Thanks for the kind words!  Yes, CYW is a great show, too.  We always have a caravan going up and camping.  It's a 150-give-or-take car show with plenty of vendors and fun activities.

As to the tips, that's a good question!    A lot has to do with the style of judging.  Caption judging, like BP6 and , I believe, CYW, uses a separate judge for each part of the car who gives a numerical score.  Paint and body, interior, undercarriage, display, engine.  Look for how you might pick up a couple of points in each caption.  Cleanliness matters, esp. in the engine and undercarriage.  It's not as hard to detail those as you might think, especially in a late model car.  Presentation helps.  How can you make your car stand out?  Something different than the usual Pep Boys gear.  Look at other cars at the show for inspiration.  How about a theme?  I use the Bicentennial for my '76 camper.  Dealer accessories and period ads and literature are popular to lay across the seat (and cover up that cigarette burn, sometimes :: )
I've been shut out at shows and gotten first place in others with the exact same setup.  I can think of one specific show where that happened in successive years!  So don't worry too much about a few judge's opinion on one day.  The main thing is to enjoy the scene, make friends, and enjoy your VW!

Anyone else have something to add?  I'm always cruising for a few pointers, myself!

Like Anthony said, and it especially applys for a newer car like yours, cleanliness matters.  Most New Beetles are going to be sporting the factory paint . . . and most factory paint jobs are created equal.  Think about it . . . computer mixed paint sprayed by digitally controled robots in hi-tech climate controled paint booths . . . all geared at giving each and every car the exacty same high quality paint job.  When they have everything right, you have cars rolling off the line every few second with paint jobs that really can't be matched by even the best craftsman.  So what makes one of those a "8" and one a "15?"  Everything else being equal, the cleanest one will get the highest score.  Attention to detail is key too.  The guy next to you has dried crusted wax in a couple of seams . . . you took the extra time to make sure yours doesn't and you'll get the better score.

Just adding accessories to make the car different doesn't always help . . . If you add window tint film and it's wrinkled and full of air bubbles, your better off not adding it.  Add some cool looking and very functional custom gauges, but do a sloppy job with their wiring, again, you're probably better off without them.  What I look for when I judge (not that I do it a lot, and I'm by no means an expert, but . . . ) is quality of workmanship.  I might not really "approve" of the funky two two tone pearlesant (sp?) paint on a car, but it if it's a quality job and it's clean and detailed, I'm going to score it higher that the car next to it painted my favorite color that has overspray on some of the trim or seals and a small run here and there.

The bottom line though is that every VW show I've every attended, the judging really boils down to someone's opinion.  You know what they say about opinions . . . they are like a certian part of the human anatomy . . . everyone has one and at one time or another, they all stink.

So, clean, detail, look for ways to make it stand out . . . but above all, enjoy the company!  After all, most VW shows are not only about the cars, they are about the people.  It comes with the name Volkswagen.  The People's Car.

 :cool:

Yep . . . rain or shine, hot or cold, dry ground or mud, they have held it without fail, twice per year, for 10 years now.