20Th Annual Hot Wheels® Collectors Convention
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20th Annual Hot Wheels® Collectors Nationals Produced by Collectors Events Unlimited LLC 1932 Del Amo Blvd, #D Torrance, CA 90501 U.S.A. Phone: 310-538-4584 (6-9 p.m. Pacific) [email protected] www.hwcollectorsnationals.com 1 Collectors Events Unlimited, LLC presents 20th ANNUAL HOT WHEELS® COLLECTORS NATIONALS Welcome! With only a month or so to go, we are looking forward to another great gathering of the best people around, HOT WHEELS® COLLECTORS! This pre-national’s packet will give you an overview of the planned activities as well as information covering the Le Meridien / Sheraton Hotel, Charlotte, NC and surrounding area. We’ve tried to include all the information you need to make your time in North Carolina enjoyable. If there’s a question we haven’t answered here please contact us at 310-538-4584 (evening between 6 - 9 p.m. Pacific) or e-mail us at [email protected]. To reduce waste, we have combined this mailing; only one pre-nationals’ packet has been sent to each address. Please check your mailing label to ensure that each Nationals attendee at this address is listed. Please report any errors before March 1st! CONTENTS Hotel Information………………………………………………………………………….………….…. Page 3 Nationals Information/ Sales Room Merchandise……………………………………………............…...Page 7 Event Descriptions…………………………………………………………………………….…………. Page 8 Biographies………………………………………………………………………………………………. Page 16 Preliminary Schedule……………………………………………………………………………….……. Page 21 SPECIAL THANKS from Collectors Events Unlimited We would like to thank all our hard-working volunteers who make this event run seamlessly each year! When you see them around give them your thanks too! Carl Pomponio (MC), Kelly Kottke, Russ Kottke, Cindy Kehus & Steve Reddell (registration), Mike & Shirley Weber, Pat Hernandez, Jeff Buchanan, Ted & Sylvia Huddleston, Mary Nelson & Jason Hayes (Sales Room), Paul & Marsha DiAngi, Jerry Rousselle & Dave, Barb & Jonathan Robles (Charity), Dan Spaulding, Steve Reddell, DJ Spaulding & Bryan Pope (Custom Car Contest), Joe Davis (Sizzlers® races), Russ Kottke, Kelly Kottke & Jason Hayes (downhill races), Dan Spaulding, Bethany Bishop, DJ Spaulding (Kid’s Custom Car Contest), Marty Hernandez & Gary Williams (autograph group), Sherdia Davis & Jason Hayes (vending machine), Greg Hall (charity poker & Scavenger Hunt), Jimmy Garbaczewski (Newsletter), Joe Alvarado (Videographer) and Jon Robles (photography). Thank you to Jimmy Liu, Jason Recacho, Bryan Benedict, Brendon Vetuskey and the entire team from Mattel who believe in the positive force this bi-annual gathering generates and produce the Nationals’ souvenir cars for us. Thanks also to the entire Hot Wheels® design team for helping out by bringing items for the Charity Auction and signing autographs. Antinoice Surry, Joseph Bru, Michele Calabrese and the Le Meridien/Sheraton staff have spent a great deal of time this year helping coordinate the week’s events. We appreciate their professionalism, understanding and willingness to go the extra mile. 2 HOTEL INFORMATION Reservations Reservations must be made by the cut-off date, February 25, 2020. Afterwards, reservations will be taken on a space and rate availability basis. Any reservations not guaranteed by the hotel will not be held beyond 6:00 p.m. on the arrival date. Room cancellations need to be made 72 hours in advance to avoid one night’s room charge. Check-in 3:00pm and checkout is 12:00pm. Parking The LeMeridien / Sheraton is offering $10 per day self-parking, for hotel guests and $5 per day self-parking for non-hotel guests. Valet parking is available for an additional charge. Complimentary Services Free wireless high-speed internet access in lobby and all other public areas. Credit Cards Remember to contact your Credit Card companies BEFORE you leave home to let them know you are traveling. The Le Meridien/Sheraton Charlotte does accept all major credit cards, including American Express, Carte Blanche/Diners Club, Discover, Japan Credit Bureau, MasterCard and Visa. Banners and Signs All banners and signs must be professionally printed or computer-generated per hotel policy. No hand- lettered signs or banners are allowed in the public areas of the hotel (this includes hotel room doors). There will be bulletin boards in front of the elevators on each floor where you can place your business card or flyer (no larger than 5½ x 8½) with your room number. Guest Rooms The Le Meridien and the Sheraton offers luxurious guestrooms, including suites. Guests will find that the guestrooms are spacious, with fresh, contemporary designs that blend perfectly with thoughtful travel amenities, all rooms equipped with free Wi-Fi, safe, roll a way beds available upon request (limited to what they have on hand) Hotel Courtesy Not all Hot Wheels® collectors and their families keep late hours. Some collectors’ rooms may also be located near non-Nationals guests. If you are in the halls late at night or early in the morning, please be courteous and keep the noise level down. Trading, etc. is not to be conducted in the hallways, and not allowed in any public area of the hotel. To be considerate, after 11 p.m., please do not keep your room door wide open. We suggest propping it if you don’t want to close it all the way or using doorknob hangers. This lets people know you are “open” yet keeps the noise filtering into the hall to a minimum. It is in everyone’s best interest to be good neighbors. 3 PLACES OF INTEREST NASCAR HALL OF FAME MINT MUSEUM 400 E. M.L.K. Blvd. 500 S. Tryon St. Charlotte, NC Charlotte, NC 704-654-4400 704-337-2000 nascarhall.com mintmuseum.org CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY DISCOVERY PLACE (kids) 5555 Concord Parkway 301 N. Tryon St. Concord, NC Charlotte, NC 1-800-455-3267 704-372-6261 charlottemotorspeedway.com discoveryplace.org DRESSLER’S (Upscale Steaks & New American Fare) WHICH WHICH (sandwiches) 1100 Metropolitan Ave. 1055 Metropolitan Ave., Ste 140. Charlotte, NC Charlotte, NC 704-909-6295 704-376-3990 dresslersrestaurant.com whichwhich.com HICKORY TAVERN (Sports Bar & Grill) CHIMA (Brazilian Steakhouse) 1100 E Metropolitan Ave. 139 S. Tryon St. Charlotte, NC Charlotte, NC 704-334-5155 704-601-4141 thehickorytavern.com chimasteakhouse.com MERT’S (Southern Soul Food) WENDY’S 214 N. College St., Charlotte 715 Charlottestowne Ave 704-342-4222 mertscharlotte.com Charlotte, NC THE UNKNOWN BREWING CO. WOODEN ROBOT BREWERY 1327 S. Mint Street 1440 S. Tryon St. Charlotte, NC Charlotte, NC 980-237-2628 980-819-7875 unknownbrewing.com woodenrobotbrewery.com ZOE’S KITCHEN (Mediterranean and Greek) MAC’S SPEED SHOP 1055 Metropolitan Ave. (Barbecue) Suite 110 2511 South Blvd. Charlotte, NC Charlotte, NC 704-347-5858 704-522-6227 zoeskitchen.com macspeedshop.com SABOR (Latin) PIZZERIA OMAGGIO (Upscale Pizzeria) 415 Hawthorne Lane 1055 Metropolitan Ave Charlotte, NC Charlotte, NC 980-237-0308 704-370-0777 saborcharlotte.com pizzeriaomaggio.com 4 Directions from Airport Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) Hotel direction: 7 miles W This hotel does not provide shuttle service. Visit CLT airport website Driving directions Take Old Dowd Rd to Wilkinson Blvd for 2 min (1.0 mi). Head south on Josh Birmingham Pkwy for 0.1 mi. Keep right to continue on Old Dowd Rd for 0.2 mi. At the traffic circle, take the 1st exit and stay on Old Dowd Rd for 0.5 mi. Turn right onto Marshall Dr for 0.2 mi. Continue on Wilkinson Blvd. Take US-74 E to Kenilworth Ave/E Stonewall St. Take exit 2A from I-277 N for 12 min (6.9 mi). Turn right at the 1st cross street onto Wilkinson Blvd for 3.1 mi. Continue straight onto US-74 E/Wilkinson Blvd. Continue to follow US- 74 E, Pass by Bojangles' Famous Chicken 'n Biscuits (on the right in 0.3 mi) for 2.2 mi. Continue onto I-277 N/US-74 E 1.3 mi. Use the right lane to take exit 2A for NC-16 S/Kenilworth Ave/Third St toward Fourth St for 410 ft. Keep right at the fork, follow signs for Kenilworth Ave 0.2 mi. Continue on E Stonewall St. Drive to S McDowell St for 1 min (0.3 mi). Turn left onto Kenilworth Ave/E Stonewall St for Continue to follow E Stonewall St for 0.3 mi. Turn right onto S McDowell St for 223 ft Public Transportation and Taxis If you are not renting a car, there are a few ways to get to downtown Charlotte from the airport. • To get a taxi, look for the taxi stand at Arrivals and speak to an attendant who will hail one for you. • • You can also take one of the green Sprinter buses that travel between the airport and the city center. Buses leave every 20 minutes on weekdays and every 30 minutes on weekends. • • Rideshare services like Uber and Lyft are available at the airport with pick-up and drop-off areas on Level 2. 5 Shipping and Receiving Group information: Packages must be labeled as follows: Group name: _________________________ Name of Event: ATTN: (Your Name) Group onsite contact: __________________ Le Meridien / Sheraton Charlotte 555 South McDowell Street Representative receiving Charlotte, NC 28204 package: _____________________________ Package Fees are as follows: Vendor Information: Up to 40 lbs. - $5 per box Company Name __________________________ 41+ lbs. box/pallet - $100 per box/pallet On Site Contact Name _____________________ Please DO NOT SHIP boxes more than 2 business days before prior to your event start date. On Site Contact Telephone # ________________ If sending multiple boxes please mark them 1 of x, 2 of x, 3 of x, etc. Booth # _________ Start Date: _____________ End Date: ______________ Please place this form on every box getting shipped to the hotel. Forms in your packet Make sure you go through your packet thoroughly, upon your arrival at the Nationals.