Benvenuti amici!
As is evident to anyone even remotely familiar with this blog, CC5C thrives on a Famiglia First set of principles. In the nine months since launching, our local club has grown exponentially and non-local support and/or membership in said club has grown at an even faster rate.
The largest group we've seen at a gathering included 20 cars… which is a small fraction of our blog & Facebook presence. But we are not the only new independent FIAT enthusiast group enjoying success. In fact, there are many. One particular group is led by someone we are happy to count among CC5C friends. We've featured his event/s in a few different ways on this blog, thanks to James Wilson & Edwin Barron. Brett Melancon is an aficionado in the truest sense of the word, the editor/publisher of RICAMBI magazine & founder/organizer of FIAT on the Dragon.
Today, we are very pleased to feature the man, himself, for a short e-conversation. Brett is a difficult guy to catch… whether or not he's behind the wheel of a FIAT.
CC5C: Hello, Brett. How're you? If your schedule is anything like mine, you're probably exhausted. HaHa! All joking aside, though, how're you, man. I know you just wrapped the second annual 'Spring Thaw' event, FIAT on the Dragon.
Brett: I am good, thanks for asking. I must say that after the event concluded, I had a serious case of withdrawals from the fun. I am a road trip junkie and love to drive. I get my enjoyment from the journey almost as much as the destination. This is probably what led me to start the FIAT on the Dragon as a DRIVING event. As you pointed out, the Spring 2014 Event was our second Spring event. We also did a Fall Run but it was more informal. I started tagging the Fall runs as FIAT on the Dragon-Unplugged.
There is nothing quite as rewarding as putting on an event and having people travel from all over, thousands of miles even, to attend. It makes it all worthwhile and keeps me excited for the next event. I have set my goal at an ambitious 100 FIAT cars for 2015!
CC5C: Man, that reads like a blast. One hundred FIATs for 2015?! That is ambitious. But it seems you're on target and the goal isn't outlandish… by any definition (not for someone with your ambition). Right, then. Please explain, for those unaware, what RICAMBI & FIAT On The Dragon are... a bit of history... and what part you play in these activities.
Brett: Well, RICAMBI is a full color, 32 page club magazine published by FIAT Club America (formerly FLU). I have been doing this magazine since the late 90s and am currently working on the 60th issue! That is quite a milestone for me, as you might imagine. I work hard to maintain a balance of new and vintage FIAT material. Since the magazine is 100% reader written, that can be a challenge at times. Thankfully, FCA has lots of excited folks who love to share stories about how they enjoy their FIATs. As long as the stories keep coming, I will keep doing the magazine.
I have been involved in and attending FIAT events since 1994 when I joined FCA (then FLU). My first event was the FIAT FreakOut In Poughkeepsie, New York and I was hooked. I have not missed a FIAT FreakOut since then. In 1998, I co-chaired the show as we hosted it at the then little known Fontana Village Resort near the Tail of the Dragon. At that time, Fontana had never done a car event as large as ours. Our first year at Fontana brought in a record number or over 150 cars and we repeated it in 1999. It became clear even then that people would travel to visit and drive this part of the country in their FIAT. At this time, the Dragon was relatively unknown by anyone who didn’t ride a motorcycle. We helped to change that.
As the years rolled by, I assisted with many other FFO events and kept thinking that someone should organize a driving event near the Tail of the Dragon. When FIAT returned to the USA, I knew then that this was my chance to do something cool with FIAT and the Dragon. FIAT on the Dragon was born as a Spring 2012 event and we proudly modeled our basic structure after the MINI on the Dragon event that has become so popular with MINI drivers.
Now that we've held our second successful Spring event with about 50 FIAT cars, we know we are onto something special. The real surprise for participants is the Devil’s Triangle. Most return home with memories of that road as being even more fun and challenging than the Dragon. Maybe we should have called FIAT on the Triangle?
Or next big Spring event is going to be April 10-12 2015 and plan to be there with your FIAT. As I said earlier, my goal is an ambitious 100 FIAT cars. 'FIAT USA, are you listening?' We love the cars and we love to drive, watch us do it.
CC5C: Thanks for the rundown… and energy. 'Excellent work you're doing... and it definitely reads as exhausting as it is fun. The missus & I intend to attend your 'Unplugged' run this year. We're also talking about making your Spring event a regular stop for us. So thanks for the invite!
If you don't mind, I'd like to really focus my questions on FOTD. I think RICAMBI, the only dedicated US-published FIAT magazine of which I'm aware, sells itself.
The big question which keeps springing to mind, for me, is how you were able to organize people around the event. It seems as though it has become some sort of Mecca for North American drivers of new FIATs. So, how'd you do it?
Brett: Thanks Amado! I look forward to meeting you both and sharing some great roads together on the Fall run. The Fall run has the potential to be the most scenic thing you will do all year. I try to time this so that it coincides with the peak Fall colors.
FotD… Well, this has always been an event waiting on the right time [for me]. For years, this is something I have wanted to do. The re-introduction of FIAT to North America was the fuel that I needed to get this fire started. Our first Spring event had more attendees than I had planned and I knew then that I was onto something big. The 20-30 cars we had over the weekend on that first event was all the proof I needed to keep moving on this idea. I will never forget how great it was to hear the laughter and comments from everyone about how much fun they were having when we made our stop on the Devil’s Triangle. People could not say enough good things about the experience.
My background is in marketing and graphic design, so, I have a natural desire to look at situations in a creative manner. This event is a result of years of thinking about it and considering ways to share experiences in a FIAT with other people. FIAT USA spends lots of money trying to do what I have done on a shoestring. To date, I have not made a dime on this event and that is okay. My goal is to provide an experience that does not break the bank.
One thing to remember is that this is a Driving Event. We may add a show element to it someday but, for now, don’t come if you don’t like to drive because that is what we do. It is not unusual for is to do over 500 miles over the weekend in addition to the distance driven getting there. I guarantee that those 500 miles are some of the most fun ever in a FIAT.
Looking forward, my goal is to build this event so it is bigger than me. I want to build some kind of structure that will carry things on, even if I am not able to do it all. Bringing Tom and Donna Broberg onboard to help out this year was key to this plan. They are my home base heroes and manage the hotel side of things with the onsite meals. They have done other events for upwards of 500 people and bring lots of talent to the table.
CC5C: "Bigger than me." I dig that. This is the ultimate goal for CC5C. If it only works when the founder is involved, nothing was really founded. The idea of these kinds of things ought to be future-forward & self-propulsion. I applaud you on that… I know it isn't easy.
I'm sure there is lots of work waiting for your attention. Thanks so much for taking time out of a busy schedule to share your vision… your passion... with us. The CC5C wishes you and all FIATisti involved with FIAT On The Dragon the very best, Brett. We'll see you sooner than later, my friend.
Brett: Thanks Amado!
Brett: Thanks Amado!
Vivere.Amare.Guidare.
Ciao!
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