Musical instrument and pro audio retailer Sweetwater will present GearFest 2010 on June 25-26 in Fort Wayne, Ind. GearFest—an expo for musicians and their families—is free and open to the public, and includes an indoor/outdoor festival featuring music, food, fun and prizes. This year’s two-day expo offers dozens of workshops and seminars, scores of manufacturer exhibits, and special surprises.
GearFest will take place on Friday, June 25 from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday, June 26 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at 5501 U.S. Highway 30 West in Fort Wayne, Ind.
Sweetwater has stuffed a VW bus full of $75,000 in gear that will be awarded to three lucky GearFest attendees. Watch a video of Sweetwater staff loading the van with prizes. The three packages—for recording studio, guitar studio and live sound—include equipment from top manufacturers such as Avid, Moog, Neumann, Shure, and dozens of others. To win, you must attend GearFest.
Sweetwater GearFest exhibit
Sweetwater reports that last year, more than 5,000 people participated in GearFest’s workshops, exhibits and performances. This year, Sweetwater scheduled a full slate of seminars that are designed to help musicians improve their performing and recording skills. This year’s feature events include the Producers Forum, an all-star panel of producers in a wide-ranging discussion of recording topics; the story behind Gretsch Guitars with Fred Gretsch; and a special presentation on “do it yourself” video production by Wally Kurth and Christian Taylor. Producer/engineer Jacquire King (Kings of Leon, Norah Jones) will also present a workshop on Grammy-winning recording tips.
GearFest offers more than 40 workshops and seminars on recording techniques and live sound, music creation with computers, recording studio acoustics, songwriting, and electronic instruments. Guitarists Greg Koch and David Grissom, and more than a dozen other nationally known performing artists, will take the stage to perform on the latest new guitars, keyboards and electronic drums. Plus, the Guitar Gallery tent will feature hundreds of guitars and basses on display.
Find out about the entire GearFest 2010 schedule of events.
Musicians will enjoy a free guitar setup and restringing service, plus a musicians’ flea market, where used equipment can be bought, sold, or traded. To pre-register to sell equipment at the flea market, call 260/ 432-8176.
Sweetwater GearFest workshop
More than 150 manufacturers of musical instruments, music technology, and audio equipment will be on hand to give musicians a look at their latest products. Some manufacturers will display new products introduced at the Summer NAMM show in Nashville.
Other attractions will include hourly giveaway drawings for thousands of dollars of equipment and instruments, plus tours of Sweetwater’s world-class recording studios and headquarters. In addition, Sweetwater will offer special discount sale pricing on many products.
“GearFest is a very big deal for Sweetwater, and for Fort Wayne,” says Sweetwater founder and President Chuck Surack. “There’s literally nothing like it. It is a trade show, but also free and open to the public. There’s certainly nothing this big, with so many great attractions, anywhere else in the country.”
Pre-register online for Sweetwater’s GearFest 2010 and find out travel and hotel information for Fort Wayne, Ind. For more information, call 260/432-8176.
