Walk ten steps at IMEX America and you will run into someone you know. That feeling does not fit on a badge. It fits on a T-shirt.
So we did the obvious thing. We took thirty events people love, gave each crowd a nickname, and let a shirt say what that crowd would say if anyone ever asked. Some are loud. Some are a little sappy. One of them has a heartbeat.
Fine print, because someone will ask: the nicknames, the lines and the “what connects them” reads are my own take, not the events’ words. The shirts are unofficial concepts, with no logos, no endorsements and nothing for sale.
Scroll for yours. Then tell me which shirt is missing, and which nickname you refuse to wear.
1. IMEX America
The meetings and events industry’s trade show, held at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. The Reunion Regulars. “Every ten steps, someone I know.” What connects them: A reunion with a trade show attached.
2. TED
The ideas conference, in Vancouver for 12 years and moving to San Diego in 2027. The Hallway People. “I came for the talks. I stayed for the hallway.” What connects them: The stage gets the attention. The hallway gets the friends.
3. SXSW
Austin’s music, film and interactive festival. The Happy Accident Club. “Found it by accident.” What connects them: The best discoveries are the ones nobody scheduled.
4. Sundance
The independent film festival run by Robert Redford’s Sundance Institute, leaving Park City for Boulder in 2027. The Dark Room Congregation. “In the dark, together.” What connects them: A room of strangers holding the same breath.
5. Web Summit
One of Europe’s biggest technology conferences, held in Lisbon. The Stay for the People Set. “Come for the pitch. Stay for the people.” What connects them: The deck is the excuse. The introduction is the point.
6. Hay Festival
The literary festival in Hay-on-Wye, Wales, founded in 1988. The Bookmark Brigade. “Among readers.” What connects them: Where reading stops being a solitary habit.
7. Davos
The World Economic Forum’s invitation-only annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. The One Room a Year Club. “The right room, once a year.” What connects them: A date on the calendar that people protect.
8. Cannes Lions
The advertising and creativity festival, held each June in Cannes. The Prouder of the People Crew. “Proud of the work. Prouder of the people.” What connects them: Craft, celebrated by the ones who made it
9. PTTOW!
A YPO for marketers: an invite-only community and summit for CEOs and CMOs, founded in 2009. The Belongers. “You belong in this room.” What connects them: The invitation is the feeling.
10. Comic-Con
San Diego’s convention for comics and popular arts, run by a nonprofit. The Mother Tongue Crowd. “Finally, everyone speaks my language.” What connects them: The relief of not having to translate.
11. Gen Con
North America’s largest tabletop gaming convention, founded in 1968 by Gary Gygax and now held in Indianapolis. The One More Game Gang. “One more game, with my people.” What connects them: Play, with witnesses.
12. DEF CON
The hacking convention in Las Vegas, begun in 1993 as a farewell party. The Curious Company. “Curiosity, in good company.” What connects them: Where being the curious one is the norm.
13. Essence Festival
New Orleans’ multi-day celebration of Black culture, music and food. The Seat Savers. “We saved you a seat.” What connects them: Welcome, extended in advance.
14. QuiltCon
The Modern Quilt Guild’s quilt show, with competition, workshops and a vendor hall. The Patchwork Collective. “Stitched together by strangers.” What connects them: A craft that is quietly a community.
15. Maker Faire
A family-friendly celebration of invention and creativity, where makers show their work.The Show and Tell Society. “Everyone here made something.” What connects them: Everyone arrives as a creator, not an audience.
16. Chelsea Flower Show
The Royal Horticultural Society’s garden show, held each May at the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London. The Slow Growers. “Grown with love.” What connects them: Patience, put on display.
17. EAA AirVenture
The weeklong aviation gathering in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, drawing more than 500,000 people. The Heads Up Club. “Look up. Everyone here does.” What connects them: A field of people looking at the same sky.
18. Crufts
The Royal Kennel Club’s dog show, held at the NEC in Birmingham. The Best in Show Believers. “Every dog is best in show.” What connects them: The one place nobody tires of dog stories.
19. Burning Man
The temporary city built each year in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert, on the principle of leaving no trace. The Week-Long Residents. “Home for a week.” What connects them: A temporary city people actually miss.
20. Glastonbury
The festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset, resting in 2026 and back in June 2027. The Same Field Faithful. “Same field. Same friends. Every year.” What connects them: The ritual is the reunion.
21. Coachella
The music and arts festival at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. The Once a Year Friends. “The friends I only see here.” What connects them: A yearly appointment with your people.
22. Oktoberfest
Munich’s festival, begun in 1810 for a royal wedding. The Table Sharers. “Prost, stranger. Prost, friend.” What connects them: Shared tables turn strangers into friends by the second round.
23. Sturgis
The South Dakota motorcycle rally, begun in 1938 with a race and nine riders. The Crew That Found Itself. “Rode in alone. Left with a crew.” What connects them: Arrive solo, leave with a story and a few phone numbers.
24. Kentucky Derby
The Churchill Downs race in Louisville, first run in 1875 and known for its hats. The Hats Off Traditionalists. “Hats off to tradition.” What connects them: A custom people keep because it keeps them.
25. Relay For Life
The American Cancer Society’s community fundraiser, where teams take turns walking laps, often overnight.The Night Walkers. “Walking for someone.” What connects them: The love in this one is the whole point. Sincere, and not for sale.
26. ELX
The Event Leaders Exchange: an invitation-only community of senior corporate event and meeting leaders. The Leaders Turned Friends. “Came as a leader. Left as a friend.” What connects them: Where title gives way to trust.
27. CES
The Consumer Technology Association’s annual trade show, first held in New York in 1967 and now at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The Fully Charged Crowd. “Fully charged by the people.” What connects them: The gadgets are the reason. The people are the recharge.
28. SISO
The Society of Independent Show Organizers, founded in 1990 by twelve show organizers and now more than 195 member companies. The Friendly Rivals. “Competitors. Confidants.” What connects them: Rivals in the market, peers in the room.
29. HLTH
The health innovation conference in Las Vegas, founded by Jonathan Weiner and first held in 2018. The Silo Breakers. “No more silos. Just people.” What connects them: A system built in silos, and the week it comes out of them.
30. HumanX
The AI conference co-founded by Stefan Weitz and Jonathan Weiner, which debuted in Las Vegas in 2025 and moved to San Francisco in 2026. The Humans in the Loop. “The AI is artificial. The room isn’t.” What connects them: Everyone talks about the machines. The room is the point.
