I find one of the more interesting things is that 95+% of the people that choose not to go have never gone to one before. If you have gone to one, you KNOW that there is far more offered than you could possibly describe here. I am scrambling to come up with the cash for this event and certainly won't be spending any time in the memorabilia area except to "window shop" - I know that this is an event that can't be missed.
While the event pricing is high (also includes all meals, drinks, booze, and buses if you don't want to drive your Viper), you can do it on a budget:
* Take a couple extra days and drive it. It's a Dodge for gosh sakes, not a Rembrandt. Even with higher gas costs it will only cost you $400 at $2.50 a gallon and 20 mpg to go 3200 miles roundtrip. There are usually caravans from every part of the country, including Canada. If there isn't one nearby, you can always hook up with other groups further down the road. We are planning to see Vipers from the Dakotas, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, and Canada pass through Kansas City on I-35. 120 miles later and we will hook up with another 70 Vipers or so coming from Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, & Canada down I-44 past Springfield. Getting there can truly be half the fun.
* Stay at a hotel besides the event hotel. I did that in Nashville and spent less than $50 a night. Didn't miss a thing and parked my Viper with all the others (your parking is included with the registration fee, not the hotel fee).
* Leave your wallet somewhere else when you visit the memorabilia and vendor areas. I would say that this is the downfall of 99% of the attendees that said they spent too much - it is because of all of the cool stuff you can buy there that you never see anywhere else. Self control.
Is it expensive? Absolutely. Is it worth every single penny? YES. Where else can you mingle with 1500 other Viper owners and guests, see 750 Vipers, beat on factory-provided cars and trucks (the SRT-4 autocross will be VERY popular), get 5-star dinners, free booze, great breakfasts and lunches, an awesome Viper goodie bag (that can usually bring $200+ on eBay if you so choose), entertainment, luxury bus service to an awesome bar/rodeo where everything is free, driving instruction from Skip Barber Racing, free goodies on the Viper cruise, a closed off downtown Ft. Worth set up for YOU to parade with your Viper, face-to-face meetings with the SRT/PVO/DC brass, tech sessions with the same, a HUGE memorabilia area with Viper stuff you won't see anywhere else, a HUGE vendor/tuner area at the track where you can see all the latest upgrades and aftermarket accessories, and a few extra BIG surprises that you won't get anywhere else? Every VOI I try to post pictures "live" from VOI, and this year will be no exception. And just like every year, you will see a LOT of replies that say "Man! I should have gone!" Make sure yours is not one of them.