Today at 7:28 pm
As I recently heard, there will no longer be a Motor City Bronco Fest at Holly Oaks ORV Park, apparently do to a lack of participation.
I'm not totally shocked by this because the event has never had the same promotional push behind it that the Jeep community receives from other 4Fest events (I don't necessarily fault Tom and the 4Fest team for this. Their priority has always been Jeeps and that's not a big secret). There are other reasons why MCBFest isn't popular and you only need attend a 4Fest event to understand why. Jeep events are packed with vendors, most of whom are solely dedicated to Jeep merchandise (the 4Fest logo is a Jeep, too). Again, this is no surprise because the Jeep community has been evolving for decades. To top things off, the Jeep company always brings a big display and active participation with 4Fest events.
It's not difficult to see what is needed to sustain a dedicated Bronco event at Holly Oaks. Tom (4Fest) has spent years cultivating the Jeep events. His hard work has helped the Jeep events to become somewhat self-sustaining (by this, I mean that people plan a year ahead to participate and the events have an enthusiastic following).
The list of requirements is not very extensive but does contain some significant obstacles. In my opinion, the following items may be (or are) necessary to sustain an annual Bronco event:
Active regional club participation (including entities like TreadLightly and Bronco Off-Roadeo).
Professional quality marketing and materials (that are made available at other local events i.e. Autorama, swap meets, Bronco the Mac, Silver Lake Bronco Fest, cars & coffee events, etc.).
Active professional and semi-professional participation (vendors that have items produced exclusively for the Bronco community).
Regular Bronco Nation support ALONG with the participation and support of Ford Motor Company.
This list is a tall and significant order that will be difficult to bring together successfully. However, it has been done before, by Tom (4Fest). Tom already tried but rightfully so his attention is on the Jeep community.
I suspect that Tom would be willing to help us in getting some buckets but it will be up to the Bronco community to carry the water.
Recently, I observed a group of Michigan Bronco Club members coordinating their organization with a bit of necessary infrastructure that will help to ensure that the MBC continues to be a relevant and active club.
Meanwhile, I have been on the sidelines functioning as a cheerleader of sorts for several years. I've been wondering if the time has come to step up my game and be someone with enough enthusiasm to build a more serious BroncoFest type event. Goodness knows there are plenty of fine examples to follow and I further suspect there are others that have shared my thoughts and feelings.
I'm not totally shocked by this because the event has never had the same promotional push behind it that the Jeep community receives from other 4Fest events (I don't necessarily fault Tom and the 4Fest team for this. Their priority has always been Jeeps and that's not a big secret). There are other reasons why MCBFest isn't popular and you only need attend a 4Fest event to understand why. Jeep events are packed with vendors, most of whom are solely dedicated to Jeep merchandise (the 4Fest logo is a Jeep, too). Again, this is no surprise because the Jeep community has been evolving for decades. To top things off, the Jeep company always brings a big display and active participation with 4Fest events.
It's not difficult to see what is needed to sustain a dedicated Bronco event at Holly Oaks. Tom (4Fest) has spent years cultivating the Jeep events. His hard work has helped the Jeep events to become somewhat self-sustaining (by this, I mean that people plan a year ahead to participate and the events have an enthusiastic following).
The list of requirements is not very extensive but does contain some significant obstacles. In my opinion, the following items may be (or are) necessary to sustain an annual Bronco event:
Active regional club participation (including entities like TreadLightly and Bronco Off-Roadeo).
Professional quality marketing and materials (that are made available at other local events i.e. Autorama, swap meets, Bronco the Mac, Silver Lake Bronco Fest, cars & coffee events, etc.).
Active professional and semi-professional participation (vendors that have items produced exclusively for the Bronco community).
Regular Bronco Nation support ALONG with the participation and support of Ford Motor Company.
This list is a tall and significant order that will be difficult to bring together successfully. However, it has been done before, by Tom (4Fest). Tom already tried but rightfully so his attention is on the Jeep community.
I suspect that Tom would be willing to help us in getting some buckets but it will be up to the Bronco community to carry the water.
Recently, I observed a group of Michigan Bronco Club members coordinating their organization with a bit of necessary infrastructure that will help to ensure that the MBC continues to be a relevant and active club.
Meanwhile, I have been on the sidelines functioning as a cheerleader of sorts for several years. I've been wondering if the time has come to step up my game and be someone with enough enthusiasm to build a more serious BroncoFest type event. Goodness knows there are plenty of fine examples to follow and I further suspect there are others that have shared my thoughts and feelings.
"No matter where you go, there you are."
IG: Buckaroo_Bronco
IG: Buckaroo_Bronco
Laura