Why does TLCA exist? (1 Viewer)

[GLTHFJ60]

My pitch is still that the TLCA should integrate with MUD. Establish two types of TLCA members, "Members" and "Subscribers" with two different payment grades, one just for all the advantages of TLCA, including the mag, and then the cost of the mag subscription itself.

I should have talked to Woody about this at CMCC, but when I wasn't driving I was drunk and drying out socks. Not sure how much sense I would have made.

 

[Mace]

Hi Drew, thanks for being a TLCA member!



We don't have events that people want to attend? If so, then what events should we do that we aren't already?



Which issue of Toyota Trails hasn't been covering events?



We don't have enough event coverage on the web site?



People join TLCA for a lot of tangible reasons other than events.

Did you know that 3/4 of TLCA membership are not members of chapters?

Did you know that 3/4 of TLCA members do not participate in events, and most of those never will?

Did you know that some people join TLCA for their discount on parts from their participating Toyota Dealers?

Did you know that a large fraction of TLCA members join because they really like Toyota Trails, but will never wheel their Toyota 4x4?

In the big picture, events are very important, but they are not the most important thing for the majority of TLCA members. Can we change that? Of course.



In the real world, event income for TLCA has historically a very small fraction of TLCA revenue. Let us use Cruise Moab as an example. I have been on the committee for many years, and we are hugely successful from both a participant experience standpoint (most important in my view) and from a revenue standpoint. Cruise Moab typically has around a $30k budget each year. Out of that, we might clear $5-10k. TLCA gets 10%. That's $500-$1000 to TLCA. The rest gets donated to land use, and some is reinvested in the next year's event.

Best case, TLCA might have 6-10 events per year. Most events aren't as finacially successful as Cruise Moab, but let's play with numbers. If we had 10 events that netted $1000 to TLCA, that's $10,000 out of $250,000 budget. Nothing to sneeze at, but still only a small fraction of our revenue.

That's the math.



Jim's done a hell of a job, and has always been a huge TLCA supporter. But look above and do the math.



I can not disagree with you more on this point.



One can have tech questions answered by web wheelers and armchair amateurs with no screening or professional qualifications, or they can ask the pros at TLCA. On the free web, you might get the right answer, or you might get a completely wrong answer.



T4WDO is for a different demographic. The Peterson's type kiddie crowd. You want a bunch of fluff and hype, if that's your cup of tea, have at it. TLCA has always been for a more savvy audience.



No doubt, OJ is a nice non-Toyota specific magazine, and appeals to yet another segment of our demographic.



No doubt, Woody has created a nice community here and he has always been a huge TLCA supporter. At TLCA, we are not interested in competing, but we exist side by side with IH8mud and help each other out. Drew, I don't know if you were a Land Cruiser enthusiast and online back in the 1990s when when Woody was a frequent contributor to the Land Cruiser Mailing List and forums didn't exist yet. That was the internet age, and the archives were easily searchable...



As I mentioned above, we have a diverse membership in TLCA. The majority of TLCA members agree that our dead-tree publication, Toyota Trails, is enough to keep them. For those that don't, we have been offering member's-only content online, as well as the entire publication online.



Web sites are quite dynamic. When was the last time you went there? You might find a lot of changes we have implemented over the last couple months.

Thanks for being a TLCA member, and happy cruisin!

Jeff, do you realize that this entire post says "Your opinion is wrong and we know what is right.."????

 

[Pskhaat]

TLCA needs more events. Period.

Not just wheelin. Long distance overnight travel, education seminars, TLCA-blessed "How-To" DVDs, Toyota R&D interviews and webcasts, better integration with Toyota proper and a consolidated communication channel, international reach to other clubs. How can we break more even with other concepts of events and deliverables to the membership? TLCA's not about profit yes, but rather membership value.

 

[Pskhaat]

XXXXXX...appeals to yet another segment of our demographic.

With 3k out of 20k in terms of retention, we need to expand the concept of our demographic.

 

[shinton]

I am guessing TLCA simply needs to know what their demographic IS and then make sure Trails and their website (and/or MUD) caters to each. That is done by surveys / which are hard to get folks to fill out, but make it a "drawing" for something cool to get high participation.

I think you have the folks wanting to do restorations, hard core wheelers, expedition crew, and daily drivers. I am sure I am leaving out other core groups, but once you identify those, you make sure 1-2 articles is dedicated in each issue to those groups.

Why did I join / continue to... TRAILS is my #1 reason (thinking of getting the Toyota Owners mag too) I also subscribe to ALL the major newstand 4x4 mags.

I am ALSO a member of BlueRibbon, [UFWDA, SFWDA, Carolina TrailBlazers] and Olde North State Cruisers which is a TLCA member club.

I personally am leaning back towards restoration, I already have a wheeler, and thinking Lexus GX470 as my tow rig. You will have folks like me with multiple interests.

I have no issues with TLCA, but maybe that is because I not as involved yet. My dues beyond Trails, I believe are going to help out the "sport"

I guess that is all for me, just wanted to comment on this being a positive experience for me.

 

[edwjmcgrath]

Let me add my opinion as a newcomer. I discovered mud early on. Then I discovered my local group, Yankee Toys. Then I discovered TLCA. I8MUD has clear and obvious value to me. I joined and sent my paypal in.
YT seems to have some advantages if you're interested in local events, otherwise all of the communication and learning is on Mud. I have no idea what a TLCA membership would get me and I have no plans to join.

 

[woooody]

Let me add my opinion as a newcomer. I discovered mud early on. Then I discovered my local group, Yankee Toys. Then I discovered TLCA. I8MUD has clear and obvious value to me. I joined and sent my paypal in.
YT seems to have some advantages if you're interested in local events, otherwise all of the communication and learning is on Mud. I have no idea what a TLCA membership would get me and I have no plans to join.

I appreciate where you are coming from. For good or bad, it seems like TLCA is less relevant to the newer Cruiser owners, and more relevant to the "old timers". TLCA needs to find a way to make itself more relevant.

And I do agree that local club membership, and national club membership, is in many cases more about participation in runs and events. Web-wheeling is very easy at a site like ih8mud.

If you aren't participating in the local club events, then as it sits today, TLCA membership boils down to Totyota Trails magazine, and discounts at various vendors. However, some of those discounts will pay for the cost of membership.

We'd love to have you give TLCA another look. PM me your address, and I'll send you a copy of Toyota Trails, just so you can see what it is.

Thanks

 

[woooody]

TLCA needs more events. Period.

Not just wheelin. Long distance overnight travel, education seminars, TLCA-blessed "How-To" DVDs, Toyota R&D interviews and webcasts, better integration with Toyota proper and a consolidated communication channel, international reach to other clubs. How can we break more even with other concepts of events and deliverables to the membership? TLCA's not about profit yes, but rather membership value.

I like the idea of the long travel -- We have done a long trip to Moab the last two years for Cruise Moab. Everyone who went was a TLCA member, but it wasn't an official event. I know the Bay Area 80's guys do a trip to Death Valley as well. And then there is the Alaska Cruiser Trek.

The challenge would be to create something like that, but find a way to do multiple groups (or maybe just one? who knows?)