stevemilz
Forum Member
The Macomb Daily (macombdaily.com), Serving Macomb County
News
Hot Rod Magazine Power Tour returning to Mount Clemens
Saturday, October 15, 2011
By Mitch Hotts
Macomb Daily Staff Writer
Tour left city in 1998 after complaints over parking
For the first time in more than a decade, the Hot Rod Magazine Power Tour is returning to downtown Mount Clemens and will also have a presence at the GM Tech Center in Warren on the first weekend in June of 2012.
Organizers are particularly excited about the tour’s return to Mount Clemens and are already working on plans for various entertainment activities to coincide with the hot rod enthusiasts who will be coming to town.
“They expect to bring in 1,500 cars so that could mean up to 3,000 people from the tour alone,” said Steve Saph, chairman of the Mount Clemens Downtown Development Authority.
The 1,600-mile, seven-city, seven-day tour of America’s car-crazy towns includes millions of dollars’ worth of chrome and automotive eye candy, but also represents big bucks to host communities as thousands of car nuts tag along.
GM Performance Division is the title sponsor and the Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau is the local sponsor.
Arthur Mullen, the DDA’s executive director, said not only is the event’s return good news, but the tour will arrive on a Thursday and leave on a Sunday, meaning the economic spinoff will last three days.
Mullen said he’s in contact with various car clubs such as Friends of Mount Clemens that organize popular monthly car cruises in the city’s downtown that routinely attract thousands of visitors.
Details on the car display layouts and parking, along with food and merchandise vendors are being worked on, Mullen added. Most of the action will be along Main Street, but related activities likely will be spread onto other streets in the downtown.
“We need to think about where we want to put these guys and the cars so we get everyone walking around the downtown area and into our restaurants and stores,” Saph said.
Mount Clemens hasn’t been on the tour schedule since 1998 when it was bumped by Nashville, Tenn.
Hot Rod magazine officials at the time said they were reluctantly leaving behind the Clem and hoped to return to Macomb County some day. In recent years, the tour has stopped off at Metro Beach in Harrison Township.
Hot Rod officials weren’t available for comment this week, but in the past had complained about parking problems in Mount Clemens.
City officials in the late 1990s noted an ongoing sewer construction project contributed to the lack of space requested by the tour.
In addition, the city’s layout is perfect for pedestrians and car displays, according to Chris Baum, senior vice president of sales and marketing for the convention bureau.
“The tour is starting here, which is great news because that means they’ll get here early and stay a few days at our hotels, eat at our restaurants and get out and see the metropolitan Detroit area,” Baum said. “We are looking to maximize the experience for people coming here so they will return.”
The Power Tour also will be part of the Autopalooza event and will have a presence for that event at the GM Tech Center.
URL: http://www.macombdaily.com/articles/2011/10/15/news/doc4e9a289d56c87245333266.prt
© 2011 macombdaily.com, a Journal Register Property
http://www.macombdaily.com/articles/2011/10/16/news/doc4e9ba0fc4a878893832160.txt
News
Hot Rod Magazine Power Tour returning to Mount Clemens
Saturday, October 15, 2011
By Mitch Hotts
Macomb Daily Staff Writer
Tour left city in 1998 after complaints over parking
For the first time in more than a decade, the Hot Rod Magazine Power Tour is returning to downtown Mount Clemens and will also have a presence at the GM Tech Center in Warren on the first weekend in June of 2012.
Organizers are particularly excited about the tour’s return to Mount Clemens and are already working on plans for various entertainment activities to coincide with the hot rod enthusiasts who will be coming to town.
“They expect to bring in 1,500 cars so that could mean up to 3,000 people from the tour alone,” said Steve Saph, chairman of the Mount Clemens Downtown Development Authority.
The 1,600-mile, seven-city, seven-day tour of America’s car-crazy towns includes millions of dollars’ worth of chrome and automotive eye candy, but also represents big bucks to host communities as thousands of car nuts tag along.
GM Performance Division is the title sponsor and the Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau is the local sponsor.
Arthur Mullen, the DDA’s executive director, said not only is the event’s return good news, but the tour will arrive on a Thursday and leave on a Sunday, meaning the economic spinoff will last three days.
Mullen said he’s in contact with various car clubs such as Friends of Mount Clemens that organize popular monthly car cruises in the city’s downtown that routinely attract thousands of visitors.
Details on the car display layouts and parking, along with food and merchandise vendors are being worked on, Mullen added. Most of the action will be along Main Street, but related activities likely will be spread onto other streets in the downtown.
“We need to think about where we want to put these guys and the cars so we get everyone walking around the downtown area and into our restaurants and stores,” Saph said.
Mount Clemens hasn’t been on the tour schedule since 1998 when it was bumped by Nashville, Tenn.
Hot Rod magazine officials at the time said they were reluctantly leaving behind the Clem and hoped to return to Macomb County some day. In recent years, the tour has stopped off at Metro Beach in Harrison Township.
Hot Rod officials weren’t available for comment this week, but in the past had complained about parking problems in Mount Clemens.
City officials in the late 1990s noted an ongoing sewer construction project contributed to the lack of space requested by the tour.
In addition, the city’s layout is perfect for pedestrians and car displays, according to Chris Baum, senior vice president of sales and marketing for the convention bureau.
“The tour is starting here, which is great news because that means they’ll get here early and stay a few days at our hotels, eat at our restaurants and get out and see the metropolitan Detroit area,” Baum said. “We are looking to maximize the experience for people coming here so they will return.”
The Power Tour also will be part of the Autopalooza event and will have a presence for that event at the GM Tech Center.
URL: http://www.macombdaily.com/articles/2011/10/15/news/doc4e9a289d56c87245333266.prt
© 2011 macombdaily.com, a Journal Register Property
http://www.macombdaily.com/articles/2011/10/16/news/doc4e9ba0fc4a878893832160.txt
