Ringmeet 2018, because we're not finnished with this.

leviathan;n3546184 said:
Room booking at Weihs confirmed, Thu-Mon. Looking forward to a Ringmeet with a car worth actually taking on the Ring :)
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Enjjoy it while it lasts ;-)
 
So I've been giving a bit of thought to the Awards and have, thus far at least, been devoid of any inspiration for ways to keep it fresh and entertaining. I don't want to plough through the same old shit once more for the sake of "tradition", nor do I want it to be perceived as a platform for me to massage my ego (which it isn't nor ever was) rather than its purpose of filling the empty void that always seemed to exist after dinner on the Saturday evening.

With this in mind I would like to garner opinion on the following:

1. Someone else picks up the baton and volunteers to take responsibility for the Awards process.

2. We return to the tradition of a short "scenic drive" to a restaurant somewhere in the Eifel region before returning to VS for relaxed beers and silly conversation. This place has been suggested several times but we've never got organised as a group and been there AFAIK - https://www.vulkan-brauerei.de . If we did then I would be happy to do a shorter version of the Awards upon our return, perhaps 8-10 to cover the regular categories.

3. We carry on regardless, eat across the road at Im Wurstkessel and I go back to racking my brains for ideas to stop the whole thing becoming stale.
 
Movie night.
I suggested this before and was promptly shot down. :lol:
AFAIK IceBone has a projector.
 
MWF;n3547307 said:
2. We return to the tradition of a short "scenic drive" to a restaurant somewhere in the Eifel region before returning to VS for relaxed beers and silly conversation. This place has been suggested several times but we've never got organised as a group and been there AFAIK - https://www.vulkan-brauerei.de . If we did then I would be happy to do a shorter version of the Awards upon our return, perhaps 8-10 to cover the regular categories.
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Driving to a brewery and then driving back to the campsite doesn't seem like a good idea to me, tbh. Driving anywhere where there's alcohol requires some people to stay sober to drive others back, which is one of the main reasons we went for the restaurant across the street.

Fourth option: We go have dinner, and just have a normal evening where people socialise.
 
Also a possibility but that has already become the norm for the Sunday evening, those who remain just chilling and chatting as Ringmeet winds down.

The two main evenings of the event are Friday and Saturday and while the former is nicely filled with a BBQ and Pub Quiz, simply strolling across the road for a bite to eat then wandering back and just getting a bit (or more) drunk seems like a bit of an anti-climax by comparison which is why I dreamt up the Awards in the first place.

If, however, the majority are happy to do just that and aren't fussed about the Awards or any other specific form of entertainment then I'm more than happy to go with the flow. We could perhaps, after all, for those who are interested, move any planned Beer Tasting event to after dinner on the Saturday? At least then we would be tasting on properly full stomachs.
 
We'd need 20 - 25% of attendants staying sober for a drive back from a restaurant. I'd be willing to be one of the drivers, but I don't particularly like the food at Wurstkessel anyway. ;)

A scenic drive during the day would also be nice, but requires scouting and stuff.
 
I'm up for a Scenic Drive on the Friday if anyone else is interested. Suggestions for routes and things to visit welcome. Also haven't done the Roman Villa yet so may give that some consideration as it's close by and I'm sure HWF3.0 and Junior will also want to do the Rodelbahn.

We've Thursday evening plus all of Saturday and Sunday to hang around at the Nordschliefe and do laps after all.

We're probably going to arrive at VS on Tuesday late afternoon or early evening then get up early to do a full day at Phantasialand on the Weds if anyone else fancies rocking up a bit early and joining us?

As for dinner on Saturday I'm happy to lay off the sauce and volunteer to be a designated driver if there is enough support for a change of venue. There is ample time for drinking after we get back after all.
 
MWF;n3547331 said:
As for dinner on Saturday I'm happy to lay off the sauce and volunteer to be a designated driver if there is enough support for a change of venue. There is ample time for drinking after we get back after all.
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Since I don't drink anyway (at least not in Restaurants) I'm happy to volunteer as a designated driver as well, as long as nobody pushes it and barfs in someone else's car, but I doubt this would happen anyway.

That said, The Awards (tm) are always a highlight, and since it's "just" once a year they will probably never get old as long as someone as entertaining (and drunk :p ) as you hosts them. That also said, if you don't enjoy hosting them anymore we should stop since nobody should be forced to do something he/she doesn't enjoy just for the sake of "tradition" or whatever.
 
Thanks for the vote of confidence. TBH I doubt myself pretty much every year but there seems always to be enough support to give me the conviction to carry on.

I still favour an alternative venue for Saturday evening food, if only to mix things up a bit, and I will redouble my efforts to conjur up something new for this year's presentation.
 
Fifth option: We can have Lauri and Antti go over the answers of last years pub quiz. :p
 
Well I wasn't there for the awards last year so I'd like to see them at least once more. It's always a great laugh no matter what and people will always be here to help inspire you. :D

I always found driving to the restaurant difficult, but I think that's more to do with the place (can't remember the name now but it was too small and disorganised when I was there). I'm not planning on bringing Bugsy this year and the planned transport doesn't make a good taxi, otherwise I would offer a minibus service since I'm quite happy to delay drinking until I'm back at the camp site. Scenic drives are great and the trip to the Rhine Frank organised the other year was fantastic, however a full day feels like too much. The first year I was there there was a 2 hour or so evening drive following clues and I still have very fond memories of that.
 
DaHitch;n3547357 said:
Fifth option: We can have Lauri and Antti go over the answers of last years pub quiz. :p
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:lol:

The incompleteness of 2017 information in the ultimate thread guide still bugs me.
 
My personal opinion: It's not about HOW the awards are presented. I'm sure Matt can deliver a solid "performance" without breaking into sweat. He's the proven master of ceremonies and I trust him to continue being that. The point is that the Ringmeet Awards happen. They've become an anchor point of the Ringmeet, not only a tradition but an institution!

Not so much because of the ceremony itself but for the fun that is connected to it. Each year there is new fun, new gags, new routines. New people and new cars as well. That alone prevents it from becoming stale or repetetive. I'm sure nobody has a problem with the established routine. The Awards Ceremony must stay alive in my eyes and the combination of Wurstkessel and Awards Ceremony has proven to be both cost-effective and practical.

Always keep in mind that another restaurant is a) farer away, b) probably a lot more expensive and c) maybe not be suited to serve so many people at once (bad experiences of the past). As pointed out already, driving is also an issue. With 30+ people you'd need at least 7 or 8 people who're willing to stay sober and drive (not taking into consideration that some have cars with only TWO usable seats ;-) )

Wurstkessel may not be perfect but it's predictable and reliable. In contrast to DanRoM I like the food there (it's not outstanding but still okay) and it's budget. And let's face it: Nobody cares about fancy meat at the BBQ on Friday, so why should anyone care about a fancier restaurant on Saturday? ;-)

I admit I'm a man who likes routines and shies away from breaking it, that is my personal problem. But I think the established schedule (Friday BBQ & Quiz, Saturday Wurstkessel & Awards) is neither stale nor boring and therefore doesn't need to be changed.

However, I'm always up to do scenic drives or touristy stuff (still haven't visited that bunker). I'm sure something can be organized - like the drive through the Rhine Gorge I organized a couple of years ago. Not everyone's up for Ring laps or standing around and looking at cars in the rain or the burning sun at Brünnchen or the entrance. Last year I haven't been at the entrance once and didn't miss it.

There certainly should be alternatives. But it always needs people willing to organize them. And I'm not looking at the usual suspects now. Maybe somebody else also would like to play a more active role for a change? I'd definitly fancy a scenic drive again ;-)
 
Pretty much this.
The "schedule" we have works. Why change it? Maybe a new presenter, if Matt feels like taking a break and just enjoying the show, but the Quiz and Awards should continue.
 
Like last year, I will be doing the RingBeer tasting again. I'm thinking of going full sommelier this time, with a full list of beers with small blurbs on them with tasting notes. This will require one or two extra sommeliers to assist me in pouring the beers and bullshitting patrons, and people to tell me beforehand what beers they're intending to bring for RingBeer.

I have already procured the first beer I will be pouring.
 
Adunaphel;n3547672 said:
... people to tell me beforehand what beers they're intending to bring for RingBeer.
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I could procure beer from a local brewery in my town, some of it is imho quite interesting. Take a look: https://www.hofgut-kronenhof.de/unser-bier/bierspezialitäten.html. The "Champagner-Weizen" will be in season at the time :) A few others should be available as well. To my shame I've only tried their base sorts (Kronenhof Hell and Kronenhof Dunkel), which were quite good in my opinion.
 
Adunaphel;n3547672 said:
Like last year, I will be doing the RingBeer tasting again. I'm thinking of going full sommelier this time, with a full list of beers with small blurbs on them with tasting notes. This will require one or two extra sommeliers to assist me in pouring the beers and bullshitting patrons, and people to tell me beforehand what beers they're intending to bring for RingBeer.

I have already procured the first beer I will be pouring.
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As last year, i will assist you in this great venture.
 
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I'm visiting the area where I grew up in May and I'm planning to look for local beers there.
 
Good news. Just don't bring any more of that one that tasted like smoked mackerel, please!
 
I’m second guessing going for some reason. I’d love to join somebody on these drives. I’ve enough vacation time to do pretty much whatever. I don’t know what I’m doing. I don’t want to impede on what you guys have planned with each other though.
 
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