I’ve now been to all six Overland Expo East there have been. The latest is the fourth location for the event, and the first time the event has been under new management/ownership. It was by far the most organized, easiest venue and nicest weather yet.
Weather
Yep, you heard that right. The weather was nearly perfect with slight overcast skies and mild temperatures all weekend. It did rain a few times the final night, but was pretty much dry by morning. Maybe the Overland Expo crazy weather curse has been lifted? Only time will tell.
Location
The new venue at Infinity Downs Farm in Arrington, VA is a beautiful huge rolling hills property that has all the right amenities and lots of room for the event to grow. While the layout of the event can be improved, there is little to complain about with this great location.
One gripe you might hear from vendors is that it is to far from a big city to draw many day pass attendees, but the opposite side of that coin is that every person there is a pretty qualified customer since they went out of their way to come to this destination location.
People
As usual it was the people that gather at Overland Expo that are what make the event so special. I once again got to catch up with so many amazing people that I’ve met over the years. It’s hard for me to sometimes break out of my industry bubble, as there are so many amazing people in this industry, but the broader community is such a great group of welcoming passionate travelers.
For sure hang out with your friends at these events, but above all meet others that share your wanderlust. Be sure to wander the campgrounds, attend the happy hours, visit with vendors and attend classes. You’ll be amazed at how much knowledge and stoke others in the overland community have to share.
Vehicles
Of course there are a ton of amazing vehicles at Overland Expo East. The diversity is always what impresses me. From massive Unimog based expedition campers to KIA Sportage with RTTs, there is something here for everyone to appreciate.
Trends
I did notice a few trends from around the show this year, that are different than in years past.
One is that there seemed to be far less motorcyclists and moto vendors. I chalk this up to the insane cold mud fest that was last year, as motos struggled under those conditions. I think the amazing time the moto crowd had at this year’s event will help grow this attendee segment in the future.
Another trend in the vendor area was the wide range of driveline parts on offer. I haven’t seen this type of product represented much at overland events in the past, but there were many dedicated booths this year to things like; bell housing adaptors, transmissions, HD CV axels, auto lockers and the like. I think this signals the true beginning of the hard core off road market trying to get a piece of the overland pie.
The other trend I noticed is that lots of brands out there now offer a wrap around awning. Like every RTT company out there now has at least three different awnings, one of which is a 270-degree design. Awnings are nice, but the market seems a bit saturated. It will be interesting to see which of these designs stand up to the abuse that overland travel is sure to dish out.
Future
Be sure to put October 9-11, 2020 on your schedule. Overland Expo has already locked those dates down, at Infinity Downs Farm, for next year’s event. Hopefully I’ll see you there!
I must admit that I miss the days at the insanely unique and beautiful Biltmore, and even the crazy weather. The real overland community always comes together under adversity. As I always say; “The adventure only truly begins when…”
So Much More
I put together some informative and fun content from Overland Expo East 2019 over at GearJunkie.com. Here are those stories:
Overland Expo East 2019: Top Gear for Adventure Vehicles
Overland Expo East 2019: The Details That Matter
Top Zombie Apocalypse Vehicles From Overland Expo East
By The Numbers
Overland Expo published the following stats after the event:
- 12,500+ attendees from all over the world
- 188 registered exhibitors
- 1,000+ registered adventure vehicles
- 200+ registered adventure motorcycles
- 125 presenters, instructors, and VIPs
- 55 media outlets
- 80 staff & 100 volunteers
- 376 Overland Experience VIP package attendees
- 200+ classes, seminars, demos, activities, slideshows, and films; totaling 440+ session-hours of instruction
