Modern Vespa

Does anybody know where in San Diego this is going to be held? Seeing as it's the same weekend as ComiCon, hotel rooms are going to go quick.

Yeah . . . I was kidding around when I said that. No official dates have been posted yet, and probably won't until later this year.

But thanks for starting the thread for it!

San Diego is easy to get around, but yes, you should even book motels early. Motorsports is on the edge of downtown, but plenty of parking on the evening if anything is there. Also a note for campers, the beaches in San Diego start booking about eight months in advance and you are lucky if you get one. Ther will still be plenty of motels around the area that are not on public transit.


Where did you see the listing of the dates?

Public transit around a scooter rally?
Isnt that a sidecar?

nm

Last edited by mmehren on Mon Jun 25, 2012 7:32 pm; edited 2 times in total

I think the VCOA knows what they're doing in this regard when it comes to venues and hotels. They've been on the ball every year I've attended, including this one. San Diego will be the 21st Amerivespa and likely the largest ever. Pretty sure they know they'll need to account for parking.

There's already a lot of excitement about 2013. We were doing our best to convince all the Midwesterners and East Coasters at Lake Geneva that it'll be worth the trip.

In all honesty, at least from experience, the VCOA has very little to do with the logistics of the "What", "How", "Where", and "When" for AmeriVespa. For 2009, those of us in VCLG were going nuts with trying to figure-out the best spots for Day Shows, Night Shows, Ride-Out points. If it hadn't been for outsourcing to other groups/clubs (e.g. Secret Society, Quitters SC, SFSG), we would have been F'ED. I think all of VCLG almost killed each other at different points, trying to push given ideas.
 
Case-in-point, people can gripe all they want about events not being held in a central location like Downtown San Jose, but it would have taken over an hour just to get over 500 scooters to the Santa Cruz Foothills. There was a good probability that AV '09 would have been held at the SCC Fairgrounds, off Tully and Monterey - pretty ghetto are for the "nice side" of San Jose and too easy pickin's to leave a scooter outside your roach motel.
 
That said, knowing there are clubs like the Pharoahs and Secret Society down there, I have faith that they be able to pick the right location and pull off a great AmeriVespa. I'll have to ask exactly who/what clubs the VCOA officers talked to in-order to choose San Diego (after over a decade since the last ones), but supporting those individuals between now and next year would be a prime idea.

Whether VCOA has changed its strategy since 2009, becoming more hands-on with the event planning, I cannot say for sure.

It's still largely planned and run by locals but VCOA is involved in selecting hotels, venues, etc.

I have booked with Town and Country for conventions and events. Room convention rates in March run around $120. That is when I have worked on a convention with over 1200 people in attendance. We book most of the rooms in the hotel, including all of their meeting and ballrooms, so they like us. Not sure about the summer rates. Their event rooms are expensive, but they are expensive at all large hotels in San Diego. FYI: You can't get a ballroom with dinner for under $60 pp in SD at a large hotel, so you cheapskates better know that. I book proms and other school dances every year for over 20 years so know what the ballrooms run. Just for proms with appetizers and sweets we pay from $50-$80 for a ballroom for an evening. San Diego is a beautiful city, so good for visitors, but not good for room prices. I'm sure VCOA is looking at a variety of palces.

*** My remark on public transit was there because you'll get a better rate when you're not on it, which scooterists won't be.

I think central US would be ideal location and could draw more people from East and West coasts.
How would you convince a lot of easteners to come to SD for a rally? Hardcore ppl will go, no q's. Moderates are a swing vote. Minority will ride, some will drive, some will fly. Also keep in mind expenses.
San Diego is one of the most beautiful places in the US but I am not happy that Amerivespa is hijacked by left coasters again.
Wisconsin was perfect location.
Let's stick somewhere in the middle, it will be more convenient for everybody.

As a West Coaster, I am absolutely thrilled that I can finally experience Amerivespa since it's going to be held so close. And I love going out to SD! Yay!

San Diego will be a wonderful place as far as the weather. We have perfect riding weather with no rain for six months of the year, a beautiful coast line, great twistes in the mountains, and it isn't hot till August.

Waayyy too early to talk specifics. The majority of the planning/implementation goes to the local people, not VCOA. So let's just take a breath and give it some time. Alex and Monica will get things going and are aware of what things need to be considered. As of now there are no dates, no locations, no rides, and no hotels selected. We know about ComicCon, parking, rentals, etc.....all of it. Relax, we aren't even home from WI yet!

Damn flight delays!

trying to be helpful really isn't worth it, is it

Ok, your flight was delayed and yet here I still sit in effing Vegas. Boo.

So, next Amerivespa will happen in July not June? I am so surprised that ComiCon can change the situation in town so dramatically and attract more people than Amerivespa ...Really? Really? Really? Weirdos with comic books can't outnumber us. Sh!t, I can't believe it.

No one said anything about July. Really. There are also weirdos with comic books who ride scooters. But let's not cast aspersions.

ComiCon has 125,000-130,000 convention attendees every year. Add to that a couple grand more for media, various support, guests, panelists, etc. It's kind of a big deal.

ComiCon site said July 2013. Somebody here said AV will b held at the same weekend. Simple math.
130000 weirdos with comic books...It's a small army of weirdos. They wil
Have 129k more soldiers than scooterboys will but we are faster and can run them over

Your math is about as poor as your reading comprehension.

DUDE!!! Does nobody READ details any more or does it have to be in f0RuM sc!ptz 4 ppl to n0t!c3?!?!? "Keeping your fingers crossed" dus NAWT meen itz guna h@pN!!!!

You can kill me now for my bad English, Teacher Quinn.

Such a big deal that when I signed up for tickets I lost interest because of the process you have to go through just to get them. They've talked about a bigger venue but seriously do you need more than 130,000 attendees!! And not everyone who attends is an oddball. If you love cool movies....it's the place to be.

I keep forgetting you can block user's posts.

Actually, no it isn't (at least from my experience). The local club does most of the ground work, like picking hotels, venues, etc. The VCOA provides the grease so to speak and help on the ground once the rally starts. It is very similar to planning a small local rally but your budget you have to work with is much larger.

Now, as far as San Diego is concerned...I am really excited about it. The logistics of getting our club there along with the scoots is another issue...but the planning is part of the fun IMHO.

Hope to see everyone in SD!

OK, my bad, I missed 'fingers crossed."
You gave me info, I can accept my ignorance.
I thought comicon was all about crazy dudes trading cool antique comic books, which, of course could be as fun as collecting old Vespas. But 120000...I couldn't imagine it.

Have fun Left Coasters! I think it's great to have AV out there next year....just means I can plan on doing it up in style back on the Beast Coast in 2014! Ya hEard?

I work for a large hotel chain in San Diego and used to be the convention manager for Comic-con at a downtown hotel. I can tell you that all hotels within a 40 mile radius will be commanding top rates and will probably be booked up over those dates. I am currently at a hotel 20 miles from downtown and we expect to sell out over those dates with comic con attendees. You would not believe how crazy it gets, young padowan. If that weekend can be avoided, it would be well-advised.

Live long and prosper.

A lot of people this year were talking about a future RVA Amerivespa. (Not VCOA people, just East Coasters and others.) I got the sense many people would love to see a future AV land there. (Lock up your scooters! It's scooter theft central.)

If you guys want it, the local clubs, groups, whoever should get together with Scoot Richmond and work up a plan or bid or however that works.

CmCn st sd Jly 2013. Smbdy hr sd V wll b hld t th sm wknd. Smpl mth.
130000 wrds wth cmc bks...t's smll rmy f wrds. Thy wl
Hv 129k mr sldrs thn sctrbys wll bt w r fstr nd cn rn thm vr :ll:
Yr mth s bt s pr s yr rdng cmprhnsn.
Y mnnrs r s pr s y &qt;gnn&qt; sctrs. :clwn:

Dude. Don't be a douche or I will ban you so fast your browser will crash.

Quote:"Generally speaking, forum admins are pedantic idiots.

There are no dates yet for San Diego. We are working with Alex to choose some possible dates and no, it will not be the same weekend as Comicon.

Every venue brings something different. San Diego has not hosted Amerivespa since 1993. I'm sure that this year's success in Lake Geneva will provide momentum for Amerivespa 2013.

very cool to hear that AV will be in San Diego! Perfect... since I just got my first vespa! I'll be there.

Here's another quote for you: get the fuck out.

I attended Amerivespa in San Diego in 1999 and 2000. 1999 was great, headquartered at the Portugese Hall where the a/c worked as well as the bartender. Very nicely done event. IIRC, Eric Dutra ran CC&BW on the '99 AV.

Amerivespa in 2000 well, it sucked. It was produced by the old guard at VCOA. Outside at Mira Costa college, on fresh blacktop with no shade or beverages. Fabio went the market and got beverages to sell, but after driving from Seattle to attend (we included other business in our trip) we left Amerivespa after just a couple hours. Epic fail.

Alex knows how to put on an event....2000 was an anomaly I'm certain but indeed San Diego has had the lion's share of So-Cal Amerivespas.

I'm sure 2013 will be San Diego's finest AV event.

Okay, Brah, we get it - you're butt-hurt that AmeriVespa isn't on the Right Coast and that none of your own have cajones (translation : testicles) to step-up, organize, be adults, and organize the big yearly shindig party.

And we get it, the East Coast will FOREVER hate the West Coast (2Pac 4eva btw ) b/c we're "not as awesome as you". Like we give a isht.

Give it a rest. I would love to do an East Coast rally, mebbe take-over Manhattan with a ride down 34th and 2-stroke smoke-out Wall Street. But it hasn't happened so you only have yourself to blame for it.

The last couple of years have been exceptional and I expect 2013 to be the same. Alex has been a constant supporter of Amerivespa and totally gets it.

NorCal is already mobilizing to move in on SD....as soon as the dates are released. Lake Geneva was awesome..can't wait for another Amerivespa!

We are hoping to organize some scooter camping as well as a ride down Hwy 1/101 to join our SoCal friends..

If you missed Lake Geneva, don't miss San Diego! Can't beat the weather and the sites! Guaranteed to be a kick ass rally!

Agreed! I've helped plan two SD Pharaohs SC rallies and now working on our club's 20 year reunion around the same time as AmeriVespa 2013. We are excited for both events but waiting with bated breath for the exact weekend for AV so we can plan accordingly. It's going to be quite a year!

Cheers,
Juan "PadaJuan" Schoonover
Pharaohs SC San Diego
http://carssuck.org
619-630-9447