IMM Birmingham August 2009

International Mini Meet Birmingham August 2009
by Elf Service Today at 11:50 pm

Latest news.
Just met up with the organisers this evening and the deal is pretty well as described in my early messages.
Day passes will be £12.00 pre-booked or £15.00 on the day. Weekend passes are £55.00 + admin charge.
The entertainment for the Saturday evening will be at least two live rock bands, one a local tribute band called Quill, I know this band and they are very good, the other is still to be confirmed but is a very well known 70's band.
They have over 1000 confirmed and paid up bookings for the weekend and expect to have around 5000 visitors both and the Saturday and Sunday. If the weather decides to co-operate, this could swell to 8000. They have Mini clubs booked in from Mexico, Australia (20 vehicles), USA most European countries etc. Although the weekend pass is expensive, a single day pass is quite reasonable and they expect most local UK visitors will just come along for one of the days.
There will be various competitions and challenges throughout the Saturday and Sunday with the usual Best car prizes for the Saturday and Sunday.
Cofton Park is located next to what was the Austin Works (South West Birmingham) and is ideally located for visiting Birmingham centre (7 Miles), Stratford upon Avon, Worcester, Malvern Hills etc so if you decide to make a weekend of it, there will be plenty to do both at the show and or other local attractions.
As a club we will be allowed up to 20 cars on each day which I believe is more than enough.
I know this is in August but this will be a show to remember being it is the International Mini Meet and the 50 anniversary of the first Mini rolling off the production line in August 1959.
Hope this information helps.

Andrew

I plan to be there, but it won't be with Elfie this time; I will be part of Clubman40 with the Clubman Estate Register and Evy my 71 clubby. But I'll look you up!

i willbe there also

and i hope with the wolseley if he is ready

hilbert

Hi,

I would like to attend if there is space on the stand.

Olly

will be there but in my red mini with crewes missiles but will pop in on the elf stand for sure

Me and our lass have have booked into a hotel nearby and will be attending both the mini 50 days, any plans for a stand, anybody else attending?

Wouldn't mind a place on the stand Big Al.... if you're having one that is????

Jase

I have already booked ferry crossing from Northern Ireland and accommodation in a nearby hotel.

Would love to use the Club Stand if possible on both days.

Have you booked a stand for the E/H Register Big Al?

Jase

discoman41 wrote:Have you booked a stand for the E/H Register Big Al?

Jase

Jase. Please have a look and see if you can tell us how to just book a Club Stand and you will see why no one has managed to do the Deed. The IMM website boasts a lot of clubs have registered to attend (I personally don't think they have sent their money.(if they have then they are very dedicated to the mini)

As far as I can see at the moment,you can only Book the IMM camping and the Club Stand and the money has to be deposited with every detail of each person and car registration.
I should imagine there are many British mini clubs are eager to just have a stand on either of the two days or even both (8th and 9th) without having to camp @£55 a head.
My local club miniaddicts (a club who meet up once a month and are all pretty local to each other) are split between those wanting to camp and those who just want to go for one day. It looks as if we will be sending our "club Form" at the last minute.

I myself am going to the IMM on one of those days and having two American visitors coming with me so will be staying somewhere local but at the same time anticipating going on the miniaddicts stand (if we can book one)
Maybe Andrew can get some sense out of BMOC as to how to book just for a Club Stand?

Ditto as above

We could really do with finding out what the format of the "show" is - is is just going to be a 2 day party, or is there going to be a proper show with club and trade stands and a structured format - thinking back to the big silverstone one a few years back? The info that I have read so far does not really help in this direction

We can only attend on the sunday due to a 120 mile rally on the saturday, but it does mean that you can have Humphrey in full rally trim, mud and all, though we may spend most of the day asleep in a corner somewhere and pinching peoples coffee !

I suppose the other thing for day visitors is, if the show has a structured format, do we need "special" passes to get onto a stand rather than stuck in a car park? I not particularly keen to trailer the car down to be stuck off one side somewhere after been up most of the previous night ( sorry he will not come under his own steam, he would under normal circumstances, but he is carried to and from events in case of breakdowns and we would literally be loading up from the rally (in the lake district) and driving straight down)

Gordon

Strewth!

Just had a look at the IMM website!

Can't believe they are trying to rob people of £55 per person!!!

I for one won't be going at that price! I'd rather do many smaller shows like British Mini Day at Himley, etc than that! Plus, why have they made it so complicated by combining Mini 50 with the IMM????? I reckon it could be an organisational disaster!

Would be easier - and probably cheaper - to do it abroad!!!!

Hurumph!

discoman41 wrote:Strewth!

Just had a look at the IMM website!

Can't believe they are trying to rob people of £55 per person!!!

I for one won't be going at that price! I'd rather do many smaller shows like British Mini Day at Himley, etc than that! Plus, why have they made it so complicated by combining Mini 50 with the IMM????? I reckon it could be an organisational disaster!

Would be easier - and probably cheaper - to do it abroad!!!!

Hurumph!

I must agree in principle that it is over the top, but I have a funny feeling most of that cost is absorbed by red tape and insurance and other people putting their oar in. I must admit that paying £55 to be stuck in a field for 2 days with a bunch noisy drunk idiots (present company excepted) does not really appeal these days. If you have ever been to a british IMM you will know what I mean. European ones are much more fun - and generally warmer and drier (I will exclude Denmark from the warmer and drier bit though)

Traditionally the big mini birthdays are held in the UK and are part and parcel of the IMM, I think every 5 and/or 10 years - the silverstone's, gaydon, etc, the first going back to the mid 80's IIRC and held over the August bank holiday. I think the biggest reason is that the 50th would not happen if it was not part of the IMM because of the clubs that need to be involved. I think they did try to separate it once and the separate birthday fell flat because they tried to commercialize it away from the clubs

For us, well sunday only on a day rate with no camping or not at all - will have to wait and see what the IMM group put forward

Thanks for the comments boys .£55 does include two meals & entertainment two nights (if you go on Friday)
It also includes the entrance into Mini 50 and security of the campsite. Did you notice you can book a club stand? I think they have purposely done this so that the campers have first choice.???? Fair enough. There is a hell of a lot of organising of these events and looking at the IMM website they have not done enough and I too guess it could flop? (I hope not) but if they are going to make it difficult for local clubs to book a stand for one or two of these days then they may get egg on their faces!
I have have kept both days free for the Mini 50 so my american pal can come (He will represent NEMO, New England Mini Owners and will be bringing their club banner to show on the miniaddicts stand (IF we manage to get one) fellow miniaddicts are talking about coming down on the Sunday so fingers crossed I will get to meet you all too
Incidently MME 2008 in Maine USA cost me £91 to participate in all the activities and that was held in a Ski resort so we we able to stay in the hotel (extra) so £55 does not sound so bad after all?
I can understand why Al has not jumped in here as it is rather confusing don't you think.
do keep the comments coming so that we can see everyones thoughts and Day preference too.

Just to add to my original comments and offer to organise this event for the register.
The three day pass (Friday afternoon onwards, Saturday and Sunday) is £55.00 + an admin charge (blxxly rip off) but speaking with the organisers, they only managed to secure the event for the UK by promising it to be bigger and better than any other event in the past. As I haven't attended any other previous IMM events, I can't judge this but there does seem to be plenty going on. As with most members, I will only book in with a day pass (£12.00 in advance or £15.00 on the day) both on the Saturday and Sunday, weather permitting. As I live less than 10 miles from the Longbridge site the need to stay over doesn't come into the equation. The organisers "Birmingham Mini Club" said they would be altering the Website to make easier to understand and book in as a club member but from your recent comments, this doesn't appear to have materialised. I will progress this and report back. There will be room for 20 cars on each day so it will be on a first come basis but as I'm involved with other clubs, Cooper Register and Longbridge Classic Mini Club, I won't be taking the Elf on both days. For those wishing the do the full weekend, there will be a cooked meal provided on the Saturday evening, free entertainment (live groups) free camping and a free breakfast on Sunday morning. So although the cost is steep and the rip off booking fee, the overall deal is reasonable, providing you are only paying for one or two people.
For those old enough to remember the British Leyland, Red Robo saga in the 70's, and the news footage of the striking employees and meetings were held in Cofton Park which is adjacent to what was the Longbridge site. Oh Happy Days. Quality products such as the Allegro and Marina were the offering of the day.
If there are any ideas, thoughts or wants and needs for the stand etc, please let me know.

Thanks

Andrew

Elf Service wrote:Just to add to my original comments and offer to organise this event for the register.
The three day pass (Friday afternoon onwards, Saturday and Sunday) is £55.00 + an admin charge (blxxly rip off) but speaking with the organisers, they only managed to secure the event for the UK by promising it to be bigger and better than any other event in the past. As I haven't attended any other previous IMM events, I can't judge this but there does seem to be plenty going on. As with most members, I will only book in with a day pass (£12.00 in advance or £15.00 on the day) both on the Saturday and Sunday, weather permitting. As I live less than 10 miles from the Longbridge site the need to stay over doesn't come into the equation. The organisers "Birmingham Mini Club" said they would be altering the Website to make easier to understand and book in as a club member but from your recent comments, this doesn't appear to have materialised. I will progress this and report back. There will be room for 20 cars on each day so it will be on a first come basis but as I'm involved with other clubs, Cooper Register and Longbridge Classic Mini Club, I won't be taking the Elf on both days. For those wishing the do the full weekend, there will be a cooked meal provided on the Saturday evening, free entertainment (live groups) free camping and a free breakfast on Sunday morning. So although the cost is steep and the rip off booking fee, the overall deal is reasonable, providing you are only paying for one or two people.
For those old enough to remember the British Leyland, Red Robo saga in the 70's, and the news footage of the striking employees and meetings were held in Cofton Park which is adjacent to what was the Longbridge site. Oh Happy Days. Quality products such as the Allegro and Marina were the offering of the day.
If there are any ideas, thoughts or wants and needs for the stand etc, please let me know.

Thanks

Andrew

Thanks Andrew,

All I really wanted to know I guess, was if anyone was organising an E/H Register club stand for either Sat or Sun (as I will only do one or the other), that allowed us just display for one day. If so, then count me in!

Jase

sorry folks, i know i've been awfully quiet on this one:

Andrew, re: imm - i will not be able to go due to work, and we have no stand booked there as i believe clubs have to pay in advance the entry fee of £55 per car(?) and wondered if you'd like to try and organize a stand from your end? Ray P. will be going up (probably in his mk1 mini) and he could bring the banner etc? just a thought and sorry not been on here about it before now.

Hey folks, I have just been checking to see if Club stands can be booked on the IMM website as Andrew said they were supposed to be arranging a link to do this.(It still has not been put on todate)
I noticed that it says "Clubs can display their banners and put a gazebo up on the IMM camping field and have a THREE cars only on Club Stands at the Mini 50 Show on the Saturday and Sunday"
Andrew, can you confrim this please?

Sorry Ace can't come out and play... I'm taking Nelson for Clubman40 - well it is his 40th birthday so he deserves a treat if you can call driving from bournemouth to Birmingham a treat?