Planning for an event . . .

Most people don't realize what goes into planning for a Diesel Motorsports event. I get calls all of the time with someone wanting to do an event in their area and they ask what does it take to put on an event?

To properly do one takes a lot of preparation and you never can think of all the things that need to be covered. First in planning is . . .

Contracts for the facilities, without contracts the tracks can sell to the highest bidder since they constantly look for rentals of their facilities. Make sure all of their services are outlined in the contract.

Insurance for the activities, make sure you have all of the event's activities outlined and described in the coverage, if not, and a accident happens they will not cover the event. They can deny coverage if you did not disclose all activities for proper liability coverage. If you think this is not important, think again, having a pack of attorneys coming after you and your sponsors for money is not a pleasant thought.

That's why a sanctioning body like NADM is fully backed by SFI safety rules and the proper insurance to make sure our events are properly covered for liability not only for ourselves but also our sponsors. Sponsors dislike the two "L" words - liability and lawyers! So the next time you ask can we break the rules just once or can we run a free-for-all race or pull you'll know why we answer "no"!

Equipment for track prep and for during the event has to be arranged and rented before the event. Having proper equipment is important for a quality run track or strip. Most drag strips come with the proper equipment but be prepared to pay, a oil cleanup at a strip can costs as much as $800 per oil down.

Personnel for an event is very important, NADM normally brings 18-24 people for a combined event. Yes, we pay them all for the days work, having friends help out is not a good situation to put yourself in for an event. Half way through the day you'll most likely find your volunteers in the stands or in someone's truck.

Advertising and marketing for the event is important or do you think the people will just show up for the event because you are having it. Think about it, would you open a store or a web site and not tell anyone you are open for business. Most media buys are very expensive, making sure the right buys take experience and knowing which will draw the crowds. You can waste a lot of funding quick if you are not careful.

Want to hold an event? Give me a call and I'll walk you through the steps along with costs, then good luck with mother nature is all you will need for the event.