You want an honest opinion, and I'm not having a go in any way, this is just my feedback from folks I know.
Its perceived as something being organised in private, by a group of people who for the most part already know each other. Kind of a private party for the regulars in certain sections.
Don't know how you will change that, well I might do, but its nowt to do with me
As above, not having a go, my observations ..
I dunno how it's perceived as a private party .. It seems to be open and 'normal' to me .. OK, maybe the same or similar people are actually doing the 'doing stuff to get it moving' bit, but that's _exactly_ the same for any club or organisation I know. For example, I've never met Roy or Accy .. but they _are_ Landyzone ... and they do a lot of stuff that by necessity can't be shared with everyone in running the forum. They get help from some people, but again, that's a necessity, doesn't mean it's a private club or party.
Seems to me to be a celebration of Landyzone and Landrovers that needs organisation well ahead of time purely 'cos of logistics .. a decade is surely something that can bring everyone together, not divide us?
For example, (Not blowing my own trumpet here) I wasn't forced, or even asked, to bring kids playstuff, it was an idea for something I can do to help that might make the weekend go better. I already know my mere presence will do that anyway ...
Join in, get the others to at least look at it from the point of view that if no-one organised it, what would you do anyway? Do another weekends run around the Peaks or N Yorks, or Wales? They can be done next weekend, or the weekend after. This is a fairly rare chance to meet a lot of people with very similar, and also widely disparaging, viewpoints ... get drunk with, hopefully, a bit of debauchery later .. as well as see a Landy or two ..
A bit like the Bakewell run but way bigger and better
All it needs to be a success is for people to turn up and enjoy themselves. If you don't you won't be villified, but your presence (EVERYONE'S PRESENCE) will just make the weekend so much better.