[m3dragon]

Because I am a crazy person and organize events, I reached out to BMWCCA for support in the 15 years of E46 M3 event. While I chatted with them, I got on the topic about how to entice BMW Enthusiasts and younger members to join the national club.

Short story is I have the blessing of BMWCCA to make this post to gather feedback on how BMWCCA can offer more things to have enthusiasts and younger members join the national club.

Please post your honest replies below and I will gather them to send to national. Please also ask all of your friends to chime no matter what their thoughts are so I can present their feelings to national.

Forum admins, please help forum members find this so we can get our voices heard. Also please add your comments on how BMWCCA could support the forum if they are not already doing so. The forums are the backbone of the enthusiast community so we need your input whether good or bad.

If people cannot reply to the forums please have them email me at norcal.drivers@gmail.com with the questions below.

1. Are you a BMWCCA member currently?

2. What is your regional club (if you don’t know just say don’t know)?

3. If you are not a member, what was the reason for not joining?

4. Have you attended any meeting or event with any BMW chapter?

5. What are activities you would like to see the BMW chapters do in your area?

6. What activities would you like to see on a national level?

7. What type of programs would you like to see BMWCCA support?

8. Do you want BMWCCA to find ways to help enthusiasts with acquiring parts for projects?

9. Open comment / suggestion.

[E39lolz]

Originally Posted by m3dragon

1. Are you a BMWCCA member currently?
Yes.

2. What is your regional club (if you don’t know just say don’t know)?
Everglades Chapter


3. If you are not a member, what was the reason for not joining?
N/A.

4. Have you attended any meeting or event with any BMW chapter?
Patroon Chapter many times, non so far with the Everglades Chapter.


5. What are activities you would like to see the BMW chapters do in your area? Host meet/drive and dine events at least once a month.

6. What activities would you like to see on a national level?
Throw in like a region vs region softball/volleyball/baseball games for fun.

7. What type of programs would you like to see BMWCCA support?
More discounts!

8. Do you want BMWCCA to find ways to help enthusiasts with acquiring parts for projects? This would be interesting.

9. Open comment / suggestion.

Seems that the Everglades Chapter is somewhat silent recently. They need to come up wih more events. Florida Bimmer is nice, though everyone drives either a e92 335/M3. No diversity at all. Would be nice to see owners of e9's, e21's, e28's as well as the e36's and the common 90's BMW's.

[m3dragon]

Thanks for the response and Kudos on the car. What M3 are you looking for that you have not found it?

[m3dragon]

Because I am a crazy person and organize events, I reached out to BMWCCA for support in the 15 years of E46 M3 event. While I chatted with them, I got on the topic about how to entice BMW Enthusiasts and younger members to join the national club.

Short story is I have the blessing of BMWCCA to make this post to gather feedback on how BMWCCA can offer more things to have enthusiasts and younger members join the national club.

Please post your honest replies below and I will gather them to send to national. Please also ask all of your friends to chime no matter what their thoughts are so I can present their feelings to national.

Forum admins, please help forum members find this so we can get our voices heard. Also please add your comments on how BMWCCA could support the forum if they are not already doing so. The forums are the backbone of the enthusiast community so we need your input whether good or bad.

If people cannot reply to the forums please have them email me at norcal.drivers@gmail.com with the questions below.

1. Are you a BMWCCA member currently?

2. What is your regional club (if you don’t know just say don’t know)?

3. If you are not a member, what was the reason for not joining?

4. Have you attended any meeting or event with any BMW chapter?

5. What are activities you would like to see the BMW chapters do in your area?

6. What activities would you like to see on a national level?

7. What type of programs would you like to see BMWCCA support?

8. Do you want BMWCCA to find ways to help enthusiasts with acquiring parts for projects?

9. Open comment / suggestion.

[G80indy]

1. Are you a BMWCCA member currently? yes have been since first bimmer purchase in 2002

2. What is your regional club (if you don’t know just say don’t know)? Hoosier ch. (Indiana)

3. If you are not a member, what was the reason for not joining?

4. Have you attended any meeting or event with any BMW chapter?
yes, dinners, meetings at Indycar garages, etc.

5. What are activities you would like to see the BMW chapters do in your area? Fun car-nerd stuff like Griot's Garage detailing workshop. They have done it before/ Plainfield IN

6. What activities would you like to see on a national level?
Regional Octoberfests, in early October? ; reachable with a reasonable drive/commute.

7. What type of programs would you like to see BMWCCA support?
They already support safe driving school for teens events. They do a lot of cool events.

8. Do you want BMWCCA to find ways to help enthusiasts with acquiring parts for projects?
Doesn't seem practical, unless for members, brokering access to rare OEM BMW parts

9. Open comment / suggestion.
It pays for itself in spades if you buy a new or CPO vehicle....
join now!

[r53s65e90]

Originally Posted by m3dragon

1. Are you a BMWCCA member currently?

No. Used to be.

2. What is your regional club (if you don’t know just say don’t know)?

GGC

3. If you are not a member, what was the reason for not joining?

Track events too expensive and too rare compared to competition. Few events in my area (norcal). I did sign up twice for them just because I wanted to see what it is like, and they were cancelled twice. Autocrosses don't have enough drive time.

4. Have you attended any meeting or event with any BMW chapter?

AutoX, Car control clinic.

9. Open comment / suggestion.

Open up events to non-members for at least one or two events so that they are enticed to become members. Then charge the fee.

[pseto]

If you're looking for a younger crowd, you may want to try Facebook. A lot of forum traffic has moved to Facebook. As a CCA leader myself, I'd be interested to see what you find, as this is a topic we've been dealing with for several years. Good luck!

[happos2]

1. Are you a BMWCCA member currently? Nope (was previously)

2. What is your regional club (if you don’t know just say don’t know)? Hoosier ch. (Indiana)

3. If you are not a member, what was the reason for not joining? Was in Kansas, Hoosier chapter doesn't have a great internet site that shows events, so I never know where and when to go.

4. Have you attended any meeting or event with any BMW chapter?
Yep in Kansas

5. What are activities you would like to see the BMW chapters do in your area? Detailing workshops, maintenance workshops, car shows, racing events, Fast Times Kart racing events, volunteer work at food banks or other places.

6. What activities would you like to see on a national level?
More track events.

7. What type of programs would you like to see BMWCCA support?
N/A

8. Do you want BMWCCA to find ways to help enthusiasts with acquiring parts for projects?
that is what the forum is for.

9. Open comment / suggestion.
I understand the 10% discount at the dealer is something, but compared to online prices, it isn't worth the discount.

[Maestro]

I am not a member, but have been in car clubs in the past. Here is what I have seen, and why some clubs die or do not grow. When they first get state there is lots of excitement and lots of people involved, then the club ages, people get busy with other things, life takes over, only a few people are actually running the show and they get over worked and leave. The people who are still involve are older therefore the younger crowed does not want to be with the older folks and same in reverse. Even if you get the range of ages in the group activities both want to do are different.

The reason I am not a member and I did look into joining, life took over, I had too many family and work commitments to add another one. I really wanted to join since I want to get involved with the track days and such this is something I never did in previous clubs and they did not offer this. I personally do not mind hanging with the younger crowed, but I know people my age and older who do not like the younger people for various reason. My son and all his friend are always at my place working on their cars and fixing them since I have more tools than any of them and they like talking to me and I like talk to them since I learn lots from them.

Just my two cents without answering you questionnaire

[m3dragon]

Good replies guys. Keep them coming so I can take it back to National.

Maestro thanks for the comments as you see it for your situation. Not everyone is the same so all views are welcome.

[Z K]

1. Are you a BMWCCA member currently?
No

2. What is your regional club (if you don’t know just say don’t know)?
California Golden Gate Chapter

3. If you are not a member, what was the reason for not joining?
No real benefits to joining. Very few events are held. Vendor discounts are small.

4. Have you attended any meeting or event with any BMW chapter?
No

5. What are activities you would like to see the BMW chapters do in your area?
More autocross events close to San Francisco and track day events. Social meet events, "maintenance days" where everyone can get together and help work on each other's cars doing basic maintenance, car detailing and projects.

6. What activities would you like to see on a national level?

7. What type of programs would you like to see BMWCCA support?

8. Do you want BMWCCA to find ways to help enthusiasts with acquiring parts for projects?
It would be helpful to get parts and knowledge on DIY installing parts.

9. Open comment / suggestion.

[m3dragon]

Originally Posted by pseto

If you're looking for a younger crowd, you may want to try Facebook. A lot of forum traffic has moved to Facebook. As a CCA leader myself, I'd be interested to see what you find, as this is a topic we've been dealing with for several years. Good luck!

I have been beating up my local chapter to listed about what people want to do. They ignored me and I went to national.

Also because I was ignored is why I started my own national car group in 2006. made a cub with out all the red tape. Just look up my screen name and you will see what I am talking about LOL.

I will share results to all the forums this is on. All i ask if you can have people share their honest feeling good and bad.

[dnvrdrvr]

1. Are you a BMWCCA member currently? Yep, since 2006

2. What is your regional club (if you don’t know just say don’t know)? Rocky Mountain Region

4. Have you attended any meeting or event with any BMW chapter? No meetings {yawn}. Mostly HPDE's, one AX, just got my Club Racing license.

5. What are activities you would like to see the BMW chapters do in your area? More racing, a la PCA

6. What activities would you like to see on a national level? Oktoberfest sounds awesome, but it seems to be mostly east coast. Do two such gatherings / year, one on or close to each coast?

7. What type of programs would you like to see BMWCCA support?

8. Do you want BMWCCA to find ways to help enthusiasts with acquiring parts for projects? Sure, although we seem to use our regional forum for that quite a bit, along with this and other forums.

9. Open comment / suggestion. To me, the club has something of a Fuddy Duddy reputation, which lately it seems to be reinforced by the Roundel. I used to read mine cover-to-cover the day it showed up in my mailbox... now it sits. Maybe I've matured as a BMW owner in the past couple of years and don't crave the info like I used to. Or maybe I'm just sick of people talking about the damn dipstick. Don't know. I do know that the gents running BMWCCA are super nice and I really appreciate that they're looking for ways to reinvigorate the club.

[fun2drive]

1. Are you a BMWCCA member currently?
Yes 149159

2. What is your regional club (if you don’t know just say don’t know)?
Gulf Coast

3. If you are not a member, what was the reason for not joining?

4. Have you attended any meeting or event with any BMW chapter?
Yes as often as I am in town.

5. What are activities you would like to see the BMW chapters do in your area?
More tech events and driving events social driving events.

6. What activities would you like to see on a national level?


7. What type of programs would you like to see BMWCCA support?
More defensive driving events for all ages.

8. Do you want BMWCCA to find ways to help enthusiasts with acquiring parts for projects? Yes

9. Open comment / suggestion.

[m3dragon]

Because I am a crazy person and organize events, I reached out to BMWCCA for support in the 15 years of E46 M3 event. While I chatted with them, I got on the topic about how to entice BMW Enthusiasts and younger members to join the national club.

Short story is I have the blessing of BMWCCA to make this post to gather feedback on how BMWCCA can offer more things to have enthusiasts and younger members join the national club.

Please post your honest replies below and I will gather them to send to national. Please also ask all of your friends to chime no matter what their thoughts are so I can present their feelings to national.

Forum admins, please help forum members find this so we can get our voices heard. Also please add your comments on how BMWCCA could support the forum if they are not already doing so. The forums are the backbone of the enthusiast community so we need your input whether good or bad.

If people cannot reply to the forums please have them email me at norcal.drivers@gmail.com with the questions below.

1. Are you a BMWCCA member currently?

2. What is your regional club (if you don’t know just say don’t know)?

3. If you are not a member, what was the reason for not joining?

4. Have you attended any meeting or event with any BMW chapter?

5. What are activities you would like to see the BMW chapters do in your area?

6. What activities would you like to see on a national level?

7. What type of programs would you like to see BMWCCA support?

8. Do you want BMWCCA to find ways to help enthusiasts with acquiring parts for projects?

9. Open comment / suggestion.

[roastbeef]

I was on the BMW CCA website a year or two ago and to be honest, I didn't see much of a benefit in joining.
People interested in these cars enough to be on forums are probably smart enough to figure out a good source for discounted parts, so 10% off at the dealer is nothing.
I would be very interested if there were frequent invitations to track days, and class work related to racing or track stuff.
Secondary to all of that, I haven't been told or solicited by BMW CCA on why I should join. Advertising or marketing seems to be nonexistent.

[1MOREMOD]

[quote]

1. Are you a BMWCCA member currently? no used to be.

2. What is your regional club (if you don’t know just say don’t know)?pacific northwest-seattle

3. If you are not a member, what was the reason for not joining? joined and quit one year later.

4. Have you attended any meeting or event with any BMW chapter? yes one track day

8. Do you want BMWCCA to find ways to help enthusiasts with acquiring parts for projects? yes and no. as stated above most of us find parts thru each other and forums at much greater discount and or have sponsorship/discount agreements with several vendors.

9. Open comment / suggestion. I found the track days(part im interested in) frustrating and too regulated. the instruction was poor, low amount of track time, cost was highish, and they refused to move me into a higher group although i run advanced every where else.

[mjposner]

1. Are you a BMWCCA member currently? Yes since 2002

2. What is your regional club (if you don’t know just say don’t know)? Evergaldes

3. If you are not a member, what was the reason for not joining?

4. Have you attended any meeting or event with any BMW chapter? yes

5. What are activities you would like to see the BMW chapters do in your area? car show, caravan, auto cross (that allows convertibles)

6. What activities would you like to see on a national level? east/west coast octoberfest

7. What type of programs would you like to see BMWCCA support? get dealers more involved in the club

8. Do you want BMWCCA to find ways to help enthusiasts with acquiring parts for projects? maybe, what do you spcifically mean?

9. Open comment / suggestion.

[mjposner]

To those who are not members here are some reasons to join:

15% dealer discount
$500-$1,500 rebate on almost any new BMW (got 1k when I bought my wife an X3)
Roundel magazine (excellent club mag, finest I have seen)
Local Chapter events

[twinship]

I dropped out after my 1st year of membership.

Not much interest in social events.

Disappointed that they didn't support members with BMW issues such as failing HPFPs and the like. Felt to me like they kowtowed to BMW instead of representing owners.

Better info/support in these forums.

[doug_999]

1. Yes
2. Chicago (aka WindyCity)
3. See #1
4. No
5. Auto-crosses /local vendor tours
6. Hmmmm.... not sure on this one...
7. Continue the discount! Also love Roundel. Hate the fact that my two fav writers only get to write every other month now.
8. no
9. To be honest, I don't go to local events because it seems like everyone knows each other and I don't want to be an outsider. So if there was a way to say "Newcomers, we have just the thing for you - if it is just one person or multiple, we are going to make sure you are introduced to the others and part of the activities -even if you don't know anyone" that might make me go to an event/meeting.

[Bmr3sn]

1. Are you a BMWCCA member currently?
No

2. What is your regional club (if you don’t know just say don’t know)?
AZ has a chapter of BMWCCA. Younger crowd runs azbmwcrew.

3. If you are not a member, what was the reason for not joining?
Overpriced. Scratch that..... It has
price at all?? Maybe $20 but just under $50 for a decal and magazine?
Exclusive events dont happen in my area, the available discounts can be matched a variety of ways ( I checked a few), I dont see any other "benefits" by joining. Maybe I just haven't looked into it deep enough, guilty, but just doesnt appeal to me with the current list of benefits.

4. Have you attended any meeting or event with any BMW chapter?
Not yet

5. What are activities you would like to see the BMW chapters do in your area?
Organized drives, misc auto events, maybe a dealer group oil change discount or something like that......

6. What activities would you like to see on a national level?
As stated above, unified voice to BMW about what "we think" both positive and negative. Technical articles, vendor showcase, formal modification ideas presented professionally.


7. What type of programs would you like to see BMWCCA support?
Not sure


8. Do you want BMWCCA to find ways to help enthusiasts with acquiring parts for projects?
It would be nice

9. Open comment / suggestion.[/QUOTE]
Did I mention it's overpriced?