I would like to tackle four topics over the next few months that are close to my heart and hope it will add value to the community.
In no particular order.
1. The Exclusively///M Club: A dim reflection; opportunities & challenges.
2. The general car Club scene. I hope to co write this with someone in Gauteng and KZN so we get a national picture.
3. Business & development opportunities within motorsport.
4. A case for the transformation of Killarney.
This first thread is a full updated and edited rerun of a previous post but for a new purpose:
I will attempt to illuminate the position of the Exclusively///M Club; but I am not its chairperson neither do I serve on its Executive body, so my comments cannot be on behalf of the Club. I am just a member who wishes to help explain and clarify. Although not everything I am going to say will be comfortable, but I will try my best to remain positive.:thumbsup:
It is also not going to be a short plea, so indulge me for awhile...just put it down to someone, who like hearing his own voice. I will accept that criticism. :mmm:
I am a born & bred Capetonian and was fortunate to have worked and lived in KZN and Gauteng in particular for more than 10 years & both are places where motorsport is alive and well and where the passion for BMW cannot be articulated in a single post; the passion for the roundel is simply absolute. Some of the fastest and best tuned BMW’s are to be found in those provinces with tuners and enthusiasts spending big money to maintain the hobby and practice. :worshippy:
Killarney, over the years remained the drawcard for me since this was home. The concerns I have about transformation; restructuring and vision at Killarney stayed a burning passion for me and most of the time feeling helpless to make any meaningful contribution in this regard due to my absence from the Western Province. I believe many enthusiasts like Exclusively///M, car clubs and individuals kept the desire for accessible motorsport on the agenda and not to be too embroiled and contaminated by all the negative motorsport "bitching" in our country. :shakehead:
So who is Exclusively///M and what is the Club's goals?
The club was officially formed on 10 February 2008 and its first run drew 62 BMW’s. Speed and Sound wrote a 6 page article of that historic run in its second ever edition back in 2008. The club has a database of 75 members with mainly 25 active members but those friendly to the Club (though not active in the club) do make a strong showing at events when called upon. The Exclusively///M club members, come from various walks of life and owns a BMW or a mini or a Civic (yes, we have those)...:thumb:...and are not "exclusive" in any way. Some of the members are accomplished business entrepreneurs, some are in the formal and informal trade, some in politics, some in sales, some are ardent and professional track racers while others are involved not because of their profession but purely because, (like all of us) they are passionate about BMW and what the brand symbolise - performance and driving the ultimate machine. :locked:
The club is open to all and encompass all types of BMWs. It is only “exclusive†as it concerns “motorsport†which is what the ///M denotes in the Club name. This is also its primary goal to promote the love, passion and value for motorsport within the BMW community.:wub:
I was introduced to the club by Revo (Zaahier Dollie) who seems to have a birds eye view of most motorsport activities in the Western Cape. I was warmly welcomed by the club chairperson Rohan Apollis, and immediately noticed that the club members are very close...they are tight...it took a couple of event runs for them to realise that I wanted to be a serious participating member, :banghead: with a hidden agenda of course. (More about this later)
The club has a very active executive committee with a chairperson, treasurer (two of them:thumbsup
, secretary and motorsport liaison person. Rohan, the chairperson is simply an amazing individual with a very welcoming personality and an exceptional understanding of the motorsport environment. The relationship most valued is Zeemax, which is the club’s main sponsor for some years now. I remain amazed how Zeemax would go out of its way to accommodate the wishes of the club and support or sponsor events sometimes to the financial detriment of itself in favour of the club...this is a proud partnership to be valued indeed. :wave: You will notice that BMWFanatics has also created a subforum for the club to strengthen the clubs identity and presence which is also an indication of BMWFanatics's support for the BMW clubs in the country in general.:thumbsup:
The club is always inundated with requests to showcase its arsenal of cars for charity; racing; dyno’s; runs; wash & shine or just supporting another car club to bolster numbers.
In 2009 alone, the club contributed significantly to charity and helping young people to see that there are better social alternatives to crime, violence and gangsterism and that there is indeed a future in our country and in motorsport in particular. :excited:
The last breakfast run of the club drew over 40 BMW/mini vehicles and there would have been more if some members were not at work or having had to travel too far to make it in time for "breakfast". The club also added the growing number of mini –owners in its fold and I think we can expect a fantastic and fruitful partnership with the BMWminiFanatics in the future. I mention these points to induce that the club members are not very different from you and me, we are in the same passionate BMW fraternity that wants to be included, accepted, recognised and fair well in our endeavours. :clap:
The recent BMW festival evoke strong reaction because the club believed it did not excuse it-self from participating but was excluded from participating after an attempt was made by the Club to be an integral part of the organising of the event. :nono:
Participation for the club (in any event) as significant as a BMW Festival is not only about socialising, paying gate fess, showing our cars, tracking and having fun and space allocated for advertising; it is about shaping the outcome of the event; about ownership; about being able to say "we" all of us, can be proud of what we have achieved, and we look forward to the next one.
The Exclusively///M Club had been debating and planning a BMW festival for more than a year. Major plans were a-foot to launch the event in 2010 to coincide with the Soccer World Cup. I posed the 2010 slogan (off the field on the track). Various venues and festival sponsors were explored and most importantly it was decided that when the event do take place, financial provision and contributions would be made for the poor communities of Cape Town around Killarney or our chosen venue, in some form or the other, in line with the Exclusively///M Club's charitable ethos. The vision of the BMW festival was shared by individuals such as Zaki Hendriks, Matthew Quinton and Don Tarr (from BMWfanatics) long before we all thought about the idea. Someone like Zaki and Matt was prepared to put their own sweat and money into the event to make it a blow out success. They shared with us their intellectual property about the festival and we all agreed we will make it fly.:woot:
It is the Club’s modis operandi to develop associations and of course, we did not envisaged running a BMW Festival ourselves, we thought about strategic partners, such as Killarney, BMWfanatics, BMW clubs in the Western Cape and Gauteng and the general business community. We even started a roll call of all the BMW clubs in the Western Cape to ensure we do not miss anyone. The event is considered with such cardinal importance that it could not be done alone; it had to be shared by the broader fraternity.
Challenges & opportunities for the Club: :thinker:
I think there are four primary challenges ahead for the club:
1. Managing time. The club does not have a part/full-time administrator, which places huge demands on the time and resources of club members and its executive. Planning meetings are held afterhours, sometimes 3 - 4 times a month. These are all voluntary sacrifices made by all and could in the future impede enthusiasm and member commitments.
2. Balancing member interests. Some members are interested in hardcore racing; dyno days; legal drag racing or breakfast runs as often as possible; while others just want to pull up his car and show...Rohan call these members “blompotte†(flowerpots)....now we all know he is referring to me and Revo...haaaaa. Ensuring that these interests are accommodated in our annual planning so as not to lose or alienate members are not easy.
3. Encouraging the entrepreneurial spirit. This is my hidden agenda that I was referring to earlier. Club members contribute their normal annual subscription fees, which helps to tick the club over on a monthly basis and pay for certain member events and members are informed of the Clubs financial status at regular intervals.
My question has two layers to it: How can we grow the financial muscle of the club and thereby growing the club and how can the members of the Club recreate a normal dyno day or car wash or drag event or shine and show into a business opportunity for the benefit of its members & the Club. Can the hobby or the thing that makes us enthusiastic or excited have monetary value? And if the answer is yes, how can we responsibly make this happen for the club and its members.
Remember, it costs money to show-case your car whether on the track or for a charity event. The preparation that goes into getting ones car ready for a track day or wash and shine, is money from one’s own pocket. But if one can make the event pay for itself; it makes the hobby or enthusiasm so much more sustainable and we end up with a win-win scenario. I am not at liberty to disclose the intentions of the club, but is only raising the opportunity and challenge for the club going forward.
I will discuss these entrepreneurial and development opportunities in motorsport in more detail in a separate thread.imp:
4. I think another challenge relate to the name of the club - Exclusively///M. I personally do not have an issue here. But it is the BMW Club of the Western Cape and should be known as such and not as an arbitrary name. Hopefully, the Club would be able to tackle these name rights in the light of current developments within the Club scene.
A brief observation of Killarney: :blah:
The transformation of Killarney will be dealt with in an entirely separate thread encompassing the broader motorsport's political and financial landscape.
[Let me also hasten to add that I personally had great co-operation from Killarney on events that I organised at Killarney...I was treated fairly and professionally and at times the Killarney staff went out of their way to accommodate my urgent requests...and for that I am grateful.]
Killarney, represents the physical location of motorsport in the Western Cape Province, it is suppose to help (and I believe it does) with promoting, protecting and regulating proper motorsport values and it is the only venue in our Province where ALL of the motorsport enthusiasts can meet on 4 wheels or two wheels with any car they possess. Killarney makes motorsport accessible to us all.
However, it is not the soul and heart of motorsport. That you will find on the streets; the informal breakfast runs; corner meets; in the car Clubs and on a forum like BMWfanatics whether it is only two years old; here is where the passion for the BMW roundel is cultivated and spread. :bump:
I do hear anyone that suggests: “If all the negative energy wasted by getting upset for nothing, is turned to positive, it will be amazing what we collectively can achieve.â€Â
This point is important to realise where the “gut†expression of the Exclusively///M Club comes from when they feel aggrieved about being excluded. Killarney do have a legacy of exclusion and when the Exclusively///M club was excluded (excuse the pun) it was reminiscent of that old legacy, and no wonder our black club members reacted the way they did.
So, any event that is planned in partnership with Killarney has to recognise that legacy and what we have to do (emotionally) to overcome it. Firstly, we cannot allow Killarney to provide leadership for such an important BMW Festival event, how could they, if they do not have an implicit history of inclusion and creative and innovative leadership that can transcend our differences?
There are various aspects of transformation relating to Killarney that deserves serious attention (which aspects I will address in a separate thread) such as representivity; how decisions are made; what happens to the funds generated by Killarney; issues around governance; ownership; land use; benefits to the previously disadvantage community around Killarney; the role of the various players @ Killarney as well as reporting to provincial and national Government and the motorsport community on development and its transformation goals; upgrading of the track and venue; fresh and new landscaping ideas in line with international standards and the transformation charter appropriate to motorsport.
These transformation aspects form part of the bigger picture and is part of the motorsport (emotion) that Club members have when they engage with Killarney.imp:
Rohan, Don and I will have to facilitate that transformation discussion with the chairperson of the Killarney Board at some point, such a conversation is simply above the job description and status of Killarney employees (no disrespect intended). I have referred to Killarney in my post in the singular noun (the place); the legacy we know is “the placeâ€Â. I accept and recognise that no person in particular at Killarney (the place) is implicated in the old cultural legacy. I am sure the governing body of Killarney (the place) is trying everything in its power to reverse that old motorsport legacy and have many successes in this regard to share.
I do not anticipate an adversarial behaviour between Killarney, Exclusively///M and BMWFanatics (and whoever wants to participate) - when we engage on matters of transformation and restructuring, to the contrary it will be in all of our interest to talk to each other and embrace the motorsport future together.
So forum members, I have just introduced one of the four topics which will be presented right here over the next few months and i truly hope it will spark some discussion and interest in our fragile motorsport industry.:woot:
In no particular order.
1. The Exclusively///M Club: A dim reflection; opportunities & challenges.
2. The general car Club scene. I hope to co write this with someone in Gauteng and KZN so we get a national picture.
3. Business & development opportunities within motorsport.
4. A case for the transformation of Killarney.
This first thread is a full updated and edited rerun of a previous post but for a new purpose:
I will attempt to illuminate the position of the Exclusively///M Club; but I am not its chairperson neither do I serve on its Executive body, so my comments cannot be on behalf of the Club. I am just a member who wishes to help explain and clarify. Although not everything I am going to say will be comfortable, but I will try my best to remain positive.:thumbsup:
It is also not going to be a short plea, so indulge me for awhile...just put it down to someone, who like hearing his own voice. I will accept that criticism. :mmm:
I am a born & bred Capetonian and was fortunate to have worked and lived in KZN and Gauteng in particular for more than 10 years & both are places where motorsport is alive and well and where the passion for BMW cannot be articulated in a single post; the passion for the roundel is simply absolute. Some of the fastest and best tuned BMW’s are to be found in those provinces with tuners and enthusiasts spending big money to maintain the hobby and practice. :worshippy:
Killarney, over the years remained the drawcard for me since this was home. The concerns I have about transformation; restructuring and vision at Killarney stayed a burning passion for me and most of the time feeling helpless to make any meaningful contribution in this regard due to my absence from the Western Province. I believe many enthusiasts like Exclusively///M, car clubs and individuals kept the desire for accessible motorsport on the agenda and not to be too embroiled and contaminated by all the negative motorsport "bitching" in our country. :shakehead:
So who is Exclusively///M and what is the Club's goals?
The club was officially formed on 10 February 2008 and its first run drew 62 BMW’s. Speed and Sound wrote a 6 page article of that historic run in its second ever edition back in 2008. The club has a database of 75 members with mainly 25 active members but those friendly to the Club (though not active in the club) do make a strong showing at events when called upon. The Exclusively///M club members, come from various walks of life and owns a BMW or a mini or a Civic (yes, we have those)...:thumb:...and are not "exclusive" in any way. Some of the members are accomplished business entrepreneurs, some are in the formal and informal trade, some in politics, some in sales, some are ardent and professional track racers while others are involved not because of their profession but purely because, (like all of us) they are passionate about BMW and what the brand symbolise - performance and driving the ultimate machine. :locked:
The club is open to all and encompass all types of BMWs. It is only “exclusive†as it concerns “motorsport†which is what the ///M denotes in the Club name. This is also its primary goal to promote the love, passion and value for motorsport within the BMW community.:wub:
I was introduced to the club by Revo (Zaahier Dollie) who seems to have a birds eye view of most motorsport activities in the Western Cape. I was warmly welcomed by the club chairperson Rohan Apollis, and immediately noticed that the club members are very close...they are tight...it took a couple of event runs for them to realise that I wanted to be a serious participating member, :banghead: with a hidden agenda of course. (More about this later)
The club has a very active executive committee with a chairperson, treasurer (two of them:thumbsup
, secretary and motorsport liaison person. Rohan, the chairperson is simply an amazing individual with a very welcoming personality and an exceptional understanding of the motorsport environment. The relationship most valued is Zeemax, which is the club’s main sponsor for some years now. I remain amazed how Zeemax would go out of its way to accommodate the wishes of the club and support or sponsor events sometimes to the financial detriment of itself in favour of the club...this is a proud partnership to be valued indeed. :wave: You will notice that BMWFanatics has also created a subforum for the club to strengthen the clubs identity and presence which is also an indication of BMWFanatics's support for the BMW clubs in the country in general.:thumbsup: The club is always inundated with requests to showcase its arsenal of cars for charity; racing; dyno’s; runs; wash & shine or just supporting another car club to bolster numbers.
In 2009 alone, the club contributed significantly to charity and helping young people to see that there are better social alternatives to crime, violence and gangsterism and that there is indeed a future in our country and in motorsport in particular. :excited:
The last breakfast run of the club drew over 40 BMW/mini vehicles and there would have been more if some members were not at work or having had to travel too far to make it in time for "breakfast". The club also added the growing number of mini –owners in its fold and I think we can expect a fantastic and fruitful partnership with the BMWminiFanatics in the future. I mention these points to induce that the club members are not very different from you and me, we are in the same passionate BMW fraternity that wants to be included, accepted, recognised and fair well in our endeavours. :clap:
The recent BMW festival evoke strong reaction because the club believed it did not excuse it-self from participating but was excluded from participating after an attempt was made by the Club to be an integral part of the organising of the event. :nono:
Participation for the club (in any event) as significant as a BMW Festival is not only about socialising, paying gate fess, showing our cars, tracking and having fun and space allocated for advertising; it is about shaping the outcome of the event; about ownership; about being able to say "we" all of us, can be proud of what we have achieved, and we look forward to the next one.
The Exclusively///M Club had been debating and planning a BMW festival for more than a year. Major plans were a-foot to launch the event in 2010 to coincide with the Soccer World Cup. I posed the 2010 slogan (off the field on the track). Various venues and festival sponsors were explored and most importantly it was decided that when the event do take place, financial provision and contributions would be made for the poor communities of Cape Town around Killarney or our chosen venue, in some form or the other, in line with the Exclusively///M Club's charitable ethos. The vision of the BMW festival was shared by individuals such as Zaki Hendriks, Matthew Quinton and Don Tarr (from BMWfanatics) long before we all thought about the idea. Someone like Zaki and Matt was prepared to put their own sweat and money into the event to make it a blow out success. They shared with us their intellectual property about the festival and we all agreed we will make it fly.:woot:
It is the Club’s modis operandi to develop associations and of course, we did not envisaged running a BMW Festival ourselves, we thought about strategic partners, such as Killarney, BMWfanatics, BMW clubs in the Western Cape and Gauteng and the general business community. We even started a roll call of all the BMW clubs in the Western Cape to ensure we do not miss anyone. The event is considered with such cardinal importance that it could not be done alone; it had to be shared by the broader fraternity.
Challenges & opportunities for the Club: :thinker:
I think there are four primary challenges ahead for the club:
1. Managing time. The club does not have a part/full-time administrator, which places huge demands on the time and resources of club members and its executive. Planning meetings are held afterhours, sometimes 3 - 4 times a month. These are all voluntary sacrifices made by all and could in the future impede enthusiasm and member commitments.
2. Balancing member interests. Some members are interested in hardcore racing; dyno days; legal drag racing or breakfast runs as often as possible; while others just want to pull up his car and show...Rohan call these members “blompotte†(flowerpots)....now we all know he is referring to me and Revo...haaaaa. Ensuring that these interests are accommodated in our annual planning so as not to lose or alienate members are not easy.
3. Encouraging the entrepreneurial spirit. This is my hidden agenda that I was referring to earlier. Club members contribute their normal annual subscription fees, which helps to tick the club over on a monthly basis and pay for certain member events and members are informed of the Clubs financial status at regular intervals.
My question has two layers to it: How can we grow the financial muscle of the club and thereby growing the club and how can the members of the Club recreate a normal dyno day or car wash or drag event or shine and show into a business opportunity for the benefit of its members & the Club. Can the hobby or the thing that makes us enthusiastic or excited have monetary value? And if the answer is yes, how can we responsibly make this happen for the club and its members.
Remember, it costs money to show-case your car whether on the track or for a charity event. The preparation that goes into getting ones car ready for a track day or wash and shine, is money from one’s own pocket. But if one can make the event pay for itself; it makes the hobby or enthusiasm so much more sustainable and we end up with a win-win scenario. I am not at liberty to disclose the intentions of the club, but is only raising the opportunity and challenge for the club going forward.
I will discuss these entrepreneurial and development opportunities in motorsport in more detail in a separate thread.
imp:4. I think another challenge relate to the name of the club - Exclusively///M. I personally do not have an issue here. But it is the BMW Club of the Western Cape and should be known as such and not as an arbitrary name. Hopefully, the Club would be able to tackle these name rights in the light of current developments within the Club scene.
A brief observation of Killarney: :blah:
The transformation of Killarney will be dealt with in an entirely separate thread encompassing the broader motorsport's political and financial landscape.
[Let me also hasten to add that I personally had great co-operation from Killarney on events that I organised at Killarney...I was treated fairly and professionally and at times the Killarney staff went out of their way to accommodate my urgent requests...and for that I am grateful.]
Killarney, represents the physical location of motorsport in the Western Cape Province, it is suppose to help (and I believe it does) with promoting, protecting and regulating proper motorsport values and it is the only venue in our Province where ALL of the motorsport enthusiasts can meet on 4 wheels or two wheels with any car they possess. Killarney makes motorsport accessible to us all.
However, it is not the soul and heart of motorsport. That you will find on the streets; the informal breakfast runs; corner meets; in the car Clubs and on a forum like BMWfanatics whether it is only two years old; here is where the passion for the BMW roundel is cultivated and spread. :bump:
I do hear anyone that suggests: “If all the negative energy wasted by getting upset for nothing, is turned to positive, it will be amazing what we collectively can achieve.â€Â
This point is important to realise where the “gut†expression of the Exclusively///M Club comes from when they feel aggrieved about being excluded. Killarney do have a legacy of exclusion and when the Exclusively///M club was excluded (excuse the pun) it was reminiscent of that old legacy, and no wonder our black club members reacted the way they did.
So, any event that is planned in partnership with Killarney has to recognise that legacy and what we have to do (emotionally) to overcome it. Firstly, we cannot allow Killarney to provide leadership for such an important BMW Festival event, how could they, if they do not have an implicit history of inclusion and creative and innovative leadership that can transcend our differences?
There are various aspects of transformation relating to Killarney that deserves serious attention (which aspects I will address in a separate thread) such as representivity; how decisions are made; what happens to the funds generated by Killarney; issues around governance; ownership; land use; benefits to the previously disadvantage community around Killarney; the role of the various players @ Killarney as well as reporting to provincial and national Government and the motorsport community on development and its transformation goals; upgrading of the track and venue; fresh and new landscaping ideas in line with international standards and the transformation charter appropriate to motorsport.
These transformation aspects form part of the bigger picture and is part of the motorsport (emotion) that Club members have when they engage with Killarney.
imp:Rohan, Don and I will have to facilitate that transformation discussion with the chairperson of the Killarney Board at some point, such a conversation is simply above the job description and status of Killarney employees (no disrespect intended). I have referred to Killarney in my post in the singular noun (the place); the legacy we know is “the placeâ€Â. I accept and recognise that no person in particular at Killarney (the place) is implicated in the old cultural legacy. I am sure the governing body of Killarney (the place) is trying everything in its power to reverse that old motorsport legacy and have many successes in this regard to share.
I do not anticipate an adversarial behaviour between Killarney, Exclusively///M and BMWFanatics (and whoever wants to participate) - when we engage on matters of transformation and restructuring, to the contrary it will be in all of our interest to talk to each other and embrace the motorsport future together.
So forum members, I have just introduced one of the four topics which will be presented right here over the next few months and i truly hope it will spark some discussion and interest in our fragile motorsport industry.:woot:
