Date: Tue, 17 Jul 2001 04:50:01 GMT From: "M PLUMLEE" <eplumleenopsamouth.rr.com> Subject: 2002 SAAB Owners convention info
All right kids, enough with the speculation and bantering. In case you've been living under a rock the past few days (or just weren't part of the whole Turbo! list discusion) I can now officially confirm that Yours Truly will be hosting the 20th Annual Saab Owner's Convention next year right here in sunny southwest Ohio, Cincinnati specifically. This decision comes after having experienced, within a three year span, the absolute best and absolute worst in SOCs imagineably possible, and the determination to do something about it, and how. I must start by apologizing to the members of the TSSC, since not even THEY have had a chance to hear about this just yet (with the exception of Dan Orzano and Tom Kinnaman, who were with me in Drearo Beach this past weekend) and it is they whom I will be leaning on the most to help get things done. However, after seeing the shambles that was SOC01, I decided that we need to show the woald that the Saab community at large can and will put on a fantastic show of their own, with a minimum of corporate meddling. After a bit of foot and phone work here today, I have come up with lots of numbers: DATES: August 1-4, 2002 LOCATION Kings' Island Resort, Mason (Cincinnati) Ohio, directly across from Paramount's Kings' Island amusement park ROOMS: 288 rooms onsite, huge parking lots, banquet facilities for all; better yet, there are FIVE other hotels within a quarter mile of this location, if you decide you must cheap out, and a huge Jellystone Park-type campground across the street FACILITIES: one 1000-seat room, six other smaller rooms for seminars; two on-site restaurants and a cool bar, all freshly remodeled EVENTS: there WILL be an autocross. There WILL be at least a fun rally, if not a real TSD rally, if not both. There WILL be many opportunities to drive the incredibly scenic southern Ohio hills and all the associated twisties therein. The list will continue to grow until we just can't do any more events. ATTRACTIONS: Kings' Island is, I believe, the largest amusement park in the USA, and contains the longest and fastest wooden roller coasters in the world. Across the freeway (I-71) is The Beach, an enormous waterpark with wavepool, slides, etc. Five minutes up the interstate is the Jeffersonville Outlet Malls, to keep the non-Saab womenfolk happy for untold hours on end. As soon as next season's schedule is announced, we'll be checking into a huge chunk of tickets to a Cincinnati Reds game, where they'll put us up on the JumboTron and make a big stink about us being there. About a half hour away is the US Air Force Museum, the largest and best military museum in the world, and an absolute MUST if you're even the slightest bit interested in aviation. THe list goes on and on, but as you can see there is no shortage of Things To Do there. TRACK EVENTS: this is still to be determined, since the nearest real track is Mid-Ohio (which is two hours away and ludicrously $$$$$ to rent), but if at all possible we will work it to get a track event in somewhere, somehow. Stay tuned. COST: this is the fun part, still to be negotiated, but the Resort is very open to an all-inclusive package deal for all involved. If we can give them 90% room fill rate (not too difficult to do in a 288-room hotel), they will give us great rates on all-inclusive rates. This means ALL meals, ALL drinks, ALL tips will be included in your registration price! Granted, the price to attend will be higher than what you've seen in the past, but since you'll be there all weekend anyway and would have to pony up for meals at SOME point, it just makes sense. For those piling four bodies in a room, you can indeed register four at a time and pay for multiple meals on one registration, but that's just semantics; we'll work out the details as they arrive. As of right now they're starting the negotiating at $119 a night plus food, but I'm a professional bullshitter by trade so be prepared for the fireworks to fly on that one soon. I will, however, start early by asking those who tend to immediately start the search for cheaper hotel rooms to please reconsider, for two reasons: 1.) the more rooms we can guarantee booked at the Resort, the better price we get for everyone, and 2.) the surrounding hotels, while somewhat cheaper per night, arent' realy THAT much cheaper than this, and since the KI Resort can comfortably hold us each and every one plus cars and children in one location, I think we really have to all bite the bullet and commit ourselves to staying here as a whole. ...and the biggest question of all is... WHO: For starters, myself, of course. The planning committee of previous years' SOCs? Most definitely. Just Saab in Cincinnati, the best damn dealership on the planet? They have expressed support for an SOC in the past, and will be approached tomorrow about stepping up to the plate. Saab Cars in Corcross? Not if I can help it, except to let them know that if they don't bring a parts tent they can pretty much stay home. More on that later. The members of the TriState Saab Club? Certainly, since they're all right here. But there's more to the story than that, much more, which I am not at liberty to reveal at this time. Soon, my friends, very soon, you will ALL know what I mean. A certain phoenix is about to rise with blazing glory from the ashes, and it's gonna be a beautiful sight indeed. But I can't talk about that now. Please don't bother me with questions about that matter, it'll all come out soon enough. Suffice to say that we as a community of Saab owners, both new and vintage, need to get off our collective butts and get cracking on this, and not stop until we're each and every one satisfied with the result. You may now feel free to mark your calendars and begin the countdown procedure. See you ALL in Cincinnati for the 20th SOC! Phil ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------- for more info mailto:philnopsamfield.com
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