How to run a car show, start to finish
Learning how to run a car show is simpler than the paper version makes it look. On Car Show HQ, the whole event runs from one place: you create a show, entrants register and pay online, staff hand out windshield cards, spectators vote by QR code on site, and winners tally themselves. Here are the six steps, from an empty field to trophies.
Create or duplicate a show
Start fresh or copy last year's show in one click. Set the date, categories, and entry fee, then you are ready to open registration.
Entrants register and pay
People sign up from their phone and pay through your own Square account. The money goes straight to you. Card details never touch Car Show HQ.
Staff check in and hand out windshield cards
On show day, staff check entrants in and print a windshield card for each car. The cards are plain black and white and carry the car's voting QR code.
Spectators scan a QR and vote by car number
Voting happens on site. A spectator scans the code on a windshield card, enters the car number, sees a quick preview, and casts one vote. No app, no account.
Watch the live leaderboard
Votes land in real time. Show the leaderboard on a screen, or switch to a rankings-only view when you would rather keep the count under wraps until awards.
Winners tally automatically
When voting closes, the results are ready in seconds. Category winners, Best of Show, People's Choice, and your special awards, all counted for you.
Walk through a real show in the demo
We seeded a full show with cars, votes, and results so you can click around before you commit to anything.
Running a car show, answered
How long does it take to set up a car show?
Creating a show on Car Show HQ takes about ten minutes: name it, set the date and categories, pick an entry fee, and open registration. Returning organizers duplicate last year's show in one click and just change the date.
Do you need special equipment to run a car show?
No. You need a phone or laptop to manage the show, a printer for the black-and-white windshield cards, and a screen if you want to display the live leaderboard. Registrants and spectators use their own phones in a web browser.
How do spectators vote at a car show?
Voting is on site only. Each car has a windshield card with a QR code. A spectator scans it, enters the car number, sees a quick preview to confirm, and casts one vote per category. No app to download and no account to create.
How are car show winners decided?
When voting closes, the tally is automatic. Category winners, Best of Show, and People's Choice are ready in seconds, and you can add hand-picked special awards. Every vote is an immutable record with duplicate protection, so the count holds up.
