Baltimore-Washington International Pen Show 2016

Baltimore-Washington International Pen Show on March 4-6, 2016 at the Hilton Double Tree BWI Hotel. Follow on Instagram for up to the moment pictures @FountainPenDay and for information on the show see the site BWI Pen Show 2016

The show was 3 full days running Friday, Saturday & Sunday. The picture gallery above is in 2 parts though it runs continuous. The first set are all square photos and ones I uploaded to Instagram during the show. The second half are more random but were shot on my Panasonic G7 so the quality is much better and you can zoom in on details. Helping out at the FPD table and enjoying the show as well as taking a slew of pictures was Dan @DanDon375 on Instagram.

Friday things kicked off a little slow as many people are at work but that did not stop a lot of folks from taking off work to get in early and see all there was and sign up for a nib grind by Mr. Binder. There were so many vendors that wanted to be at this show that the host, Bert Oser of Bertram's Inkwell, literally setup outside the ballroom to accommodate them, leaving Adam to run the table. By the early afternoon the room was hopping with enthusiasts taking in all the vendors. While it closed at 5 there were still some lingering till almost 6 with vendors sticking around to help them.

Saturday was the biggest day. At 10am there was a line going back towards the lobby waiting to get in. Dare I say the mood felt like DC as people were pouring in and the ballroom nearly at capacity. The good balance of modern & vintage was just right. Binder was busy from open to close of course as was Franklin~Christoph. Though the proto-type trays were picked on the day before Scott made sure had plenty of eye candy to satisfy the Baltimore crowd. The show again ran past 5 but come 5:30 the after party with Fountain Pen Day and Montegrappa started. Lots of people stayed as did some of the vendors to meet and greet on a social level with attendees. The full Montegrappa Grappa setup was in pace as was the new Mule pen. Wine and Grappa were served as well as cheese and crackers. After the raffle of some OMAS journals and FPD swag we got to relax and show off what we got and share the pens, paper and ink we bought or brought. Some of the biggest names in the industry like Bert Oser, Paul Erano, Jimmy Dolive, Deborah Basel, Andy Lambrou and more attended. It was a great reminder of why we love sharing our passion with others.

Sunday morning was Sunday morning and while it was a slower start it kicked into full gear by noon. Of course Richard Binder was going from the moment the doors opened till they closed. Ending at 4 but once again even as vendors were breaking down so were the deals. The last few pictures you can see things getting packed up but attendees still lingering and getting in on every last deal that could be made.

BWI is a fantastic show that ran strong and well the whole weekend with great weather and high attendance. Many thanks to Bert Oser for continuing to be the example of how it should be done. See you all next year!