kmacafee
Adventurist
At Dave's suggestion, I am starting this new thread to get feedback from those of you who attended Overland Expo West.
I was unable to attend this year but had several friends who did, all of whom have attended for many years. They all say that given how big the event has become, they will no longer attend. They complained about the crowds, camping venues that were choked with vehicles and people, and a vendor experience that tended toward the ridiculous. One suggested that it looked like SEMA in a field -- vehicles and gear that clearly many could not afford that was impractical for anything but mall crawling.
I have looked at many of the pictures posted by them and others and I did see a number of well respected vendors selling field proven gear. But, many of the vehicles I saw had to easily be 6 figure builds, and apparently there were several that exceeded 7 figures.
So, has this event gotten too big for its own good? Is it time to take it to Vegas and create a whole new show that reflects the reality of what "Overlanding" has become?
I'm not trying to create any controversy -- just interested in hearing what those of you who attended think.
Cheers
I was unable to attend this year but had several friends who did, all of whom have attended for many years. They all say that given how big the event has become, they will no longer attend. They complained about the crowds, camping venues that were choked with vehicles and people, and a vendor experience that tended toward the ridiculous. One suggested that it looked like SEMA in a field -- vehicles and gear that clearly many could not afford that was impractical for anything but mall crawling.
I have looked at many of the pictures posted by them and others and I did see a number of well respected vendors selling field proven gear. But, many of the vehicles I saw had to easily be 6 figure builds, and apparently there were several that exceeded 7 figures.
So, has this event gotten too big for its own good? Is it time to take it to Vegas and create a whole new show that reflects the reality of what "Overlanding" has become?
I'm not trying to create any controversy -- just interested in hearing what those of you who attended think.
Cheers