NEC 2020, Cancelled. AGM Notification Active

[Chris Williams]

It seems despite all the things going on that the organizers seem to think (and are making plans) for this event to go ahead, there have been many emails about how and the precautions around it and they seem confident that the event will be allowed to go ahead.
So on the back of this I would like to ask for volunteers to supply cars (assuming we are offered a stand) for the long weekend.
As well as the normal manning of the stand etc etc.
We will also hold the mandatory AGM over this weekend as well so please accept this as the mandatory notification of this.
Chris

[Rich Hanlon]

Quite happy to volunteer Chris [emoji846]

Sent from my moto g(7) power using Tapatalk

[Rissy]

(12 Jul 2020, 20:52)Rich Hanlon Wrote: Quite happy to volunteer Chris [emoji846]

Sent from my moto g(7) power using Tapatalk

Wow! That's a brave and determined and commited foot forward eh Rich! LOL!

[Chris P]

I will probably be there, not sure about my car though, still bits to do and too many distractions currently.

[Guinney1971]

I think the NEC are nuts to be going ahead tbh, especially as in November we'll be heading into Winter Flu season and there is no guarantee
that Covid will be gone or diminished, if anything we could be well into a second spike by then.
We can get round the AGM issue by having a Zoom video call for anyone who wants to participate, although I'll have fun jotting the minutes down
at the same time lol.
You wont be able to stop people touching the cars, getting close, touching stuff on the stand, etc, and if just one person has CV19 they could potentially
spread it to all of us unwittingly, and then we take it home to our families, work colleagues.............
Sorry to be the prophet of doom, but I doubt I'll be prepared to take the risk and attend this year if it does go ahead.

[Chris P]

Good point Claire..perhaps more thought required?

Certainly no problem with a Zoom AGM....been doing loads of Zooms lately.

[Guinney1971]

Having been discussing this with Phill, we have decided that we will not be attending the NEC this year, its just
not worth the risk in the current CV19 climate.
If we do hold the AGM at the NEC, then I am happy to email one of the Chris's my accounts balance sheet and
provide a brief written statement.
However, as its always a bit of a faff doing the AGM at the NEC, I think a video call on Zoom will be a better idea
for this year, and we can do it one evening or weekend around the time of the NEC to keep within our 12 month
rolling AGM date.

[Dan Willis]

I agree with you Claire, I won't be going even if it's on. I think that'll be a very broad opinion and doubtless with things like the FoS called off (and all subsequent events in 2020), it'd be bad taste for it to go ahead. The busy days.. and social distancing? Good luck with that! (and even if there's a vaccine, we (the low-risk) won't have it by then).

[Guinney1971]

Exactly Dan, I've got 'seasonal asthma' which is worse between October and March, and as I don't qualify for even the
normal flu vaccine, its not worth the risk. Plus whats to say my kids wont contract it at the NEC and pass it on to the
250 kids and staff at the school and their families?

[Chris Williams]

As it stands all I have had are emails from the organizers stating there intention to go ahead with the show subject to Govt approval. NO stands have been offered to any club and as I have wrote in Facebook posts I genuinely don't know how it would work. They are talking about much wider isles/staggered entrance times resulting in longer opening hours  as if it's not a long enough day/temp checking the list goes on. How it will all work I don't know will they have more halls to accommodate the wider isles and same amount of clubs, will it be roped off stands only, will a lot of clubs even wish to attend ?? The questions go on. Will we even get enough volunteers to be there or supply vehicles.
So I put the forum post out to gauge peoples opinions and see if there are volunteers, so I'm still open to suggestions/volunteers, however this is all tentative at this time as the event may not go ahead or we may not get a stand, or be viable if we do.
Chris

[Guinney1971]

Personally Chris, I'd say leave it this year.
It wont have the same bustle as previous years, and the longer hours are a joke, its not like you all
aren't dead on your feet by Sunday as it is with normal hours.
For what the show costs us in electrics, etc, plus fuel, food, hotel costs, etc, I really don't think its worth
doing this year.
It would seem that the NEC/Organisers are trying to recoup money by trying to get the event on, and, can
you blame them?  I still thought it was mad they let Crufts go ahead there a week or so before we had to 
lockdown.

[Chris Williams]

Quote:I still thought it was mad they let Crufts go ahead there a week or so before we had to 

lockdown.

Yes, I have made this point many a time as well to people.
Lets wait and see it may not go ahead full stop or be viable to go ahead. Certainly save me £400 in hotel costs.

[Chris Williams]

Just an update on this, we were fortunate enough to be offered a stand on Friday, however I (along with talking to others who make this show happen) have after doing a full risk assessment have taken the difficult decision to decline on this occasion. Whilst we had very kind offers of cars and people to attend it would have had to have been a very scaled back stand with limited people to help out. The opening hours of the event had been extended from 8.30-19.30 (on the longest day) to try to ease the flow of visitors with lots of issues around this for the people 'manning' the stand: having to find somewhere to eat for the people attending with restaurants operating at limited capacity, some hotels around that area still not open with the others charging a premium, having to wear face masks all day and all the Covid-19 safety measures in place on the stand, much stricter rules around stand building/entry times and more importantly a high risk that we would not be allowed to remove anything until the Monday as they tried to limit people moving around in the halls, even restrictions around being able to make tea/coffee, stand marshals to monitor/restrict access to our stand, the list goes on, all are very valid points/instructions from the organizers in these strange times.
Plus the most important issue in my head were the on-going local lockdowns that keep being put in place that 'may' have meant that the show was cancelled at the last moment anyway or the Govt changed the rules on very large indoor gatherings.
Anyway I hope this clarifies it, I'm personally gutted as it's a highlight of the year and I genuinely enjoy the weekend, all be it a long /hard/tiring weekend  it's a great showcase for the cars and the club as well as a good social weekend meeting up with friends old and new.
Chris

Edit: In response to a couple of comments, This is a bitter blow and I'm still in two minds as if we should have attend on a smaller scale with just a few cars on a stand to promote the brand and club. No gazebo just exhibiting cars? Happy to accept feedback around this idea.

[Dan Willis]

It's the right thing, in my mind at least, to do. I wouldn't be attending, and i know many others that wouldn't (in fact none of my usual entourage). A year to forget about and look forward to 2021/22 when this might be behind us.

[Chris P]

I agree with Chris and Dan.....I don't think it would have worked with all the extra restrictions and agree that with this 'ever changing' pandemic, its quite likely it could get cancelled anyway. Best look forward to 2021 ..............2020 continues to be a sh*te year for me.