I posted this earlier this year and am too lazy to try and remember it, so here it is verbatim (answers to other questions at the end of this):
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Is $700 per person too high? It's not high enough. Wait, wait - it is certainly expensive and I will be going through the sofa cushions to try and scrape together that many pennies to go. However, do you think that these fees actually cover the cost of a VOI?
Not even close. Here are a few things I can remember offhand from VOI 6 that were included in the price:
* Three day rental of a major NASCAR/NHRA track and all facilities
* Two day rental of a large recreational park and covered tables for lunch
* Four day rental of several large convention rooms
* Race-prepared Dodge Neons for autocrossing for anybody interested
* Full autocross set up including timing and instructors (actually, two separate courses)
* Factory Vipers available for some events
* High-speed Skip Barber driving instructors for three days
* Skid pad trucks to use and abuse, complete with Barber instructors
* Two catered lunches to +/- 450 people each (Viper Cruise)
* Two more catered lunches to +/- 450 people (at the track)
* Two full-course dinners (and no hamburgers either), including open bar
* Three catered breakfast' at the track
* Rental of popular downtown facility (Laclede's Landing)
* Open bar and catered buffet (with all the trimmings) at Laclede's Landing
* Ice sculptures and entertainers at Lacledes (jugglers, stiltwalkers, etc.)
* Coupons for four free drinks (full mix) and no cover charges at popular local bars at Lacledes landing (try to set THAT up!)
* Fireworks spectacular (and it rivaled many 4th of July presentations - fired from a rented barge in the Mississippi)
* Concept cars brought down, including the VGX and Maxx Cab
* Oreca cars brought down for display
* Oreca drivers flown in to sign autographs and speak to owners
* Three bands, including Otis Day, to perform
* One famous comedian to perform
* Numerous tour buses to bring guests to the track, to take people to Lacledes, and even to go on the Viper Cruise if they were Viperless or just wanted to ride in a nice air-conditioned bus with TV's
* Personal shuttles (in brand new Dodges) to and from parking garage
* 24-hour guarded parking on three floors of downtown facility (and not included in the room rate)
* Subsidized enclosed trailers to bring your Viper to VOI - you paid roughly half of the normal cost of transport while Dodge picked up the rest
* "Goody bag" for each attendee including Viper duffel bag, Viper binoculars, Viper umbrella, cleaning kit (coupon redeemed for free at Dodge exhibit), Viper steel travel mug, 1:43 VOI GTS model from Eagle Racing, silk Viper necktie or scarf (depending on gender of attendee), VOI posters - with the artist available to personalize and sign them, VOI T-shirt, a GREAT throw blanket with all the VOI graphics, and other stuff I can't even remember
* Wooden VOI puzzles as part of the Viper cruise (a piece given at each checkpoint)
* Two full-size Viper hoods transported for you to sign for display at the Conner Avenue Assembly Plant
* A scale raceway to race remote control Vipers for free
* Custom table centerpieces given to one couple at each table at the dinners (and they were nice too!)
* Numerous custom banners made for each region (and some stolen by overeager attendees
)
* Signage created for every event and parking (and also stolen
)
* 50+ (my guess) Dodge employees flown in to make every single event go smoothly and keep Viper owners happy
* Dodge executives brought down to speak and answer questions
* Dodge technical people brought down to do a tech session for owners
* Rental and coordination of an exhibit hall for Viper vendors (assume the vendors covered the cost of the hall)
* LOTS, lots more that I can't even begin to remember!
Now, if you think $700 a head will cover the cost, you are absolutely nuts (all due respect, of course). If I were to guess, I would think that the cost was easily triple that on a per person basis. Dodge (and the VCA) spends some serious money to underwrite this whole deal. Given the questionable economy when this latest VOI was planned, I am amazed they even went ahead with it. There aren't a lot of Viper owners out there compared to other sports cars, and DaimlerChrysler hasn't exactly been raking in the money of late. Rest assured that it will be the best $700 you have ever spent and it still isn't enough.
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I would add a couple things to this original post. First off, don't forget the FRIENDSHIP. Sure, you could spend that money (or less) and go on a cruise. Would you be with a bunch of your friends? Probably not. Would you have anything in common with these people on the cruise? Probably not a ton. Go to a VOI and you will find that these people have LOTS of similar interests, including this Viper car thingy I have heard about.
You will make friends and have a blast.
Were the "original" VOI's smaller and less "hoity toity"? Wasn't invited (no IOI for Impala SS owners at the time), but it would certainly make sense on the size: THERE ARE MORE VIPER OWNERS NOW. More owners = bigger events. Dress code? Hardly. I own around 25 suits and didn't bring a single one (or a tie) to VOI6. As to staying at other hotels, NO PROBLEM. Just remember this: Your parking will be "unprotected" and at the mercy of anybody passing by. Have a few cocktails at the evening events - PLEASE don't drive your Viper to your hotel. The events are held at the host hotel, so you can stagger back to your room at your leisure. If it is held outside of the host hotel, Dodge provides luxury buses to and from the event so you don't have to drive, sober or otherwise. The buses do not stop at other hotels.
At the risk of sounding dramatic, allow me one more comment. $700 a pop IS a lot of money. Add a hotel room for $150 a night and you are talking about a serious expense. Is it worth it? I am unemployed (hopefully not for long) and am on a shoestring budget. My wife and I had to seriously discuss every penny that goes out right now. SHE insisted that I go to VOI this year, because she knows how great it is and how it is worth every cent. Can't afford to send one of us (no sitter for the kids either), but she insists. She did NOT want to go to VOI6, but now says it was one of the coolest things she has ever done - and she is NOT a car person. Other than a couple folks that preferred the small original gatherings, have you heard anybody complain that has actually attended one? There is a reason for that. Find out for yourself and join us at VOI7 in Nashville!
Chris
PS. Now off to bed, leaving as a $15 spectator for Viper Days in the early morning. Woo hoo!
PPS to rdustman, etc. Definitely an interesting idea, but don't count on seeing too many Vipers on that plan: The people paying to attend have the evening meals and entertainment included in the price. No badge, no attend. All the track events? Ditto. Merchandise area? Same. Tech sessions? Yep. The bottom line is that VOI will take up most of the time for attendees (and they will enjoy every minute of it) and you will rarely see them otherwise. I honestly believe you would find yourself pretty much alone for 95% of the time in Nashville. Might not be worth the trip, IMHO.
