It is with deep regret that the San Bernardino Convention & Visitors Bureau, in conjunction with their title sponsor, Stater Bros. Markets, announces the suspension of the 2013 Stater Bros. Route 66 Rendezvous®.
Established in 1990 by the San Bernardino Convention & Visitors Bureau as a way to showcase and enhance the economy of the City of San Bernardino, the Route 66 Rendezvous® became the city’s showcase signature event, drawing thousands of classic car enthusiasts as well as hundreds of thousands of visitors each September to the streets of downtown San Bernardino for four days of hot rods, music, vendors and family fun. Joined by our title sponsor, Stater Bros. Markets, this event grew to become the largest cruising classic car show west of the Mississippi, named “California’s Best Special Event” by the California Travel and Tourism Commission.
“This was a very difficult decision for our Board of Directors to make and not one that we came to lightly,” said Jim Gerstenslager, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the San Bernardino Convention & Visitors Bureau. “The loss of funding due to the statewide elimination of Economic Development Agencies coupled with the current financial situation of the City of San Bernardino has resulted in a total loss of the revenue needed to continue the day-to-day operations of the Convention & Visitors Bureau and by extension the Stater Bros. Route 66 Rendezvous® and the California Welcome Center.”
In consultation with Jack H. Brown, Stater Bros. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, the decision was made that, in order to preserve the quality and integrity of the Rendezvous, the best course of action was to suspend the 2013 Stater Bros. Route 66 Rendezvous®.
“The cars are the stars,” said Brown, “and in order to continue to provide the participants and our visitors with a safe and first-class car show we need to put the Rendezvous temporarily on hold so that we can come back bigger and better.”
About Stater Bros. Markets
Stater Bros. is the largest privately owned Supermarket Chain in Southern California and the largest private employer in both San Bernardino County and Riverside County, with annual sales in 2012 of $3.9 billion. The Company currently operates 167 Supermarkets, and there are over 18,000 members of the Stater Bros. Supermarket Family.
About San Bernardino Convention & Visitors Bureau
The San Bernardino Convention & Visitors Bureau (SBCVB), producers of the Stater Bros. Route 66 Rendezvous®, is a private, non-profit corporation providing destination sales and marketing services for the city of San Bernardino.