Minutes from April 5th 2010 meeting:
By Kris Fox

Call to order by Joe Sharp with 31 members in attendance. With us tonight were Jamie and Leonard Willoughby and we want to welcome Mr. and Mrs. Michael Hill to their first meeting. And we’re glad to have Marty Stinnett with us tonight. Also present were Susan Kolyno and Kim Palo of Charter Cable Channel 5 WTNB, who made a presentation about featuring the cruise-in on WTNB. (NOTE from Joe: at a later meeting, it was decided that WTNB will begin taping the April cruise-in, to be broadcast prior to subsequent events. Some participants may be interviewed, with their permission, of course.)
Public Relations

...The process of submitting over 120 event listings to local, regional and national publications and websites to promote the 2010 Cruise-In season has been completed. As noted at the February meeting, a comprehensive listing of all of the recipients of our postings was being developed that lists the publication, newsletter or web site, the primary method of contact, log in and passwords where required, and the type of format used to enter our information. The compilation has been completed with a hard copy having been printed and placed on file.
Adding to the effort of Mainstreet Cleveland in getting the word out to the local media, an additional news release and photo were generated with the presentation of a plaque to Razzberry’z Gift Shoppe for their support of the 2009 season. The presentation was intentionally delayed to coincide with the beginning of the 2010 season. The release in addition to recognizing Razzberry’z and Jenny Pennell, also highlighted the economic contribution to the community made by the Cruise-In. Using limited data supplied by five local businesses we were able to quantify an economic impact of $100,000 for the season. Subsequent news releases will continue to highlight the positive impact that the Cruise-In has on Cleveland and Bradley County.

A presentation giving a brief background and history of the Cruise-In was made to the North Lee Ruritan Club at the request of their president. The significance of the request is that the president is a downtown business owner and member of the Mainstreet Cleveland organization. In addition to the background information, the emphasis of the presentation was placed on the economic benefit provided by the Cruise-In and in addressing the socio-economic status of the attendees and their significant buying power.

As a result of the opening of additional new businesses in the downtown area the ”Ladies Lane” flyer is being reprinted with the updated information. In addition to the listing of the businesses, those that support the Cruise-In through sponsorships will be highlighted. Copies of the updated flyer will then be made available to selected businesses as a subtle hint to consider supporting the event.

April Cruise-In
The “Rockin’ Down the Highway” Cruise-In will commence on April 24th under cloudless skies, moderate temperatures and a pleasant breeze. The festivities will begin with the first 250 vehicles receiving collector car refrigerator magnets supplied by RockAuto of Madison, WI. Mark Howard of Music On the Move will again be our DJ and will be playing prerecorded music featuring cars and songs of the highway. Member Donnie Gaines and his company Cleveland Media Blasting will again sponsor Music On the Move. At 3 PM the Bradley Central High School “Remix” Dance Team will open the show with a routine choreographed to “Fun, Fun, Fun” by the Beach Boys, a song that was chosen by the team. This year each of the dance teams will be choosing their own music. At 5 PM The Beaters return to our event stage sponsored by Ronnie Blaylock Plumbing. Our community service feature will again be Blood Assurance with their on-site mobile unit. In addition to creating PSA’s to announce their attendance at the Cruise-In Blood Assurance will be providing t-shirts to our greeters as a way of promoting the blood drive. Rounding out the activities T.A.’s Hobbies will again be hosting the model car contest sponsored by Easy Auto.

New to the program this year is the addition of Hot Wheelz Photography who will be with us for the entire season photographing the cars at the Cruise-In. They will be stationed on 1st Street between Church and Ocoee catching the cars as they enter the event. The drivers will be given a card with their ID number that they can then take to the Hot Wheelz booth to see their photo and decide if they wish to purchase a copy. Similar programs have been successfully implemented into shows with a larger format than our Cruise-In.

A physical inventory of the trailer was conducted recently in accordance with the bylaws.The recent trailer modifications that were made through the efforts of member Marty Stinnett yielded excellent results as the trailer was observed to be dry and free of mold and mildew. All was in order except for one canopy that will receive minor repairs at the first Cruise-In. Member Terry Beaty and Beaty Fabricating addressed the issue of damage to the event stage canopy by purchasing a replacement frame. The old frame has been placed in storage and will be used for replacement parts as needed.

For Sale Section: Doug Cropf has a 1940 Chevy back window for sale $100.00 (it’s safety solid plate 5-30)

We are in need of volunteers at the cruise-in, so please help us:
Set out barricades Sell 50/50 tickets
Direct traffic at 5 locations, minimum Set out Swap Meet sign
Set out and hang Exit signs Relieve traffic personnel
Make up and set out trash containers Man entrance at Worth & 2nd st (2hr)

The Edsel Club will be joining us for our 1st Cruise-In, they will be coming from 5-6 States. We want to welcome them here.
Our 1st Cruise-In is April 24th rain or shine. Come and enjoy the festivities.

Next meeting is May 3rd.