The first Berdoo Bikes & Blues Rendezvous in San Bernardino, Calif., was declared a success, and will return next year, organizers told the San Bernardino County Sun.
it was estimated optimistically that it would draw 3,000 registered motorcycles and 12,000 paying spectators. The actual number was 1,500 bikes and 7,000 spectators. Despite the shortfall, organizers were pleased:
“We fell a bit short of my optimistic expectations,” said Convention and Visitors Bureau President and CEO Wayne Austin. “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 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 rumbled through without a hitch, easing lingering concerns harbored by people thinking about attending 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.”
This year, the Rendezvous took in $50,000 from corporate sponsors, one-fifth of what the Route 66 Rendezvous attracts annually, Austin said.
I know that some would be disappointed in the numbers. But for a first-year event, those are fairly awesome figures. At the least, it meant hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars of additional money pumped into the local economy.
Organizers will tweak the festival to make it better, and word will get around to motorcycle aficionados that it’s a good event to attend.
If it continues to be run well, it wouldn’t surprise me if Berdoo Bike & Blues becomes nearly as big as the Route 66 Rendezvous.