jacksonrw

It takes all of us almost 100 volunteers to get that personal touch and they get it through our mentor program and though our instructors as well as our socials at the track

no need to get touchy and feely on registration other than quick responses by email and phone.

I am sorry if attendance is getting lower. Ours sells out faster and faster each DE. No guarantees that the economy won't slow that down but by the looks of the hardware showing up to grid, I don't see my work as registrar slowing down one bit.

I am always available for quations if anyone wants to discuss. PM me

I took this board position over several years back and it was a system that was all hardcopy and checks. When I was told that I was the first non-retired person to do this work I cringed inside. What did I get myself into. I contacted Chris at the Hill Country PCA where he was their registrar and over the years we have all collaborated to make this system better and better for us and many other regions have taken notice. I wish it was me that attracted the sell out crowds....lol....but I do give more than half the credit to www.clubregistration.net.

thanks Chris for all you have done for our region and my work as a registrar and instructor.

DarkSideDE

Jackson,

It can be a very rewarding position to be in - for the right person that is a people-person. If you are available, the participants love you - for being there, answering questions, holding hands, getting them through the first time so they feel like they belong and have always been there.

BTW - I work fulltime - from home, and take care of a 92 year old woman. But I've always been one to put my all into what I do. Knowing I'm not going anywhere while she is in my care, allows me to pay more attention then others to detail.

I'm not referring to how I've been doing it. And I have been thinking of switching part of it over. The database I've built up is more than just Porsches. The events I put on, now have about one BMW to ever Porsche - and then we throw in a Ferrari, a couple of Lotuses, Dodge SRTs, Mazdas Rx8s - well, you get the picture - a whole bunch of happy DE folks.

I do get concerned when numbers are down at our home track - and it doesn't have to do with the economy. There are too many clubs relying on just the electronic registration (and may not even be updating their own website to let their own members know when an event is) and their numbers are down. I've received phonecalls asking for help, because whatever club it is has not been available through phone or email - to help a person, who knows me and figures I can help answer the questions.

It's okay to go electronic - if you want to. But again, that first contact - especially for a newbie - should be a pleasant one - and not a hair pulling experience.

And as long as you have you to be available - your DEs will continue to do well. I'm sure of that.

BTW - I have seen one region do a turnaround - and it's wonderful to see.... they are back training their members to be ambassadors at the track...

jacksonrw

the electronic registration IS what our registrants want and need and obviously the registrar. The CDI uses www.clubregistration.net every day for the month prior as do i. Additionally our grid organizors, our head of mentoring and our committee head all need access to the data and system and they readily use it. This was impossible via paper route and Chris continues to customize and automate many of our tasks.

I can address our success. Each and every instructor is the ambassador. Our mentoring program works long and hard before the event, during the event and after our event closes.

We do market the event to our record growing membership and other regions we do not market - know about our program and join us.

I do work with an amazing board - we have an incredibly professional CDI where safety is tantamount. I can go on and on. I love what i do for the club and they are always very grateful.

I wouldn't be able to do it without Chris at www.clubregistration.net. I kknow everyone of our volunteers would say so. I know every one of our drivers would say so.

dmoffitt

Not so sure I'd go so far as to say "would never" but it's certainly discouraging for me to not be able to register, pay, and see who else is signed up - can't do THAT with paper / mail in forms (list of attendees) until the day of the event.

Lou D

As registrar for Hudson Valley Region, I believe clubregistration.net is great. It makes my life so much easier.

Chris deserves an award from PCA for making this software available for free to all PCA regions and for his willingness to conduct a tutorial for those registrars new to the program. Most of the problems I have encountered relate to the registrants and not the software.

TR6

Just wanted to offer my 2 cents... I also would only register for a de electronically. I don't do anything by paper and snail mail any more if I can avoid it. I get plenty of personal touch when I arrive at the track. When I'm just trying to get registered, I don't have time. Too many other things going on, or I'm travelling, etc. I also like the dashboard view of an electronic site where I can see all my events, who else is registered, how many other cars are in my run group, etc. This is the electronic age. Time to catch up. Again, just my 2 cents.

Manny Alban

I was the Zone 2 DE Registrar this year for the VIR event. Online registration made it a breeze. Same goes for online payment. I think we had 95% of the people registered pay onlne with a credit card. As an entrant, using clubregistration.net seems like a breeze for CR and DE's.

With online banking, bill paying, etc. I think the only time I have to search for my checkbook is the odd event that doesn't take online payments. Usually I'm tardy sending it in because the envelope sits at home while I try and remember where I put the stamps

VERBOTN

Very interesting thread and did not think it would have this much energy. I was a former registrar and the only way I would accept the post was to do it electronically. the benefits far exceed any limitation and as I have shared with others in my cadre when was the last time anyone has used a buggy-whip?

Chris Alvarado

With regards to PayPal's fees, most regions just eat the percentage or increase their fees to cover it. Those who have added the 3% as a surchage have really upset the drivers. We did that once with the Hill Country Region and quickly decided to never do it again. But, even today, not every driver wants to swipe a credit card no matter how secure the transation is made. Contact your event registrar and ask them if you can mail in a check. Most if not all will say yes.

Chris Alvarado
Hill Country Region

Bull

I believe that it is incorrect to automatically equate an online, electronic registration/payment process with a loss of personal interaction between the event organizers/staff and the attendees. In my experience, as a participant with a number of PCA regions, as well as other organizations, I can say that whether or not an organization provides a "personal touch" has nothing to do with the registration method. I have had experience with those groups that used paper and snail mail where there was no communication prior to about a week in advance of the event. Participants had no idea if they were "in" or "wait listed", didn't know what their responsibilities were at the event and had no idea of who else was attending until about 7-10 days before the event. The Students had no contact with their assigned Instructor until they drove into Staging on day one. Alternatively, I have experienced organizations where online reg and credit cards were used, information flowed almost immediately, Instructors contacted Students prior to the event to initiate dialog in order to do some planning, attendees could see who else was attending, etc.

It seems to me that the "personal touch" is all about the attitude and approach adopted by the event organizers and staff. Paper and snail mail don't insure a personal approach, but online registration/payment would likely facilitate it.

strangeengine

I got out of Porsches for a while (and am very active in the BMW club locally ) but recently returned to the fold with a Cayenne S. It's not as nefarious as you are implying.

I should also add that I was subscribed to the old Rennlist mailing list (back when it was called Porschelist) for YEARS, but that history does not carry over to my post count on the forums.

- Mark

gottagofast13

MotorsportReg is far better IMO. I've used both as a user and event organizer, and MSR is easier for both. Our attendees really appreciate that they can call or e-mail at any hour and get a response almost immediately.

They provide a great service.

rlm328

I am also in the electronically only registration group. It allows you to follow whats going on with the DE, who is signed up, which groups are filling up, get it paid for, leave missives to the registrar, the list is endless. Our region just went through Hurricane Ike. It came ashore the weekend of our DE. Richard Jackson kept us fully informed of the boards deliberation of whether the DE would be cancelled or post poned and what our options were. I do not know how you would do something like this without some type of electronic media.

As far as for Porsches only, the last I checked ClubRegistration included BMW, Audi, plastic kiddie cars (Corvettes), SCCA, Z cars, as well as Independents lie TWS MSC.

I have nevered used any of the others but as an end user it takes less than a minute for me to log in, pick my event, options and pay. That is not inconvenient in my opinion. I have not had the opportunity of using the other products, but they in all likelihood will have features I will or will not like better.

Off my soap box

pmgoodwin

I decided to go check out the differences between MotorsportReg and Clubregistration to see what all the hype was about.

The registration process is about the same. I'd give the edge to clubregistration because:
A) it's a single page to create the account not 3 like Motorsportreg.
B) It does not ask for license plate of the car you are registering
C) it allows you to hide your name from the roster.

I think B & C are critical since it doesn't allow snooping insurance reps to see if your at a track event and it's really none of their business what my plates are.

Event signup.

I'd have to give the edge to Clubregistration. A couple of pull down menues gets you to the events that you are interested in. MotorsportReg has pages of scrolling to find an event. I tried the search feature with the check boxes and after every search it rechecked all the options so if I wanted to change my search radius I had to uncheeck all of the event types I didn't want.

I didn't find a radius search on clubregistration so they lose points there. But the bulk of the event list page of MotorsportReg is limiting. The more events they have the worse it will get so while they have one better feature Clubregistration is still easier to use.

Forums

Clubregistration provides forums for discussions and MotorsportReg doesn't

advantage Clubregistration

Photos

Clubregistration provides space for event photos and MotorsportReg doesn't

advantage Clubregistration

Classifieds

Clubregistration provides classified ads and MotorsportReg doesn't

advantage Clubregistration

Numbers

Motorsport gives you an option to put in up to 3 numbers that you prefer and Club registration doesn't

Clubregistration allws you to check what numbers are available for each event.

Clubregistration provides a link to get numbers for your car and MotorsportReg doesn't.

all three are valuable so its 2 to 1 Clubregistration.

General appearence:

This is rather subjective on my part. The club registration looks more professional and everything can be seen without scrolling pages. MotorsportReg is rather amatureish.

Event listing

I don't know how the two compare from the viewpoint of a event organizer but I'd prefer clubregistration.

Mobile Access

Has anybody tried either one of these from a mobile device. Since some of these events close out quickly and we may not be at a computer when registration opens mobile access may be important.

Paul

Mike in Chi

Porschelist. You do go back.


John changed equipment back in May 2001, and no one has an earlier join date than that, even thouogh there are still a number around that go back to the late 90s.