As has been announced, MJ and I will assume organizational and management responsibility for Cirque 2008, and are making an initial two-year commitment (2008/2009). The Cirque will move to the Washington Metro area, more specifically to Leesburg, Virginia. The scheduled dates for 2008 are June 6, 7 & 8. After the 2008 event, we will start to look at what options should be explored for 2010 and beyond. Preliminary plans are coming together, so I wanted to share as much information as possible with the CR community.
Leesburg http://www.leesburgva.gov/
While the area has a lot to offer, the basic economics of the Washington area means that prices for goods and services are higher than in Greensboro.
We have identified a venue, the Best Western Leesburg Hotel and Conference Center <http://book.bestwestern.com/bestwestern/productInfo.do?propertyCode=47 0 76&disablenav=false> (BW), that will be "Event Headquarters", so to speak, combining hotel facilities with "social" areas and event space. This Hotel-Conference Center is a fairly new facility and is AAA 2-Diamond rated hotel. I don't really know what that means, but it is quite up-scale compared to the Battleground Inn. It has 99 rooms and a large conference room that can accommodate about 150 people seated. That room can also be divided into three smaller rooms, or one medium and one smaller room. Most sleeping rooms are non-smoking. All singles have king beds, all doubles have two queen beds, with a break-down as follows:
Non-smoking = 51 doubles and 25 singles Smoking = 17 doubles and 3 singles Doubles have a max occupancy of 4 people (There are a few "business suites" that are not reflected here)
A full country breakfast buffet is included in the cost of the room, and is served in a separate 55-seat dining room which is a nice gathering and social area. Adjacent to the dining room is a large outdoor patio area with several tables (with chairs and umbrellas) that's available at all times. The dining room is only available in the mornings. There is also a swimming pool and a large grassy area next to the patio, all on the back side of the hotel. Free transport to and from Dulles airport is also included in the room cost. This needs to be coordinated in advance with the hotel, but may eliminate the need to rent a car for some attendees. Broadband internet access is also included at no additional cost.
Rates for the Cirque weekend are $115 per night, for any type room. I know that is somewhat higher than the Battleground Inn, but I think the amenities certainly offset some of the added expense. Aside from being a much nicer hotel, the BW lends itself well to the type of social atmosphere common at past Cirque events. And it has the added benefit of being large enough to house us all, so everyone can be at the central "hot spot" of activity. The conference rooms will be available for Cirque use for the full three main event days (Fri- Sun), so there is some flexibility for uses other than the traditional sessions. Having all this in a centralized location allows more flexibility in how the various aspects of the overall event can be organized and scheduled. As an added benefit, the BW has offered it's shuttle bus at no charge to transport small groups to other local destinations. I don't know how that might be used yet, but it might be nice to have options of other outings (winery tours, for instance) for small groups or family members that might not be full participants in Cirque events.
MJ and I are excited about the Best Western as "Event Headquarters" because we think it has a lot to offer, and will provide a more cohesive, interactive environment for the event and participants. There's lots of room to congregate and display and play with bikes. While the rooms will cost more for participants, we think that participants will not only get substantially more for their money, but also will enjoy a more club-like atmosphere that all can share in. However, we also want to emphasize that the increased room cost will help defray some of the other costs associated with staging the event, since we will get concessions on other use of hotel space and services. With this approach, participants are essentially helping subsidize the overall event. We are not sure yet if that will allow us to offer reductions in costs for the various elements within the event, but at the very least, we hope to contain costs in areas that otherwise would also increase due to the event being in a more expensive locale.
One of the other aspects of the Cirque we want to enhance is riding. Leesburg has quick access to many miles of great rural roads, and the W&OD Trail (bike path) is only a mile and a half from the hotel. We don't yet have a comprehensive plan, but we want to try and emphasize riding (both organized and unorganized) as an integral part of the event. We are still in discussion with several area bike shops, and are also considering an option of setting up a "tech station" at the hotel for assembly and set-up. The hotel has agreed to receive and store shipped bikes.
We have identified the Leesburg National Guard Armory as the preferred venue for the show and swap. The Armory is located less than two miles from the hotel, is comparable in size to the Lewis recreation center in Greensboro, and has a similar layout, with a large central room and a smaller adjacent room. We are still in negotiation with the Armory.
To book a room at the Best Western Leesburg, please call the hotel directly at 703-777-5573 and state that you are reserving for the CIRQUE.
We will have more detailed information about the '08 event at this year's Cirque, and hope to have info and brochures about the area and other local interests as well. We will be setting up a Cirque du Cyclisme web site so that details for the event can be seen as they get finalized.
We hope to carry on much of the tradition of past Cirque events, while adding a few new twists that keep it interesting. We would also like to see the event grow and evolve, and appreciate any comments and/or suggestions you might have.
Thanks for your continuing support.
See you all soon!
MJ Weier & Wayne Bingham
Lovettsville VA USA