1st Annual East Coast Lexus Meet, August 19 - 21

[DaveGS4]

OK everybody, there have been several 'reserve the date' threads in the last few months for this MASSIVE Lexus event and now we're ready to open registration for the First Annual East Coast Lexus Meet. We're anticipating this will be the biggest Lexus-only event on the east coast (and possibly biggest in the US) and are anticipating 200 - 300 Lexus in attendance. For our inaugural east coast event, Lexus' factory sponsored race team (Team Lexus) has graciously offered to host us with an open house and a preview of the IS350 racecar being built for next season.

Please visit our meet website www.lexfest.net for more information; the snippets below are just a starter.

W H E N

We're targeting the weekend of August 19 - 21, with the primary meet events on Saturday August 20. The weather will still be warm, but should be a bit cooler for outdoor activities towards the end of summer.

W H A T

Meet fellow avid Lexus enthusiasts

Show off your car and scope out what other folks have done with their Lexus rides

Tour the Team Lexus facility and see the exciting new IS350 racecar

Learn about Lexus aftermarket parts from vendors

Alternative daytime local tourism for guests in the Baltimore and Washington DC area

Chances to win valuable prizes from our meet sponsors

Scheduled caravans to the meet from major local metro areas. We'll form up folks who may want to drive together to the meet location

MORE details on special events and surprises at the meet to come!

W H E R E

The Team Lexus race shop just outside of Baltimore, MD

A central location that most folks in the central-eastern US can get to (as well as other ambitious folks). The Baltimore / DC area was selected for the first annual meet because of the ready-built core group of Lexus enthusiasts within easy driving distance in the Northeast corridor that can make this meet a really big one. When Team Lexus volunteered their facility to host us, it became a no-brainer. Future Lexfest meets will be in different east coast cities each year to allow for changes of scenery and different groups of members to attend.

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The www.lexfest.net meet website is up and running and will be constantly updated with new information about the event. We still need to add a bunch of additional content to it including details on the special events planned during the meet from our sponsors / vendors, special deal and location of meet hotels, lists of the raffle prizes, etc.

We ask that people that are likely to attend register now so we can begin to get a count of people coming for food and facilities planning. If it turns out you can't make it, just send me a PM or an email to info@lexfest.net and we'll pull you off. Click on the register button below or click here to enter your registration information. Note that you won't show up right away on the 'confirmed attendees' page because there is an approval / review process.

The meet planning team will check back on this thread regularly to answer any questions.

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The planning team still needs help! If you have any:

* Connections or media contacts with magazines, radio or television that would want to cover the event

* Suggestions for sponsors / vendors that may be of interest to our group

* Special authority with the park service or anyone that could provide us with venues for exceptional photo locations

* Can help promote this event to your local Lexus dealer / organize members in your city to attend

* Suggestions for a Baltimore / DC area no-fee professional photographer who takes exceptional pictures and resells large prints on the web

please PM me asap!

[1SICKLEX]

OK everybody, there have been several 'reserve the date' threads in the last few months for this MASSIVE Lexus event and now we're ready to open registration for the First Annual East Coast Lexus Meet.  We're anticipating this will be the biggest Lexus-only event on the east coast (and possibly biggest in the US) and are anticipating 200 - 300 Lexus in attendance.  For our inaugural east coast event, Lexus' factory sponsored race team (Team Lexus) has graciously offered to host us with an open house and a preview of the IS350 racecar being built for next season.

Please visit our meet website www.lexfest.net   for more information; the snippets below are just a starter.

W H E N 

We're targeting the weekend of August 19 - 21, with the primary meet events on Saturday August 20.  The weather will still be warm, but should be a bit cooler for outdoor activities towards the end of summer.

W H A T 

Meet fellow avid Lexus enthusiasts

Show off your car and scope out what other folks have done with their Lexus rides

Tour the Team Lexus facility and see the exciting new IS350 racecar

Learn about Lexus aftermarket parts from vendors

Alternative daytime local tourism for guests in the Baltimore and Washington DC area

Chances to win valuable prizes from our meet sponsors

Scheduled caravans to the meet from major local metro areas.  We'll form up folks who may want to drive together to the meet location

MORE details on special events and surprises at the meet to come!

W H E R E 

The Team Lexus race shop just outside of Baltimore, MD

A central location that most folks in the central-eastern US can get to (as well as other ambitious folks).  The Baltimore / DC area was selected for the first annual meet because of the ready-built core group of Lexus enthusiasts within easy driving distance in the Northeast corridor that can make this meet a really big one.  When Team Lexus volunteered their facility to host us, it became a no-brainer.  Future Lexfest meets will be in different east coast cities each year to allow for changes of scenery and different groups of members to attend.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The www.lexfest.net meet website is up and running and will be constantly updated with new information about the event.  We still need to add a bunch of additional content to it including details on the special events planned during the meet from our sponsors / vendors, special deal and location of meet hotels, lists of the raffle prizes, etc. 

We ask that people that are likely to attend  register now so we can begin to get a count of people coming for food and facilities planning.  If it turns out you can't make it, just send me a PM or an email to info@lexfest.net and we'll pull you off.  Click on the register button below or click here  to enter your registration information.  Note that you won't show up right away on the 'confirmed attendees' page because there is an approval / review process.

The meet planning team will check back on this thread regularly to answer any questions.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The planning team still needs help!  If you have any:

* Connections or media contacts with magazines, radio or television that would want to cover the event

* Suggestions for sponsors / vendors that may be of interest to our group

* Special authority with the park service or anyone that could provide us with venues for exceptional photo locations

* Can help promote this event to your local  Lexus dealer / organize members in your city to attend

* Suggestions for a Baltimore / DC area no-fee professional photographer who takes exceptional pictures and resells large prints on the web

please PM me asap!

←

ITS THE LEXUS EVENT OF THE NEW MILLIENIUM!!!! Join and meet those you have chatted with for years!!! Come see one of the largest concentrations of modded Lexus in the world!!!

[DaveGS4]

So... anybody from LOC sign up for this yet?

We've got 52 cars so far and it looks like they're all from ClubLexus and My.IS!

Show your support!

[DaveGS4]

Just to make sure to manage expectations, wanted to give everyone a quick update on meet planning progress.

I had a conference call with Team Lexus today and learned the delivery of the new Team Lexus IS350 has been delayed by Lexus and is currently scheduled for August, so we won't know until last few days with certainty about its arrival.

What they will have for us to see during the open house:

* The ONLY IS350 Test Mule car. This was described as the IS350 chassis and motor on a Toyota Crown body cut in half.

* Two Team Lexus IS300 drift cars

* Two Team Lexus IS300 Grand Am Cup road cars

* Two Team Lexus GS400s Grand Am Cup road cars

* Team Lexus sponsored IS300 Sportcross showcar

* Team Lexus Race Rig

Hopefully the uncertainty on final delivery won't change anyone's mind on attending. I'm personally as much interested in checking out all the awesome member cars that have registered as Team Lexus stuff.

Other Updates:

* We're working on building our list of raffle prizes and vendors who will be attending the meet.

* Meet hotels are being visually checked out to make sure they meet our criteria early next week, then we'll post up details for those who want to stay overnight(s).

* Food onsite will be catered by Little Havana, menu coming soon.

PLEASE REGISTER NOW if you think you can come so we can get an accurate count to forecast food & drink, hotel rooms and important stuff like porta-johns. So far with only a couple of weeks of promotion we have 57 Cars and 140 people.

WWW.LEXFEST.NET for more details and to register.

[SKperformance]

Come on guys

,so who is going?

[1SICKLEX]

Come on guys

,so who is going?

←

Over 70 Lexus signed up!!!

[VMF]

can i bring civic?:)

[DaveGS4]

can i bring civic?:)

←

Sure you can come to the meet in anything, but only Lexus will be allowed to park in the car show area. We'll have parking for other vehicles outside the meet area.

Most of the time the meets I help set up are open to any makes, we want just this one to be all about Lexus though :)

[DaveGS4]

We'll have the Lexfest website updated soon with this info, but several folks have asked about it so I'm going to go ahead and post it up on the forums.

L O D G I N G

Our group has arranging special pricing at a hotel nearby the meet facility. Considerations we made when selecting the lodging include:

- safety of area

- safety of parking lot for our vehicles

- How close to Team Lexus facility

- cost per night / discount available

- room options (suites, etc)

- large meeting room availble

- proximty to interstate

- proximity to food and drink places

- proximity to gas station / car wash

- proximity to other area attractions

The place we reserved is:

- is in a decent area

- has a well lit, monitored and videotaped parking lot

- has free wireless internet

- has free breakfast

- is only 15-20 minutes from our meet location on Saturday

- has a large meeting room we can use Friday night and Saturday as people arrive

- reasonably priced

Note that we plan to call the local police department and ask for increased patrols of the hotel lot during the meet weekend.

Our meet hotel for Lexfest 2005 is the:

Holiday Inn Express

BALTIMORE-BWI AIRPORT WEST

7481 RIDGE ROAD

HANOVER, MD 21076

UNITED STATES

Tel: 1-410-684-3388

Fax: 1-410-684-3919

Our group rate is $89.00 per night. We've started with a block of 25 rooms, and will expand to more rooms as needed on or before August 5. Our initial block / rate will expire on August 10 so please make your reservations before then! Of course you're welcome to stay somewhere else if you prefer.

How to book a room with our discount:

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Call the hotel directly at 1-410-684-3388 and tell them you need to make a reservation at their hotel for a group (don't let them transfer you to the 'general' reservations outside the hotel). Tell them the dates you want to stay (August 19 and 20th, or just one of the nights). Tell the agent you are with the Lexus group and the special group code is 'LEX' and they'll hook you up. You will need to guarantee your room with a credit card, but can cancel up until the day of the event with no penalty.

Early bird discount heads up that there are a couple of direct booking internet rooms available at a lower $80.95 rate if you book directly and early with the hotel (use the link below). Do not reference our rate code, just nab them at that lower rate (you have to book via the internet). Once these couple of rooms are gone, they're gone. These rooms are outside our block.

http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/ex/1/en/hd/balhv

There are also pictures of the hotel exterior, workout facility and more details.

Other stuff about the hotel area you might want to know:

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Nearby Attractions

Baltimore's Inner Harbor/Stadium Complex (9 MI/ 14.48 KM )

Arundel Mills Mall /Over 100 Shops (1 MI/ 1.61 KM )

Six Flags /Washington D.C. (30 MI/ 48.28 KM )

Hard Rock Café (9 MI/ 14.48 KM )

Historic Annapolis (24 MI/ 38.62 KM )

Medieval Times/ Dinner and Tournament (1 MI/ 1.61 KM )

Merriweather Post Pavilion (10 MI/ 16.09 KM )

Baltimore Science Center (9 MI/ 14.48 KM )

National Aquarium In Baltimore (9 MI/ 14.48 KM )

Port Discovery/ Children's Entertainment Center (9 MI/ 14.48 KM )

Power Plant Live (9 MI/ 14.48 KM )

ESPN Zone (9 MI/ 14.48 KM )

Baltimore Convention Center (9 MI/ 14.48 KM )

MM&T Bank/Ravens Stadium (9 MI/ 14.48 KM )

Jillians/ Family and Adult Entertainment Center (1 MI/ 1.61 KM )

Nearby Food

Denny's

Location: Nearby - Adjacent to Hotel

Serves: Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner

Family-style restaurant, open 24 hours a day. Very resonably priced.

Mama Lucia

Location: Nearby - Walking distance from Hotel

Serves: Lunch | Dinner

Italian Cooking, serving beer and wine, free delivery to hotel. Excellent food! 10% off to all hotel guests.

Hunan Pagoda Oriental

Location: Nearby - Walking distance from hotel

Serves: Lunch | Dinner

Authentic Chinese restaurant, serving beer and wine, free delivery to hotel. 10% off to hotel guests.

Chili's

Location: Nearby - Arundel Mills Mall

Serves: Lunch | Dinner

American Style selections, Good food, large helpings. Hotel will provide transportatin when availible.

Timbuktu

Location: Nearby - 2 miles from hotel

Serves: Lunch | Dinner

Large selection of Maryland Seafood. Best know for their crabcakes!!!

Gunnings Restaurant

Location: Nearby - 2 miles from hotel

Serves: Lunch | Dinner

Variety menu than includes Maryland Seafood. Great Clam Chowder.

Bars/Lounges

Cancun Cantina

Location: Nearby - 2 miles from hotel

County Western - offering daily happy hour and evening dinner specials. Dancing and Bull Riding.

Jillian's

Location: Nearby - Arundel Mills Mall

Very Unique, Includes Sports Bar, offers large selection of games (reality bowl, pool tables, electronic races, shooting ranges, etc.) Has limited menu. Offers dancing on Friday and Saturday only. Adults only after 10pm

Directions

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From 295/95 take RT 100E to exit 10B (Dorsey Rd). right on Dorsey Rd & Next Left on Ridge Road. Hotel is on the right.

To get custom directions to the hotel click here:

http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/ex/1/en/direction/balhv

To get directions from the hotel to the Team Lexus facility, click here:

http://www.mapquest.com/directions/main.ad...&2s=MD&2z=21244

Thank you to planning team Morris and Leroy from Team Lexus for helping with the hotel arrangements and personal inspections!

[DaveGS4]

I woke up this AM and realized we also need to leak some details (still being solidified) about our planned Sunday event for people to make the decision to stay Saturday night or not.

On Sunday morning August 21, we're looking at doing a morning 45 minute 'Lexus cruise' on the back roads up to the Team Lexus race engine builder's shop (a vendor) where we'd take a tour of the facility and get a demo of how they build up both turbo and race engines, We'd have free dynos for subset of the cars - right now we're anticipating up to 10 dynos due to time constraints. We're not sure yet how we're going to pick the 10 cars to dyno (lottery / raffle, top HP FI cars on the drive, sign up, etc).

We'd take the scenic back road route to the shop & stop for a quick breakfast along the way probably leaving about 9am. ITs about a 45 minute drive from Team Lexus facility. If we can set it up, I'd like to get someone with a pickup truck to do some video of the drive (videographer in back of truck) and have some drive-by taping set up.

Relaxing morning back roads drive, shoot some video, take a tour, strap on some dynos, then head home :)

================================

109 cars signed up so far! Please register at www.lexfest.net if you haven't already so we can make sure to plan for parking, drinks, food, etc.

[DaveGS4]

Whose going to be the 125th Lexus to sign up to attend?

http://www.lexfest.net/

Register here

http://www.lexfest.net/add_attendee.aspx

[DaveGS4]

Important Request for Lexfest attendees with "A/V Showcars" that need a power drop.

If your Lexus has a massive AV setup you want to show off at Lexfest 2005 and requires an AC power drop, please PM me or send an email to info @ lexfest. net . Decribe your setup, pics preferred; we'll have very limited space in the showcar area with power and may not have room for everyone there.

Thanks!

[DaveGS4]

Some exciting updates for Lexfest 2005!

Lunch Price Drop

We've been told that Lexus Corporate is picking up all or part of the food and drink cost for the event :). I haven't heard the details from them in person (heard from Team Lexus spokesperson), but they're adding a lot of additional support for the Lexfest event now that we have such a big turnout registered! We'll be posting a menu soon. Thanks Lexus and thanks everyone for turning out to make this first annual event a massive Lexus enthusiast meet!

Prizes

The Planning Team has started to update the prizes tab on the Lexfest website with some of raffle info for our meet. Thank you to all the supporting organizations!! In addition to what's listed:

1) Lexus Corp. is also bringing a nice selection of giveaways, including 1/18 model scale cars, only for Lexus owners at the event.

2) One of the Team Lexus sponsors does clear bra type stuff, and they are going to set up a demo station at the event. They're going to offer a free full kit for one of the Lexus at the event, as selected by Team Lexus (current thinking this goes to the best overall car). A $1500 value and the kit gets put on right there! I'm getting more details on this one (name of the company, what do they do for custom front ends, etc)

3) Team Lexus has a number of Team Lexus racecar bumpers and doors that are 'race damaged' that they'll autograph and give away as raffle items

4) Team Lexus sponsors and Lexus dealers are chipping in some additional raffle items

Deliveries, Demos, Drifting, Driving & Dynos

1) We hear that the official IS350 racecar is on its way to the states, but it will still be very very close if it does arrive in time for the meet. Lexus is trying to line up a couple of cars for us though ;) as are regional dealerships

2) The new Quicksilver-built 605 hp turbo motor for the Team Lexus drift car will be done this week and that turbo IS drift car will be on display.

3) Team Lexus is setting up the parking lot planning so we can have a small 'drift patch' in one of the back lots and the Team Lexus drivers can do some drift demonstrations. Meet participants may be allowed to try drifting in their own car but totally at their own risk / liable for any damage to their cars or other objects.

4) For the Sunday event, Team Lexus' lead driver Chuck Goldsboro himself will lead the drive up to Quicksilver, the Team Lexus engine builder. We'll post up directions for those that want to meet us at the shop and don't want to take the back road drive up there :) We plan to video the drive

5) Once we're there at the Quicksilver race engine shop, we will tour the facility and dyno some cars. Due to time constraints we think we'll have time for only six dynos... these dynos will be FREE and the selection criteria will be announced at the meet. Most likely the dynos will be awarded to the vehicles with the most potential HP of the members going to the Sunday event (two IS with most potential HP, two GS with most potential HP, two other models)

Upcoming deadlines for the meet

Our reserved hotel block expires on Wednesday so if you don't have a room, get it quick. The Lexfest.net lodging tab has all the details you need (click here ).

Please register if you are planning on coming so we make sure to have the right amount of space set aside for Lexus parking at the meet, food, etc. Click on the button below to register now if you haven't already done so!

[SKperformance]

Me and Hameed are so there.

[SKperformance]

For all those who are going ,could you please visit this thread and post to the poll as to where you are staying at night ,if at all.

Thanks

CL hotel poll

[DaveGS4]

Three days!!!! 150 cars signed up!

[DaveGS4]

Guys please vote in this poll so we can plan out the number of folks on Sunday!

http://www.clublexus.com/forums/showthread.php?t=175444

If you don't have a CL login, just post your response here or PM me and I'll update the poll count for you.

Thanks!