MX-5 Club of QLD 2020

[greenltd]

On leaving nobody even bothered to ask why I decided to leave...[/quote]

I have "left" a few clubs over the years, none have ever asked officially why i never renewed. In some cases maybe because they don't care and/or being volunteers don't have the time. Some club members found out through general chat as i interacted with them at events.

Sent from my SM-N920I using Tapatalk

[Red_Bullet]

To be honest, it's their club, they can do anything they want with it. It's more of a social club really than a traditional car enthusiast club. For most members it seems to be about meeting up, having lunch with friends and doing fancy dress and themed sort of days. Things move on and evolve, I guess it's simply about the age demographic of the membership. In their defence I do know that there have been health issues for some key people that certainly would have been quite distracting for them in recent times. (Your answer to nobody noticing you leave Magpie would be related most likely to these health issues.)

I'd suggest that succession planning needs to be looked into for the club to be able to continue into the future. Hopefully somebody more patient than myself will step into the Competition Secretary role. I was keen to get the ball rolling but it seems that my enthusiasm for review and planning was not a high priority for them. I also think they need more modern ideas and strategies in promoting the club, the club website and magazine are both pretty archaic, with poor quality low resolution pictures and very mid 90's web design.

Some of the loss of trackday participation may have been due to communication issues with varying originating email addresses being used. Maybe potential participants/people replied to un-monitored legacy email addresses. Anyway, I have provided them with a contact list drawn off their current and legacy mailing systems. Maybe that might help them a little, but I don't think they know that they had a problem with that. They do try to run the club on a super tight budget and I suspect are unwilling to invest in (and are unaware of) new marketing strategies and apps that would be required to effectively promote the club's activities to a wider audience.

[ManiacLachy]

That's a shame they haven't been receptive to suggestions, or even open to discussions and ideas. I think you've made the right choice to step back, it would just be infuriating.

Without fresh blood, the clubs will die off, and I don't just mean the MX-5 Club of QLD, I feel like car clubs in general just aren't a big deal anymore. People tend to organise events more socially, thanks largely to Social Media. I know when I want to go on a drive, or to a track/skid pan, I can find a group online, or organise with a few friends to join in on a scheduled event with the hosts directly.

[Red_Bullet]

Without fresh blood, the clubs will die off, and I don't just mean the MX-5 Club of QLD, I feel like car clubs in general just aren't a big deal anymore. People tend to organise events more socially, thanks largely to Social Media. I know when I want to go on a drive, or to a track/skid pan, I can find a group online, or organise with a few friends to join in on a scheduled event with the hosts directly.

Yes I agree, it will be a struggle for them to be/remain relevant. There is no magic panacea to fix this.

[Magpie]

I guess it's simply about the age demographic of the membership.

Was like that when I joined, 6 years later still the same but even more 'clicky'

They do try to run the club on a super tight budget and I suspect are unwilling to invest in (and are unaware of) new marketing strategies and apps that would be required to effectively promote the club's activities to a wider audience.

Loosing members will make the budget even tighter! False economy if that is their logic. Maybe they will also drop the CAMS affiliation and save some more money.

I was keen to get the ball rolling but it seems that my enthusiasm for review and planning was not a high priority for them. I also think they need more modern ideas and strategies in promoting the club, the club website and magazine are both pretty archaic, with poor quality low resolution pictures and very mid 90's web design.

This made me almost wet myself laughing as I have been in this situation on more than once occasion. I walked away from a sport that I had over 30 years involvement in when I got involved in club politics. Patriarchs/matriarchs/life members should never be allowed to run clubs as they will slowly destroy it by not accepting that change is needed! Clubs should be run as a business not as an extension of ones ego. None of this is directed at you Red Bullet, you stepped up to help but found out that it was not your help they needed...

Social media is free and with a few interested people it is not hard to raise a clubs online profile. Keeping the online profile relevant and current does take a bit of commitment, however it all comes down to what the MX5 Club QLD wants as an outcome. If they want to put the wagons in a circle to protect the people on the inside then they are doing a great job, however you can never win by being defensive!

There are heaps of great clubs out there, I'm now a member of the 86 club and they welcomed me with open arms as they know I will help anybody at the track no matter their car choice or experience. The Porsche club is also another one very much into motorsport.

Without fresh blood, the clubs will die off, and I don't just mean the MX-5 Club of QLD, I feel like car clubs in general just aren't a big deal anymore.

I need to keep my CAMS license so need a club the is CAMS affiliated. This makes clubs relevant to some

Yes I agree, it will be a struggle for them to be/remain relevant. There is no magic panacea to fix this.

Again, credit for trying, whilst it is fun flogging a dead horse, one day you have to understand that no amount of flogging said horse will make it get up... you will just end up tired. The magic panacea is for the old guard to allow things that conflict with the 'old ways' and accept that change is needed, viva la revolution...

[Red_Bullet]

Social media is free and with a few interested people it is not hard to raise a clubs online profile. Keeping the online profile relevant and current does take a bit of commitment, however it all comes down to what the MX5 Club QLD wants as an outcome. If they want to put the wagons in a circle to protect the people on the inside then they are doing a great job, however you can never win by being defensive!

Social media certainly isn't as free as many believe it to be. Having set the FB page up as a "club" rather than a personal page, FB is making it very clear that they can do so much more to promote the page should I be willing to cross their palm with gold. After all, FB is basically a marketing company, so they need to get revenue from somewhere.

[93_Clubman]

I have inherited the position of MX-5 Club of QLD competition secretary for 2020!
I'm looking into strategies and ideas to broaden the club's appeal to a wider audience.

Great initiative Keith, but unfortunate that there appear to be other priorities.

[Magpie]

Social media certainly isn't as free as many believe it to be.

Yes there is a pay stream if you want to go that path. However it can be promoted without using the pay model, it is just a lot harder and requires a very different approach.

I had a conversation recently on this sort of subject when I was complimented on some of my data analysis posts, the question was asked how long do they take to make. The answer is A LOT of time! However, it is these very comments that keep me doing it. If it was not for being on Team Racepak I would never have seen the value in self promotion.

[Red_Bullet]

It's always easier to do a job with the correct tools, even if you have to pay for the tools. Tools in this case being marketing and market survey tools. In fact in many instances, if you don't have the correct tools then the job can't be done at all.

[Magpie]

It's always easier to do a job with the correct tools.

Provided the people want the job done in the first place or would rather withhold the required tools so as to ensure failure (poison chalice).

As I said I'm very disappointed that you stepped up but were not allowed to implement what you saw was needed. The start of 2018 was full of hype, new format and new classes, this was seen as the savior and would get more people involved. What happened... I have my opinions...

[Custardtart]

Gotta say a big thanks Keith for stepping up. It sadly sounds like the right choice to step down though.
I’d love to be on track with other MX5’s, I think I came to the party a few years too late. Having been circuit racing for 15 years I’m very happy just puttering round but being a bit competitive I did like the sprint concept and a simple, easy to understand “championship” table.
Lakeside run monthly general sessions on Saturday mornings for $120 and they hold a Sprint competition in the afternoon and you can do both for $200.
Maybe we set up an unofficial MX5 competition as part of this? There’s no cost, just spread it by word of mouth and see if it snowballs?

[Red_Bullet]

I’d love to be on track with other MX5’s, I think I came to the party a few years too late. Having been circuit racing for 15 years I’m very happy just puttering round but being a bit competitive I did like the sprint concept and a simple, easy to understand “championship” table.
Lakeside run monthly general sessions on Saturday mornings for $120 and they hold a Sprint competition in the afternoon and you can do both for $200.
Maybe we set up an unofficial MX5 competition as part of this? There’s no cost, just spread it by word of mouth and see if it snowballs?

Out of respect for the amazing job that past compsecs have done providing access to fantastic sprint days that I've attended over the past 6 years I'd rather not encourage further splintering of the fraternity. Having said that, there has always been an issue with the weekday schedule which has always been a limiting factor. This is simply economics, hiring the track is far cheaper on a weekday.

Brian (2018-19 compsec) is keen to continue with motorsport and is looking to put forward an MX-5 team to run more events in the Interclub challenge. I'm thinking of joining with him in that, he's after about 6 or so drivers to go and play, sprints, hill climb, autocross etc. Anyone else want to join in with Brian? Would need a CAMS licence for Mt Cotton and Morgan Park. I'm not intending to resign my membership with the MX-5 club QLD. I'm just not willing to take on a challenge which I will admit I know very little about without the full backing and support of the committee.

I've been to one of those weekend events at Lakeside and to my surprise there were quite a few MX-5 folk from the past ready and willing to play. Can always do both.

I'm certainly aware too of not letting Denis (compsec BMW club) down, they have been very accommodating and the alliance has made the past two years possible.

[Magpie]

No need to splinter as there are a few other clubs that can be joined that are also in the Interclub competition.

[Red_Bullet]

To demonstrate, I've recently been in touch with Denis, compsec of the BMW club. Denis already has tentative dates booked with Qld Raceways for next year! What a contrast.

I couldn't even get the Mx-5 club committee to communicate with me to even discuss anything whatsoever. Too slow! I guess that while the MX-5 club committee is relaxing on summer vacation, everything is being arranged for next year. We are welcome and encouraged to attend in our little Japanese gokarts. I'm sure we'll attend en-masse.

They break down less anyway and crash less than the German taxis.

[Red_Bullet]

Random late night idea.

Maybe we could take part in a greater and more varied loose affiliation as the "MX-5 Motorsport enthusiasts group." God no, sounds like a splinter group. Pretty much runs along the lines that you have all identified anyway in previous posts. Just needs a co-ordinator/s. Word of mouth and some kind of loose modern communicative structure to keep the news and ideas flowing.

Anybody use whatsapp? It's good for group communications.

In fact, I'm starting to think that the whole concept of "club" is outdated and cumbersome. Very much a last century concept.