Greetings FOT:
For the last few weeks, MN TRs have been working on an alternate plan
for the site of the VTR National Convention after it was determined that
the construction of the new Holiday Inn was to be delayed.
Executive Summary:
* Convention moving about 100 miles north to Hudson, Wisconsin.
* Dates will need to move by one day earlier, with the finale on
Friday.
The distance thing should be of little consequence and it puts things
close to Minneapolis without being right in the middle of a large
population. The dates should be a benefit to the long distance folks to
plan their schedules, especially if they plan to be at BRIC & VTR. The
rest of us will have to manipulate our vacation schedules a bit.
I will check on Hotels and try to make a recommendation on a hotel for
the FOT/ Competition Class folks by February.
It will not be necessary for the Minnesota Triumphs to fall on their
Triumph Handcranks......VTR, here we come!
> Date: 24 Nov 1997 13:52:59 -0600
> From: "Lindberg, Andrew (MN12)" <Andrew.Lindberg@CORP.honeywell.com>
> Subject: VTR Convention Update
>
> Dear Triumph Newsletter Editors:
>
> Minnesota Triumphs (the club hosting the 1998 - 75th anniversary - VTR
>
> National Convention) has had to change the location of the convention
> from
> Winona, Minnesota to Hudson, Wisconsin. If you would like to include
> something on this in your newsletter on this, the following is a
> slightly
> edited version of what appeared in our December newsletter. Feel free
> to
> use what you want or put it into your own words. If you have any
> questions,
> please contact me. And if you'd like to pass it on to any other
> Triumph
> editors/folks, feel free to do so. I should also have new
> registration
> forms available soon and one has been sent to Ken Streeter to upload
> at the
> VTR web site.
>
> Andy Lindberg
>
> VTR Convention Moves to Hudson
> by Andy Lindberg (editor, Minnesota Triumphs newsletter)
> Plan A for the Vintage Triumph Register National Convention was to
> hold it
> in Winona, Minnesota at a to-be-built Holiday Inn. In October, the
> developer (the Rivers Hotel Group) told us that they could not
> complete this
> facility in time for the convention.
> The Minnesota Triumphs Club was concerned with this development but
> not
> alarmed. After all, they had a contingency plan (Plan B). Plan B
> involved
> using the Rivers Group's Riverport Inn as the host facility with
> overflow
> rooms available at other Winona facilities.
> Unfortunately, during November things went from bad to worse in
> Winona:
> (1) The Rivers Hotel Group told us that they could not make available
> the
> back-up facilities they had promised us at the Riverport Inn. This
> was
> apparently due to management incompetence.
> (2) The Rivers Group then told us that they would not keep their
> commitment
> to honor the Holiday Inn's $60/room price at the Riverport. This was
> apperently due to unvarnished greed.
> (3) The Rivers Group and the City of Winona couldn't find adequate
> parking
> places for cars, vendors, swap meets, trailers, etc.
> The City of Winona and the Winona Convention Bureau both championed
> our
> cause with Mike Rivers, the owner of the Rivers Group, but to no
> avail.
> It's unfortunate that a nice city like Winona is afflicted with him.
> Since Winona could no longer host the convention, a change had to be
> made.
> And it had to be made rapidly because the convention is getting
> closer.
> Enter Plan C, which involves two major changes from Plan A and Plan B:
> 1. The convention has been moved 100 miles upriver to Hudson,
> Wisconsin.
> The primary hotel will be the Hudson House. Two additional hotels
> (the
> Super 8 and the Comfort Inn) will also be primary convention hotels.
> Overflow lodging is available at the Fairfield Inn and Holiday Inn
> Express
> & Suites.
> 2. The dates for the convention have been be changed slightly from
> 7/22-25
> to 7/21-24. In other words, the convention will run Tuesday through
> Friday
> rather than Wednesday through Saturday. The date change was
> necessitated by
> prior commitments at several of the Hudson hotels.
> The following are the advantages of the Hudson location:
> * Adequate lodging facilities are available.
> * The Hudson dog track has a large, empty parking lot for the
> autocross.
> * Banquet and vendor facilities are available.
> * Prices are similar to the original prices quoted for Winona.
> * The hotels are just off I-94 for good access, but are also close to
> good,
> and uncrowded, driving roads.
> * Non-Triumph family members will be much closer to the Mall of
> America
> Hotel data:
> The main hotel will be the Hudson House. Registration, the banquet,
> and
> several other functions will be held at the Hudson House. Rooms are
> available at $69/night. (715-386-2394)
> There are two co-host hotels: First is the Super 8, where the Tuesday
> reception will be held. Rooms are available at $56-65/night.
> (715-386-8800) The other co-host is the Comfort Inn with rooms
> ranging
> from $51-60/night. (715-386-6355) Both the Super 8 and the Comfort
> Inn are
> within a block of the Hudson House.
> There are two additional recommended hotels located several blocks
> away.
> First is the Fairfield Inn with rooms at $63/night. (715-386-6688)
> Second
> is the Holiday Inn Express and Suites. The Holiday has rooms at
> $68/night
> and suites at $85/night. (715-386-6200)
> Summary: It's unfortunate that the location change had to be made,
> but
> there was no workable alternative. Hudson promises to be a great
> location
> and this will still be the best 75th Anniversary Convention ever.
> (Note: If plan C doesn't work, the entire leadership of Minnesota
> Triumphs
> has signed a pledge to commit ritual octogonation, and trade in their
> TR's
> on MG Midgets.)
>
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