Two weeks ago we sponsored a drawing on Facebook for one of our brand new 2021 Fleece Jackets (they actually haven’t been embroidered yet – the picture was the prototype!) To enter the drawing we asked what would you like to see for Road 2021. We got some great feedback, and thought we’d make Matt write a blog and address some of the more frequently asked questions!

Suggestions for 2021 and Beyond

Food & Beverage

One of the top comments was regarding food service at the Ontario Convention Center (OCC). Lots of requests for food trucks, shorter lines and more choices. Once the convention center has reopened with their staff we will directly address your concerns with them. I would personally love to see food trucks at Road! However, the rules working with OCC and convincing the food truck owners that quilters eat (we try and try again) seem to keep them away.

Additionally, another food related question was about bringing your own food into the building. OCC has a strict no outside food and beverage policy allowed. Almost all major convention centers share this policy. It has to do with liability – if you get some sort of food borne illness from your own food, OCC may have a liability (or at least that’s what they tell us.)

Chairs & Seating

We always receive tons of feedback regarding the amount of seating in the building or better stated, the lack thereof. Our hands are tied based on the rules of the Ontario Fire Marshall. We try to maximize the available seating based on what is permitted. Your safety is our #1 priority; therefore we will not place chairs that block egress which tends to be most empty spaces.

Wider Aisles

This is one of my favorites. We cannot make the aisles bigger. Why you ask? The electrical is set up for 10′ booths on 10′ aisles. This forces our footprint on a 10′ aisle since the electrical is in the floor. If we deviated from that, we would have massive trip hazards through the aisles. Unfortunately it is simply not possible.

Scooters, Wheel Chairs & Walkers

We receive lots of comments about mobility devices. According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) we cannot limit the number of mobility devices or impose restrictions on when the devices can be used in the building.

Special Show Hours

Our current hours are 9 AM – 5:30 PM. In the past 10 years we added 30 minutes in the morning and took away 30 minutes in the evening. We survey our vendors each year to determine when the bulk of their sales occur and then ask them about the hours. In sticking with Road’s history of being a very vendor friendly show we respect the time and labor that our vendors invest in their booths. We will not ask a vendor to be open to a limited audience in the morning or for later crowds when the crowd thins out at the end of the day.

Classes

For 2022 The Grace Company has tentatively agreed to sponsor a third Longarm Room for Road in addition to Handi Quilter and Innova! That means MORE LONGARM CLASSES! We will continue to investigate Machine Embroidery and Ultra Beginner classes (However these classes may make an appearance at Road@Home…..)

COVID-19 & Attendance Capacity

Looking forward to 2021 – we are still awaiting guidance on what the attendance policy will be from the State of California due to COVID-19. I can’t imagine that by January the state will permit Road to operate without limits in place. As this is still a developing situation, we will keep you updated as we know more. Expect to see a big update after the beginning of October.

P.S. – We are optimistically hopeful that COVID will no longer be a concern in January…. But we’re realists too.

Move to a Bigger Building

For the past 6 years we have been investigating the possibility of leaving our home in Ontario California for a larger facility to accommodate our vendors, quilts, and classes under one roof. While we have investigated numerous options, none have met our high standards for Road. Currently, there are no plans to relocate Road, however due to the ever expanding nature of the show, do not rule it out.

Looking Forward

Road@Home

There were some comments regarding zoom classes which you can find at Road@Home. Our goal is to have a vast catalog of classes – one of the largest in the history of Road. There is SO MUCH coming out of Road@Home – make sure you subscribe to our newsletter so you don’t miss a single announcement!

The Return of Roundabout?

A favorite of long time Roadies, Roundabout is an event where teachers and vendors offer short demos of techniques or new products. Will this event be return to a Road to California event near you? Subscribe to our newsletter for more details about Roundabout 2.0!

P.S. I’m pretty sure you will hear about this soon.

Anything I missed?

What did I miss? There were so many comments I know I couldn’t address them all. Comment on the post and I’ll do my best to answer them before I turn the blog back over to the Road staff!

Matt