STAR 2015

[RichGrab]

Thanks for the tip TK.

[JerseyBoy]

I've marked it on my calendar! May even be able to get my first Saddle Sore in the process!

[scott1200]

Is it going to be Sun. through Weds.?? 

[Patmo]

Wednesday night is always the night the banquet is held.  Most people leave the next day, but some stay an extra day or two. People don't always head straight home either, some always use the STAR location as a jumping off point for further travels.

[stevegrab]

Is it going to be Sun. through Weds. ??

Yes the event is Sun-Wed, many show up early, stay late, do trips before and after, etc. Generally there's a good crowd on Saturday, but most of the people leave Thursday.
STAR has been Sun-Wed since I've been going (2001).

[DirtFlier]

One thing worth mentioning is that Registration is open Sunday and part-day on Monday.  Sometimes it's open on Saturday afternoon.  I'd guess that over 80% of the people come through Registration on Sunday.  After Monday, you'll have to hunt down the registrar to get registered for the event.  They want to ride too so can't blame them! 

[stevens_ave929]

Greetings Forum!

Thoughts from a dues paying member:
    I appreciate the work involved in coordinating these yearly events. I have coordinated group trips from Minneapolis to Arkansas on average 1.75 times a year for the last 13 years, and although the effort involved in coordinating a national event is even more laborious than I experience with my trips, I do know it's hard work.
    I'm choosing to post my question in this thread, so as to respect the integrity of the "official" sign-up thread. I'd like to, as respectfully as I can (see above), offer a critique and suggestion. Springdale is a very tough place to get in and out of quickly on a motorcycle. Harrison and Mountain Home offer much easier access and more options getting into the mountains. Is it too late to reconsider other options?

Respectfully,
Greg

[DirtFlier]

The STAR locales are evaluated and vetted at least a year in advance. 

[Patmo]

Greg.....

Hotel accomidation needs are a major factor in determining where a STAR will be held.  The need for enough rooms, along with banquet facilities big enough to support the numbers, combined with parking and seminar room requirements, limits the options.   Sometimes facilities that work can only be found in more urban and/or commercial areas than are optimal for riding.  The growth in numbers that attend STAR is both a blessing and a curse.  Generally, a property that meets the size and amenity needs AND is in the middle of great riding WITH easy access, doesn't exist......

[RIDEMYST]

Greetings Forum!.....
 Harrison and Mountain Home offer much easier access and more options getting into the mountains. Is it too late to reconsider other options?

Respectfully,
Greg

Got a hotel in one of those locations that will accommodate 300-500 people? -JEP-

[Ohiomsta]

The ideal hotel to be considered for a STAR location needs to be able to seat 500 for a banquet, have 200 or more rooms to hold for the event, room rate of under $90 a night, at least 3 rooms available each night for seminars, have a room that will seat 300 for the members meeting, have a very large common area for opening ceremonies and for members to gather during the event, have a large selection of restaurants and bars in walking distance of the hotel.


The above requirements rule out most small town hotels for a national event. Most larger cities usually only have 2 or 3 hotels that meet the requirements. So finding a suitable STAR hotel is the biggest task in picking a location.
Jon Campbell Sr.
MSTA National Events Coordinator
 

[stevens_ave929]

Fair points, I suspected the logic was wanting everyone in the same hotel.
Johnson City in '11 and Lexington in '13 fit the needs perfectly. (Of which both I attended)

For those that haven't ridden the Ozarks, by all means attend this trip! My query was only meant to improve ones experience enjoying the Ozarks. IMO the best bang-for-your-buck pure motorcycle roads in the country. The vistas aren't as beautiful as the Rockies or the Appalachians, but ....
*very little traffic, once away from town
*no gravel shoulders, no gravel kick-out in the corners
*relaxed LEA
*nary a straight road. Be forewarned, 350-400 miles of twisties in Arkansas wear you out more that the same miles elsewhere, IMO.
*locals with tons of character


Still mulling over if I'll attend. I suspect a decent size contingent may attend from Minnesota.
Oh, need to also mention. HWY 125 running north from the Peel ferry was repaved 2 years ago. They widened it about a foot or 2, and didn't straighten a thing. Yummy .....

Cheers,
Greg not Steve

[DirtFlier]

Although I've never looked at post-STAR surveys in any detail, I'd guess that "heavy traffic in-and-out of the hotel area" is not a major gripe.  We're there for the event and to see friends so traffic getting to/from the hotel is really not a concern.   

A critical factor in choosing a locale for STAR is getting people who know the event logistics into a proposed area but many members still work so dropping everything to check out a different area isn't going to happen.  And I'm sure that reserving a hotel more than a year in advance can provide lots of leverage to ask for different things and/or better rates. 

We're still an all-volunteer outfit so no one is paid for their duties at the state and national levels.   

[RIDEMYST]

I believe our VP did an article in STAReview just a few issues back regarding what goes into the planning of a STAR. Keeping that criteria in mind, I think our EC would always be open to suggested sites but it needs to be at least two years in advance. As the guys pointed out, there is a LOT of planning that goes into a STAR event. -JEP-


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

[stevens_ave929]

Although I've never looked at post-STAR surveys in any detail, I'd guess that "heavy traffic in-and-out of the hotel area" is not a major gripe.  We're there for the event and to see friends so traffic getting to/from the hotel is really not a concern.   

A critical factor in choosing a locale for STAR is getting people who know the event logistics into a proposed area but many members still work so dropping everything to check out a different area isn't going to happen.  And I'm sure that reserving a hotel more than a year in advance can provide lots of leverage to ask for different things and/or better rates. 

We're still an all-volunteer outfit so no one is paid for their duties at the state and national levels.

Dirtflier,
    Thoughts were exchanged and I acknowledged the value of the thought process the organization puts into the event. Thanks for adding your thoughts.

Respectfully.
Greg not Steve