June 15, 2025
7:00 p.m. EDT
Slides for the meeting can be found here (at the bottom of this page)
Slide 2
Welcome, Roll Call, Agenda
A Video Conference was called to order by President Kerch McConlogue at 7:00 p.m.
Elected Officers Present: President Kerch McConlogue and Secretary Barb Blue
Board Members Present: Tom Calvert, Tom Ehrhart, Barb Geschke, Eric Gibeaut, Joe McConlogue, Jim Lindner, and Gordon Foss
Regional Representatives Present: David Kellogg, Bill Bulpitt, Joe Montecalvo, Alan Geschke
Others: David Hall
It was noted that we had a quorum.
Kerch turned to meeting over to Jim Lindner who went over the issue and the options for all:
The Issue:
United 42 host hotel, Embassy Suites Charlotte-Concord has advised that its parent company has decided to commence renovations in September, 2025.
- The TEAE room block of 55 rooms/night will be reduced by 25 rooms.
- Currently, all 55 rooms are booked, so about half of the attendees will have their room canceled
Embassy Suites floor plan: Slide 3
- -Four floors of rooms will be out of service
- -The main entrance will be closed
- -The Atrium where all could gather will be closed
- -The reception desk will be moved to the east entrance
- -Our Parts/meeting room, our Banquet rooms, and Hospitality are not affected
Option 1: Slide 4
Stay at the Embassy Suites, but move the date of the United to August 17 to 21—prior to Renovations
Impact of Option 1
- -All United Activities will need to be rescheduled and rebooked (if possible)
- Concours site
- Friday and Saturday lunches
- Sunday attraction visits
- -Logo revised, new dash plaques purchased
- -Weather: North Carolina in August
- -Attendance impact: Some might not want to/be able to reschedule
- -Notification to membership
Option 2: Slide 5
Keep the September date, but move 25 rooms to another hotel
-Another hotel has been identified about 8 miles/15 minutes south
Tried 3 other closer hotels without success
Hilton Charlotte University Place
- Closer to downtown
- Rate is the same
- Vouchers will be given for breakfast
- Additional rooms can be added
The impact of Option 2:
- -About half of our attendees will be affected and inconvenienced
- -Entire United experience and socialization compromised. . . access to parts room, meeting room, hospitality suite and banquet affected
- -How do we decide who is inconvenienced? Last in? First out?
- -Attendance impact: Likely will cause many to be unhappy
- -There will still be construction at the Embassy Suites that could still cause interference/ nuisance
Slide 6: Map showing location of Embassy Suites and Hilton Charlotte University Place
Option 3: Slide 7
Keep Dates, but move entire event to another host hotel in the area
-Tried five different hotels and only one can accommodate us
- -The Hilton Charlotte Airport can accommodate our entire group
- -Located SW of Charlotte, near Airport
- More congested area
- Somewhat isolated. Not many restaurants or points of interest locally
- NC Transport Museum, Lake Norman, Five Points Pub (where we planned activities) are all at least one hour. Concours site is 45 minutes away
- -Has similar facilities
- -Will honor all our contractual arrangements
- -Can add five additional rooms per night (maybe more) to accommodate those who were unable to get a reservation at Embassy Suites
- -Need to physically inspect the hotel and meet with management to make sure they can accommodate our needs
- There could be issues with trailer parking
- -Redo banquet choices for those already registered and change on registration
- -Driving tour will need to be adjusted
- -Impact on attendance will be unknown
- -Membership notification
- -We will lose $1000 grant from Cabarrus County where Embassy Suites is located
Slide 8:Floor plan for Hilton Charlotte Airport
Slide 9
- Map showing location of Hilton Charlotte Airport and Embassy Suites Charlotte-Concord
- Overhead photo of Hilton Charlotte Airport showing potential trailer parking issue
- -That issue could be resolved by getting nearby businesses to let us park trailers in their lots
Option 4: Slide 10
Cancel United 42
-No need to say anything more if we opt to cancel
United 42 Expenses to date: Slide 11
Hotel Deposit $1000 Refunded/transferred
Giveaway Travel Bag $658 TEAE Log Only—good anytime
Logo/Dash Plaques $151 Money lost/Buy new ones (Option 1)
Trophies $75 About $40 lost, bases used again
Concours site $60 Lost unless we can reschedule
Credit Card Fees $??? Loss on refunds
Discussion: Slide 12
It was decided to vote first on Option 4—should United 42 be cancelled?
- -Cost to cancel was mentioned
- -Five of seven board members present voted against canceling United 42
See table below showing the votes
Because we are not cancelling, the next discussion was about changing the date to August 17 to 21.
- -Some of the impact points were again discussed.
- -Formal vote was not taken, but consensus was against changing the dates
- -Two board members said there would be no impact for them if the date was moved.
Discussion turned to Option 3—to move the hotel location.
-Again, more discussion about the advantages and disadvantages of moving the venue
- -No vote was taken but the discussion shifted away from changing the location
Discussion turned to using Option 2—using two hotels, the Embassy Suites of Charlotte/Concord and Hilton Charlotte University Place.
After discussing pros and cons, vote was taken and this is the option that will be used.
Discussion continued about how to decide who is inconvenienced
- -It was decided that organizers of the events will stay at Embassy Suites,
- -Decision about others who would not be moved will be decided on a who registered first basis.
- -Jim will contact hotel to get dates and times of registrants and decide who will need to move
- -He will learn about how the move will be made—if all are moved en masse or if each who loses their room will have to re-register at University Place
- -Jim will confirm that all moved will receive the same rate that they were getting at Embassy Suites
- -Jim will also confirm that any extras who have been unable to get a room for United can get a room at the same rate as those who have already booked at the University Place
- -Regarding the inconvenience of participants being at two locations
- –it will be suggested that people with tow vehicles could park trailers and cars at the Embassy Suites and use tow vehicle to move between the two locations
- –Inquiries about the possibility of shuttle bus service will be made
- -Kerch and Jim will draft and send a communication to all club members about the hotel situation and the solution that the Board decided to take
- -Kerch will update the registration system to reflect the new hotel arrangement
- -Follow-up phone calls will be made to members who haven’t responded to the hotel change notification
It was also noted that there are other hotels in the area where participants can get rooms—some hotels cost more and some even cost less.
Table of summary of votes on options taken:
| Board Member | Option 1: Change the Date | Option 2: Two hotels | Option 3: Move the hotel location | Option 4: Cancel the United |
| Tom Calvert | No | No | ||
| Tom Ehrhart | Yes | No | ||
| Barb Geschke | OK | Yes | No | |
| Eric Gibeaut | Yes | |||
| Joe McConlogue | OK | Yes | No | |
| Jim Lindner | ||||
| Gordon Foss | Yes | No |
- -Jim confirmed that he will not plan the next United.
- -Kerch suggested considering Camelback in the Poconos as a potential venue for next year’s event noting its amenities and proximity to the racetrack.
- -Eric and others expressed appreciation for Jim’s efforts in helping to organize our United 42 and for all of his efforts in managing this current situation.
- -David volunteered to help with phone calls to members as needed.
Motion to Adjourn made and seconded and adjourned at 8:11 p.m. EDT.