No in-person Sweetwater Gearfest in 2024

[Sharkman]

I just got off the phone with someone from Sweetwater.  There will be no in-person live Gearfest in 2024, but they are hoping to have one in 2025.  He told me that it takes about a year to get the event organized, dealing with all the manufacturers, the tents, the food dealers, all that fun stuff.  I didn't say it, but I was wondering why haven't they been doing this already?  I also told him that the online Gearfest was a joke, and I didn't bother with it.  He agreed with me, which was one piece of good news.  Once again, Covid-19 proves to be the greatest excuse creator ever in recent history.

[Dave Bryce]

I’m thinking traditional trade shows in general are kind of teetering on the edge of the chopping block.  I know several companies who’ve said they feel like there are much more productive ways to spend their marketing dollars.

 

I believe that a lot of folks are watching to see what happens at Winter NAMM.  I’m guessing that a bunch of manufacturers are waiting to see if WNAMM’s return to January has a positive effect on the attendance numbers.

 

Looking at how few manufacturers are exhibiting at AES NYC this month, I’ll be interested to see if this is correct.

 

dB

[Anderton]

GearFest is a huge undertaking. If they start planning now they'll be able to hit mid-2025. It's too late for mid-2024. I think they haven't been planning for 2024 because they've been waiting to see what happens with Covid. I've noticed a spike lately, with a lot of people getting it...some worse than others.

 

As to trade shows, as Brother Dave says...

 

17 hours ago, Dave Bryce said:

I’m thinking traditional trade shows in general are kind of teetering on the edge of the chopping block.  I know several companies who’ve said they feel like there are much more productive ways to spend their marketing dollars.

 

Trade shows are immensely disruptive and expensive to a company, but I think there is a future in local, hotel-type shows in secondary markets. I suggested to NAMM that they come up with a framework to support multiple local shows rather than a huge trade show every year...sort of a travelling road show concept.

 

I did a TON of seminars/workshops at local shows in the 80s and 90s (10 countries, 38 state, three languages). They were very successful, always hundreds of people and sometimes close to a thousand. They petered out over the years because manufacturers felt an online presence, and YouTube videos, did what they needed. But there's still a gap those things don't fill. Local shows bring people together and give companies not only a unique opportunity to show off their products, but essentially have a motivated focus group where they could glean insights about future products and marketing.

 

Cities like Atlanta, Houston, Cleveland, Nashville, Phoenix, Austin, Philadelphia, Kansas City, Baton Rouge, Albuquerque, etc. are ideal for these kinds of events. Just don't do them in New York or LA, no one shows up  

[RABid]

I was told by someone at Sweetwater that they don't plan to ever make it public again. I'll miss it, but three different YouTubbers that I follow went to KnobCom and picked up Covid.

[Paolo]

>Just don't do them in New York or LA, no one shows up

 

I've been doing synth and pedal events in NYC and LA since 2011, they are always nothing short of packed, photos here (pedal rooms):
https://www.facebook.com/stompboxexpo/photos_albums

 

And here (synth rooms):
https://www.facebook.com/SynthExpo/photos_albums

[Anderton]

I should have been clearer. When I switched from talking about hotel shows to seminars/worshops, they were typically put on by a single manufacturer or retailer as opposed to multi-manufacturer exhibits. Sometimes attendance was good in NY or LA, but it was always good in  secondary markets. 

 

However, your input is great because it supports my contention that "there is a future in local, hotel-type shows in secondary markets." Several of the places you mentioned, like Portland, Austin, Toronto, Montreal, etc. are exactly what I have in mind.

 

I consulted to a company that put on a seminar tour to promote a new line of products. I advised against New York and LA, which was unfortunate because they'd already committed to venues. They ended up canceling the NY one because not enough people signed up, and the LA one was sparsely attended. Everywhere else, it did great. Go figure.

[The Real MC]

I may not be attending NAMM anymore.  I have been at shows since 2000, and 2023 in Anaheim was too rich for my blood.  Expenses have gone way up - meals, taxi to/from airport, and hotels.  I am not spending that kind of money again.

I would love to attend another (in-person) Gearfest.  That is a great event, much better than NAMM.

[KuruPrionz]

1 hour ago, The Real MC said:

I may not be attending NAMM anymore.  I have been at shows since 2000, and 2023 in Anaheim was too rich for my blood.  Expenses have gone way up - meals, taxi to/from airport, and hotels.  I am not spending that kind of money again.

I would love to attend another (in-person) Gearfest.  That is a great event, much better than NAMM.

I used to go to NAMM in Anaheim decades ago. I was a guitar tech in Fresno for several music stores so getting tickets that nobody wanted was easy. 

It was always a day trip, leave home early in the morning, do the walkabout and drive home in the evening. I can't imagine going now, the same information is available online without the random cacophony of hundreds of booths with demos playing everywhere in a gigantic echo chamber. 

 

The only thing that I bought because of NAMM was an E-Bow, the guitarist demoing it really made it sing. I still have it, a useful tool for recording. I don't use it live. 

All the extended flowing notes in Heroes by David Bowie are E-Bow.

 

[Scott Fraser]

I also bought an E Bow at NAMM, when they first came out.

[KuruPrionz]

2 hours ago, Scott Fraser said:

I also bought an E Bow at NAMM, when they first came out.

It's a great tool and unique to this day. 

[Ivan May]

This is a little disheartening to hear that they’re not doing a Sweetwater gear fest this year. My friends Mitch Holder and Chet Catallo, who used to work for Gibson, used to go to the gearfests every year. Steve Howe was supposed to show up one year but pulled out at the last minute.

 

2025 will be here before you know it.

[Tim Miller]

Sweetwater's GuitarFest 2024 is August 10!

[Sharkman]

I just called Sweetwater and talked with Matt.  Sweetwater has a scaled down in person event they are calling GuitarFest sometime in August, although Matt says they do not have a specific date picked out yet.  When I get more information, I will post it here.

[RABid]

On 6/4/2024 at 12:30 PM, Tim Miller said:

Sweetwater's GuitarFest 2024 is August 10!

I was told that instead of Gearfest they are doing small, specialized events like GuitarFest and DrumFest. In addition, they only send out invites to customers that live within 100 miles. In fact, a couple of them have already happened.

[Anderton]

On 10/31/2023 at 2:06 PM, Ivan May said:

This is a little disheartening to hear that they’re not doing a Sweetwater gear fest this year.

 

I feel the same way, but the reality was that GearFest became bigger than Sweetwater could handle on their campus. It was starting to exceed Summer NAMM, which was nuts! I don't think Sweetwater wants to be, or even could be, in the trade show business. 

 

However, I'm glad to see that they're continuing to do educational events, even if they're smaller. That actually might be better in some ways.