To Past Pilgrimage Attendees!!

[Amy]

What would you say to someone who is fairly new to the forum and doesn't have established friendships with anyone here (yet), really loves Klipsch and wants to attend the Pilgrimage, but isn't sure they would fit in or feel comfortable?

Would anyone like to share their first Pilgrimage experience, and note if you attended without knowing anyone very well?

Any advice for a first-timer?

Thanks!

[Bill H.]

I would say...............

1. Wear clothes and shoes your comfortable with.

2. I know it's hard, but try to introduce yourself to others.

3. Be prepared to feel welcomed as if your coming home, and to be WoW'd by the wonderful Klipsch products and History you will Experience.

JMHO.

[Daddy Dee]

For cool factor there's hardly anything that beats it. There is no other place in the audio world that offers this kind of hospitality.

[dtel]

The first time I attended i was nervous I didn't know what to expect, I was just walking around feeling out of place with a bunch of strangers and someone walked up to me and said " hey dude relax ", I started laughing and looked at his name tag and it was Roger, " Indy Klipsch Fan " that's when I realised I did in a way know everyone.

Relax and take a break, you are there to have a good time. You don't need to know anyone to have a good time, I have never met a group of people that you can just walk up to anyone and ask a question or join in their conversation so easily.

We all had name tags but it was strange the way things would happen, you would start talking to someone and after a minute look to see their name tag and every time it would surprise you, it's like meeting an old friend that you had no idea what they looked like ! I guess you brain forms an image of what you think someone looks like because you talk with them here, and of course they look different, it's part of the fun.

I would tell anyone just go, you will not be sorry, the people you meet are worth it in itself. And Klipsch and their cool employees do everything they can to make sure you will have a good time.

[garymd]

I went just once (2004) but made lifelong friendships in the 2 days I was there. I highly recommend going even if you don't know anyone personally. It's a great time and like everyone else said, the folks at Klipsch really know how to throw a party!

[LarryC]

It's a very friendly, open group that hasn't been around long enough to develop cliques! You won't have a bit of trouble or angst, believe me, and you won't ever have another even close opportunity to hear such a wide variety of great speakers.

Larry

[BobRiff]

Lots of friendly, knowledgeable folks!

Have a couple drinks, loosen up and dive in.

Come on down (or up, as the case may be). You might even learn something while you're there.. []

[Trey Cannon]

How about some background on the event?

In the year 2000, I was working tech support for Klipsch, taking calls and email from the end user. I had looked around the forum some and spent some time talking to folks. Then they would call into the tech support line and talk some more. I made some friends while talking on the phone to our customers. Then one day, a forum member called me up and asks to visit. He told me he was to bring a few of his forum friends along. He wanted to know a good day to show up. They all sent me letters of how they got started using Klipsch speaker and asking if they could come to visit the plant. I sent the request to Fred Klipsch and received the OK to have them come. On Feb. 16^th, 2001 the gang showed up. We took them through the plant, museum and Engineering Lab. We went to lunch. We paid a visit Paul Klipsch at his home, then to dinner that night. One couple even came back down two weeks later to attend Paul’s Birthday party. The day was such a hit that they all wanted to come back the next year. We did not have the event the next year due to Engineering moving to Indianapolis, In from Hope, AR. The first year I was in Indy, we held our second event and have held one every year since. Klipsch has shared may of the product we have produced over the last 5 or so years with the “Pilgrims” first. They found out about the Cornwall III 8 or 10 months before we launched it. They were ask to keep it quite. (Thinking that the info would leak and start a buzz about the product). Well after 7-8 months, we had to tell them to leak the info. The 100 or so folks that knew of the launch kept it quite. Things like that are why we continue to hold this event. (that, and I like telling everyone what to do…

[colterphoto1]

Spend some time on the Forum first, making friends here. Ask questions, be a regular guy.

Believe it or not, last year was MY first Pilgrimage. I was a little nervous. It goes away.

Michael

[fini]

Believe it or not, last year was MY first Pilgrimage.

Dude, I met you in Hope in '05! Didn't that count??

If you're able to go, do it. It's true, you will make life-long friendships. It will make your future forum experiences much more rewarding and interesting!

[damonrpayne]

I would advise that you practice drinking beer, so you're not hungover Saturday morning.

[J.4knee]

We (my wife and I) have attended two so far. First in Indy 3 years ago then again in Hope in 06. We have thoroughly enjoyed the friendship and camaraderie that has spawned from these brief encounters. You cannot find a more hospitable group than Klipsch to host such an event. First meeting the fellow Klipsch enthusiasts is rewarding enough, but then to be able to put a face to the names of the Klipsch folk like Trey and Amy, Mr. Hunter and the “Bad Cowboy” Roy and the production staff who make these wondrous boxes we value so much is priceless. Klipsch' openness to show us their business, what they do, how they do it, and what they are contemplating is simply not found anywhere else in this industry in my experience. I have been trying to angle a way to get away from work to attend another one. I thought I had this year nailed but alas I am strapped to my office this again year.

What should a new or first time attendee expect? Expect to be treated to a first class event, the Klipsch folks will extend everything they can to make your weekend memorable, and memorable it will be. Expect to make new friends and unite with old friends (even if you never met them before). Expect to have a genuinely good time. Mingle; you’ll get a more personal sense of your fellow Klipsch forum brethren. Expect to learn things about speaker design and testing you never contemplated before. I’d also say bring your spouse. My wife Michelle met Picky and Customsteve’s wives and formed a new friendship so its not just about a bunch of speaker geeks getting together…..OK well it is but it has side benefits. Overall expect to just enjoy yourself. These truly are singularly unique events irrespective of their annual occurrence.

R/Jim

PS can't forget Mr. CP1 either.

[colterphoto1]

Believe it or not, last year was MY first Pilgrimage.

Dude, I met you in Hope in '05! Didn't that count??

If you're able to go, do it. It's true, you will make life-long friendships. It will make your future forum experiences much more rewarding and interesting!

Not a true pilgrimage although I have been to Hope three times now I think, it's a blur.

Factory tour 2005, 07, when was the other???

Was always too busy shooting weddings on the summer weekends to hang with y'all.

I've made some lifelong friends through my travels gathering this collection of Klipsch.

It's not a job, it's an adventure!

Drinking is not required to have fun, although some say it helps. Me, I'm naturally crazy.

[WMcD]

"A splended time is guaranteed for all."

I was fortunate to be invited to attend the first pilgrimage which was in Hope. There were about twelve of us. This was to meet with PWK and Ms. Valerie, and Roy, and Trey and many others. This was the event of the first semi-public listening of the Jubilee.

There was a funny story out of this and it comes from forum member John Albright. He told his young daughter that he knew some people from the Internet and he was going to travel hundreds of miles to a little town to meet these people who he had never seen before. His daughter replied, "But Daddy, you said I should never do anything like that!" Maybe this describes all fears possible even for us adults.

The mixer on the Friday night included a wonderful greeting by the president of the Hope chamber of commerce. When Trey moved to Indy, this fellow became the funniest man in Hope. Trey held the title otherwise. We were given tee-shirts for the Hope watermelon festival and hand fans from the local funeral home. It make me wonder where things were going.

Of course it was wonderful.

The following Pilgrimages to Indy are more structured. This has been described by others, above.

If you think you might want to go, then you very much should. You'll meet a lot of friends you never knew you had from the forum and meet a lot new friends. I'm not the most garrulous fellow but we all check out the name tags and get to know each other in person at the mixer and during the tours.

As the Beatles sang, "A splended time is guaranteed for all." The Klipsch people create a generous hospitality.

Gil

[fini]

If I were fortunate enough to attend another Pilgrimage, I'd like to be able to meet Gil, and give him a big hug.

[BLSamuel]

I'd say expect a great time. I'm something of an introvert but still managed to have a great time.

I stumbled onto the forum searching for hot and cold outdoor faucets of all things last April or May. I'd been to the Klipsch website before and maybe to the forum but didn't do anthing about it. I've been a fan of Klipsch speakers for years so once I started looking around the forum and it said Pilgrimage it seemed like too much fun to pass up.

It was a lot of fun.

The mixer was kind of cool just hanging out while music was played somewhat informally on a couple of different versions of the Jubilee with people chatting about audio and probably a whole lot more.

Saturday morning we toured the engineering facilities in small groups with presentations / demos of all sorts of cool things including the upcoming in ear headphones not yet announced. That was somewhat mind boggling as I first think of the Klipschorn or other speakers the size of small refrigerators when Klipsch is mentioned. So now the Legendary Sound Of Klipsch / Ultimate Sound Experience that fits in your ears. And we got to try out prototypes before they were even announced. How cool is that?

Saturday afternoon after lunch, provided by Klipsch where we were served probably the best fresh potato chips I've had along with really good sandwiches, we got to roam around and visit the different demo rooms. Unfortunately I missed Larry C's classical music "class" but I did get to try out the Image prototypes and listen to other things. All kinds of fun stuff at least in an audio geek sort of way.

Saturday evening we had dinner along with a sort of town hall meeting where Fred Klipsch came by and spoke and took questions before heading to the airport, Richard Paynting discussed I don't remember what but did get a lot of flack as he used to work for another audio company (think marketing). Trey Cannon, Roy Del Gado, Jim Hunter, Mark Blanchard and others answered questions about all kinds of topics. And they gave away some amazing door prizes and everyone got a cool tee shirt, cap, and bumper sticker as well as a good meal.

The passion and humor of the Klipsch employees also came through. These people are excited about what they do and have a great time doing it. We should all be so lucky in our line of work. I can't forget the response of the esteemed long time Klipsch employee Jim to forum member Coytee's response of Marie Osmond when Jim mentioned he was about to play the first song he heard on Klipschorns during a 60th anniversary Klipschorn demo. I think that was an entertaining thread Said forum member may have also started the harassing of Richard P at the town hall.... that too was quite entertaining and fun and Richard seemed to enjoy it too. Wonder how his redemption is coming?...

The other thing that was cool is that quite a few of the forum members have become good friends. These people actually visit one another and really are a bunch of nice people. It seems the Klipsch fans are as passionate and fun loving as the Klipsch employees. Everyone seems to get along pretty well. I think Dtel's Wife likened everyone to one big dysfunctional family.

If you enjoy Klipsch and the topics on the forum I'd recommend attending if you can. You'll have a great time and increase your knowledge and maybe even make some new friends.

There's also a rumor there'll be some great barbecue this year.....

[WMcD]

I only embrace females. No hugs with fini.

Gil

[fini]

Well, OK, you macho dude! ;^)

[dtel]

" I think Dtel's Wife likened everyone to one big dysfunctional family."

Well at least she was speaking of something she has experience with. [] Actually everyone gets along better than some family members we have.

Fini I wish you and the family could make it, you big bear you, the wife and girls were fun to talk to.[{]

[j-malotky]

Was just thinking that this will be the 6th year in a row I have attended? Jeez, where has the time gone. That just does not seem possible.

This is one event I look forward to every summer.

I just love to meet up with old friends and end up making new ones every year.

JM