|
VTCI International Convention
August 10-14, 2022 Meet In The Middle |
Coming BackYes, the VTCI International Convention is returning to KC in 2022, so save the date.
|
See In PersonYou too can see this beautiful 1971 Ford Thunderbird
|
   Three ClubsAnd this event will be hosted by three Clubs associated with VTCI. Do you know which ones?
If you guessed Thunderbird Midwest from Minneapolis, MN, the Mid-Kansas Vintage Thunderbird Club out of Wichita, KS, and the Vintage Thunderbirds of Kansas City, from Kansas City, MO then you are correct. |
The Vintage Thunderbirds of Kansas City, Mid-Kansas Vintage Thunderbird Club, and Thunderbird Midwest, invite all VTCI Thunderbird club members throughout the world to meet in the center of the USA for the 2022 Vintage Thunderbird Club International’s Convention. Festivities begin Wednesday, August 10 and continue for the next three days and nights, as you greet past friends and welcome new ones to the greatest VTCI event of the year. Here is what all attendees can expect to experience in a snapshot:
Wednesday – Registration opens and attend a Welcome Reception.
Thursday – VTCI Board of Directors Meeting, followed by a tour of the National World War I Museum and Memorial Park.
Friday – The Bingham-Wagner Estate and the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum.
Saturday – Owners and judges meeting followed by judging of your Thunderbird(s) and Best Of for those wishing to display their Thunderbirds. That evening is the Awards Banquet.
Sunday – Pack up and leave.
So, there you have a snapshot of what to expect. Here are the details:
Wednesday – Once arriving at your destination, it is time to check into the Convention Hotel, which again is the Embassy Suites Kansas City – International Airport. When that is complete, you can register your attendance at the Convention by picking up your goody bag at the Special Registration Area and letting us know that you are here. Next up is making sure your Thunderbird is properly parked in the hotel’s north parking lot. There is a place for every Thunderbird so drive right over and claim your spot.
On Wednesday night there is a Welcome Reception that is open to everyone. Even better, it is free, so sit down and chat a while with those that enjoy a good car story or two.
Thursday – After filling up on the complimentary breakfast, join in on the VTCI Board of Directors meeting.
I know it is difficult to even imagine what great experiences we have planned for our 2022 VTCI convention in Kansas City. But the ever-popular tours begin following the board meeting on Thursday morning, when you are swept off in a luxurious coach to the National WWI Museum and Memorial Park in downtown Kansas City, MO. (www.theworldwar.org) You can eat lunch on your own when you arrive at the Over There Café, or perhaps you want to tour part of the museum and take a break to eat later on. The menu is online and consists of soups, salads, and sandwiches from the grill. A variety of beverages, including local/imported beer and wine and local air-roasted coffee is available. The Over There Café is open 11:00 am - 2:00 pm.
Your admission includes the Main Gallery, Exhibit Hall, Memory Hall and Ellis Gallery. Tours are self-guided. Portable audio tours are available for $5. Also, for the adventurers in the group, an elevator trip (+45 steps) to the top of the Memorial Tower is available for $5, where you enjoy a 360-degree view of the Kansas City area.
Formerly known as Liberty Memorial, the organization holds the most comprehensive collection of WWI objects and documents that provide not just the American story, but a “comprehensive look at the entire war, from the first shot in 1914 to the last attempts at peace in 1919. The Museum has enjoyed a reputation for the most informative and quality presentation of any museum.
You will be returned to the Convention hotel by mid-afternoon with a new understanding of this major world event.
This evening you may join in the hotel manager’s complimentary evening reception with dinner on your own.
Friday - You will be taken to two high-interest and historic venues in Independence, MO. The Bingham-Waggoner Estate (www.bwestate.net) and the Harry S Truman Presidential Library and Museum (www.trumanlibrary.gov) will portray life in the 1850s and the 1950s.
George Caleb Bingham, American artist known for the painting Order #11, lived, and painted here in the 1860s. Later, the Waggoner family, known for Waggoner-Gates Flour Milling lived here 1890-1976. The home has 26 rooms and amazingly 95% of the contents belonged to the original families and are presented in authentic décor.
The first floor of the home, the Carriage House and surrounding grounds are easily accessible, with a colorful album for viewing of the top two floors for those unable to navigate the stairs to the upper floors. We will have a wonderful lunch served by Museum volunteers in the Carriage House. Incidentally, George Porterfield Gates, of Waggoner-Gates Milling was the maternal grandfather of Bess Wallace Truman, wife of Harry S Truman.
The coach will then take us to the nearby Harry S. Truman Presidential Library. Harry Truman was the only U.S. President to serve in combat in WWI. This was the first Presidential Library to be created under the 1955 Presidential Libraries Act. President and Mrs. Truman are buried in the Courtyard, as are their daughter, Margaret Truman Daniel, and her husband Clifton Daniel.
The newly renovated permanent exhibit just completed in 2021:"Harry S. Truman: An Ordinary Man, his Extraordinary Journey," expands appreciation of this Midwestern farm boy who never went to college but had a remarkable rise and enduring character. This everyday man changed the course of American history. And his decisions as the 33rd President of the United States have made an enduring impact on our world.
We will return to the Convention hotel by 4:00 pm where there will be an evening reception of pizza for those that have signed up for this event.
Saturday – After your complimentary breakfast, the Owner’s and Judge’s meeting takes place, followed by the judging of your Thunderbird(s). And as you roam through the displayed Thunderbirds, you will be given the opportunity to vote for your favorite car. The remainder of the day is a relaxing one where there will be talk of cars and things of your choosing.
The 2022 VTCI International Convention culminates Saturday evening with the Awards Banquet. After the traditional Cartales Hour, enjoy a sit-down dinner with your choice of chicken, beef, fish, or pasta. After dinner, the one-of-a-kind awards distributed, with the “Best of Show” closing out the evening.
Sunday – Today is a day to pack up and head home, after saying your farewells to those who have travelled to share a few days of lifetime memories. You’ll also be able to recall much that took place when you put on your event T-shirt or Polo, as well as looking again at the pictures that captured moments from the International Convention.
Pictures of the People Who Attended the
International Convention
Cars that Attended the VTCI International Convention
It's Sunday and Time To Say Goodbye
The VTCI International Convention Wrap Up
Thanks to everyone who spent a little or a lot of time at the 2022 VTCI International Convention. It was a great success for all who attended and for those who weren't able to make it. We are looking forward to our 2023 International Convention to be help north of Atlanta. Below is a letter from our Concours Director which sums up the event:
On to 2023. Hope you can make it.
This webpage last updated 31 August 2022