper performance parts, people selling s/h stuff, people selling cars, loads of trade stands, properly organised show-and-shine/concours and people attending (but not showing at a club stand) get parked together so you can go and look at all the Spitfires (or whatever) together. Every time I've been I've seen at least two cars I've never seen before in my life (and I'm old).

For anyone that's doesn't know Bromley, it is the biggest outdoor car show in the UK.

Will I go next year ? Probably not unless I think its going to be radically different.

Jonny.

[Mark]

Thanks Jon

The reason for the poor layout was the lack of space we was given. We would have loved to have had a big open display showing the cars at their best but it simply wasnt possible It was very hard to judge how much space we was going to need for camping so the stand suffered

If they plan on going the same next year we might have to book a 100 car space but only allow 50 cars on the stand

[onevia]

oh yeah and i enjoyed the weekend in true sxoc style, though the stand was congested ended up more of a car park! i think it is miles to travel it was a much better relaxed atmosphere then the showground was!

[channie]

oh yeah and i enjoyed the weekend in true sxoc style, though the stand was congested ended up more of a car park! i think it is miles to travel it was a much better relaxed atmosphere then the showground was!

The stand did get messy also with cars turning up until midnight + alcohol + no daylight + it was nearly impossible to layout!

If we manage to get the same plot as last year then atleast we can plan the stand better

[Rubix_Cube]

Right time for the Special member's 2p's worth.

Good Things

Its a Knock Out - I told Channie many times it was a great idea!!!
Hogroast - Amazing, I ate that dead pig and I like it!
Club atmosphere - As usual FANTASTIC!
Weather - Great till Sunday evening

Bad Things

JAE's Organising Skills (Pre and During) - Telling some people one thing then telling others something different (Channie knows what I mean), General "Show" layout etc were all a bit poor.
Our Location on the Day (weekend) - I felt we were put in our own "Special" corner away from everyone else.
Lack of proper trade stands - Funky Power being the only guys selling genuine parts on the day I'm sure
Distance - Not an issue for all but 470 Miles for a piss up is a bit excessive in many people's eyes!


Mark, I am un aware of who I was discussing this with, (I know Kieran and Kev were there but I'm sure a southern fairy was amonst us too), but an Idea of a weekender but with more of a track feel was thought of. Also more central too. I think Donny was mentioned. The overall thought was put more focus on our own weekender event and less on JAE but still appear for it, possible have less there though.

Obviously it comes to a commitee choice in the end.

[Ninja]

I loved the SXOC@JAE the rest was a bit of a fail in my eyes, but having said that I would like the SXOC to continue going along side the weekender as that would be 2 events where I get to see my long distance SXOC friends

[Matt_S]

I personally liked it. Apparently the error was in JAE's miscaling the site (I think they thought it was in metres but in turned out it was in feet personally, judging by the stand space everyone got )
The atmosphere was the best since Billing without a doubt. I personally dont go for the 'show' but to see all the guys n girls I have met over the years and maybe meet a few more. So it didnt matter where we were pitch wise, Id have still had a fab time. Like Mark and ***** early on, I was tearing my hair out at the stand and camping space for D:Mon, so you guys must have been even worse (we had a 'site staff tent in our pitch FFS!!! !)
You can buy stand space, you can buy traders. But you cant buy atmosphere and both the SXOC stand and the D:Mon stand had it by the bucket load
I think it would be a BIG shame if the SXOC turned its back on the event. AFter all a few of us had to literally make our own stand up in 2000 cos we didnt have enough space on the NTOC stand for the 50 cars we had show up over the weekend! SEE! We was still rockin it up in 2000!

One thing I think had skipped a few people minds as far as I can see. THis weekend the Scooby boys ran a Colin McRae tribute convoy thingy at Bandury. Over 1000 cars. Now if this hadnt been going on, where do you think they (or the majority of them) would have been????
I dont think they would have all turned up at Mersea, but I would probabaly wager at least 200 cars over the weekend. And their tents! ANd the place was packed as it was!
I missed the SXOC weekender, due to being in LeMans with a bunch of guys Ive met thro the SXOC over the years. SO we had our own weekender 'en France' . But I think thats sorted for next year so they dont clash and Ill be at the SXOC weekender. Whatever Im driving!

[Fake Ben Taylor]

the idea isnt to turn our back on jae and just do one weekender.....one idea that was thrown about was for a second weekender instead of jae with invites to 'some' other clubs

[Matt_S]

Billing please!

Ill bring the D:Mon possee if you'll have us

[channie]

Apparently all the problems were Matt_S's fault anyway... he invented JAE!!!
Right after he finished inventing time and the wheel!

In our lab we are currently looking at various possibilities of a second weekender or atleast a second big event... although where ever we are... be it JAE or a weekender the people make it what it is

[Matt_S]

I invented JAE in a tea break one afternoon when I was inventing time. It shows I put more effort on the time, cos everyone on the planet knows what time is and how to manage it

[Monkey]

IMHO if you have a weekender with other clubs, it has to be at a track of some sorts, like this year.

[Danielle]

I can't fault SXOC@JAE (yes the stand ended up a bit of the car park but Channie and Mark have said why that was) but the event itself was badly organised, not enough in the way of food variety or trade stands and not enough space allocated to each club. Signage was non-existent for SXOC considering we were the biggest stand there. And I don't like the way they move stands around (numerous times) once they are already paid for including moving everything the day before. I can't see how they think the site is bigger than EOE Showground, like has been mentioned, there was no scooby city and that is always at least twice the size of our stand.
Anyone that did go for a wander, did you notice Fuggles gave his own club (GTROC) ample space?
The security seemed to have it in for us. As did those judging IAKO and Best Club Prize. I want to know what GTOOC did to win that, and the TOW I believe our boys would have won had they also had half hours rest.

Billing please!

Ill bring the D:Mon possee if you'll have us

I think it's a bit unfair to make it Billing. It's hardly up North and we could really do with having something a little nearer to the Scottish lads that drive so far to the rest of the years events. We did a weekend camping meet a few weeks back at Billing and none of the people who whinge "It's not the same when it's not at Billing" even bothered to turn up. Think it was mainly Mark and I, Egon and the East Mids boys.


Anyway, I vote we dramatically scale down our presence at JAE and not put the effort into our own activities and have possibly 2 of our own weekenders and do stuff like that there.

Have one on our own and another with 'invited' clubs making sure unwanted (read chav) clubs don't invite themselves.

[Si W]

I dont really have anything to say that hasn't been said already...at the end of the day i agree with most of the comments made.

The JAE organisers definitely need to up their game though. And find a venue which is a: big enought to cope with a show of this size and b: more central so people dont feel it's too far away.

Ive only camped at two JAE's so far and i haven't been to a weekender but based on my own experiences i can say i love JAE and feel it would be a big shame to not attend any more. I see the appeal of just having the weekender but IMO i like the actual "car show" aspect of JAE...although, as has been said, that side of things does need improving.

I love my car and like having the opportunity to show it off and show the rest of the car community how awesome our club is!

[Asht_200]

Flame suit on

I think it is getting to the point that we have too many cars on the stand. By all means park cars nearby, but have a dedicated stand to the best cars the SXOC has to offer.

Just a thought.

[Mark]

i can say i love JAE

Lots of people say they love JAE but how true is this? After you have been twice its just the same old stuff 'oh a supra', 'oh a civic' The show hasnt interested me for at least the last 2 years and this year was no different

We could recreated the whole SXOC@JAE experience anywhere we wanted

I go purely for the club experience and I know many others feel the same way

So is it JAE you love or the experience you get from the club whilst being at JAE

[StuartUK]

That was my 3rd JAE, i dont care about the space, setup, etc etc....... I just liked turning up and having a dam good laugh, always meeting new people, and watching 2 little hotties wearing not a lot washing themselves by the cold water tap behind where i was parked !
SXOC, Proud all the way, no matter which car event it is I'll be there !

Stuie