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Jeep Jamborees in Canada Cancelled
Well, it seems that the jeep Jamborees, while well supported at the club level, have fallen victim to DC cost cutting measures in Canada.
Not sure if this is public knowledge yet, but I’m posting it up for folks.
Now, there used to be between 6 and 8 events across Canada in past years. They started in Nova Scotia in June and wound up, IIRC, in Alberta in the fall.
I’ve been to the events on the East coast as a participant, and for a couple of years, as a trail guide. They were always top-class events, even if each years saw obvious cut backs.
My first event had a trailer loaded with all kinds of Jeep branded gear sitting on site. I must have bought a couple hundred dollars worth of hoodies, caps, stickers, etc. That same year all participants got a great pewter key chain.
The following year, the gear trailer had disappeared, as had the pewter key chains. No biggie, the meals were still included, and as a trail guide, my costs were waived, so the value prop was so much better personally, that I cared little about missing a key chain.
The following couple of years were basically the same - the club worked it’s butt off to ensure a first class event, the fought with AVP (the company hired by DC to run the events) to get the cheque they’d been promised to cover the club’s end of things (building bridges, supporting the event, managing the advertising, etc.).
Now, when I say fought, what i really mean is when the call went in to request the cheque, it was never as simple as just getting the cheque - there was always the subtle back and forth of two parties trying to get the most for themselves.
trouble was, you’ve got a local club trying to get what it’s owed and what was agreed to, and a company trying to save some dollars for themselves. never pretty, but more a PITA than anything else, really.
So, that brings us to today.
Sadly, as often happens, AVP got the call from DC saying the budget was gone for 2007 events. very sad news, but take heart. AVP has been working their butts off to try to secure sponsorship for the 2008 season, so this could well be a temporary blip in things.
Also, on a local level, I know plans are being reviewed to determine if a local club, for example, could support an event of this size on it’s own. I thin they’ll be able to put on a comparable event AND charge less for it - remember, at a club level, we’re talking about non-profits running the event, not a company that needs to cover overhead and turn a profit on each event.
I suspect what we’re goign to see in Canada is a change to how the events are managed and run. I think the same players will be involved, but that at a local, club level, there will be more involvement. Most clubs have what it takes to organize the event, so I suspect we’ll see the Jamborees in Canada go this way in the future.
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