CONCORSO ITALIANO ANNOUNCES NEW LOCATION
Popular Italian Marque Event to Move to Black Horse Golf Course at Monterey Bay in 2003.
Mercer Island, WA - December 18, 2002 - Concorso Italiano, sponsored by Girard-Perregaux, is pleased to announce the new location for the Friday, August 15th, 2003, event. Beginning next year, Concorso Italiano will be held on the beautiful grounds of the Black Horse Golf Course at Monterey Bay. The Concorso's continued growth and popularity made it necessary for the event to relocate to a site that would accommodate its projected growth, allowing the event to continue to unfold and add exciting new features.
Event organizers Frank and Janet Mandarano anticipated the need for a larger site two years ago. Although the 2002 Concorso was a resounding success, the Mandaranos saw that it had reached capacity at the traditional Quail Lodge Resort site in Carmel Valley, where the event has been held for the past 17 years.
Moving the Concorso in 2003 proved timely, as the Quail Lodge Resort made the decision to close the property for a $12 million remodel of its Clubhouse and hotel rooms during the slower economic times.
Perhaps the most exciting aspect of the Concorso's new location is the elimination of any traffic delay in accessing and departing the event. The drive from central Monterey to the new venue takes only five minutes. There are four highway lanes leading in and out of the new Concorso site, to and from Highway 1 - north and south, effectively eliminating the hour or more delay participants could expect in the past.
The Black Horse facility has incredible panoramic views from high atop the Monterey Bay peninsula from nearly everywhere on the property. The golf course layout allows for significantly expanded exhibitor displays, as well as an extended Corral area. For example, the new Ferrari area will accommodate 1,000 cars compared to the 350 Ferraris that could be parked on the former site. Additionally, nearly all of the display areas are visible from anywhere on the Green and the popular "automobilia" vendors and stand-alone canopies will also benefit from expanded space.
In short, the future growth of Concorso Italiano is now guaranteed. The organizers are enthusiastic about the relocation, although they will miss their good friends at the Quail Lodge. "We couldn't have found a better-suited site, or a nicer group of people to work with than the folks at Black Horse," say Frank and Janet Mandarano.
When Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson, a dedicated car collector and regular golfer at Black Horse, was asked what he thought of the move, his reaction was "I think it's spectacular!"
This year's special features will be officially announced in January 2003.
Photographs of the new site can be found at http://www.concorso.com/black_horse.asp. For additional information, please contact Frank Mandarano, Chairman, at 425-688-1903 or by e-mail at ci@concorso.com.
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