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MOTORCYCLE Inaugural winter sales event a grand slam on many levels BY DAVID WELLS CONTRIBUTING WRITER "In every respect, we set new records," said MOMS operations consultant Larry Meservey. He's talking about the New England dealer- ships' recent Winter Bash and Monster Sale that was staged in-house at the MOMS Foxboro location after the dealership was handed a lemon when the established Boston motorcycle expo was unexpectedly cancelled on short notice. Founded in 1973 as Motorcycles of Man- chester in New Hampshire, the family-owned business began as a vendor of parts, service and pre-owned bikes. Now with additional locations in the Boston suburbs of Revere and Foxboro, MOMS is one of the largest multi- brand powersports dealerships in the northeast and had been a sponsor of the Boston motor- cycle expo every January. When the dealership learned in December that the 2017 expo would not take place, the three MOMS dealerships went to work to produce their own version of the successful show and came out ahead by doing it themselves. "We would sell 30 to 40 motorcycles at the old show," Meservey said, "and we couldn't take any off-road equipment." But after its own event held on the last weekend of January, the dealership had deals and quotes on over 150 units, plus parts, garments and accessory sales that exceeded any previous in-house sales event in dealership history. "It also got us a lot of new service custom- ers," Meservey continued. "I don't think we've seen all the residuals from the show." And the final expense tally was also a positive. "We spent a lot of money, but not as much as we would have at the convention center," he added. MOMS went all out to make its expo some- thing far beyond the typical dealer open house. Its 50,000-square-foot used bike warehouse was transformed into the main display area, and the dealership pulled in more than 1,000 units, including not only Victory, Indian, Yamaha and Hyosung motorcycles but also Polaris Slingshots, ATVs and snowmobiles. "We went to a rental company and rented pipe and drape to give the expo look," Meser- vey said. "We had a 40-by-60 tent by the front door with some machinery — including some well-accessorized ATVs — outside." But that was just the beginning of this extravaganza. The event included a trio of food trucks and a wine and beer bar. MOMS brought in a master of ceremonies, live entertainment, and the dealership set up a prize wheel, with each guest allowed a free spin to win a small prize contributed by suppliers. And a kiddie corner featured face painting, coloring books and balloon animals, so there would be some- thing for the whole family. "Next we invited vendors," related MOMS sales and marketing manager Brandee Wheeler. "Our parts department reached out to reps from Tucker Rocky, Parts Unlimited, Sullivans, Mustang Seats and so on. We also invited our local riding groups, the Indian Motorcycle Rid- ing Group and the Mass Bay Victory Riders. These folks are not only customers of ours, but great ambassadors for our dealership. We also invited Streetwise Cycle School, who uses our parking lot to teach riding classes." Two banks to handle finance and an insur- ance company were also on site, so customers who wanted to ride their new bikes home could do just that. Marketing was key to a successful event. "We made sure customers and friends of MOMS makes sweet lemonade from a lemon 24 • May 1, 2017 • Powersports Business www.PowersportsBusiness.com See MOMS, Page 26 Has your dealership bought a drone yet to take photos of your outdoor events? It's worth considering, as Motor- cycles of Manchester in Foxboro, Massachusetts, shows with this shot of its Winter Bash and Monster Sale.