STAR 2018 Location...where to go?

[qman8]

Anybody look for a national or regional listing of casinos/resorts rather than "just" a convention hotel?  Might find something just the right size in a more rural area... 

been waiting for someone else to bring this up.....

Last summer my wife and I, along with another couple, spent a night at the Belterra Casino and Resort, located on the Indiana bank of the Ohio River and half way between Cincinnati and Louisville.  If anyone watched the NASCAR race from Kentucky Speedway last night, this is located about 10 miles north of the track and is a very rural area.  The closest towns are Florence and Vevay, Indiana and Warsaw, Ky.  The resort is a 4 Star hotel with 6 different restaurants and a lobby bar.  it has plenty of (nice!) rooms, parking, and meeting rooms.  I can't remember exactly how many rooms it has, but there is also a small motel across the road and hotels in Vevay and by the Speedway if we needed more.  Pretty sure it has a banquet room big enough for our group (9500 sq feet) There is plenty of good riding on both sides of the river in Southern Indiana and Northern Kentucky, along with the Markland Dam crossing about a mile from the resort.  This may be considered too far east to be a "central" STAR, but it should at least be considered a possibility.  I passed along the contact information for the resort to another member that asked me to check it out.


In addition, here's something I hadn't realized....those meeting rooms and the audio/visual equipment is NOT free......these places charge considerable amounts of money for it, and for such things as "free" coffee and refreshments in these rooms.  So if you ever wondered why the cost of attending a STAR is so high, this is part of the answer.  AND....those costs have to be considered when choosing a host hotel.  Some places just cost to much to allow them to be break even, let alone profitable, facilities. 

Do you really think a casino hotel would welcome riders (at a reasonable price) knowing they will be out riding, going to seminars, meetings, etc.....and NOT gambling?   I'm gonna say that's not an option.

[qman8]

I really enjoyed the STAR at Charleston WV.  Plenty of awesome roads around there.  My $.02.

[stk0308]

The EC should have a CDs worth of info that will lay out all the requirements of putting on a STAR.  I haven't run across it on this site, but it should be obtainable from the EC.  If anyone is really curious about what the club needs in a STAR location, that'd be a perfect place to start.

[ipnman]

The EC should have a CDs worth of info that will lay out all the requirements of putting on a STAR.  I haven't run across it on this site, but it should be obtainable from the EC.  If anyone is really curious about what the club needs in a STAR location, that'd be a perfect place to start.

Hope this helps

Some things to consider when choosing a location.....
The ROADS....y'all know what we want
The Hotel.....we want enough rooms to get our whole crowd at one place....approx. 200-300 rooms and an overflow hotel nearby           
We need space for the seminars and a banquet room big enough for the wed. night banquet...350-450 people
Plenty of choices for dinner/lunch
Most people want a hot breakfast included at the hotel and in the room price
Speaking of room prices.....have to be a reasonable price...under a $100 a night
And.....we need the rooms available from Thursday to Thursday morning and plenty of space to park the bikes, any trailers, and motor homes.....camping on grounds/nearby is a plus to!
Local MSTA members nearby to help coordinate behind the scene activity...routes, maps, printing needs, lunch ride site, hotel site visit, discounts from local businesses...etc,etc,etc
Thank You Pat Mogavero for your input
Hope this gives all members an insight in planning a STAR
Dennis
 

[Patmo]

Do you really think a casino hotel would welcome riders (at a reasonable price) knowing they will be out riding, going to seminars, meetings, etc.....and NOT gambling?   I'm gonna say that's not an option.

Yes, I do.  The group/meeting coordinator I talked with seemed very interested and welcoming.  I'm not a gambler myself, so I spent very little time in the casino part of the complex.  But we did visit a couple of restaurants, stay in the hotel, and while my wife and daughter visited the spa my son-in-law and I played golf.  Many of these places have morphed into total resorts, and gambling is only a part of the package.  In some instances, like French Lick in Indiana, they were resorts before gambling became available on site.  Not saying they are a slam dunk, but still should be considered a possibility.

[GlibGuy]

Do you really think a casino hotel would welcome riders (at a reasonable price) knowing they will be out riding, going to seminars, meetings, etc.....and NOT gambling?    I'm gonna say that's not an option.

Yes, I do.  The group/meeting coordinator I talked with seemed very interested and welcoming.  I'm not a gambler myself, so I spent very little time in the casino part of the complex.  But we did visit a couple of restaurants, stay in the hotel, and while my wife and daughter visited the spa my son-in-law and I played golf.  Many of these places have morphed into total resorts, and gambling is only a part of the package.  In some instances, like French Lick in Indiana, they were resorts before gambling became available on site.  Not saying they are a slam dunk, but still should be considered a possibility.

And a lot of people enjoy a little gaming.  I attended a large convention in Las Vegas once and was surprised how much fun I (and my non-gambling/non-drinking wife) had. 

[touringman]

I'd like to know how we derive our guidelines for the different regions?  Colorado Springs is 1,322 miles from San Francisco, but also only 1,638 from DC, and yet we talk about it as a western location. Actually "Midwest" might be a better description? Our western limits seem to cross directly through the centers of Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico. That said, if this isn't going to change, we need to reevaluate our regional discussion in terms of the actual territory available for consideration. I personally would like to consider (in the near future please ) somewhere like Cody or Jackson, Wyoming, or Brigham City or Provo, Utah. This might not suit our aging membership, but remember, they do make trailers, shippers, and airplanes! I'd like to hear some comments on this please.

I know my riding years will end at some point, and I'd like to see us pay more attention to the attractiveness of the area and the venue, rather than where it's located. I don't want to remember my "Western" Stars per say, but rather my "Best" Stars. It's possible to say next years venue can't be within 500, 800, or 1000 miles from last years, but I think regional influence, while it can be considered, should not be the sole determining factor for a location. I could ride to West Virginia every weekend for a year, and not run out of fun territory! Charleston would be fun, as well as Beckley, if there is a suitable venue there. Let's put more emphasis on quality here! JMHO Syd

[touringman]

I'd also like to make the absolutely revolutionary suggestion the we include one or two regular Joes (regular members) in the search committee for locations. I have to admit  that with recent events, I feel less of a cozy "We" feeling than I do a "Us and Them" attitude towards the leadership. In my opinion, the EC needs to reach out to the membership to offer an example of how this is actually a WE organization, rather than possibly maintaining a somewhat dictatorial posture. There are rational-well traveled individuals in this organization that may offer input and connections beyond the current scope of the EC. Whew!! I've got to go get a towel to wipe off all these creative juices. I want you to know this is my limit for all of '16! Syd

[stevegrab]

Syd,

I get the feeling that PatMo has gotten involved in the search process, and his posting this discussion on the forum (and possibly elsewhere, I don't do the FB) is a way to get the regular members input. I have heard a lot of negative things from members the past few years about the EC and how they do things and the US and THEM vs. WE you mentioned. But when you ask those people to help out, be a volunteer, do something for the club they say "nope sorry" and give their excuses. (This is not directed at you Syd, or most other posting here.) So the EC getting help is not easy, unless people just want to voice their complaints (or valuable opinion) and hope that creates the change they're looking for.

As for the regions and the whole west not being very far west (Colorado), well the further west we go the less attendance there is, that is what I have heard. Mammoth was the furthest west in my 15 years as a member, and I heard attendance was very low. Avon is popular and draws a crowd, Taos and Rapid City less so. Kerrville was west, but required a date change that I know affected some peoples ability to attend (which speaks to the possible date change). I was hoping it would be in Idaho in 2017, as I rode a little there while exploring Montana after STAR14 and saw a lot of great potential riding. But again there's the issue of being closer to our membership, and having volunteers in the area to help.

All that said, having some discussion in any way by both regular members and the EC or others doing the planning is a great thing.

[RIDEMYST]

Maybe someone with the correct stats can chime in here but I want to say the further west we have a STAR the fewer are in attendance. Having a STAR in California for example would more than likely have a small attendance IMHO. -JEP-


Sent by using these little bitty keys on my iPhone using Tapatalk

[tino]

I've heard and read from numerous sources that attendance at STARS in the west don't attract enough members. Can someone tell us how many members need to be registered in order to make it economically viable? Personally, I love the west and wouldn't rule out anything short of Fairbanks; but with shrinking numbers, I can understand the dilemma. Thank you.
Tino

[bcd]

It's been asked before, but I'll echo it: can anyone provide a list of attendance numbers for all the STARs? For accurate interpretation, it would also be useful to have the total membership numbers for each year, so you could look not only at absolute attendance but also percentage of membership, since that has been dwindling for some time now.

Does the membership director have historical data?

[HawkGTRider]

<snip> Personally, I love the west and wouldn't rule out anything short of Fairbanks <snip>

Tok IS short of Fairbanks, and there is a motorcycle only campground there. I think that would be a fine destination.

[tino]

<snip> Personally, I love the west and wouldn't rule out anything short of Fairbanks <snip>

Tok IS short of Fairbanks, and there is a motorcycle only campground there. I think that would be a fine destination.

Perfect! We will have an outdoor banquet with room for hundreds!

[Brick]

When I joined HSTA California had one of the largest memberships of all states and they were very active. It seems that a few of the very active members died and no one stepped up. This is the death of an area. The roads in CA are FANTASTIC! And I had always wanted to attend one of the regional events there. But as you all know traveling from Ohio while still working is very difficult!
Now that I'm retired and have the time the left coast membership doesn't really host big regional events any more.
I never found a good way and love that you all are trying. I think y'all are doing a great job! Keep it up!


Let's Ride!
Brick