Yuille36

Gentlemen,

I've been asked by the Management Staff at Euromotorcars of Bethesda, to solicit any and all ideas for the next AMG gathering in Bethesda, Maryland. I'm looking for your input, as the dealership would like to improve the AMG experience at the various events their scheduling for the New Year. Euromotorcars of Bethesda is the only AMG Performance Center in the DC Metro Area. And they would like to be the premiere gathering spot for all things AMG in the area. So what can they do, to attract your participation for their next AMG event?

We held our first meet last October, which turned out quite well, considering that it was held on Halloween. But the Dealership is looking for more ideas to make the next gathering better.

I have been addressing issues such as; issuing raffle tickets as a door prize, for a raffle of AMG apparel. Having your AMG washed at the dealership; during the gathering. Food and beverages have been addressed. Holding Formula One race events during the 2011 Formula One season. Holding DIY (Do It Yourself) events, where the parts department is open and techs are on hand to assist you. Holding Tech Sessions, with Q&A periods from AMG certified technicians. Having a car rally and various driving events, an even possibly an AMG Driving Experience event in the future.

So you see, all ideas will be entertained. I just need your input, so that I can forward the information to the people that will ultimately make the decisions. Thank you

jvanbrecht

I like the idea of a little car rally, or various driving events. There is an odd event in the parking lot of the Bowie Baseball Stadium every now and then, sounds like a nascar event (bunch of corvettes heh..) and a lot of murdered little orange cones.

Baby Gorilla

It would be nice to have some sort of DIY with the service and parts departments. One of my problems with Mercedes is that things are too much of a "black box." With other cars I have owned (Ford, Acura, Toyota, etc.), the ability to modify/DIY is much easier and not so much of a mystery.

NickZag

How about free to all members who post here?

Yuille36

Euromotorcars had a meeting with Steve Erlichman (AMG Training Manager) on Wednesday. Steve said that MB is committed to assisting the "AMG Performance Centers" with marketing and promotion and said that he will provide Brian Butler with a schedule of events for next year. In the meantime Brian requested that I send him a tentative schedule of things we would like to do in 2011. Steve also suggested that we coordinate events around the launch dates for the new products. They have the new S63, CL63, CLS63, SLS Cabriolet, SLK and the C63 coupe coming out in 2011. I will coordinate our events around when the vehicles will be available for show.

Euromotorcars Management is very committed to becoming the premier AMG resource and dealer in the Mid Atlantic. So I don’t foresee any problems with granting any reasonable requests. I will keep you all in the loop regardless of what happens.

So gentlemen, lets get this party started. Please submit your requests, ideas, etc. to me, so that I can consolidate your requests and provide it to Brian and the Management Staff for approval. Hopefully our next event is better then the previous gathering.

Yuille36

This is the email, that I recieved from MBUSA and the AMG Private Lounge.
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Dear Mr. Jones,

Thank you for your email. We certainly appreciate your enthusiasm for the AMG Brand and the AMG Private Lounge.

One of the core reasons the AMG Private Lounge was created was to allow AMG owners to have more direct communications with each other so that they can self organize events and such. You will find that many of the AMG movements that you mentioned in your email started this same way with AMG Private Lounge members having a passion for the AMG brand.

It sounds like you are going about it the right way through your dealership. As they are an AMG Performance Center Dealership, they will have the right contacts at MBUSA that can potentially support the dealership in AMG initiatives. Steve is a great resource and a part of our AMG Private Lounge Team, we are sure that he will help you and your dealership in any way that he can.

Be sure to keep your fellow AMG Private Lounge members involved and up to date on what you are planning!

Regards from Affalterbach,

The AMG Private Lounge Team

Yuille36

Hello William,

I have been keeping Steve updated on our plans for the New Year. I will have a more detailed conversation after we formulate a game plan. Thanks for sharing with the AMG Private Lounge.

Brian

Yuille36

For those AMG Owners in the Greater Washington Metro Area

I would like to thank those of you that are interested, in our AMG Events for your patience and understanding while we’re putting these events together. I'm currently working with Brian Butler to develop a business strategy to outline this year's events to the management staff at the dealership. I will post the dates for the AMG Event at Euromotorcars of Bethesda, when they become available. Please stand by and take you for your patience.

Muskoka_AMG

A few ideas to seperate yourselves from the others:

- Organizing a few AMG centered lapping days/drag events/auto-x or things of the sort would definately appeal to the performance side of the AMG crowd.

- Being an authorized dealer of some reputable AMG tuner, and offering to install tunes on the car AND keep warranty (we all know the motor and tranny can handle a little more power, especially in the C63, plus from a financial standpoint you could make good margins which should make up for the perceived risk factor). Think of this like VW/Audi dealerships allowing certain companies' aftermarket tunes with no warranty issues (as well as BMW and Dinan). As well, you could have an affiliate shop (check Budd's in Oakville, Ontario Canada and their relationship with Pfaff tuning).

Just a few ideas.

Yuille36

Thank you very much for your input, I've heard alot of off the wall crap from others. But yours is very do able from the dealers viewpoint. I have posed that question to then in a email. Awaiting response. Thank you again. This is the kind of feedback I'm looking for.

Yuille36

Muskoka_AMG;

This is the reply that I recieved from Euromotorcars

Hello William,
Thanks for the posting! Auto –X and lap events and drag –events are certainly something we could and should do. The aftermarket products are more problematic as we have not had good success with Renn-Tech and others. MB vehicles are extremely complicated and have numerous interdependencies we have found many unexpected issues arise with many modifications so I don’t think that will fly. However MB does offer an extensive line of AMG parts that are a direct bolt on for most AMG products these products may be a good opportunity for us if we stocked and priced them competitively.

Thanks for the ideas I will incorporate the parts and tuning aspect into the document.

Regards,

Brian

Yuille36

I just recieved this email today.
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Dear Mr. Jones,

My name is Patrick Dinger, and together with Nadine Hauser I am reponsible at AMG Headquarters for all AMG Performance Centers in the world. We received your message and it is great to hear that we have such motivated owners out there that are interested in our centers. You are right, it is very important to keep the wheels rolling with the centers. Especially in 2011 we have planned a lot of measures to promote the AMG Performance Centers. When you are asking about driving events I will contact the project leader of the RPI in the US market, maybe we will find a great way to do this.

Thanks for your support and all the best from Affalterbach

Patrick Dinger
Network Development
Mercedes-AMG GmbH
W601 - SAN
Daimlerstr. 1 71563 Affalterbach

Yuille36

I had to delete this post, as I was contacted by the AMG-Private Lounge, they had some concerns over what I was posting to the site.

Yuille36

I talked to Brian the other day, he said he was working on the strategy paper for managment, he said that he would be forwarding it to me for review, before final submission for this year's AMG events.