SPAH Conventions/ Favorite Activities

[Okietune]

For those who have attended SPAH conventions, what do you like the most about these? What are some of your favorite activities that are offered? The website talks about people playing in the hallways. I kind of chuckle and imagine what residents of the hotel wonder as they had no intentions of encountering a harmonica convention.

[Gnarly He Man]

I have worked the vendor booth as a representative for Suzuki during the half dozen SPAH conventions I have attended.
I liked that, but KMC isn’t doing that, so I will be going as a member.
I like the total immersion in all things harmonica.
This year I will have a working Harmonetta, having that to play will give me lots of real time experience with the instrument. In year’s past I have played a lot of guitar.
The seminars are great, as are the nightly performances.
The food usually sucks.

[Danny G]

The food usually sucks.

The food always sucks but there are restaurants within walking distance or you could rent an electric scooter.

I usually work the convention as a vendor and  unless I'm giving one, I miss all of the seminars
The jams  in the halls, corners, elevators, courtyard, and anywhere around the property sometimes even happens in the nearby restaurants to the delight of the other customers. The blues jam on Tuesdays is always outstanding. Just visiting and playing with old friends and making new ones is my real treat. The evening shows are awesome (in spite of the hotel food on Saturday)
All in all SPAH is like a Harmonica Super Bowl except at SPAH you get to hang out with the players

[beads]

Many good things at SPAH. One is the Filisko  Teach In.
Various top notch players, many are professional musicians, sit at small tables with half a dozen chairs around them and you just wander up, take a seat, and talk and learn from the best. You can spend an hour at one table or wander around. You can ask questions or just listen to the conversation and playing going on.
The seminars are fantastic. Again, top notch players of many different styles give instruction and demonstrations in a room of maybe 30 people.
The 4 or 5 times I went to SPAH I didn't play much. Mostly I keep my harp case closed and my ears open. So much to learn.
I also take some cash to buy a harp. Vendors often have good deals at SPAH.
Much of my harmonica music collection was acquired at SPAH. Take some cash to buy CDs from the pro players. (I guess CDs are still sold. Maybe streaming has replaced physical copies?) I have hard to get albums that were purchased directly from the artist (some even autographed).