GearFest 2015 is now in the rearview mirror, and now that I’m out of the tempest (literally and figuratively), I’m able to properly evaluate it and gain a proper perspective. This was without a doubt the biggest and best GearFest to date, and the weather managed to make it all a little more interesting. I know that many of you weren’t able to attend this year, so I wanted to give you some insights on what this event is all about. Here are my top five “inside” and fun observations:
- It was big. It wasn’t just big in terms of attendance with more than 10,000 people on the grounds on Friday and Saturday; it was flat out big geographically, as well, with more than 74,000 square feet of tents and 250,000 square feet of customer access areas on campus. The Sales department is on the second floor overlooking our parking lot, and it was mind-boggling to see the massive tents going up… and going up… and going up in the days preceding GearFest.
- I love this industry. Okay, that’s probably not a big secret at this point, but to be able to share an event like GearFest with our customers and vendors made it a really special couple of days. Perhaps what I’m really trying to say is, “I love the people in our industry!” The excitement in the air was constant. Maybe it’s simply having so many wonderfully creative and high-energy people in one place at one time? I don’t know, but there was certainly a wonderful vibe throughout GearFest that carried over for days and weeks after it was all done.
- Our superstars are regular people. Whether it was Sylvia Massy, Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, or technology legends such as Dave Smith, Tom Oberheim, and Roger Linn, every big name we had here as a presenter and guest was extremely gracious and willing to answer questions, sign autographs, and pose for photos.
- We must be living right. This was certainly the most Woodstock-like GearFest so far, with plenty of rain and gusting wind to go around. However, aside from one mid-day torrential downpour, most of the rain strategically happened before and after GearFest, with the worst of it happening after the event was closed on Saturday night. Interestingly, what rain we had didn’t seem to phase anybody all that much!
- I want to attend as a customer! I’m in the group that sets up the workshops, seminars, and demos for GearFest. If I have any regret, it’s that I don’t have the opportunity to attend these. Fortunately, I did get to sneak in and hang out for a few minutes at several, so I at least got a taste!
I want to thank all of our vendor partners for their many contributions, including sponsoring workshops and simply spending time with our customers and our team. I also want to thank our friends and customers — many of whom traveled across the country (and even the world) to attend GearFest. It means a lot to us that you were here. We’ve already begun planning an even better and bigger GearFest for 2016 (save the date: June 17 and 18, 2016); if you are a gearhead, it’s worth the trip!
Rock and Roll!
Jeff Radke
Executive Vice President of Sales
Chief Sales Officer