Coke Collectors - Conventions

Later this month, I’m going to a Coca-Cola Collectors Club convention in Atlanta called Springtime in Atlanta. It is the second-largest gathering of collectors each year. You’ll hear more about that after Easter. I generally go to two collectors conventions a year – the one in Atlanta and the national meeting that moves to different cities across the U.S. (This year’s convention is in July near Dallas, and last year’s was in Nashville.)

The Nashville convention was huge – more than 1,200 people attended. That’s the largest collectors convention I’ve been to since the one in 1986 they had in Atlanta – right at the time of Coke’s 100th anniversary.

Though some Coke employees (like me) attend the convention, the Club is really a grass-roots organization and the members make up the hundreds at the conventions.

In Nashville, I gave a presentation about the making of the New World of Coca-Cola. I showed them how we took pieces from our collection and created the exhibits, particularly in the Milestones of Refreshment area.

Some of the Collectors Club members helped us find specific pieces we needed for the New World of Coca-Cola. One area where we had a lot of help from collectors is the exhibit that features crafts people have made using our bottles, cans and bottle caps. (That display is in the photo, along with one of the Club’s board members, Steve Brumbelow from the Atlanta Chapter.)

We even have an area devoted to the collectors. You can see what a collector’s dream living room might look like, sit on a couch used on American Idol (really!) and even watch a video of collectors from around the world.

If you’re a collector, and were in Nashville or will be in Atlanta or in Dallas, I’d love to hear from you!