Overland Expo Mountain West 2023 - August 25, 26, & 27 - Loveland, CO

[DomOfTheDead]

I will be there Saturday helping with the Stay The Trail booth. Looking forward to wandering around, seeing some peeps and getting more OLAF

 

[Wagonteeth]

A small group of friends and I are convoying out of north Longmont and up to the Expo at 10 am. If anyone would like to join us anyone is welcome. I'll be in my 60 and the rest of the group will be in 40s40s

On Saturday? I'm in north longmont and would be interested in convoying.

 

[PVCsnorkel]

On Saturday? I'm in north longmont and would be interested in convoying.

Yes, we’re going Saturday. Shoot me a text @609-334-1536 and we can iron out the details.

 

[Wagonteeth]

Ended up getting tix for Friday.

 

[Inukshuk]

FYI:

There's a new sheriff in town AKA: new ownership of OE.

The new Vender rules just came out and I would be cautious if anyone/group wishes to have a small gathering where booze is a available. You can do it but, you'll need to pay for permits, licensing, fencing, access control and security. They've indicated either they or local authorities will be patrolling the grounds and if they determine you should have the required stuff and you don't have them then they retain the right to remove you at your expense and no refunds....

Cheers.

No joke! 2023: Emerald acquired Lodestone Events, producers of the successful Overland Expo series of vehicle-based, adventure travel consumer shows. https://www.emeraldx.com/events/​

Emerald looks to be a mega-event production company. Guess we'll see how it goes. Expo continues to evolve. Just imagine the IG video of LongCruiser, disco ball overhead, getting a police escort out of the event!

In all seriousness (especially directed at all of you who just rolled their eyes at my comment), I have so many sponsor stickers on the rig they'd have to bring a RICO case (like that thing in ATL). Ha ha. Ok, so I almost got serious but could not help myself.

So now, in all seriousness. No, I can't sorry, laughing to much!

Ok, really now, the Saturday evening gathering to worship LongCruiser's sparkly spinning ball tower and flashy pants lights will develop organically. Its not a "booze is a available" formal event. BYOB or just hangout without drinking. (What happens inside LongCruiser's bar is typically out of my control). Probably we coalesce after 5:00 as the day winds down. Its not even dark till well after 8:00. There will be a fun Lexus Experience event 7-9 that @cruiseroutfit and @jps8460 will be helping host. Then probably the moths will be drawn to the ball. There probably is not a rule against disco balls (nor should there be, ever).

As for what Paul wrote, even the past two years under the prior company the event strictly managed any event providing alcohol. That's a reflection of following Colorado law. But hey, I can't be watching LongCruiser's bar the entire time.

Keep in touch y'all.

 

[nuclearlemon]

plan is to stop up friday after picking fat bastard up at the beauty parlor

 

[Burt88]

@Inukshuk at the last Expo West we had a nice experience of local law enforcement, not security, keeping everything quiet. I was hanging with a group that typically threw the biggest informal party every year. It's been theorized that these guys may have been part of the reason for new rules with their fog machine, loud music, and laser light show in 2022. This year we were just hanging out at their camp adjacent to the DIY area and the police came to inform us that music wasn't allowed and not get to loud otherwise. We could sit around camp and drink fireside but don't cause a disturbance.
Just be prepared for a visit if you're attracting attention. See how it goes.

The opinion of my friends who are long time participants and paid to be there is that Expo has evolved into a trade show above all else and the fun and shenanigans that were had in the past are being stomped out. There's desire for another event to take it's place as a premier gathering of enthusiasts more than the money machine Expo has become. It's just evolution.

 

[BritKLR]

There's desire for another event to take it's place as a premier gathering of enthusiasts more than the money machine Expo has become.

Already some Colorado centric discussions, planning and site selected regarding this.......too late this year but, next year???

 

[Inukshuk]

The opinion of my friends who are long time participants and paid to be there is that Expo has evolved into a trade show above all else and the fun and shenanigans that were had in the past are being stomped out. There's desire for another event to take it's place as a premier gathering of enthusiasts more than the money machine Expo has become. It's just evolution.

Agreed. Its an amazing trade show, networking, gathering, and there is the need for the enthusiast based event too

 

[Inukshuk]

their fog machine, loud music, and laser light show

So glad I did not order the fog machine! No lasers either, and LC is not nearly as loud as I'd like.

Nah, we'll be a fun chill.

The disco ball IS a thing though.

 

[Wagonteeth]

Would the club consider arranging or sponsoring an event to coincide with the expo, or do legal restrictions prevent it?

A guy on a local forum at my last home arranged a campout in the national forest annually. Chicken fried weekend it was called.
(expoportal hometown forum).

Pretty much just a everybody's invited, don't be an ass campout. There are certainly locations that could handle some cell group camping events here and close enough to loveland to make it worth bothering to show. .
BYOB, BYO everything. Just show up. Run what ya brung kinda deal.

 

[Inukshuk]

Would the club consider arranging or sponsoring an event to coincide with the expo, or do legal restrictions prevent it?

Not speaking for the club, I'm fine with whatever gets organized or not. For myself as a regular Expo attendee I think the organizing in this thread is a solid plan.
As far as legal restrictions, friends organizing to gather is fine. Its when an an event vendor organizes a HH and wants to give away alcohol that it must be tightly controlled.
Could be a great idea to say "rising sun meetup to walk together at _________ location at __________ time". Maybe assemble a list of cell numbers privately and share locations as a group on an app and meet up?
Its fun to see friends and club members both at the event. Its fun to walk around as such.
There is so much going on that any kind of fixed gathering limits you.
I have lots of out of town friends and vendors to visit with so I drift in and out of visits with RS folks.
But it IS great to visit with RS members at the event or I would not have started this thread!

For my proposed Saturday night LongCruiser gathering I don't know where it will be parked or what time we can gather. I might even have to venture offsite for something a bit. When it kicks off I will post a coordinate here if I can - but I the DB is hard to miss.

Past years @baja1d Travis Hurley of Outer Limit Supply hosted gatherings and he was seen hauling water, ice, kegs, and then he was hanging in that location as people came and went. I camped with him so it was great, for me. Hard work for Travis, and after he worked a booth all day.

I have seen some good parties at Expo, in the old days. Its not a party scene these days. Though the LongCruiser after-party last year on the backlot was ..... . Yet even that was only half a dozen or so friends.

Some fun reading:

https://www.tctmagazine.net/summer-2021/overland-expo-mountain-west
https://tctmagazine.net/spring-2017/overland-expo-west-2017 (Scroll down for "Sidebar: A First Timer Attendee Perspective, by Anna Kowalska")
https://tctmagazine.net/spring-2022/toyotas-of-overland-expo-west-2022
https://www.tctmagazine.net/features/update-2-from-overland-expo-2014
https://tctmagazine.net/latest-news/overland-expo-2015-from-the-field

 

[Wagonteeth]

I'll watch this thread for lat/long then!

 

[BritKLR]

I have seen some good parties at Expo, in the old days.

Yeah, I seem to recall you, a cigar, Paul Mays open bar and Clay Crofts disco light bars and music and you cutting loose back in 2014.....Too bad there's no video of that.

 

[nuclearlemon]

For my proposed Saturday night LongCruiser gathering I don't know where it will be parked or what time we can gather. I might even have to venture offsite for something a bit. When it kicks off I will post a coordinate here if I can - but I the DB is hard to miss.

the pigsty is a little jaunt but is always an option

 

[jps8460]

Come by the Lexus booth and say howdy/heckle Kurt and I!! We’ll be doing our typical 101 classes (build discussions, Tire Repair, and Recovery). We give away a bunch of cool stuff each class.

Lexus has a party at 7p on Saturday.. they usually have a very nice beer selection.

Oh and there will be a new GX550 in the booth.

 

[Inukshuk]

Come by the Lexus booth and say howdy/heckle Kurt and I!! We’ll be doing our typical 101 classes (build discussions, Tire Repair, and Recovery). We give away a bunch of cool stuff each class.

Lexus has a party at 7p on Saturday.. they usually have a very nice beer selection.

Oh and there will be a new GX550 in the booth.

LongCruiser is a Lexus ....

 

[VoodooBlue_Vixen]

FYI - today's supposed to be the worst of the rain this storm is bringing with it. So be careful up there today friends! I'll be up there tomorrow!

 

[Wagonteeth]

Wife and I got there pretty early, so snapped a couple pics of the 250 series.

 

[Wagonteeth]

One shot underneath but it was dark and I can't tell much...

And this guy. No disco ball at 9am.