SURVIVAL PREPAREDNESS EXPOS

The number and variety of Emergency Preparedness Expositions and Conferences has exploded in recent years. While there are scores of such events that are well known and advertised, there are hundreds of smaller local and regional events that are not so well known. The popularity of these events has increased and decreased depending on current events and concerns throughout the decades. They were very popular during the 1970s and 1980s primarily driven by the Cold War and the nuclear war scenario. These events tended to focus heavily on fallout shelters, food storage, radiation detection and other single catastrophe survival situations. Interest in preparedness expos’ declined in the 1990s, but had a short resurgent’s during the “Y2K’ scare.

Today’s Survival Preparedness Expos

Today’s   Emergency Preparedness Expositions and Conferences’ are much broader based events that bring together the practitioners of outdoor survival, disaster preparedness, self-reliance and long-term sustainable living. What was once considered a peculiar subculture is now a realistic mainstream movement.   In many cases you may find FEMA, The Red Cross, The Cost Guard, local Police and Fire Departments and other related organization actively participating.

Admission to these events depends on the size and on the available speakers and workshops included.   In some cases you can get a two-day pass that includes admission to all classes or just access to the floor exhibits. Most sponsors have hotel discount rate arrangements for those who need to stay overnight.   Major Expo’s will have from fifty to several hundred vendors and dozens of speakers and classes available to the participant.   There are usually lots of free samples and demonstrations going on throughout the exhibition hall. There may be additional fees and registration requirements for some training classes.

In addition to the major “expos” there are scores of local and regional seminars camps and expos that are not always so widely promoted. These events are often free or at nominal cost and feature local instructors and vendors. Two good examples of these are the DeWitt County Preparedness Expo in Clinton IL in August each ear and the annual (47^th) Camp Independence event at Tippecanoe River State Park in northern Indiana each May.

The Internet is great, but real beats virtual every time. These events are hands-on, face-to-face opportunities to learn, network and widen your understanding of the possibilities and options you have for preparedness and future self-reliance. I highly recommend that the reader consider attending at least one of these events if possible. It’s a great road trip or weekend getaway for the whole family. Preparedness groups should consider taking the whole group. If that’s not practical you can chip-in to send a few members that can then bring back information and skills for everyone to share. These events are essential to the future of the preparedness and self-reliance movement and to the future in general. The larger events must be supported and attended and the smaller ones are essential to building local networks and business’ If there are no expos within range of your region I encourage the reader to consider sponsoring such events in your communities

Sources of Information

There is no way I could possibly locate and lost all of the small medium and large preparedness events, but here are a few suggested sources.

• Further information about Live Free sponsored events, the DeWitt County Preparedness Expo or Camp Independence 2015, contact survivorjj@aol.com

• Worst Case Scenario Productions LLC sponsors “Prepared & Spared , off The Grid Expos’ in Dayton Ohio, and various locations in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Indiana. Go to: PreparedandSpared.com

• Sustainable Preparedness LLC puts on shows in Portland Or, Spokane WA, and Chattanooga TN. Go to: sustainablepreparedness.com

• Great Lakes Emergency Preparedness Expos sponsors expos’ at Birch Run Michigan and various other locations throughout the year. Go to: GreatLakesPreppers.com

• A listing of most upcoming preparedness expos’ and conferences’ can be found at Unknowen.com

• Midwest Renewable Energy Fair is sponsored by the Midwest Renewable Energy Association annually and held in Custer Wisconsin just east of Stevens Point WI. To get information on next years Energy Fair go to www.midwestrenew.org