2021 Overland Expo Info

Dave

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This just in regarding Overland Expo in 2021:

Overland Expo West, the series’ flagship event that is historically held in mid-May, is now postponed to September 24-26, 2021 at Fort Tuthill County Park in Flagstaff, AZ.

The postponement comes out of an abundance of caution, as event organizers strive to ensure the health and safety of fans, exhibitors, staff, and the surrounding Flagstaff community.

Overland Expo has released a set of COVID Safety Procedures designed to ensure the health and safety of attendees at upcoming events.

We encourage everyone planning to attend any Overland Expo in 2021 to review these procedures and to be aware of the COVID health and safety protocols that will be implemented at all events.

Tickets and booth space for the 2021 event series will go on sale in mid-January. Event organizers plan for Overland Expo West to return to its traditional springtime date in May 2022.

SAVE THE DATE! Overland Expo 2021 Series
  • August 27-29, 2021 - Mountain West - Loveland, Colorado
  • September 24-26, 2021 - West - Flagstaff, Arizona
  • October 8-10, 2021 - East - Arrington, Virginia

OVX WEST 2021.gif


OVX EAST 2021.gif
 
Going to be rough on vendors to do three events back-to-back-to-back like that. I suspect a lot of the "small fish" that built the event in past years are going to drop out of doing all of them and be forced to cut back to the show in their back yard.
 
Indeed. The logistics are complex and resource intensive for sure.
 
For someone who hasn’t attended one of these before, any advice on value of the Experience tickets over the Weekend Camping? Could use the training but is this the right environment to get good training in?
 
For someone who hasn’t attended one of these before, any advice on value of the Experience tickets over the Weekend Camping? Could use the training but is this the right environment to get good training in?

I've been an instructor for Overland Expo since 2015. I've instructed at both East & West as well as their "virtual" expos last year. The main advantage of the training opportunities at expo is just the shear volume of topics being covered. There are usually 4-5 sessions running simultaneously every hour all day. That doesn't include the 7P area, the bushcraft area, the moto area, or the two demo pavilions.

It really blows my mind how many classes are offered in such a short period of time. The disadvantage is that those classes are often short, too short, to do the topics true justice. However, if you think of it like a buffet, that allows you to get a good sampling of topics without getting overwhelmed by any one topic. It also gives you a chance to network with a variety of instructors to follow up with after the event.

Without tooting my own horn too hard, the instructors at expo are some of the best of the best the industry has to offer. Many of them are authors, bloggers, youtubers, etc and have loads of other content to check out. Many are also instructors outside of events like expo. I myself host my own training events as well as instruct at other events outside expo. So another way to look at expo is a good way to interview potential instructors you'd like to work with in the future.

One main advantage of the full experience package is being able to do some of the more hands-on technical training with the 7P team. Winching, driving, boarder crossings, etc. Some are longer sessions than the basic 1 hour sessions. They also go into a lot more depth.

So, in short, yes. Paying for the full experience is worth it if you plan on getting your learn on and spending your time in the training sessions. If you're going for more of a social experience, or just the tradeshow experience of the vendor area with only a sprinkling of the "free" courses offered outside the main training tents then you don't need to pay for the full experience.
 
For someone who hasn’t attended one of these before, any advice on value of the Experience tickets over the Weekend Camping? Could use the training but is this the right environment to get good training in?
I've been an instructor for Overland Expo since 2015. I've instructed at both East & West as well as their "virtual" expos last year. The main advantage of the training opportunities at expo is just the shear volume of topics being covered. There are usually 4-5 sessions running simultaneously every hour all day. That doesn't include the 7P area, the bushcraft area, the moto area, or the two demo pavilions.

It really blows my mind how many classes are offered in such a short period of time. The disadvantage is that those classes are often short, too short, to do the topics true justice. However, if you think of it like a buffet, that allows you to get a good sampling of topics without getting overwhelmed by any one topic. It also gives you a chance to network with a variety of instructors to follow up with after the event.

Without tooting my own horn too hard, the instructors at expo are some of the best of the best the industry has to offer. Many of them are authors, bloggers, youtubers, etc and have loads of other content to check out. Many are also instructors outside of events like expo. I myself host my own training events as well as instruct at other events outside expo. So another way to look at expo is a good way to interview potential instructors you'd like to work with in the future.

One main advantage of the full experience package is being able to do some of the more hands-on technical training with the 7P team. Winching, driving, boarder crossings, etc. Some are longer sessions than the basic 1 hour sessions. They also go into a lot more depth.

So, in short, yes. Paying for the full experience is worth it if you plan on getting your learn on and spending your time in the training sessions. If you're going for more of a social experience, or just the tradeshow experience of the vendor area with only a sprinkling of the "free" courses offered outside the main training tents then you don't need to pay for the full experience.
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I agree with @Dean all the way.

I found that going for Experience tickets has been worthwhile in my experience. Lots to see, listen to, and learn from. I went in with specific things I wanted to know more about and when Q&A time came around, I didn't hesitate to ask questions.

I found myself being sort of taken under the wing by several presenters and invited to hang out, because of that. Lots of stories of the road, past experiences, and future dreams shared by all, and more than once "Dude, you should be presenting!" Which I found terribly humbling and encouraging.

I suggest, though, not over booking yourself with too many back-to-back workshops and presentations, but to give yourself some time to both let things digest as well as have time to visit the plethora of vendors and rigs in the camping area. You'll find a wide variety of approaches and solutions. It can be a lot to take in if never attending before, with Expo West being a good deal larger than Expo East.

All in all, if you let it, it can be a very affirming experience.
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What's your ideal learning environment? I prefer smaller student:teacher ratios and flexibility, especially with time. For the same reason and the same price (maybe cheaper), I went to a regional I4WDTA certified course for my intro to wheeling in anything other than mud - my Florida roots had that covered nicely - and recovery. There is an incredible knowledge base at Expo and some amazing opportunities with renowned instructors. However, I preferred the smaller class size and less time constrained format of a weekend session, which also included time on the trails putting skills to use immediately. Most importantly, we weren't rushed because the next class was coming in.

I'm not putting the expo experience down. It serves a purpose for some folks, but it's not my speed. If I were to go to expo it would be because I was going to see people I don't get to see that often. I'd still prefer the various low-key Rendezvous and regional rallies that are becoming more commonplace.

The underlying theme of my composition is I don't like large groups of people. Expo has lots of people. Therefore...
 
This goes against all science and common sense. Isn't this event outdoors? I'll be saving my money and not support such madness.

Masks or face coverings will be required throughout the facility for all exhibitors, staff and attendees over the age of 4. Bring your own, otherwise masks will be for sale on-site.

Please allow for a minimum of 6 ft. of distance between yourself and others not in your party throughout the event and in queues for restrooms, ticketing, concessions, etc.
 
What's your ideal learning environment? I prefer smaller student:teacher ratios and flexibility, especially with time. For the same reason and the same price (maybe cheaper), I went to a regional I4WDTA certified course for my intro to wheeling in anything other than mud - my Florida roots had that covered nicely - and recovery.

I do not disagree one bit. For certain topics like driving & recovery smaller groups with hands-on learning in a distraction free environment is great.
 
For those of you attending WEST in Flagstaff, our booth is at R8 (where we have been the last several years) stop by and say hello to our crew there!

Here is the MAP of the grounds at WEST :map
 
If things work out and I'm there I'll make sure to say hi. We shall see. The Colorado and Virginia shows are for-sure. Arizona is up in the air.
 
For those of you attending Overland Expo Mountain West in CO, our booth is B116, stop by and say hello to our crew there!

Here is the MAP of the grounds at MOUNTAIN WEST :lost

Best viewed on desktop!
 
For those of you attending Overland Expo Mountain West in CO, our booth is B116, stop by and say hello to our crew there!

Here is the MAP of the grounds at MOUNTAIN WEST :lost


That took me way too long to find. Is there a map reading skills class available? It's a big grey square for anyone having trouble.
 
That took me way too long to find. Is there a map reading skills class available? It's a big grey square for anyone having trouble.

There’s a list of organizations on the left. Click on the company and it highlights it and provides a red arrow pointing at it…

Best viewed on desktop!

:questions
 
Not that I'm bias but for $400.00 bucks the Overland Experience is rather pricey. I have taught at the Northwest Overland Rally the past 7 years and the Panhandle Overland Rally most recently last year. Most of the classes are an hour long, some actually 2 hours most with very little hands on. I call this event or rally training

We recently held a recovery class all weekend long 9+ hours each day, hands on training for far less than that per person. Group size was limited to 12. Adults learn best from performing the task, building muscle memory.

Just my experience over the last 7-8 years. That being stated we have picked up clients from the rally events due to the type of training that is conducted at these events.
 
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