# General Mandolin Topics > Jams, Workshops, Camps, Places To Meet Others >  2014 ibma

## Dale Pauline

I've never been and would be interested in hearing what it's like to attend. It would be a seven hour drive for me and just not sure what to expect if I attend.

Thanks.

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## Steve Sorensen

Raleigh turned the whole downtown convention area into one huge celebration.  Shows everywhere, jamming in the hotels until the wee hours of the morning and tremendous lectures and exhibits.  Don't miss it!

PS - Look for the little Sorensen Mandolin & Guitar booth sandwiched between the giant Martin and Deering displays again this year.

Steve

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Dale Pauline

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## Mark Wilson

Steve - are the builder exhibits still in full swing on Saturday? Wondering if I need to plan a weekday off or not.  Thx

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## Hallmark498

Be prepaired for a Bluegrass overload.  Take alot of pictures and get ready to meet and pick with some great people that will most likely turn into friends for life.

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Dale Pauline

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## AlanN

Be sure to stop by the Registration Desk to say hi. I'll be the guy with a Gilchrist and a smile   :Smile:

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## Dotneck

Since I live in Raleigh I signed up to volunteer at the event. Last year I only attended the free concert venue on Fayetteville Street. I plan to see more of the even this year.

I'm assuming the builder exhibits are open on Saturday...I've got a volunteer shift scheduled for Saturday morning in the exhibit hall...

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Mark Wilson

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## Mike Arakelian

The exhibit hall will definitely be open on Saturday and is a MUST if you're going.  There will be some great instruments to see and play, builders to talk to, and accessories like straps, picks, cases, etc.  Many will be available to buy.

 Note that Sierra Hull will be performing for free at the City Plaza Stage on Friday afternoon and the Kruger Brothers will be performing there for free on Saturday afternoon.  There will be lots of great entertainment from Tuesday through Saturday night (both free and ticketed).  That's not including all of the spontaneous jamming that goes on in the hotels and on the street.   Raleigh did a fantastic job in every respect last year and will undoubtedly do so again this year.  

Unfortunately, Reserved seat selection for the Red Hat Amphitheater is not very good as all the good seats are sold.  Ticketed events in the convention center are general admission so good seats can be had if you get to a show early.  The outdoor stages are all free and how close you get to the stage depends on how early you arrive before a show and how well you can work your way up front.  It really helps to write out a schedule of who you want to see, which stage it will take place on, and the show time so you can get there on a timely basis.  The distance from one end of the entertainment area to the other is maybe a 10 minute walk.

To answer your question, Dale...if you can do so, GO.  You won't be disappointed!  Be sure to wear your Mandolin Cafe' ball cap.

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Mark Wilson

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## Steve Sorensen

Exhibit hall is open Wednesday through Saturday.  Come on by and pick a little (or a lot)!

Steve

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## AlanN

Well, the time is drawing nigh and the excitement is building. The local newspaper, the city and community are ramping up publicity galore. Improvements have been made to the event infrastructure which are bound to enhance the already-established excellence that was last year. 

https://ibma.org/world-of-bluegrass/...uegrass/lineup

Seems Red Knuckles and the Boys are actually attending. I wonder how Waldo Otto has aged?

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## TonyP

I'm taking the first time plunge too. I've always wanted to go but being a left coaster it's always seemed out of reach. What really changed my mind though was the venue change. I've only ever heard good things about Raleigh. As if that wasn't enough, we're going have a very humble booth in the exhibit hall. This will be the first Tone-Gard booth ever. So I hope to put some faces to some names and pick a few tunes, comeon down!

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## Justus True Waldron

I'll be there Wednesday through Saturday... after hearing so much about Raleigh last year I figured I should check it out. I had fun in Nashville 2 years ago, and everybody says that was nothing compared to last years - so I'm expecting it'll be a good time. Hope to see some of you around and do plenty of picking!

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Steve Sorensen

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## AlanN

Thought the community would want to know about this *seemingly new* feature benefit that the IBMA organization is providing during the up-coming week in Raleigh. I don't think this was in place in prior years. What a caring and awesome organization!

Healthcare & Financial Consulting Services, come get all your questions answered:
·         Health Insurance (Navigating the Affordable Care Act, AKA Obamacare)
·         Low Cost Short Term Health Insurance Plans
·         Dental Insurance and Vision Plans
·         Medicare Supplement Plans
·         Life Insurance (Term & Permanent)
·         Long Term Care
·         Disability Income Insurance
·         Wealth Creation & Preservation Strategies (Investments & Retirement)
·         Tax Savings (Keeping Your Money

MusiCares – Free Dental Clinic and Ear Impressions for custom ear plugs. This service is for un- or under-insured musicians, who must demonstrate need and eligibility.

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## craigw

We've been on a cross country road trip from California and arrived in Raleigh today (Saturday). I brought five mandolins which will be on display at the Music Caravan booth in the trade show hall, I believe we are a four part booth, #505. Trade show starts Wednesday afternoon and runs through Saturday evening.  Stop by and give any of them a test drive.

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## MK in NC

The Raleigh News & Observer is ready for the action. Here's a link to today's lead front-page story, and the photo below also shows the newspaper's special bluegrass insert.

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Mike Arakelian

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## juneman

Hi everyone, "JUNE" MANDOLINS AND GUITARS will be in booth #607. I have done SPGMA before ,looking forward to IBMA. I will have three mandos and four guitars on display. Come on buy say hi and pick on a "JUNE" mandolin or guitar.!

walter johnson

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## MK in NC

It's nice to learn that the visual artist responsible for much of the IBMA artwork is a mandolin guy.

_RALEIGH — When Tim Lee was asked to design a series of posters for the International Bluegrass Music Association’s World of Bluegrass event in Raleigh, he didn’t have to study up on how bluegrass musicians dress or hold their instruments.

He knows all that stuff firsthand, from years of playing mandolin and singing in bluegrass bands himself.

“It’s part of my life,” he said. “I didn’t use reference – it’s all in my head.”_

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## Dotneck

> It's nice to learn that the visual artist responsible for much of the IBMA artwork is a mandolin guy.


That's too funny...I knew that his style looked familiar but I didn't make the connection. As soon as I read the first line in your post I realized it was Tim Lee.

I've met Tim before and have one of his prints hanging in my office. I really enjoy his work and get lots of comments about his print from my customers.

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## AlanN

Now, that is super cool. Congrats, Tim!

Today, did the shake and howdy with Fred Bartenstein, Raymond McClain, Bil Vorndick, Bill Knowlton, Harry Grant, Tom Rozum, Tom Gray, the ETSU Program Director. Working the Registration Desk has its challenges, but also its bennies. 

psst...heard Steve Gilchrist will be around and about...

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## MK in NC

Spotted at the Sir Walter Raleigh banjostand: A Mandolin Cafe ball cap and a 1910s Gibson. My work colleague and I also performed a version of the Delmore Brothers' "Nashville Blues" on mandolin and ukulele while no one was around to boo us off the stage.

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## Jonathan James

Is there a charge to go to the Exhibit Hall portion of IBMA?

And does anyone know the hours for Friday and Saturday for the Exhibit Hall?

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## Mark Wilson

> Is there a charge to go to the Exhibit Hall portion of IBMA?
> 
> And does anyone know the hours for Friday and Saturday for the Exhibit Hall?


I was told the expo/exhibit hall was free admission to the public.  Their web site list fri/sat hours of 9am-9pm

I'm going Sat - should be cool

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Jonathan James

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## Dotneck

> I was told the expo/exhibit hall was free admission to the public.  Their web site list fri/sat hours of 9am-9pm
> 
> I'm going Sat - should be cool


Yes, exhibit hall is open to the public Friday and Saturday. I'll be working my volunteer shift there Tomorrow (Fri) morning...

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## Mark Wilson

Spent the day today at the IBMA.  The morning at the expo and the afternoon listening to music at the various street stages around downtown Raleigh.  
Played thru an awesome assortment of Collins, Gibson, Ellis, Northfield, Eastman, Sorensen and several others that I've forgot atm.
Picked thru most of the pick lineup at the BlueChip booth 
Ate lunch at The Pit (legendery BBQ house a few blocks over - BBQ chicken with pumpkin cornbread!!!)
Took in some local and regional BG bands and mingled with a huge street crowd that turned out on a perfect indian summer day.

Highlights for me:
Playing tunes on a 1924 Lloyd Loar signed F5 at the Elderly booth.  Yeah - kinda cool
Talking with Danny Bishop at the Ellis booth and playing his personal custom Ellis F5  :Cool: and also playing the new Ellis F5 on display. 
Meetin Steve Sorensen and playing his mandolins. Playing that green F5 was worth the drive to Raleigh
1994 Bill Monroe Gibson F5 I played that was superfine and hard to put back on the rack. 
Also really enjoyed the youth BG bands!

Pava Knezevic wasn't at the Ellis booth(Tom was there and a nicer fellow you've never met) and I missed meeting her but they announced that the IBMA was signed to return for at least 4 more years.  Next year then!

Had a blast - highly recommend.

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bigskygirl

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## JimKo

Mark, Thanks for the update. I went last year and thought it was great. Kind of missing it this time around.  Any other updates or news is appreciated. Thanks Jim

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## Mark Wilson

The guys that were there all week would be better at news and updates.  

Early Sat morning we parked close no waiting and almost had the exhibit hall to ourselves for a bit.  By lunch when we were leaving folks were pouring thru with lines for parking.  Come early.

Costs for the day excluding food and beer tent ...$7.  :Smile:

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## Dotneck

> Costs for the day excluding food and beer tent ...$7.


My day in the exhibit hall cost me more than that....

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## Charles E.

I went early to the exhibit hall on Saturday and got to meet Steve and play his mandolins, very cool. I also got to play a bunch of mandolins, the one that got my MAS up was the black topped Collings F-5 deluxe with the merlot back and sides at the Elderly booth.
Alas, I came back to my collection at home and that's a good thing.

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## Steve Sorensen

The MandolinCafe stickers sure were popular!  We didn't quite make it through the end of the week before running out.  

 

Many thanks to everybody who stopped by the Sorensen booth to pick with us!

Steve

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## Justus True Waldron

> The MandolinCafe stickers sure were popular!  We didn't quite make it through the end of the week before running out.


I may or may not have grabbed 3 - planning on getting a new case soon, need to have my sticker collection ready! Thanks again for the Sorensen hat Steve, was great seeing you again and picking some of your instruments. That black and red 2 point is even hossier than the rest of those hossy mandos!

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Steve Sorensen

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## f5loar

I was there Weds thru Sun.   2nd year and must say it was way bigger this year.  Got to meet lots of people from the café I had not meet before due to my wearing a café hat.  Highlights:  Picking some with Herschel Sizemore on some fabulous Red Diamonds.  Meeting Ebo Walker at the New Deal String Band Reunion show at the Raleigh History Museum, also seeing some of my stuff in their new bluegrass in the Carolinas display.  Meeting the Price Sisters in person.  Playing a $500,000 1933 D28 Martin shade top guitar.  Playing several Loars from Elderly and Mandolin Central.  Hearing John Starling with the Seldom Scene sing "Wait A Minute". Seeing Canadian artist Kayla Hotte & Her Rodeo Pals pick her 30's L5 Gibson guitar.  She's the real deal!  Hearing Bobby Hicks, Del McCoury,Terry Bacum, Ron Shuffler and Tony Williamson knocking down some Monroe songs as only they can.  Seeing Bill Keith get a long overdue award.  Voting for and seeing Balsam Range get dang near every award there was.  And it was good to see so many 100's of really talented young folks playing bluegrass music.  I saw one 17 year old girl sing all the words to "Tennessee Hound Dog" and not miss a lick.  Then she put down the guitar and picked up a fiddle to do some triple fiddling with her friends on "Big Mon".  The estimate was 40,000 people.  I think it was more.  The locals turned out to celebrate IBMA and bluegrass music , however there was a lot of legal "moonshine" drinking going on.  You could walk the streets and stop and get a $2 shot of North Carolina authentic moonshine.  I guess the stuff is legal now since Popcorn Sutton died.

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Astro, 

DataNick, 

FLATROCK HILL, 

Mark Wilson, 

Steve Sorensen

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## Mike Sutterfield

Clearly I took for granted when it was here in Nashville. We miss it now.

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