Kids and Car Shows
Have you considered taking your children with you to a car show but not sure how they will act? Many parents are concerned about the behavior of children but with some careful instructions and careful guidance there is no reason at all why children cannot be a part of car shows. In fact, taking children to car shows can be a great way to encourage children to enjoy working on cars and also help teach them lots about the inner workings of cars as well.
Parents who carefully explain proper behavior to their children are much more likely to enjoy a positive experience at the car shows. Parents who do not teach their children proper behavior skills are not likely to have an enjoyable or even positive experience. Children in general are very curious, if they take the time to carefully consider their behavior and work to teach their children how to behave in crowds and importantly towards the vehicles at the show you may be surprised at how well it goes.
You need to understand that if you are taking small children the best place for them is in a stroller. This will help prevent them from getting hurt or damaging a vehicle and also helps to ensure that they are not badly worn out trying to walk around the entire show. Additionally, a good stroller will also give them a place to take a quick nap when they get really tired. Trying to take a small child without a stroller could turn into a nightmare quickly especially since children tend to get very heavy, quite quickly.
You should also think ahead to snacks and drinks for your child. If you know the car show will have plenty of drinks and snacks you may not need to take many, but you should still take a couple of things. Without anything, you could have a complete meltdown on your hands if your child is overly hungry while waiting on food from a vendor. Having a small pack of crackers in your pocket can give your child something to snack on while you wait on the food that you order and ensure that they are kept occupied rather than pitching a tantrum if they are hungry.
You should carefully teach your children that it is unacceptable to touch things that are not theirs. This is especially important when it comes to the cars. Without this lesson, you may find your child running around and touching all of the vehicles, which can potentially cause damage to them. While not all touching can cause damage, your child may not realize that hitting a prize car with a rock is unacceptable. The owner of the car will not find it cute, nor adorable and you are likely to be forced to pay for the damages. Teaching your child not to touch what belongs to others is much cheaper.
You should also ensure that your child is dressed appropriately for the car show. While dressing appropriately as an adult is important, it is even more important for children. Adults have a much easier time regulating body temperature than children do, so dressing your child appropriately is a wise decision. Most often, you may discover that it is necessary to dress your child in layers to ensure that you can keep them at the appropriate temperature.
Taking the time to take your child with you to a car show is a great way to bond and with the appropriate planning in place it can be a lot of fun. Just always be sure you supervise your child closely to ensure that they stay safe and that the vehicles around them are safe as well and you are sure to enjoy your experience.
Making Connections at Car Shows
What is the point of attending a car show? Is it merely to look at the beautiful cars or can you make some business contacts there? If you own a business that specializes in various aspects of vehicles and especially specialty cars you could very well be looking at a gold mine in terms of potential business. So how do you really go out and make some connections at the car shows?
Many people who are looking at car shows as ways to make connections always ensure that they arrive looking good. This does not mean you need to break out the suit and tie but you at least need to look nice and presentable. This could be something as simple as a polo shirt or button up and a pair of slacks or nice jeans. You should not show up wearing cut off jeans and a tank top.
You should always make sure you bring along some business cards with you to hand out to prospects. Car shows are full of people there with actual cars so this is where you should typically focus your time if possible. These are the people you know you could help in some form or another. People just walking around the car show may or may not have a car that you could help them with. Save your time to make the most impact possible by working with the people with cars.
One idea that you should explore is consider having some coupons printed. This could be something as simplistic as printing them on the back of a business card. If you already have a large supply of business cards consider having a stamp made that has coupon information on it, this would allow you to put a stamp on a few business cards and still get your message across. This can be a much more affordable rate and still help you to ensure that you are able to catch people’s attention with a good deal.
Additionally, you should always ensure that you are in a good mood. There is nobody at the car show interested in talking to someone that is in a bad mood. You should ensure that you are cheerful and optimistic when you approach people to help encourage them to talk to you. If you are cranky or in a bad mood they are not going to want to talk to you, and will likely tune you out.
It is very important to understand that as a rule you are not going to get business from everyone that you approach. You are usually looking at a 10% return; this means if you are giving away 100 coupons, you can expect to get back 10 of them from customers. The other 90 will generally be thrown away. Keep your expectations realistic when you are trying to determine how effective your efforts have been.
Your last consideration is do you really have something that car show people are going to be interested in? If you are selling vinyl siding for example they are not likely to care what you have to offer. However, if you have a detail shop, upholstery shop, glass shop or something similar you are likely to get some business if you take the time to plan ahead. A bit of preplanning could result in some nice sales and very loyal customers.
Planning the Ultimate Car Show
Car shows are always fun events and often they are also considered fabulous family events as well. Ensuring that you plan the ultimate car show is not always easy, but with a basic strategy in effect first you can usually make the process much easier and have the best car show around. Always take the time to start planning in advance because without plenty of advance planning you are going to be rushed and stressed trying to organize the entire event.
Some of the first things you need to do is find a good location for holding the car show. You are going to need to consider how many cars you think will be attending. In addition, you need to try to determine exactly how many people you think will visit the car show. These figures are essential to helping you determine the exact size that you need the car show grounds to be. It is important to remember that if you do not find a large enough location you are going to have people overcrowded, and also have the problem of possible injuries because people cannot move about freely.
Finding a good location is not always easy, but typically if you look towards large parks they can be some of the best options that you have as well as very affordable to rent for the day or the weekend of your car show. At the same time that you are looking for a location that is large enough you need to ensure that there is ample parking available. If you do not have plenty of parking, you are going to have issues with people having nowhere to park and it can ultimate hurt your attendance numbers. However, you do not need a parking lot for all of the cars; a large grassy field can also serve for parking if necessary.
In addition to the parking and the overall large enough location, you also need to ensure that there are plenty of bathrooms located all around the car show. Without enough bathrooms, your event will suffer. Ensuring that you have plenty may mean that you need to have bathrooms brought in but this is generally a very affordable expense if it is necessary.
Your other important consideration should be food for the car show. If you know that you are unable to coordinate all of your food needs for the car show as well, it may be a wise decision to contact some local restaurants to arrange for them to provide the food for the car show. If you are able to do this you can generally provide a greater range of food for visitors and also help to keep costs down since there is plenty of competition.
With a bit of planning ahead and some careful attention to the small details you can be amazed at just how well the entire planning process can go. Careful attention to even the smallest details will show people that you are looking forward to a fabulous event and are quite excited to share it with them. Never discount the importance of planning ahead as it gives plenty of time for problems and other emergencies to appear that need to be handled. A great car show is like a fine art, the more practice you have at organizing them the better they will be with some time and a source of great contacts.
People love door prizes as well. Look and try to arrange for some door prizes that you can arrange to give away at the fair. People always love prizes so the more you have to give away, the more excited people are going to be from the moment they walk into the doors of the car show. Look to some businesses to donate some prizes so that you are not having to pay for them out of the funds to plan the car show.
Quick and Easy Detailing Tips for Car Shows
Ensuring that your car is in tip top shape before the judge’s come around is sometimes a stressful task but with some quick and easy tips, you can ensure that your car is looking forever gorgeous for the judges no matter how many people have had their hands on it. Remember, you need to ensure that your car was thoroughly detail cleaned before the show to make it the easiest possible.
Check those windows; they are so quick to get dirty if there are many people around. Just breathing in the wrong weather can leave your windows with streaks or other bad marks that can pull down the overall appearance of your car. Always ensure you keep some soft cloths and good window cleaner in the car. This will ensure that those windows are sparkling when the judges roll around. Remember, clean windows set a good overall impression for the vehicle.
Spot shine the chrome on the car. This is a place where you usually start seeing smudges pretty quickly. A cloth and some good chrome cleaner will ensure that your chrome stays as shiny as possible. You should easily be able to see your reflection in it, and ensure that there is no rust on the chrome either. This is a small detail that can make a huge impression. If you ignore the smaller details, they will likely think you ignore the large ones as well.
Tires are another critical area, you may not realize it but tons of mud caked up in the wheel well and on your tires themselves can give your car a bad look. Clean those tires as soon as you park at the show to ensure that they are perfect looking. This will generally only need to be done once, which if done immediately upon arriving frees your time for other tasks.
Avoid eating in the car before the show, and especially during the show. Eating in general tends to leave some tiny crumbs all around the house and is a huge pain in the butt and hassle. Keep the food out of the car and you will not have to worry about crumbs or food stains giving your car a bad impression. Once again, it is the small details that can make a huge impression on the judges.
You may also want to take a few brief moments upon arriving and quickly touch up any dull spots in the wax. This will help to ensure that the entire car is well waxed and shiny. You may also want to pull out a small portable vacuum and spot clean the upholstery just to ensure that there is no dirt or debris anywhere. A good car will make a marvelous impression and just following these tiny steps will put your car at the top of the list.
Additionally, avoid the temptation to load up the trunk with lots of stuff. Regardless of whether it is trinkets or tools you should never load up your trunk at the car show when you are showing. The judges may want to see how your trunk looks, and if it is full of stuff, they will not be able to get a good look at the condition. Keep it clean and items in the trunk to a bare minimum to ensure the best results possible once the judges get to you.
Prizes, Awards and Ribbons
Most car shows offer prizes to the owners of cars that they feel are truly exceptional but the range of prizes tends to vary heavily depending on the particular car show that you attend. Some are generous and offer huge prizes to those that win top placement in the different categories, while others are only able to afford a single ribbon to give to the winners. Where the car show you are considering attending falls in the spectrum often depends on the size of the organization that is in charge of the car show.
The really great clubs are well known for giving prizes that are quite large to those who win major at the car shows. The packages can include things such as ribbons, trophies, and even plaques. Many places also give prizes that include gifts and sometimes even cash. The prizes that are given tend to vary greatly, however most of the time at local and regional shows the prizes are small while at the national and international level the prizes are much greater.
Most car shows will announce if they are going to be giving away prizes to the winners of the show. This can allow you to pick out, which shows you are interested in attending if you have a choice of multiple shows. There are also some car shows that just make the prizes a surprise and will not release ahead of time what they are. If you are mostly interested in the opinions of your car, and are not concerned with winning at the present time then the exact prizes that are offered are not usually important.
The majority of the time you should be able to follow the rule of thumb that large car shows are going to have much better prizes. Small car shows are generally unable to afford the large prizes and typically have much more than a ribbon or small trophy for the winner. If this is acceptable for you, then you can gain a lot of experience by participating in the smaller car shows before working your way up to the larger and more advanced shows.
Participating in numerous car shows is a great way to gain some useful showing experience and also a good way to meet some of the people that can be very helpful to you if you decide to embark on a showing career for your car. Most people decide to only show their car on occasion as a hobby, but there are times when people have a very successful car and can win enough money and prizes from car shows to make it a very fulfilling career.
Deciding exactly which car shows to attend is often about the prizes but not always. If you do not care about prizes then not worrying about the prizes is a great way to remove the stress from car shows and instead thoroughly enjoy all of the fun and experiencing that you are able to gain. Enjoying a great car show is lots of fun, and if you are lucky enough to win a prize then it is even better. Never participate in any show that you disagree with if you are unhappy with the prizes that are given. You have enough shows to choose from that you are sure to find something that will make you very happy and help you see what you can do to really enjoy the car shows the most.
Reasons to Attend Car Shows
There are numerous reasons to attend car shows and even more car shows than there are reasons each year. If you are interested in attending a car show it is a very good idea to determine what you have in mind before you start looking for a show to attend so that you can ensure find the right show for your needs, but with a bit of research you can find the right show.
Think about what type of car you enjoy. At a car show you can easily get your fill of that style of car. There are from dozens to hundreds of cars at each show and you have ample opportunities to see these gorgeous beauties. If you love antiques then there are shows geared specifically to antiques and all of the other car types as well. There is no reason at all why you should go to any car shows that you do not enjoy; there are plenty that will offer the types of cars you are interested in.
Hot rods, street rods, antiques, Ferraris, Lamborghinis and so much more await you. It does not matter what type of car you are interested in, there is at least one car show a year that specializes in your interest. This is a great place to find car clubs that are in your area of interest as well. In addition, you get the benefit of seeing all of the incredible work that has been done on the cars as well.
If you are interested in learning about cars, you can find a lot of great educational opportunities at car shows. Most of the vehicle owners are more than happy to talk about their vehicle and what they have done to it with visitors. This can allow you to gather plenty of ideas and learn as much as possible. Additionally, it can be a good source of tips and suggestions on how to do some of the work that your car needs to have done if you are working on a car.
Some people find that visiting a good car show is very inspiring to them in working on a car of their own. Even if they did not own a car before the show, a lot of people are busy buying a car after the show. This can be a great hobby, and since most cars that are maintained and restored properly resell for good prices, it can be a great investment as well.
Car shows are also a great place to make some connections. There are some companies and vendors that set up and offer incredible discounts and deals off their products when you buy at the car shows. This combined with the people you meet can make it possible to save a lot of money when you are working on a car the next time. While their services may not suit your needs for a while, you may come across a time when that contact can be very helpful.
If you are trying to join a car club that requires a sponsor to join, then finding a good car show will help you to locate some members to talk to. Obviously, they are going to want to meet you and see your own vehicle before they are willing to sponsor you but it makes the perfect opportunity to introduce yourself and your car. Ensure if this is your goal that your car always looks the best possible before you arrive though.
Many families enjoy going to car shows because it is a great activity that is typically held outdoors and allows most people some great quality bonding time. Instead of being held to our normal routines, we are forced to break free and look at all of the beautiful cars. This can be a great activity for a family, especially on the weekends when families tend to go separate ways because of other busy life activities.
Should You Buy a Car at a Car Show?
So you woke up and decided to attend the car show that was scheduled for the weekend. You walk in and start looking at all of the gorgeous cars that are present. You suddenly are hit by the urge to own one yourself. You happen to spot a particularly gorgeous car that looks simply stunning and just joke with the owner and ask if they would sell. They actually answer with a price they would like. What are you ever supposed to do?
Part of you hoped they would say no to selling, and part of you is jumping up and down inside thrilled at the idea of buying the magnificent car. But is this truly a wise decision to make? Is buying a car from a car show really a wise investment? Should you walk away and calm down, or should you pull out your checkbook immediately? Your inner child is probably screaming to buy the car, but do you even know what the car is worth?
You should avoid buying a car at a car show unless you have had some time to carefully shop around and see how much the vehicle that you are interested in would be worth. If you already have extensive knowledge about cars this may not be as large of a task, but for those who have no experience with these magnificent cars it can be a large amount of homework.
Additionally, during a car show the owner is not going to have much time to discuss specifics of the car with you. This is simply the result of having so many people around their car that they are watching. They most certainly do not want someone to cause damage to the car, and they definitely do not want someone to mess with the engine. While they may be talking to you about the car, they are probably only half-paying attention.
Additionally, during a car show you are unable to take the vehicle on a test drive simply because most car shows are not designed to allow the cars to move once they have been parked in their assigned place. In addition, there are typically large groups of people at car shows that make it dangerous trying to drive through the crowds and can really create some harsh problems if you are not careful.
If you truly find a car that you are madly in love with and determined to buy, and find an owner who is serious about selling you should ask for the sale price of the car, and also the owners contact information. Tell them that you will be in touch after the show. This will allow you to calm down and think rationally, as well as the opportunity to do a bit of research on the price the car is worth compared to what the owner is asking. Typically, you should wait at least a day or two after the car show before contacting the buyer so you have ample time to do research.
Once you meet up with the buyer you should take the car for a test drive and look over it very closely. Also ask about the engine and transmission. Many cars that are in shows are not original parts; they are often custom created cars that pull parts from various other cars to create what is before your eyes. If you are fine with this then it is perfectly acceptable, but you should be well aware of it before you buy the car. Other considerations are the overall condition of the vehicle, and the age.
You should possibly take another day or two to consider the purchase once you have taken a test drive. Remember, this is a car; it is not a CD or even a television that is fairly cheap. These vehicles are very expensive and the maintenance and repair costs can also be quite large. If you take the time to do some careful research and make a good decision about purchasing the car after the show it can be a great experience. Just avoid buying the car during the show unless you are absolutely certain that the car is spectacular and the deal is incredible.
Should You Take an Unfinished Car to a Show?
Have you ever wondered exactly why someone would take a car that is unfinished to a car show? Often the goal is not so much to win a prize, but rather to show off a car that is in progress. This is especially common for the exotic and rare cars that are not always easily seen at car shows. Many people pull out their cars at least once they have completed the bodywork but before the interior and the painting have been done. You may wonder why this occurs, and you may be wondering if you should pull out your uncompleted car as well.
Generally, most people pull out their works in progress when they are not interested in an award. They are simply interested in showing off their car and letting people see what it looks like during the restoration process. There are times when people who are attending car shows have no clue at all what it takes for a car to be restored and presentable during the car shows. Seeing a car that is in progress is often a great experience for people and can allow them to see that creating the masterpieces that are generally on display is not really a simple task as they may believe.
Most people do not realize just how much time, effort, money or labor goes into restoring an old car. Some cars obviously take more work than others do but all cars will need at least a small amount of work done to restore them to original condition or better. There are some people who pull out their unfinished car for the car shows and then work on them a bit at the show. This is a great way to see first hand what part of the process involves. Granted it is only a very small portion of the overall process but it is a wonderful learning experience.
If you are considering pulling out your partially completed car, you need to ensure that you talk to the organizers and ensure that they will have no problems with it. Some organizations are not allowed to have partially completed cars on the lot depending on the event insurance that they have in place. Checking with the organizers first will ensure that you avoid all potential problems before the show itself.
If you do bring your uncompleted car, it is a wise decision to avoid doing any work on the engine during the show. It would be very easy to lose engine components that you need and with large crowds of people missing parts can become a huge problem quickly if something is accidently kicked away from the car or otherwise lost. Always ensure that you are working on something that is quite simple, additionally, if you are working on your car during the show you should be ready to answer plenty of questions that people have.
Most people who attend a car show are going to be thoroughly interested in asking you a ton of questions about what you are doing and why. This is normal and often having a bit of information already in mind can help you to answer the questions you get without having to stop and think of each answer. If you take some time and carefully plan some activities, it can be a great way to help educate people stopping by your car.
One consideration is if you offer a specific car service, you should work on that while at the show. For example, if you offer car detailing then you should consider working on detailing the car during the show. This would allow perspective customers to see what you are capable of doing and the quality of your work all at once. Making sure you have some business cards to hand out is another good move that can help make you memorable. Just ensure if you are advertising a business or service that you are offering that you present yourself as a professional during the show.
Staying Safe at Car Shows
There are tons of car shows, and at all of these car shows there are usually tons of people. Ensuring that you stay safe is a necessary task to ensure that you are able to always enjoy the car shows, rather than being forced to wait around for the police or take a trip to the hospital. From crime to health problems, you need to be aware of some simple safety measures to make sure you leave without problems, and have a great positive experience.
Your first step should be avoid taking purses unless necessary. There are so many people in a small area that taking a purse is rather foolish. This can encourage the purse snatchers who are able to blend into the crowd easily. Instead, take just a small wallet that fits into your front pocket and limit the amount of cash you carry on you. Additionally, make sure you leave most of your credit cards at home, or in the hotel. Limit the amount of personal information you are bringing with you as well to reduce the risks.
Always carefully check out the weather during the car show as well. In addition to this information find out if the show is inside or outside and make appropriate clothing choices. If the weather is scheduled to be in the 80’s do not wear thick pants, heavy shirts and a huge winter parka. This is just asking for trouble and can leave you having a heat stroke. You need clothing that is appropriate based upon the weather, rather than based upon what you think the weather will be. This may mean wearing layers of clothing to ensure that you do not get cold, or overheat.
You should also ensure that you find out if there will be drinks and food available at the car show. Not all car shows have food and drinks and it is very important to ensure that you stay hydrated and do not lose all of your energy. Allowing yourself to become dehydrated is a huge problem and can leave you with no energy, or worse you could pass out. Neither situation is a good idea and with plenty of drinks is avoidable. If the car show does not have drinks there, make sure you bring plenty with you.
You should bring a cellular phone with you as well. At a bare minimum, bring some change for the telephone. Without these items, you could be stranded in the event of an emergency with no way to call for help. Having a working phone ensures that when a problem occurs you can quickly call for help and ensure that you will be able to reach someone. It is also useful in the event that you need to contact someone and ask for a ride, or just try to get in touch with anyone else.
Your final consideration should be shoes. It is not a wise decision to swear huge high heels to a car show. The terrain is usually a bit uneven and the ground is usually grassy or rocky. This can spell disaster in the wrong shoes. Wear something that is comfortable and secure that you will not easily lose. You should also ensure that you have something that is weather appropriate, for example no sandals in the winter. Planning ahead will keep you safe during all of the car shows you attend.
Taking Your Pet to the Car Show
The day and age where pets are considered members of the family are upon us, and as such the number of people taking their pets everywhere with them is steadily rising. If you are one of these people, you probably know that not everywhere is welcoming to your pet, but there are others that are more than graciously welcoming to your pet as long as you take the time to plan ahead and ensure that your pet is taken care of. You may be surprised with some planning how well your pet fits into your plans and how well you are able to ensure the process goes.
If you are wanting to take a pet of course, your first step should always be calling ahead to the organization that is planning the car show and finding out if they are willing to allow pets. If the event is held indoors then you are likely to find that they are unable to allow pets to come in. However, most car shows that are outdoors, especially in recent years are more than willing to accommodate your favorite pet as long as you are willing to be responsible for them.
Once you know that the car show will allow your pet you need to ensure that they are healthy before you go. This is especially important if you have a very young or very old dog. It is also important to ensure that they have had their vaccinations; this will prevent them from catching anything that may be floating around from other dogs. Even while your pet may be disease free, the vaccinations are important to ensure that they do not catch anything from other pets attending the show.
Additional measures include ensuring that your dog has a well fitting leash as well as a harness or collar. If you are taking a very small dog, it is a wise idea to look for a harness that would allow you to quickly pick them up if the crowds get too heavy and there is a danger of someone stepping on your dog. A good harness will allow you to swoop the dog up in a matter of moments without causing any harm.
You should also bring a small water bottle for your dog. There may not be a suitable place that will allow your pet to get some water, so the water bottle is essential. Most pet supply stores sell water bottles that have small trays that attach to them; this makes it very easy to quickly and easily give your dog some water without having to find a container or a dish to put it in. You can usually find water that will allow you to easily refill the water bottle, but finding a container for the water is not always simple.
Another consideration that you need to take into account is ensuring that your dog will have access to shade and shelter during the car show. Most dogs are not capable of staying out in the hot sun all day, and will need to have shade at least for short periods of time to ensure that they do not become overheated and dehydrated. You are also going to have to make some arrangements for the dog to eat. Most car shows are not going to have dog food readily available to visitors; this is going to require you to find some food that you can easily transport with you. There are several small collapsible food bowls that you can buy at the pet store that are perfect for these occasions as well.
Making some arrangements ahead of time, there are plenty of ways that your pet can enjoy going to the car show with you. There is no reason at all why your pet cannot accompany you if you are willing to take the time to plan ahead for your pet. Going with your pet to a car show is lots of fun, but not planning and having a disaster on your hands is never fun.
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