DeLorean Convention and Show (DCS_2020) - Initial Planning

[Rich W]

DeLorean owners, fans and enthusiasts,

May 1st is upon us, and although much of the U.S. is still on "stay at home" or "shutdown", many of us
want to know if there will be a DCS 2020 this year (or something similar) to distract us from COVID-19.
While it would be easier to just throw in the towel for 2020, the DCS Planning Team decided to look at
a variety of options, and eventually settling on an idea the team will pursue for the Summer of 2020.

With so much uncertainty of when we can get back to normal (or a new normal), the DCS 2020 Planning Team
began looking at our possible options over the past two months, and the team has something to report.
As of today, travel restrictions are still in place internationally and future changes are up in the air.
Air travel is still limited (by number of flights available) and that will improve this month, with masks.

Federal and State COVID-19 Guidelines have been refined into Phases, but it is unclear when any specific
part of the U.S. will be in Phase I, II or III, over the next several months, so attempting to plan any
large event between now and Summer (or Fall) has become more of a guessing game than anything else. With
all of this in mind, the team has decided to replace the in-person DCS 2020 with a Virtual DCS 2020.

Virtual DCS 2020 will be unique, but it will also follow much of the same structure as an in-person DCS,
including "breakout room" presentations (with interactive Q&A after each session), either concurrently
or sequentially (may be dependent on bandwidth), as well as large group presentations or movie screenings,
which would also provide a mechanism for interactive Q&A after each presentation or movie screening).

One of the primary goals would be to have a group of VIP Guests gather at a central location, where the
presentations could be filmed and broadcast live (with a group chat tool like Microsoft Teams or Zoom),
most likely a hotel/convention center, where we could still adhere to the recommended small group details
of the Phases, while also filming/broadcasting with 3-chip cameras and plenty of Internet bandwidth.

There will also be a Virtual Car Show, which may be in two parts: Part 1 (Recorded) and Part 2 (Live).
The "Recorded" part of the Car Show would pre-recorded 1-minute video clips of each DeLorean owner's car,
which will be compiled into Part 1 of the Car Show. The "Live" part of the Car Show would show DeLorean
cars from a central location, where a group of owners would be able to meet, to show off their vehicles.

As for "Attending" the Virtual DCS 2020 event, we are considering two options: (1) Paid Invitation Option,
using a product like Microsoft Teams or Zoom Enterprise (with proper Security settings), which would be an
all-inclusive package, for interactive Q&A sessions and movie screening, and (2) Partial View Free Option
which would provide a lower resolution view of selected presentations, no Q&A and no movie screenings.

The team has been working with a few companies with the expertise fo putting on large, virtual events and
companies that can provide additional (mobile) Internet bandwidth, to a central location based event, and
although we do not have all the quotes in yet, we are expecting detailed quotes this month. Depending on
how things go during the month of May, we hope to announce a Go or No Go for Virtual DCS 2020 by June 1.

So, if you were hoping that the DCS Planning Team would be able to pull off a DCS 2020, you may be right,
at least virtually right. We are still planning to have the event during the week of August 10-16, 2020,
but we do not have all the specific dates "locked in" yet, since our most cost effective option would be
to move the entire convention to weekdays, as to not pay "time and a half" for weekend camera-man rates.

Keep checking back to this posting thread, for more details over the upcoming weeks. If the Planning Team
can make this happen, this Summer and within budget, we hope to bring your DeLorean "fix" for 2020.

Stay Safe and Healthy, and we hope to "see" many of you at Virtual-DCS 2020.

Thanks,
Rich W.

(for the DCS 2020 Planning Team)

[DaraSue]

Thanks for the update, Rich! I think you're making a wise decision.

Hosting costs permitting, would it be possible to archive the footage of the sessions and make it available to paid "attendees" afterwards, for those of us who might not be able to view in real time due to work?

[Rich W]

Thanks for the update, Rich! I think you're making a wise decision.

Hosting costs permitting, would it be possible to archive the footage of the sessions and make it available to paid "attendees" afterwards, for those of us who might not be able to view in real time due to work?

DaraSue and others,

Yes, instead of volunteer interns, were are currently quoting “contractors” for camera-persons and archiving
of all the presentations and Q&A sessions, but not the movie screenings (such as Jordan Livingston’s movie),
but Jordan should have his movie available for purchase after preview screenings and a later festival debut.
The content may or may not be edited down, depending on time that may or may not be available to edit it.

The Virtual-DCS 2020 Event would be more similar to a DMC Webinar than a weekend evening chat room,
with VIP Guests from DeLorean History, as well as cast and crew from BTTF History on Trilogy anniversaries
for BTTF (35 years) and for BTTF III (30 years), and, of course, DeLorean owners talking about their cars.
We hope to have two to three dozen VIPs, with many of them with travel, hotel room and meal expenses.

The COVID-19 Crisis has taught us some very important lessons, including not to put off things until next
year or next time, and that everyone’s time is limited, so we should do what we can, when we can, with no
regrets, because you may not get a “next time” to experience these type of events as a participant. I know
I have always regretted not asking JZD a few more questions at DCS 2000, when I spoke to him in person.

While a Virtual-DCS 2020 would not be like other previous DCS Events, it may actually be easier to ask the
VIP Guests your questions, either directly or semi-anonymously, during the post-presentation Q&A sessions.
Just as we could not have predicted we would have a pandemic in 2020, it would be just as difficult to be
able who may or may not be available for DCS 2022 or later, including several people committing to 2020.

If the DCS Planning Team was asked at DCS 2016 or DCS 2018, if there was a chance of having Zachary
DeLorean attend a future DCS Event, the best we could guess is 50/50, even if we had the best of luck.
However, after Tamir’s documentary was released in 2019, our chances improved to at least 90% chance
of a Yes answer. Even through COVID-19 Crisis, we still have a 90% chance Zach will participate in 2020.

This is still a work-in-progress, but the DCS Planning Team will do it’s best to make this event happen.

More details to follow.

Thanks,
Rich W.

[Rich W]

Well, it’s June 1st, and instead of things getting better, some things have gotten worse.

I will elaborate later, but, in short, for a variety of reasons, DCS 2020 has been cancelled.

Sorry to disappoint DeLorean owners, fans and enthusiasts, but there are just too many
reasons conspiring against having a regular (in-person) DCS Event or a Virtual DCS Event
this year. The DCS Planning Team hopes to report additional details at a later time.

[DaraSue]

Thanks for all your hard work on this, Rich. It's a bummer that things didn't work out this year but with so much turbulence and uncertainty in the world, the health and safety (physically and financially) of you, your team and the community is more important than any convention. I hope we'll all get to see each other again in better times.

[JETS 81 DMC]

Thanks for all your hard work on this, Rich. It's a bummer that things didn't work out this year but with so much turbulence and uncertainty in the world, the health and safety (physically and financially) of you, your team and the community is more important than any convention. I hope we'll all get to see each other again in better times.

I could not have said it better. Well said DarSue !

Thanks Rich and the team and stay safe.

[Timeless]

Sucks.... Hopefully there will be a 40-year anniversary DCS.

[Josh]

Sad to hear this, but its a very difficult year. Hopefully there will be a DCS 2022!
Thank you again for all your hard work Rich. It is appreciated by the community.

[Kevin 02530]

Thanks Rich, would have loved to have a DCS this year had things been “normal” but obviously that’s not the case. I think all of us understand why it just won’t work this year. Hope it can happen another time!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Ras12]

Thank you Rich and the entire DCS Team for all your efforts in keeping the dream alive!!