[brraj]

Looks like a wonderful meet and mouth watering chicken kababs and mutton curry.

Originally Posted by octane78

That is one deadly Verna driven by an even deadly Suren.

Can you explain more about it and between what was the mods done to it?

[Ravveendrra]

Originally Posted by k_nitin_r

From what I understand, anyone can organize an event. We don't have events happening often enough - once a month is too infrequent. If we did have one every weekend, that would be ideal - folks that miss one event can make it to the next on the following weekend.

Besides, we can have a good mix of highway driving, driving through slightly rough terrain, and going through twisted turns along a bendy road.

Originally Posted by NoRules

Trust me, it is not easy.



k_nitin_r, my two bits : An event can only be successful when you have good participation. Based on my interaction with the Hyderabadi members and what I have seen in the meets so far, we have around 40 active members and for any given meet which now we have once a month apart from the lunch meets that happen, we have a minimum 20 of them attending but make it a weekly affair, you will find it difficult to get even 10 guys to attend.

Too much of a good thing can also be counter productive.

Originally Posted by k_nitin_r

When I mentioned "anybody can organize an event", I was referring to the bit about current organizers not preventing others from organizing events i.e. there is no formal set of rules that prevents someone from setting up an event, and there would be no negative sentiment from the current organizers if you were to organize an event because they don't see it as competition but rather as another opportunity to have fun.

I did not think about the difficulty but if I were to simplify things to the basics, we could use a route that was tried in an earlier meet and can settle for food at a fast food outlet to keep it to the very basics just as we would for a lunch meet (i.e. the drive meet can end with a lunch meet where we just head out to a restaurant or fast food outlet). It may not be the best meetup because the farm house lunch is an experience of its own, but it one way to quickly put together an event.



We could keep a running list of people willing to join every weekend. At the Gachibowli ORR alone we had a good number and the number doubled at Shamshabad.

Originally Posted by mobike008

Nitin, I have been organizing almost every Team-BHP meet from last 5.5 years (i.e) from Dec 2006.

Forget about someone offering to organizing meets, there were many new BHPians who came talked big and then disappeared after attending 1-2 meets and only few regulars ( 30-40 folks) continue to enjoy the meets and never miss it whenever it happens.

So dont take offense, I think your just jumping the gun here, I would recommend you attend a few meets first and then decide if you want to offer about organizing a meet. You will then find out that organizing a meet once a month itself is a mammoth task.

Note : There are many offline dinner/lunch meets with an average attendee of 12-15 BHPians in a month between regular BHPians which is not counted as official meets and to be invited to those "unofficial meets" you need to be a regular attendee to official meets in first place.

Sashi; thanks for being our official photographer for this drive meet. It sure was a good practice of your new DSLR.

Let's gear up with ideas for the next drive meet that is planned for July-end. I recommend either of these : Srisailam/Nagarjunsagar/Medak Church

Nitin is right. Anyone can call for a meet. No-rules is also right, success of a meet depends on attendance. Mobike is also right inasmuch as getting people to come is the difficult part.

So what is the solution. Nitin will organise meets with a twist. The twist and a sweet one at that is fully sponsored meets (fuel, food etc). Incidentally, since the Hydeez are a picky lot, even fully sponsored meets with the same agenda at the same venue will not work. So nitin will sponsor a variety of meets at different locations, having different activities each week.

BTW Nitin, we missed you at the main meeting point, the drive and at lunch. Hope you will participate/attend next time around.

[ranjitp1]

Ok theres a lot of banter going on the where,the why,the shoulds,the who of organising a meet.I have to admit,I am never a meet person,am trying to get to atleast one of the meets in my lifetime,but I am doubtful,blame it all on my procrastination and laziness.

Thanks a ton for sharing the pictures,atleast I managed to put some faces to the TBHP nicknames.

Ok coming to the point,just thought should share in here that in case you guys are planning for a drive etc,then you might want to check out Sandur next time.Its approximately 20kms from Hampi.There is an old palace there the Shiv Vilas Palace and the Ghorpade royal family has now handed it over the Welcom Group to be run as a hotel.Yes would be an expensive option at around 4-5k a night,but its worth it especially the location on top of a hill with the Tunghabhadra for company.And after July,the place would be heavenly covered in green all round and the stopping of mining in the area makes it a safe place as well as no more trucks in the region

WelcomHeritage Shivavilas Palace, Sandur | Heritage Hotels in Sandur | Sandur Hotels

[DieselDon]

Originally Posted by mobike008

You will then find out that organizing a meet once a month itself is a mammoth task.

Originally Posted by NoRules

Trust me, it is not easy.
Make it a weekly affair, you will find it difficult to get even 10 guys to attend.
Too much of a good thing can also be counter productive.

Cannot Agree more.
I am the president of my Apartment Association(8 yrs), Moderator of my MBA Groups(11 yrs) and a couple of other groups with like minded folks.
I find it very very tough even after all these years.

Originally Posted by mobike008

Let's gear up with ideas for the next drive meet that is planned for July-end. I recommend either of these : Srisailam/Nagarjunsagar/Medak Church

Originally Posted by k_nitin_r

Besides, we can have a good mix of highway driving, driving through slightly rough terrain, and going through twisted turns along a bendy road.

Originally Posted by Ravveendrra

a variety of meets at different locations, having different activities each week.
BTW Nitin, we missed you at the main meeting point, the drive and at lunch. Hope you will participate/attend next time around.

What is on offer ? to lure folks into it ! The main challenge behind organizing events.

My 2 cents ~ 'another' idea : How about a common meet for both Hyderabad & Bangalore folks ?
Somewhere inbetween ? Kurnool ? Anantpur ? Main issue = 600 kms (up and down - for both B'lore & H'bad folks).
Need not be the next one, but sometime.

Anyone game ? - I will have to leave my Indica at home for this though.

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

check out Sandur next time.Its approximately 20kms from Hampi.There is an old palace there the Shiv Vilas Palace and the Ghorpade royal family has now handed it over the Welcom Group to be run as a hotel.Yes would be an expensive option at around 4-5k a night,but its worth it especially the location on top of a hill with the Tunghabhadra for company.And after July,the place would be heavenly covered in green all round and the stopping of mining in the area makes it a safe place as well as no more trucks in the region

WelcomHeritage Shivavilas Palace, Sandur | Heritage Hotels in Sandur | Sandur Hotels

EDIT: As I was posting this, I see Sandur being suggested (equidistant for both B'lore & H'bad)

[autotranny]

Originally Posted by Ravveendrra

So what is the solution. Nitin will organise meets with a twist. The twist and a sweet one at that is fully sponsored meets (fuel, food etc). Incidentally, since the Hydeez are a picky lot, even fully sponsored meets with the same agenda at the same venue will not work. So nitin will sponsor a variety of meets at different locations, having different activities each week.

This is getting more and more interesting now. Now the ball is in Nitin's court. Come up with something really interesting. I suggest drive down narrow winding roads to negate the power advantage of the sedans.

[NoRules]

Originally Posted by k_nitin_r

When I mentioned "anybody can organize an event", I was referring to the bit about current organizers not preventing others from organizing events i.e. there is no formal set of rules that prevents someone from setting up an event

I agree with you. Anyone with interest, patience and drive to do something can take the initiative. Guess I did not get your point in earlier post.

Originally Posted by k_nitin_r

We could keep a running list of people willing to join every weekend. At the Gachibowli ORR alone we had a good number and the number doubled at Shamshabad.

If we have enough people, sure, why not.

Best way to know it is to ask the question here. Lets see how many would raise a hand to a meet every weekend. I personally would not have the time or inclination to spend a day every weekend on drive meets.

[manojgautham]

I should first thank all the people who attended the meet on Sunday. For me it was a truly fantastic experience. I appreciate each and everyone, for making me feel at home and not like someone from another city.
A special token of appreciation to Avinash & Ravi for organizing the amazing drive and delicious Lunch.
I have a few photographs of the event, will share them by afternoon tomorrow.

[suren181]

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

There is an old palace there the Shiv Vilas Palace and the Ghorpade royal family has now handed it over the Welcom Group to be run as a hotel.Yes would be an expensive option at around 4-5k a night,but its worth it especially the location on top of a hill with the Tunghabhadra for company.
WelcomHeritage Shivavilas Palace, Sandur | Heritage Hotels in Sandur | Sandur Hotels

Just a small correction for the benefit of others. The tariff is a minimum of Rs. 10,500/- a night for a deluxe room and moves on to Rs. 18,500/- or so. This information is according to the link posted.

[CtrlAltDel]

If we go to Sandur we need not spend a bomb on hotels. Sandur is a great place for camping. We can plan something on those lines.

Also Sandur is not far from Hampi which is worth driving miles to see!

[xydon]

Originally Posted by CtrlAltDel

Sandur is a great place for camping.

Originally Posted by DieselDon

How about a common meet for both Hyderabad & Bangalore folks ?

Excellent idea! . I'm not sure about Sandur but I love the words "Camping" and "Common meet".

Originally Posted by autotranny

I suggest drive down narrow winding roads to negate the power advantage of the sedans.

Ajay, I second, third, fourth your statement. I want to fulfill Avi's wish .

[k_nitin_r]

Originally Posted by mobike008

Nitin, I have been organizing almost every Team-BHP meet from last 5.5 years (i.e) from Dec 2006.

I have to defer to your experience and practicality, when it comes to people's behavior because you've observed them for half a decade. Also, it's nice to have made your acquaintance through the forum. Were you at the Gachibowli ORR last weekend?

Originally Posted by mobike008

Forget about someone offering to organizing meets, there were many new BHPians who came talked big and then disappeared after attending 1-2 meets. So dont take offense

I understand what you mean. I had people promise something in the past but not live up to what they've said, and that does de-motivate the group. I am not offended by your comment, and it is not unwise to think history repeats itself because it often does.

Originally Posted by mobike008

I think your just jumping the gun here, I would recommend you attend a few meets first and then decide if you want to offer about organizing a meet.

I would like to mention that I can't organize a meet, but I was mentioning about the possibility of organizing an event to traveloholic.

Originally Posted by Ravveendrra

So what is the solution. Nitin will organise meets with a twist.

I wouldnt say I can organize a meet. Perhaps what I could do is ride with a BHPian, scout out routes, and pick the place where we could eat (assuming folks would be okay with fast food). Somebody with extra BHP (pretty much everyone else, considering I share my engine with a lawn mower) could organize and lead the pack while I herd them from the rear to make sure no one gets lost along the way.

Originally Posted by DieselDon

What is on offer ? to lure folks into it ! The main challenge behind organizing events. How about a common meet for both Hyderabad & Bangalore folks? Main issue = 600 kms

I will have to sit out the events that are very long. I can't really manage to drive more than 100 km (Hyderabad to Kamareddy is pretty much my limit).

Originally Posted by autotranny

This is getting more and more interesting now. Now the ball is in Nitin's court. Come up with something really interesting. I suggest drive down narrow winding roads to negate the power advantage of the sedans.

I can suggest a route, I can suggest a place to eat, and I can find out what emergency services are available in the area, but I can't organize an event. Perhaps I can send across my suggestions to mobike, figure out what would work and what wouldn't, and then put forward suggestions of what we could do.

BTW, let's not speak of power advantage when it comes to my 'compact sedan' Esteem. If you look under the hood, you'd find the same engine as that of a Toro 3000D (Google!). It's hard enough to catch up with a Ritz/Swift.

The only advantage I have is that when I run out of fuel completely in the middle of a desert, I can pour cooking oil into the tank and get the car to the nearest fuel station - or at least that's one idea to turn the engine into a rather large brick.

Originally Posted by NoRules

I agree with you. Anyone with interest, patience and drive to do something can take the initiative. Guess I did not get your point in earlier post. If we have enough people, sure, why not. Best way to know it is to ask the question here. Lets see how many would raise a hand to a meet every weekend. I personally would not have the time or inclination to spend a day every weekend on drive meets.

I would not attend a drive meet every weekend either (I have specific plans for 15th, but am available on 8th). If it is at all possible to meet more than once a month, it would be easier for me to put names to faces (right now, it's just a bunch of faces that I look forward to seeing soon ).

[autotranny]

Originally Posted by suren181

Just a small correction for the benefit of others. The tariff is a minimum of Rs. 10,500/- a night for a deluxe room and moves on to Rs. 18,500/- or so. This information is according to the link posted.

Suren bhai, you have become active all of a sudden..I think the last meet has motivated you.

By the way there is a detailed travelogue on Sandur and hampi posted here http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...jis-bears.html

He mentions therein that "The rates of the hotel is steep and we went for a package which was Rs 11.3 K plus taxes for 2 Nights/3 days including breakfast. Their rack rate is much higher. The lunch and dinner is extra and is priced higher which we told them to reduce lest it becomes too expensive."

[ksakotai]

Originally Posted by NoRules

Sashi,

The fantastic pics clicked by you covered every aspect of the meet - people, cars, location, food. Thanks a lot for being the official photographer of the day.

NoRules and MoBike (and all the others who participated)

Sorry for this late post, but my first TBHP meet surpassed all my expectations. Initially I was a bit apprehensive about probably being the only guy attending this for the first time. However, when I saw the camaraderie of everyone right from the Starting Point #1 all my doubts vanished. It was just a fantastic event and I thoroughly enjoyed meeting so many fantastic people. I made many new friends and hope this is the beginning of a long friendship.

Thank you specially to NoRules who I saw was diligently taking care of things while always having a smile on his face. You are CEO material man!!

Thanks to Mobike for the meticulous planning and keeping all the people together. I must also thank Suren, Deisel Don, Arcot, for making the meet lively, especially Arcot's Angrez impersonation, and the last bit of singing session.

Look forward to future meets.

- Krishnan

[traveloholic]

Originally Posted by k_nitin_r

I would like to mention that I can't organize a meet, but I was mentioning about the possibility of organizing an event to traveloholic.

If my memory serves me right, I do remember organizing a number of Midweek Lunch Meets and NH-9 Dhaba Meet, taking care of every minute thing in detail. Most of these things are meticulously planned in the background to ensure that the event/meet goes off without a glitch. What matters the most is the fun we all have being together. There have been a number of Keyboard Warriors, who have punched in loads and loads of wisdom via their QWERTY Keyboards to vanish in thin air. I would like to stress on this fact that, No one is trying to prove their up-manship by speaking about organizing a Lunch Meet/Drive Meet/Any Kind of Meet. Anyone willing to organize is more than welcome, please take over the mantle and organize it.

I would like to recollect something from the past:
First Ever OTF Lunch Meet. Attended by more than 25 people, with 3 people standing and having their meals. 1 person running around, why did the person have to run around.... to ensure a smooth flow of food for everyone. What was the person getting out of it? NOTHING, sheer satisfaction of having a good time with his friends.

First ever Hadippa Lunch Meet: Attended again by about 25 people. 3 people were working meticulously in the background, deciding the dishes and pre-ordering stuff and etc. What was the need of doing it? Was it really necessary that the 3 people had to go through this pain? Why did they have long calls, lengthier emails going back and forth between them? Why did the person keep in constant touch with the restaurant guys? All this for Nothing but for having a Lunch Meet without a Glitch

Exotic Food on NH-9 Dhaba: Why did a person drive back 20 Kms alone, where as other Team-BHPians were on their way to Kamareddy? Why did the person reach the Kamareddy Meeting point late? Why were the 2 people running from Kitchen to the Dining area all the time? All this for nothing but to ensure great food for everyone attending the meet.

Monsoon Drive Meet to NSD: 2 people were busy organizing things for every one just to ensure others had a good time.

I would not take the names of people who did it, just wanted to show what goes into organizing an event.

Originally Posted by k_nitin_r

I wouldnt say I can organize a meet. Perhaps what I could do is ride with a BHPian, scout out routes, and pick the place where we could eat (assuming folks would be okay with fast food)

Just a random Fast Food joint doesnot serve a purpose Nitin. A drive meet has to be accompanied by great food and that's the RULE.

Originally Posted by NoRules

Best way to know it is to ask the question here. Lets see how many would raise a hand to a meet every weekend. I personally would not have the time or inclination to spend a day every weekend on drive meets.

I agree with NoRules, I would not have the inclination to spend the weekend on a drive meet. I am sure Avi would lambast me for having the worst attendance in the Drive Meets, however, this doesnot stop me from being an active Hydee.

Originally Posted by k_nitin_r

I would not attend a drive meet every weekend either (I have specific plans for 15th, but am available on 8th). If it is at all possible to meet more than once a month, it would be easier for me to put names to faces (right now, it's just a bunch of faces that I look forward to seeing soon ).

We do not need a drive meet every weekend. There are many different kind of meets that go on and this is one of them. Drive Meet every weekend becomes too monotonous and I really doubt if there would be attendance to it every weekend. We've done various kinds of Drive Meets including the Ride Meet the last time, which was fun. We need variety and also need time to spend with family back home. Drive Meets aren't the only things a person does on the weekend.

[autotranny]

Originally Posted by traveloholic

We do not need a drive meet every weekend.

If we have a drive meet often I would also start borrowing Nikhil's signature - " My fuel bill surpasses my Income by leaps and bounds " .

Jayded and I did not realize how fast we could burn 1k worth of fuel.