I went to my first ever keyboard meetup in Manhattan yesterday. I am going to guess there were about 50 people in attendance with about 60 keyboards while I was there.
Being an introvert I didn’t really speak with anyone other than a hello or excuse me as I invariably bumped into people.
Overall impressions
People: Generally have very good taste. There was not a single board there which made me think, “That’s terrible.” Now there were plenty of cool boards that weren’t for me (I don’t get the lure of the Keycults or the super mini 40s), but overall I have to say “Well done, strangers from the internet.”
What I must buy: SA Oblivion
What I don’t want: Any super-tiny 40s
What I noticed: I saw a lot of GMK sets (which I guess I should have expected, but didn’t because I guess I’m still a n00b). I had never seen any GMK sets in person (I have some on order, but, you know…) and wow are GMK sets sharp. I did not see any PBTfans sets other than the one I brought.
What I need: More AC. The room was too small and too hot for the amount of people. The organizer updated everyone after the event saying he took a lot of notes as to what worked and what didn’t and he was also aware of the size of the space. Big thumbs from me to the organizer.
What I realized: I am old. Far older than anyone there and while it didn’t bum me out, it did make me feel like I was crowding into a space I didn’t totally fit into. Now, no one said anything and it could be my endless anxiety. It’s not even so much that I care what people think of me (It’s not my business what people think of me), but I try to be aware of sliding into a space that maybe doesn’t need me. Or maybe I just prefer virtual rooms. I am 100% glad I went and I will go to more should they pop up in NYC.