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W
e e k l y F
e a t u r e P a g e
Links to archived past pages on lower left
The contents of the “Weekly Feature” page are provided
to you for your entertainment, amusement, and perhaps information.
Here you may find articles of interest, pictures, historical information
on the Club, or whatever shuffles to the top of the pile on our
desk. The only defined characteristic of this space is that we
will make every effort to change/replace it around the middle of
each week. Thank you for visiting, and please stop by again. Click
on any photo to see it larger in a separate window. |
3
Big Days-2 Much Fun- 1 Great Show
Its history now, and looking back it seemed to pass
in a hurry, but while we were there, it was a very busy life. Almost
all of us veteran
MMOGTA members agree that it takes about 3 good days of post-show recovery
before you start to feel “normal” again. Of course, “normal” is
a bit of a stretch for some of us on a good day, but that’s another
story. For now, we’ll just start the process of looking back
to remember how we spent the 3rd weekend of August 2010.
As usual, the Showgrounds was just a beehive of activity
during the week or so leading up to the annual show, but the advantage
we have
is that this “ain’t our first rodeo”. Things get
very serious and very focused when the clock starts to run down in
advance of the big weekend. Crews can be seen working in every corner
and every department of our diverse organization, doing what they know
has to be done to ready their own individual service. In many cases,
one group has little clue what may be going on in most of the other
areas, they just know that when 7:00AM Friday rolls around, they have
to be ready to connect with all those other dots that have been toiling
away in their own corners. Very honestly, few of our visitors have
any idea how much preparation goes on before that gate swings wide
on the first day, but from what I observed, I’m pretty sure it
was well appreciated.
Going in, you always wonder and worry whether things
will work the way you want them to work, and you sweat over all those “what
if’s”, like the weather, the grim economic situation, and
all the rest. We wondered how the public would react to the gate price
increase, even though in today’s world I am completely convinced
that we offer a very genuine value per dollar that is hard to match
in any other venue. From what we saw, it is clear that the vast majority
of our visitors recognize that fact as well. I have always said that
the gate fee is the most honest money we make, because that’s
where the paying customer votes with his wallet and his feet as he
chooses to walk through that gate. In 2010, clearly, the “Ayes” have
it. For all of their support, loyalty, and generosity, we are forever
grateful. They are the reason we do what we do, and they are very much
the reason we can continue to do it.
One of the things that keeps those loyal customers
coming back is that we always strive to grow, change, and improve.
I spoke to a number
of first time visitors this year, and all were completely amazed at
what we have and what we do. Even though they knew we were here, they
really had no clue of the scope of our show. Over 1700 exhibits? What?
Is that even possible? Yup, it is. A tractor pull on cement? Who does
that? We do. Its almost 7:00PM, are you closing, do we have to leave
now? Nope. 9:00PM ? Nope. You get the picture, they all find more than
they expected to see or do. As long as we can continue to offer that,
I believe we will continue to grow.
With this Weekly Feature, we’ll begin our 2010 Show Photo Gallery,
with the following random preliminary pics from our 36th Annual Show.
More will be added throughout the year. (click individual photos to
enlarge)
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