The Solitude Revival 2015 event is history and the organizers are facing a new task - Solitude Revival 2017. Anyone who thinks: "It's easy, it's the same as the previous events!" will be surprised at what it will take for the event to shine in new splendour from 15-17 July 2017.
The enthusiasts get support
Every event brings new insights and new circumstances that need to be taken into account for a future event. There are the organizational difficulties of the 2015 Solitude Revival to consider, which were caused by the small (but fine) Solitude Revival e.V. being understaffed. The same applies to difficulties caused by the overlapping of tasks that were outside of the plan and could not be compensated for. Here, an improvement by duplicating the "doer positions" and outsourcing further parts of the tasks to third parties is essential. Or to put it another way: Enthusiasts are capable of achieving a great deal, but the limits of what can be achieved necessitate outside help, which unfortunately is not free.
The accident at the last event - which showed that the planned and implemented safety measures were effective - also requires us to rethink how to improve safety and consider how an event can continue despite an accident and not have to be canceled.
Safety first
The balance between our participants' enjoyment of being able to move and demonstrate a historic vehicle at an appropriate speed on the historic Solitude race track and the safety needs of spectators, helpers and random passers-by, nature and the protection of participants from overly boisterous "colleagues" and also from themselves must also be rebalanced. Not an easy task given the expectations of the participants of an event on a former race track and the justified fears of the authorities responsible for approval.
The question of adequate insurance for the event's largest risks must also be resolved anew, as it became apparent in 2015 that insurance cover to the desired extent could not be obtained throughout Europe or could only be obtained if Solitude Revival e.V. were to give up its independence. The risks that were and are required to be covered by law were covered in 2015, but it would be desirable if the risks could be covered more comprehensively and better. We feel obliged to all those involved to do so.
Many question marks
As an outsider, who would think at an event like this that, for example, a nearby forest kindergarten needs to be protected from wildlife peeing. When public roads of local, regional and supra-regional importance have to be closed for several days for an event, objections arise, starting with highway detours, local public transport, local businesses, residents and even excursion traffic and recreationists. Question marks arise, such as future roadworks that require the partial closure of roads on the Solitude Ring and also those that require the roads to be used to divert traffic, which could make an event impossible. These question marks must be answered.
And even seemingly minor issues such as power supply, fresh water supply, waste water disposal and toilet emptying have to be re-planned, which is made more difficult by the poor infrastructure in the core area of the event.
The time-consuming erection and dismantling of necessary or prescribed fences and grids, some with privacy screens, must also be adapted to new, narrower time windows. A construction "under traffic" cannot be realized without meticulous planning.
The financing of the not inconsiderable costs also has to be put on a new, stable footing for each event, and this requires sponsors and someone has to organize the whole thing. So we need volunteers with a lot of time and even more commitment and sufficient connections to the "scene" - in other words, enthusiasts for the Solitude Revival 2017.
The preparations are underway
The organizers are now faced with a mountain of tasks that they have had to tackle since immediately after the event. The planning for the 2017 Solitude Revival is already in full swing, even if you don't notice much, if anything, about it from the outside. The scaffolding is currently being erected so that the Solitude Revival 2017 event can then be realized.
However, the Solitude Revival concept does not have to be completely reinvented. The planning can certainly be based on that of the Solitude Revival 2013 and Solitude Revival 2015 events. It worked, but it must be improved and changed circumstances must be taken into account. And the criticisms, some of which are certainly justified, should be taken into account. That's why the motto of everyone involved is already: "We can do it!"
