Part 3 — Industry Gala Banquet: Celebrating Innovation And The People In High-End Audio
A premier gathering of luxury audio professionals, brands, and creators shaping the future of sound.
Montreal Audiofest Show Report By Rick Becker

Part 1: 1200 And 1300 Hallways

Part 2: 2300 And 2400 Hallways

This Is Part 3: Industry Gala Banquet

Coming Soon
Part 4:  Lower Level, And Left (St. Laurent / Outremont Rooms)

Part 5:  Lower Level, And Right (Westmount / Montreal Rooms)

Part 6:  Best Rooms And Honorable Mentions

  In recent years, the industry has gathered on Saturday nights at the Canadian Audiofests for a celebration of camaraderie and to acknowledge the lifetime achievements of prominent people in the industry.

On my way to the event at the hotel, I wandered past the rooftop homage to wilderness and found the ducks feasting on fresh strewn corn. The fish were not jumping this early in the season.

People were encouraged to dress up in hip attire from the 1990s. Those wearing eye-catching ensembles were asked to pose for photos in front of a decorative marquee. I grabbed a glass of champagne that was offered and slid past this ritual in my suit from that same era.

People were eager to sit down this year, as Saturday had been especially busy.

There had been a lot of younger people at the show this year, and a noticeable number of women visitors. The same can be said of the crowd at the banquet. Some of the banquet attendees, like this whippersnapper, were considerably younger.

It was nice to see a whole family in attendance! That bodes well for the industry. Remember, audiophiles are not born—they're made!

The meal began with a trip to the salad bar and was followed by dinner served at the table. As the evening progressed, the salad bar was magically transformed into a variety of desserts.

Our attention was drawn to the stage for a brief award ceremony.

Two guys appeared on stage, and the Deaf Leopard made a proclamation of retirement from the Audiofest, but I'm not sure how seriously he was taken. He's tried that before, and it didn't work.

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