glowdeo

I love when an ever-changing world can feel small. Not small in the sense of meaningless but small like you know the people, the places, the environment. I’ve known a colleague of mine, Hillel Frankel (pictured alongside me and the Glowdeo event organizers, Jordan Gates and Katie Gray, photo credit: Vinyl Lens), since probably 2012(ish) but it wasn’t until this year that we were in closer contact.

I was working on a deal that required some of Hillel’s expertise. You know when you have work questions you are super embarrassed to ask out loud? Well, Hillel’s signature smile is what you get even when you ask those questions. After chatting over the course of several months we were able to catch up in person at SXSW and see…Jessica Simpson perform. Yes, that happened. Sometime after a cover of These Boots are Made for Walking, Hillel mentioned he had a client that I might be able to help out. Enter Glowdeo.

The name alone is so legendary (and so is the tagline!), it doesn’t even really require further explanation. But what it doesn’t necessarily convey is the heart and soul or the organizers behind the event. May 17 marked the first Glowdeo open to the public. The festival blends country and dance with as many glow sticks as you can adorn. The line-up, the craft market, and the site design beamed with the energy of Jordan and Katie, which is warm, honest and original.

The night was toasty, the dancing was sweaty, and there was that familiar: “I feel like I know these people, this place, this environment.” Maybe because for me that sentiment is tied up in being present and enjoying the experience. Looking forward to what’s next for Glowdeo and year 2 of the “giddy up, get down.”