*Sneak Peek
1969 Chevelle 300
MCACN 2019 Chevelle Post Sedan Invitational Participant
Owner: Albert Galdi, Pennsylvania
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MCACN X; Whew...What a Show!
It seems like every year mid November comes around faster. And to think that it has already been TEN YEARS since the inception of the Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals show...well that is not only amazing but rather humbling also.
This year marked a real milestone for the MCACN team. Yes, many thought we were nuts and some even laughed at the idea, but clearly we hit the mark and filled a void for so many of us that live and breathe not only the cars, but most importantly, the people that make our hobby so great.
It was truly an honor to be able to work with so many that share my passion and enthusiasm. Our Hats off to our show staff, who certainly don't do this for the money! Yes, they get paid, but not much! To be a member of our team you have to have some passion for what we are all about. Many are car owners and as I often say, they "get it" and understand what it's all about. Believe me, it is an incredible challenge to put this show together. Our "home staff," consisting primarily of Vicki and I, work about 350 days a year in one form or another. Yes, much of it is a lot of fun, (especially for me!) but a lot is time consuming and requires minute attention to detail. We can thank Vicki for that, as she is the one that crosses the t's and dots the i's, day in and day out.
For me the real reward happens when all of you converge on the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont. We are in town the Monday before, and by Tuesday, we start seeing people hitting town. How cool it is to see and meet friends that travel from all over the world to join us. Yes, in addition to having people that came in from 40 states this year, we also had people join us from England, Germany, South Africa, Australia, Dubai, China and of course, several provinces in Canada. There must be a reason! Thanks go out to each and every one of you, as we know it takes a lot of time, effort and of course the financial commitment to join us, whether you are a participant or a spectator.
The city of Rosemont again welcomed us with open arms, and we filled several thousand hotel rooms at our five Official Host Hotels. I hear that nearly every restaurant in town became headquarters for MCACN people, and everyone was having a great time. Does it get any better?
Of course the list of highlights is way too long to show here, and I am sure it is different for everyone that joined us. Suffice it to say, friends from the past reunited and numerous new friendships were forged, and that is what it's all about.
I will mention a few personal highlights. One notable takeaway is that we had considerably more female participants than ever. It seems that the wives and girlfriends aren't just along for the ride, and that is a great thing. We also see a considerable increase with the participation of young folks. Our Kids Zone was busier than ever, and everywhere I looked I saw kids with MCACN backpacks carrying scavenger hunt cards. Yes; we need to not only plant the seed, but encourage participation for the next generations! Of course, being able to host the Rapid Transit System Caravan cars from the Steven Juliano Collection was an incredible honor for not only the show, but me personally, as Steven and I go back a loooong way. Certainly bittersweet and not easy, but an incredible honor that brings back memories I will always treasure.
So what's next? Well, another decade of American Muscle for all of us to enjoy. There is no doubt in my mind that the Muscle Car and Corvette hobby is again running at fever pitch. When we launched in 2009, the new Camaro, Challengers and retro styled Mustangs were stirring up interest and even then, who would have thought you could walk into your local dealership and buy a 700+ horsepower car right off the showroom floor? And YES; this has definitely brought back many to our hobby, and it is also introducing a new group of people that are remembering the first time they saw, heard or perhaps rode in something that was raw, overpowered and just plain fun. We all have stories!
Now that 2018 and our Tenth Anniversary is a memory, rest assured that we have just started on the next chapter. We have some really exciting Special and Invitational displays lined up for 2019 and we have more than half of our Official Unveilings locked in. It just keeps getting better and with your continued support and participation, there is no end in sight.
I also must extend sincere appreciation to our Fine Family of Official Sponsors. I say "Family" because not only do they help us financially, but we have also forged some awesome friendships. They really are the best in the industry, so please show your support by thanking them and using their products and services. You'll see that our sponsors aren't just people that write us a check and get their logos on our website, they participate and support the hobby, not only with us but throughout the year. Again; they "get it" and we could never do what we do without their continued support.
I could go on and on and as many of you know, I often do! With that being said, allow me to just say THANKS to all of our families, staff, car owners, vendors, sponsors, the city of Rosemont and so many others.
We will return to the beautiful Donald E. Stephens Convention Center Saturday, November 23, and Sunday, November 24, 2019. We are always the weekend before Thanksgiving, so put a big red circle on your new 2019 calendars now! Our Invitational and Special displays will be added to our website and new features added on a regular basis. We are also approaching 50,000 friends on our facebook page, which I add to nearly every day, all year long.
As always, if you have idea's or suggestions, please let me know at bashton426@gmail.com. This show is for YOU and we hope you will share what we do with your friends and family.
With Sincere Appreciation.
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