... BEYOND A CAR RUN

 

 Written by Keli H

Keli H is the author of the award-winning book The Four Hundred Club, and is the CEO of the award-nominated company KREST Publishers. Outside of daily business, she guest writes lifestyle pieces for various publications. 

In my short tenure as the previous editor of The KREST Cars magazine before I handed the reigns to Elvida Sydney, I've attended a good dollop of car runs. There's a specific reason I enjoy attending car runs despite not being your stereotypical version of automotive enthusiast - I enjoy the sense of community inherent in car culture. There's a special kind of kinship you feel celebrating speed, mods, and brand monikers. 

The 2024 IBV Supercar Club run held in Durban took that sense of community in a unique new direction, that I can solidly say was a first for the car run experience in Durban. Beyond a showcase of supercars, the event brought together a community to celebrate inspiration, achievement, and future-thinking - all the things our magazine has always said cars really represented. 

 It was a Sunday morning event - the 21st of January. The weather graced us with its best. Spotlessly clear blue skies allowed the KZN North Coast to shine. The starting point for the run was at Zimbali Lakes, Ballito. 

The arrival of the cars is always a spectacular experience at any run. Every machine has its unique sound and colour, all together creating a vivid picture paired with its own symphony. 

Because of my line of work, I'm obligated to attend a great deal of events. And when you attend this many, they can become a blurry backdrop to life. But there were a couple of small, special details that stood out to me about this car run that made it memorable. Like every guest getting their name on a lanyard, as if the organizers wanted each individual to know their presence at the event was acknowledged; a supply of caps going around to weather against the unexpected sun; the juices at the buffet breakfast being served as a choice of cold or room temperature, because not everyone's preference is the same. The morning was nothing short of a testament to IBV's sharp eye for detail and member comfort.

At the close of the casual breakfast and a walk-around to admire the cars (which was an excellent networking opportunity if you took it), there were a couple of valuable formalities. Rainmaker Marketing shared some interesting insights into the uptake of North Coast property, which I hope to share in another article, because purchasing of property on the North Coast is something you really don't want to miss. Speaking of opportunity to own assets, the IBV team shared some incredible benefits offered to their members in this regard. Like I say - this wasn't an ordinary car run. We didn't spend a morning flying down a highway, comparing competitive moments afterwards. The IBV team - including CEO Ashok Sewnarian himself, made sure that every second of the day, from the moment we arrived, was a valuable use of their guests' time. 

The run route itself was up to Tinley Manor, and a turnaround to drive down to Umhlanga.

The drive ended at the new location of the IBV Prive, situated in Park Square, Umhlanga. Our magazine offices are situated just a block away from here, so I'd seen the careful, deliberate construction of this venue over years, all artfully concealed behind walls - naturally, as a security vault, the building of the structure wasn't for the public eye. I'd popped in to Park Square a day or two before the run, and was surprised to see the walls finally taken down to reveal their VIP parking area. The surprise was nothing compared to what I felt when I landed up there at the end of the car run to see the parking  bays turned into a sophisticated brunch area (pictured below - seriously, can you believe this is a parking lot! The IBV team must have worked tirelessly to make this happen.) It was a perfect reveal to the IBV Prive location.

Guests were given a tour of the vaults - an entirely top-tier space, with unparalleled security measures. And because the event was not without good cause, guests got to engage with different charitable organizations, before brunch. Members and guests of the IBV were well taken care of, in a unique take on the traditional car run. The event went well beyond something as simple as vehicles - it was an event meant to inspire and to help. While every type of car run will always have its space, I do hope more of this happens in Durban, as it furthers the impact the car community can have.

The event brought me a reminder of the Letter From The Editor we published in spring of 2022, the first time our magazine printed commercially to be distributed to airports. I had written, "Stories from the car scene have the potential to disrupt what we think is possible to achieve in the world. KREST Cars is not just about car specs - it is about innovation, dreams, limitless thinking. All the things that the car scene is really about."

And I believe the IBV sees the contribution of the car community to the world the same way.

The KREST Cars magazine is distributed across South Africa into airport lounges, airline check-ins, 3-5 star hotels, rentals and dealerships, and selected corporate offices. If this is your target market, contact info@krestpublishers.co.za to place an advert for your business.