Assessing the Bikes and Blues event

SAN BERNARDINO -- Like the rugged culture it celebrates, the city's Bikes and Blues wasn't born of wealth and had tough beginnings.

Fear of the biker culture helped keep investors and revelers weary. Other major events on a busy weekend vied for people's attention.

But on the whole, the city's inaugural Berdoo Bikes & Blues Rendezvous was a roaring success, the man who brought it to the city said Monday.

And it will be back.

"We fell a bit short of my optimistic expectations," said Convention & Visitors Bureau President and CEO Wayne Austincq. "But the consensus is that this was a phenomenal turnout for our first year event, and that this event, in this city, has a lot of promise."

The two-day motorcycles and music themed event, envisioned as a precursor to the Route 66 Rendezvous - the city's most revered car show and festival - drew thousands of people and vintage metal steeds downtown on Friday and Saturday.

Perhaps more importantly, the event was rumbled through without a hitch, easing lingering concerns harbored potential attendees and corporate sponsors.

"The corporate sponsorship and the attendance, those numbers are going to grow," Austin said. "A lot of people stand back and see how the first one goes, and in the case of the corporate sponsors, they don't want to risk their money until they see some results."

A Monday afternoon tally of ticket stubs and other records yielded preliminary tallies of 7,000 paying revelers and 1,500 registered motorcycles, Austin said. The numbers were below his pre-event projections of 12,000 people and 3,000 bikes, but Austin said the disparity is due to his estimates being outsized - not the event falling short.
"I was over-optimistic," Austin said.

The event also drew 80 vendors, Austin said, ranging from radio stations to apparel stands to top-names in the custom motorcycle industry. A small sample of vendors lining Third Street on Saturday said business was brisk as the event had drawn a cross-section of area consumers.

And the event was a short-term spending boost for the city, all the more crucial in a flagging economy, Austin said. If revelers spent an average of $350 over the weekend, an industry average, then the event may have drawn nearly $2.5 million in spending to the city, Austin said.

Austin said he's confident that corporate sponsorships will tumble in next year.

This year, with many sponsors watching keenly from the sidelines, the rendezvous took in $50,000 in corporate sponsors, just one-fifth of what the established Route 66 Rendezvous attracts annually, Austin said.

At least one city leader was pleased with how the inaugural event unfolded.
"For a first year event, this was an overwhelming success," said Jim Morris, Mayor Pat Morris' chief of staff, who strolled the downtown event late Saturday.

Morris said the event "met all the crucial benchmarks," in terms of viable size, being free of crime or other incidents and having a family-friendly atmosphere.

"When you put together tourist type events like this, that first year or first few years carry an element of risk that people want to assess before determining if the event is a wise investment," Morris said. "It couldn't have gone more splendidly."

Austin said next year he'll look to add more stunt and trick shows, and maybe some racing at the National Orange Show fairgrounds.

And the celebrity draw should be back next year too, Austin said. 2008 American Idol finalist Amanda Overmyer was a huge hit with the crowd, and San Bernardino was a huge hit with her, Austin said.

"She said she fell in love with the city," Austin said. "Amanda is definitely the newfound sister of San Bernardino."