How to Handle Event Challenges at Cars and Coffee

A lot goes into planning events like Cars an Coffee – but what all exactly? Well, some of that will depend on what your objectives are, and where you live, where you plan to host. I knew going in that hosting in Woodburn would be difficult, something which I have mentioned in earlier posts. There are other considerations, too: How are you supplying the coffee end of cars and coffee? How are you going to get word out there? How do you obtain permission, and what’s your backup plan?

I’d done really well with most of my planning, I thought, but on my way I out, running ten minutes behind schedule, I got a message from Drift Diecast- people were showing up, but the gates to the overflow lot where I had indicated we were holding it were closed. I get there, and sure enough, there’s a line of cars waiting to get in, and the gates are locked. Time to go talk to security, and be ready to use that backup plan I had. This is when I learned asking forgiveness after the fact rather than asking permission beforehand wasn’t going to work with this property – the gates aren’t opened until 9 am, and according to some sources. Today was a for sure no go. Time for the backup plan, which was the little strip mall right a crossed the way, and which tended to be a little more welcoming towards these types of events, which security for the originally planned location confirmed. They also confirmed that the property owner would be in their office on Monday, and gave me some advice on how to win them over- so hopes not lost on that spot in the future, but it’s going to take extra steps.

I thanked the security for their help, and then drove up and met up with the people who were waiting, and filled them in on the plan. They drove over, respecting road laws and being courteous enough to let other drivers who weren’t attendees go first, and I got to set up, which is where I discovered in all my planning I’d missed one detail: I had a location, a plan of action, knew who to talk to, had a back up plan, pushed the event info out there, and had figured out how exactly I was going to provide coffee – forgetting spoons and cups. The coffee part of cars and coffee was a bust, and with Panera Bread right there, most attendees had already seen to their coffee needs.

So, what now? Well, I did speak with the property manager at the originally planned location. The fact that he didn’t have to search me out helped- I reached out to him, and because he’d had a heads up, he’d had a chance to look us up, and see if this is an event he wanted anywhere near his property. There’s some details we have to handle, but there’s a possibility, depending on what the rest of his team says. In the meantime, I’ll be hosting it at one of my backup spots – of which I have already obtained permission for. The spot has plenty of parking, but is not my long term plan as it complicates some of the measures I wanted to take to ensure safety of both attendees and their vehicles. Also, I can confirm there are cups, spoons and stir sticks available for next Sunday’s Lowrider’s Rising, so coffee is on!