BusFest (nee VanFest) - Great Malvern - 7-9 Sept 2012

Discussion in 'Shows Events You've Missed unless you went' started by fat sam, Oct 29, 2011.

  1. dean_butler

    dean_butler TLB Design Guru

    Nope but I would also be interested to know :)

    Love Vanfest. Been last 2 years running.
     
  2. Anyone? :-
     
  3. MorkC68

    MorkC68 Administrator

    7th to 9th september is what ye olde google tells me :)
     
  4. Thanks mate :)
     
  5. Can't wait for this one again, best show of the year for me
     
  6. Baysearcher

    Baysearcher [secret moderator]

    The best VW show is not a VW show!

    *winkyfacesmileyincaseanyonethinksImhavingapop.com*
     
  7.  
  8. Baysearcher

    Baysearcher [secret moderator]

    TE is definitely my favourite for falling drunk down a ditch

    :)
     
  9. VANFEST ANNOUNCEMENT

    LATEST NEWS

    STATEMENT ON VANFEST 2012 EVENT.

    It is with great sadness that I have to announce that we will not be able to produce another VANFEST event at the MALVERN Showground for 2012.

    This is due to actions being taken by some of the committee Volkswagen Type 2 Owners Club, (who are current holders of the Vanfest Trademark).

    They have withdrawn permission for the Vanfest name to be used by us (the Vanfest Company & Crew who have produced ALL of the previous 18 VANFEST events)

    This has not come to us as any great surprise, as we have been living under the threat of this for (at least) the past 3 years.

    The current leadership of the VWT2OC seems to still be living in the past & only to be concerned with ownership and what they can get OUT of the Vanfest event. They have no empathy as to the current needs of the organizing team and people (who have already put so much into the event over nearly 2 decades). They are continuing to ignore the effect the recession and emerging competition is having on the event and what MUST be changed NOW and put INTO the event in order for it to survive the difficult times ahead.

    We (at Vanfest Ltd) & the Vanfest Crew are a lot more forward thinking. We have not just spent the past few months looking back at old paperwork. We have firm plans in place (based on our experience of producing the event and what is happening now) of exactly what is required to take the event forward into the future.

    With that in mind we presented a set of proposals to the VWT2OC at the last AGM.
    An essential part of these proposals was/is to have full independence and control of our own name and brand so we could develop the company and its people to have its own working capital instead of having to rely on the success (or failure ) of the event. This would have the ability and confidence to develop the company and its people to survive these difficult times and take both the company and the event forward into the future.
    This would have been of great benefit to everyone including the VWT2OC.
    It would have given us stability and not left us subject to the politics and infighting that has been prevalent in the club for the past decade or so. (and would have also prevented precisely what has just happened)

    The response of the VWT2OC was to exclude Vanfest representatives from the Club committee and reject & shelve our proposals until at least “the spring of 2012”. This is no use to us as we have/had to start the booking process off in the New Year and must commit to the next event during February to be able to stay in business.

    We cannot continue to be held to ransom over the use of a name or under constant threat of it being withheld from us or sold off. As there is no indication if this is a permanent resolution or any indication as to how long the stalling of the existing proposals is likely to take we have no option other than to continue with our plans to produce & present an alternative Transporter Festival at the venue to replace the Vanfest event. (We set the original deadline for an agreement to be in place at the end of last (2011) year.

    We must also consider the expectations (and need) of the many thousands of other people and traders (and local population) who come to what has become a truly International Transporter Festival. (we had representatives from at least 18 countries at last year’s event).It is their festival as well..

    WHAT’S IN A NAME?

    For some of us who have spent most of our lives producing the VANFEST event it is a great deal more than just a name, there is a whole heritage of history and a lot of memories as well. (Some very happy and some very sad)
    We have, over the past 18 years had just about every kind of weather & disaster scenarios imaginable thrown at us & have managed to survive them all.
    We have been at the forefront of the new ideas, innovations (and the legislation) required to develop the event into the biggest Transporter festival in the world. Many of initiatives and ideas we have come up with & introduced (and taken a lot of flak over) are now also the norm in other events.

    What makes it all the more ironic (and sad) is that what has finally killed the event off, is people, (who have never actually had anything at all to do with the event), deciding that we cannot use the name any more.

    We were hoping that common sense would have prevailed, and we would have/will still end up producing another successful Vanfest event.
    We, (and I am sure all true Vanfest Fans) are determined that we will continue to have a VANFESTIVAL at Malvern so we have taken steps to ensure that we do have an alternatively named event to take its place and enable us to go forward for our plans into the future. You can be sure that this event name will be fully owned and controlled by us so that we are not compromised again in the future.

    We WILL continue to produce a TRANSPORTER VANFESTIVAL EVENT at MALVERN this YEAR over the weekend of 7- 9 September.

    This new event will be called; BUSFEST

    There is already a new Website in production which would have been the next upgrade for the existing site. This is due to be launched during February.

    The new event will be a similar format and hopefully a similar size to our previous festivals.

    For those of you who went to Vanfest last year the layout will be similar as we are already committed to a lot of the plans we already have in place. BUT there will (as usual) be some changes and improvements.

    We are hoping that it will be looked upon as “a New Event for a New beginning” – Transporting you (and us) into the future

    • The name may be different but we will be keeping the same logo

    • The New Festival will be built on the heritage & spirit of the previous event & will be a new beginning for a new future.

    • It will be produced and presented by the same crew with help from our supporters & traders

    • There will be many changes & improvements which I am sure will be welcomed by many;

    • We will be “going back to basics” in many areas.

    • This includes FREE evening Entertainment & an enlarged display arena featuring lots more visual static and mobile displays (building on the success of last year’s Syncro Course).

    • We will have full use of all the new buildings this year rather than the building site that we had to deal with last year. This means we will finally be able to remove almost all of the fencing we have had in place at many of the recent events.

    • We will not be forgetting our roots & will be building on the “Retro” theme . You will still be able to look back and see all of what we have achieved & produced in the past as we retain the material and content of our previous events.

    • The booking system for camping will be exactly the same as last year. All camping will be by advance booking. However we are going to have to downsize the amount of camping area’s available to bring the event within our new budget constraints.

    • Most/All other clubs wanting to come to the event have already booked and the website is already setup to cope with their bookings.

    VWT2oc members who still wish to come to the new event should contact their club events/camping manager to arrange for a club camping area. As of yet we have not had any indication as to how the club now wants to run its camping regardless of what the event is called.
    I stress that we at Vanfest Ltd have absolutely no issues or beef with the VWT2OC members. They have been kept in the dark by some of their committee, who seem intent on destroying the Vanfest event.

    Simon Holloway

    ****************************************************************************************************************************************************************

    BUSFEST 2012

    WELCOME TO THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL BUSFEST

    An event for Owners & Enthusiasts of the Volkswagen Transporter

    BUSFEST is the new name for the annual VANFESTIVAL event held at the Three Counties Showground over the weekend of 7-9 SEPTEMBER.

    Why have we changed the name?.

    I am afraid we have had no choice.
    It has been a long protracted saga, but at the end of last year we were informed by the current holders of the “Vanfest” trademark (Volkswagen type 2 Owners Club) that we no longer have their permission to use the Vanfest name for the event we have been producing at the Malvern Showground for the past 18 years.

    In order for us to fulfill our existing contractual obligations with the showground (and stay in business) we have had to start up a new event with a new name. That new name is BUSFEST.
    We think the new name is the best we can come up with and is a natural successor to our previous one. It fits in well with the existing logo & is easily recognized all over the world as being connected to VW Transporters.

    BUSFEST will retain a similar format, & size to the previous festival. For those of you who went to Vanfest last year the layout will be similar as we are already committed to a lot of the plans we already have in place. BUT we will use this as an opportunity to refresh the event and make a few changes & improvements

    • The name may be different but we will be keeping the same logo

    • The New Festival will be built on the heritage & spirit of the previous events at the showground & will be a new beginning for a new future.

    • It will be produced and presented by the same crew with help from our supporters & traders

    • There will be many changes & improvements which I am sure will be welcomed by many;

    • We will be “going back to basics” in many areas.

    • This includes FREE evening Entertainment & an enlarged display arena featuring lots more visual static and mobile displays (building on the success of last year’s Syncro Course).

    • We will have full use of all the new buildings this year rather than the building site that we had to deal with last year. This means we will finally be able to remove almost all of the fencing we have had in place at many of the recent events.

    • We will not be forgetting our roots & will be retaining a “Retro” theme . You will still be able to look back and see all of what we have achieved & produced at the showground in the past as we retain the material and content of our previous events.

    • The booking system for camping will be exactly the same as last year. All camping will be by advance booking. However we are going to have to downsize the amount of camping area’s available to bring the event within our new budget constraints.

    • Most/All other clubs wanting to come to the event have already booked and the website is already setup to cope with their bookings.

    • VWT2oc members who still wish to come to the new event should contact their club events/camping manager to arrange for plot in a club camping area.

    • The New BUSFEST WEBSITE should open for bookings first week of FEBRUARY

    You can be sure that despite the name change it will be business as usual & we promise you that we will continue to put even more effort into the event to ensure that BUSFEST at Malvern retains its crown as the biggest & best VW Transporter Festival in the world.

    Looking forward to seeing you with us at Malvern this year.

    Simon Holloway & The BUSFEST CREW
     
  10. Birdy

    Birdy Not Child Friendly

    I wish they would all just grow up. I like the fact that it's almost 2 fingers to VWT2OC as the event has now got a new name and sits nothing they can do about it. I also think Busfest sounds better.
     
  11. MorkC68

    MorkC68 Administrator

    I for one think we will try Busfest out this year
     
  12. I said last year that vanfest had had its day and things needed to change
    I also said camperjam was the show that would grow
     
  13. Birdy

    Birdy Not Child Friendly

     
  14. Three cheers for BUSFEST and all who sail in her.!!!!.....cant wait :)
     
  15. too right & you can see how CJ have cut last years early bird price after saying they wouldn't put the prices up which in theory they haven't just moved the goal posts... must remember to take my flag pole & dog this year.... ;D
     
  16. I have to say that, for all the 'raving' on about how fantastic vanfest was, as a first time visitor to last years event, I wasn't all that impressed, especially for the price.
    Heres hoping there new plans make for a better event. (obviously my opinion)
     
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  18. Woodylubber

    Woodylubber Obsessive compulsive name changer

    I can remember vanfest back in the day it was the not to miss show, I last went in 2005 and said never again as it was becoming just a ripoff commercialized carpark, I hope busfest recovers the vibe and they do go back to their roots as they say they want to, time will tell but they lost many hearts and minds recently, some newbies to the scene went last year and said its the best thing since sliced bread, well you missed the best of it and got the tail end of a rip off
     

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