So what did you think of the BRP owners event?

[Lamonster]

I'm heading out in a couple of hours but I thought I would ask you guys what your thoughts were of the events. What did you like and what do you think could have been done a little better?

For me it was all about the fellowship. I had a great time seeing my old friends and making new friends.

I think the event went off better than expected for being in Chicago but I'm glad I stayed out of town after talking to some of the folks that stayed down town. It's my understanding that host hotel even charged for parking, something like 30 bucks per night. The traffic was what I expected for downtown.

I got to say that the Candlewood was great and everyone seemed to be happy with the accommodations. I would stay here again in a heartbeat.

The weather turned out to be great. We had rain overnight but it cleared for us before the event. It was hot but at least it wasn't wet too.

There was a group of us that stopped by the dealer "Nielsen" on the way to the event and it was great. They had lots of food and drinks for us and treated us like Rockstars. I had them change a tire for me and they came and picked up my RT at the event and then delivered it back to me at the event and even gave it a bath. They seemed like a really good dealer.

I think the registration could have went better. I stood in line for a hour and a half to sign up for a ride on the Commander only to be told that all the rides were booked. They did say I could have a ride at 3:30 but by time that rolled around I was pretty much done and ready to head out. At first there was no water there and I was dieing of thirst. That's one thing they really dropped the ball on. I would have been glad to pay for it.

There were some great Spyders there but most of them had to park in the dirt/mud. That wasn't cool and with all the grass there they could have parked us in the lawn. I have no idea why they shuttled us in bus's to and from the tents where the rides were. That made the whole event seem disconnected. The film crew was having a hard time with the sound because of the diesel bus's were sitting there idling while they were trying to do interviews. They kept moving around to try and get some good film.

The tent was really hot where the awards were held and I guess they had coolers there but never turned them on. The fans helped but it was not a good place to hangout. I liked the food much better at the last two events. It's great that they provided the meals but there wasn't any there I could eat. I had two flower tortillas and a Sprite. The burgers and dogs in Hollywood was much better for me.

I've been to the last two owners events and this was by far the least impressive for me. If it wasn't for the people it would have been a 3 out of 10 for me. I hate to say it but the Cowtown event was much better organized and had more to do than this event. It had places to ride and even though we were all over the place it was much more connected. I know they tried hard but having it in Chicago was a mistake from the get go. There's a reason that nobody has a motorcycle rally in Chicago.

I hope you guys had a good time and like I said it's all about the people that makes these things work and Spyder lovers are some of the best folks to hang with.

[Firefly]

I agree 100% with Lamont's assessment of this event. Staying at the Candlewood worked out GREAT-- and the impromptu meet and greets in the parking lot were THE BOMB! That is what it's about!

The registration was a royal pain..... I ended up riding everything (including the Commander) at different times that I signed up for ---- so the registration wasn't necessary. The guys running the various rides were very nice and as soon as you were looking at something they would offer to take you for a ride. I was told at the registration that the Commander was 'booked' for the day---but when I got down there they were letting anyone ride it--anytime.... The 1.5 hour wait in line for registration was ridiculous.

The Commander has plenty of power--- can't wait to take one out on a real course (cuba!). Left it in 2 wheel drive most the time to allow more fishtailing around the corners---should probably apologize to the guy behind me for tossing so much mud on him...... Could seriously think about buying one of these.

While I enjoyed the Commander, riding the new Seadoo's with suspension and brakes was really fun---nothing like going 70 on the water and then slamming on the brakes! The braking setup (instant reverse) was amazing.

I was surprised to have Mexican for the food--- but it was very good food--- really enjoyed it.

The bus situation was a bit lame--- but the 'limo' bus was cool.

Weather turned out great.... was fantastic to meet and re-meet everyone... that was the best time of the whole event.

Chicagoland traffic was typical... would have been a complete nightmare downtown!

Lake Geneva ryde was fun-- small group of us on Friday---good times .

Overall it worked out pretty well---- but the best times were in the parking lot of the Candlewood.

Cuba was in a totally different league------

Oh-- and Doc's turbo--- well---- think Huligan on Steroids....

[retired1]

My feelings are that the "organized" event lacked organization. If not for the impromptu gatherings at the Candlewood and the lake ride, I would consider the event " a bust". Just my opinion!

[SpyderSteve]

Parking lot at the candlewood was greatnice to meet a great bunch of lovers

[3tracs]

Parking lot at the candlewood was greatnice to meet a great bunch of lovers

I agree! I enjoyed checking out the other offerings from BRP, but meeting fellow Lovers was the main reason for my trip. I had a great time and thanks to everybody!

Harry

[superfly3]

I enjoyed myself got to talk with old and new friends and best of all I got to meet the legend himself Lamont.It was nice meeting everyone!

[Sny]

We came to Chicago to park in the dirt, stand in line in the sun for hours to fill out 10 pages of forms, then we rode a bus to drive a boat and play in more dirt. Then back on a bus to listen to something that sounded like a shareholder meeting and eat Mexican (since when is Chicago known for it's Mexican food?)

Seems like the real meet didn't start 'til we went back to the hotel

I have to agree with everything said here... The Candlewood parking lot was a better "event" in a lot of ways. At least we didn't run out of drinks.

All the complaints aside I still think it was fun. We met some great people, swapped some really interesting stories and saw some fantastic Spyders and Spyder-toys.

Sleepy and I will definitely try to make every major gathering we can get time-off for in the future.

I hope BRP learned a lot from this event. It's clear they don't really understand their ryders yet. It's up to us to help them get it right next time.

Lamont, do you know what would be the best way to let them know?

[Firefly]

I was a bit surprised they didn't make mention of this website during their speeches.

Spyderlovers made up for close to 1/2 of the total bikes there!

If you really liked the Candlewood atmosphere ---- you will LOVE Cuba next summer--- or Gatlinburg if Lamont has another BBQ....

[Mr Safety]

This was my first Can AM Event and I was quite pleased. I know people were not happy about the cost of the hotel and the parking but the rack rate for that hotel is usually twice what we paid so I was ok with it. $30 for parking...unfortunately that's what happens when you get to a City like Chicago or New York.

Other than that, Can AM took us on a ride through the Gold Coast of Chicagoland, Let us play with all of their toys, fed us, and drove us around in air conditioned buses to the different locations. I had a great time meeting everyone at the event and appreciated the time that the Can AM Tech team took to look at an issue I was having with my spyder. I left with a few new friends, a few new ideas for mods on my SE5, and a bike that performed better than when I got there. I look forward to many more events in the future.

[dltang]

Having been to all three owners events, Gatlinburg that past two years and the impromptu Cuba/Cowtown show, I have to say, this was not BRP's best work. The staff they had were all very nice, but they were definitely understaffed. Most were pre registered so they had to have an idea of how many people would be trying to register all at once. Also, with that many people, and everyone wanting to try out the new "toys" you are going to need more toys. I talked to a lot of people that didn't get to test the things they wanted to. I was very lucky, I was there early and got in the first or second group of everything I wanted to do. I LOVED the Seadoo best of all. As others have mentioned, the tent was hot and it was hard to understand the microphones. Also, Mexican food with no sour cream or cheese to add to my fajitas, come on!! As Dan said, Chicago in not known for it's Mexican food, so I wonder where that came from. Maybe Pizza and Chicago style hotdogs would have been the way to go. As I stated, as for the BRP part, the BRP people were the best. Phillipe and Bernard, were great to talk with and have a few laughs too. Phillipe even sat with us for a short stint. Great people and that helps make up for the lacking at times. I am sorry I didn't get to meet Carlo though.

The Candlewood gathering were quite nice, spending good times with other SpyderLovers and meeting new friends. That is really what these are all about.

[Lamonster]

We came to Chicago to park in the dirt, stand in line in the sun for hours to fill out 10 pages of forms, then we rode a bus to drive a boat and play in more dirt. Then back on a bus to listen to something that sounded like a shareholder meeting and eat Mexican (since when is Chicago known for it's Mexican food?)

Seems like the real meet didn't start 'til we went back to the hotel

I have to agree with everything said here... The Candlewood parking lot was a better "event" in a lot of ways. At least we didn't run out of drinks.

All the complaints aside I still think it was fun. We met some great people, swapped some really interesting stories and saw some fantastic Spyders and Spyder-toys.

Sleepy and I will definitely try to make every major gathering we can get time-off for in the future.

I hope BRP learned a lot from this event. It's clear they don't really understand their ryders yet. It's up to us to help them get it right next time.

Lamont, do you know what would be the best way to let them know?

The best way is to post on this thread and I'll make sure they see it. That way they can know what they did right and what they did wrong.

I must apologize for not being my normal happy socializing self. My hand was really hurting and I wasn't getting much sleep and the heat just drained it all out of me. I couldn't sleep again last night and I checked the radar and it didn't look good. I hate driving at night but I hate driving in the rain with a bad hand even worst so I took off at 3am for home. I'm here now and it's good to be home. Thanks again for the great turnout and I'll try and be more friendly next time we meet.

[Tilty]

I agree everything seemed very disorganized. I would've liked to see some aftermarket accesories/vendors there. Maybe some music?

And yes some water about 2 hours ealier would have been nice.

This was my first Owners Event i'm glad everyone said this was the worst I thought it was going to be my last. Now theres hope for another.

[Firefly]

You seemed happy to me Lamont--- of course your smile might have been vicodin induced......

[NancysToy]

Nancy and I have nothing to compare to, so we were satisfied. This seems typical of other such events we have attended. If they have done better previously, they are ahead of the game. We had no interest in the demo rides, so that may have made us easier to satisfy. The food scared me, too, but the little I ate was more bland than I expected, and went down well. I never bite food that bites me back, so that was a welcome surprise. It was our biggest pleasure to meet Carlo, and get to chat a bit with him, Kurt Otteson, and Dick Klein. I would do it all again, but I would be happier if BRP tried something away from the big cities. They are not fun places to ride.

We want to thank Lamont for going to the trouble of setting up an alternate location for SpyderLovers. We didn't stay at the Candlewood (Booking late and staying at the Hampton, just up the street. Highly recommended, BTW!), but hung around there and socialized with the gang. Everyone made us feel so welcome...like we had known you all of our lives. Deb, even though you were drafted into organizing it, the Friday pizza get-together was the bomb! It was great to finally meet so many of you. I was honored to finally get to chat face to face with Docdoru, and loved meeting Bumblebee, MagicMan, Xpeschon, and so many others of you. And let's not forget Spydergene! Gene, this has been a dull evening without you, buddy. Thanks for fixing my timing problem! I know I have failed to mention a lot of you, but it really was a privilege meeting you, and I sincerely appreciate your kind words. The Libertyville sub-event was more like family than anything else. i think that says it all.

And you, Lamont, it was a long overdue honor to finally meet you face to face and chat with you. I think you did great, despite the finger. I seldom saw you without a smile, and you were always friendly, helpful, and cordial. A lot of us wouldn't even be riding Spyders if it were not for you and for SpyderLovers. Having you seek our input is just the icing on the cake. It shows how much you care. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

[Trickie Dick]

I must agree with those that didn't like waiting in line for an hour and a half to register. Fortunately, the water wagon did come by and quench our thirst. They do need to do something about the line wait though.
However, I enjoyed seeing and demoing BRP's other products. The staff conducting those demos was most gracious. They did manage to overcome the fiasco of signing up(if you got in line early enough) to demo the products we were interested in. I think the Buses were a necessity to get us to the areas where we could actually use the products as opposed to just seeing them. I'm sure it would have been far easier (and cheaper) for BRP to have just set up displays.
Like the rest of you, the highlight of the whole thing was seeing those I had met in Gatlinburg and meeting new friends.
Hopefully, next year, is will be in an area that is more condusive to a large no. of us without the traffic issues.

[WaltH]

Spyderlovers are wonderful. They are the kind of people you would want for your friends. This is why the event was a success.

BRP missed a huge opportunity to communicate with their customers. As far as I can tell, they made no attempt to say anything whatsoever. They could have talked about progress on the steering issue, or the odometer reset problem, or maybe the quality control issues on the RT. They could have talked about what they want to do in the future. They could have conducted a Q&A session. We all know what the major issues are. It does no good to pretend they don't exist.

BRP suffers from a form of institutional arrogance that is common in the corporate world. Successful executives sometimes come to believe in their own infallibility. They think their success is due to their own genius instead of the actual real world factors. Then they can lose touch with their customers, suppliers, shareholders and others. Hubris sets in. They become insular. They don't want to talk to thier customers.

[Questions]

BRP folks were great. Wish we has stayed at the Candlewood. With nothing organized at the hotel, there was no opportunity to meet & greet, except in the registration line, which was ridiculous. Waivers for demos should have been provided at the beginning so they could be filled out while waiting. Scheduling of times for demos ended up being pointless. The grounds of the mansion were beautiful, but it was very hot, with hardly any shade. The lunch tent was very hot and not enjoyable. I agree with the comments about the Mexican food...seriously in Chicago.? We could have had that at home in Dallas. The complimentary Chicago deep dish pizza was a nice gesture, but not as you are getting on the bus heading to the Taste of Chicago (which was a major disappointment). Did all the demos and loved them, but not 2000 miles round trip worth! Hate that we will miss the Smokies this year!

[Questions]

P.S. I also wondered why Lamont was not mentioned in the eleven (11) Spyder VIP's for the year by Can-Am.

[jvicker]

I was fortunate to be able to ride down with Lamont and Carlo,Rich & Kurt from BRP and Brian & Dennis (local riders). My weekend could have ended there and I would have been happy. This was my first event and my intension was to meet new people, match faces with avatars and check out eveybody's mods and wish list them for my spyder. As far as that goes, Mission accomplished.

The Candlewood was closer and cheaper. (Could have used a pool). But the parking lot stuff was great. Nielsens, Lamont, Doc, Roger, Forrest, Pops. They were all great to talk to. Wish I would have taken Doc's Spyder for a ride.

Riding to the event from the hotel with 25-30 Spyders was awesome.
Everything I test drove was great. The registration was unnecessary as I was able to walk right up to a ride and get right on (if there was room). The RT ride was a lot longer than I expected which was great. It gave you time to play with all the controls.

PIZZA,PZZA,PIZZA! We were in Chicago right? Food was alright but not what I expected.

Not BRP's fault it was hot and I believe they did their best to try and make everyone comfortable.

Parking. They should have let us park in the grass by the events and not in the mud by the mansion. They could have used 1-2 buses to take eveyone from the event to the mansion for lunch and then back. All the noise and tight quarters around the mansion was a pain.

Being my first Spyder event of any kind it was good but if Cowtown is 10X better, I can't wait.

[Desert Spyder]

How many showed up? More than Hollyweird?

Some of us on the left coast did a run in the wine country of California. Great <hiccup> ryding!

[pitbull]

P.S. I also wondered why Lamont was not mentioned in the eleven (11) Spyder VIP's for the year by Can-Am.

!
because BRP missed the boat and Screwed up on such a level I can't even say But Great catch! They are a company with a great pride and awesome products!!!!!! But pride some times gets the best of them, alittle humility goes a long way. I love there products and the horsepower they give us, but hated the way they do things sometimes!!! The product is always first class....not without fault but still first class!.....just always late errrrr! 800 renagade, ds450 ,Commander! I had a blast at the event.......but without Spyderlovers.com there would have been no event nor reason for me to go, I went to hang with the gang, Deb, Joe, Firefly, Lamont,Retired One, Some Guy, Setho, SpydeGene, And so many others who make up this great site, Some times you need to step back and look at the inside people. Work with the people who are on the inside not the educated people who think they know! Go with the guy that is already doing! Its said a man with experience, is never at the mercey of a man with a arguement. if it had not have been for Lamont...............well need it be said again? SPYDERLOVERS rocks, even when BRP fails. Have only been a member for a few months but its easy to see the diffrence, between this form and the others........Just as any member thats active, This is the place I call Home, Thanks Lamont for saving there........ well it need not be said!!!! But BRP Missed it this time........for thos that know this was another 3d or ralley........big mistake! kiss....Keep it simple stupid, Dont keep people standing in lines for hours filling out time slot cards.

[ntxYguy2009]

Howdy Spyderlovers,

For me it was all about meeting Spyder owners.

During registration, I took a cue from Evan and went up and grabbed some registration forms and pens and begin passing them out so that we could have them filled out before we got to the table. A cheerful BRP representative noticed this and begin helping out. Some people have mentioned a "lack of organization" - that may be true; I was pleased to see everyone working together to quickly solve the issues.

I had no problems with getting to play with the toys.


BRP,

Thank you for the event. I certainly hope that you will continue the tradition. The staff was very friendly.

I hope everyone makes it back to their destination safe and sound. Hope to see y'all again soon.

David

[Some Guy]

Having an owners' event was a good idea, but BRP should have contracted with a marketing company who knows how to manage something as big as this. Like Lamont said, Chicago is not a place for motorcycle events. I believe the BRP executives chose that event for their own self-importance rather than the interests of Spyder owners. They are too full of themselves and probably actually believe they know best (and we all know...they don't!!!).

Staying at the Candlewood was FAR superior to the arrangements the BRP made for Spyder owners at the Sheraton. I actually feel sorry for the people who followed BRP's lead by staying there. Everyone I talked to said there was NOTHING going on there; it was just a bunch of BRP VIPs who were more interested in their own importance than the welfare of the Spyder owners who actually keep those clue-less executives in their jobs!

The "real" Spyder event was at the Candlewood Suites. I had a GREAT time there. I got to see many old friends and met many new ones as well. BRP could learn a lot from the folks in Cuba, MO on how to conduct an owners' event! (of course, they won't listen, because THEY know what's best for us!!! ) I love my Spyder, but I hate the marketing people at BRP...they just assume they know what's best for us...without actually bothering to find out!!!

The "real" Spyder event..."Cuba 2011"!!!

[superfly3]

Having an owners' event was a good idea, but BRP should have contracted with a marketing company who knows how to manage something as big as this. Like Lamont said, Chicago is not a place for motorcycle events. I believe the BRP executives chose that event for their own self-importance rather than the interests of Spyder owners. They are too full of themselves and probably actually believe they know best (and we all know...they don't!!!).

Staying at the Candlewood was FAR superior to the arrangements the BRP made for Spyder owners at the Sheraton. I actually feel sorry for the people who followed BRP's lead by staying there. Everyone I talked to said there was NOTHING going on there; it was just a bunch of BRP VIPs who were more interested in their own importance than the welfare of the Spyder owners who actually keep those clue-less executives in their jobs!

The "real" Spyder event was at the Candlewood Suites. I had a GREAT time there. I got to see many old friends and met many new ones as well. BRP could learn a lot from the folks in Cuba, MO on how to conduct an owners' event! (of course, they won't listen, because THEY know what's best for us!!! ) I love my Spyder, but I hate the marketing people at BRP...they just assume they know what's best for us...without actually bothering to find out!!!

The "real" Spyder event..."Cuba 2011"!!!

100%

[Longlegs]

I am very thankful for BRP putting on this event. I thought the BRP employees were very friendly and accomodating, which probably wasn't easy considering it was like 100 degrees. Wife and I had a blast riding all the stuff.
I would have to agree though with most of the points that have already been said; speed up legal waiver process, have a cool place to eat & gather, the playground was where we should have started and just shuttled back to lunch. Heck I woulda been happy with some Chicago dog wagons out at the playground.

We got left at the playground when the last bus was overfull. It was about 1230 when we finally got bussed back, then the line for a burrito in the tent was so hot and slow we just went somewhere else to eat and cool down.

We stayed at the Candlewood and didn't go down town, but for an organized ride in a big city like that, a professional escort service would have been a good way to keep everyone together and on the right path.

For us the best part was the Spyder Lovers group, Lamont you have accumulated a great bunch of people here. Many, many thanks for all you do for us. The candlewood was a great idea and we would not have been there if it wasn't for that.