They came from Minnesota, from L.A., from Memphis, Boston, Buffalo, Cape Cod, Rhode Island, and even from the Netherlands. Yes, really: We have Dutch fans, apparently.
Nearly 300 thrifty travelers, podcast fans, and travel lovers packed into the Parkway Theater in Minneapolis last Friday night for the first-ever live show of The Thrifty Traveler Podcast! I know I can speak for my co-host Kyle when I say: It was one of the best nights of my life.
There was a live taping of the pod, some travel trivia, and Q&A with our coworkers to close out the evening. There were more hot takes, some … I'll just call them “messy” travel mishaps, and more raucous laughter than I could have dreamt of. The lively crowd kept the Parkway bartenders busy and the venue buzzing all night long.
Before lining up to get into the Parkway for the big show, attendees posed between Kyle and I … with this hilarious cardboard cutout. And some asked to snap some photos with the real life versions before and after the show!
On stage, Kyle and I recorded what was easily our favorite podcast yet. We recapped the previous 76 episodes of the podcast, uncorked a few new hot takes, checked in on the airfare and flight deal landscape, and chastised the audience for their behavior at the arrivals area of our beloved hometown airport.
Then we delved into the highs and lows of travel. It was a not-so-brief glimpse at the moments that have shaped our incredible travels … before we pivoted to humiliating ourselves on stage with stories about travel gone wrong – both in the same, disgusting vein.
To close out the evening, we took some questions from the audience with the help of some (far smarter) colleagues: our founder and CEO, Jared Kamrowski, and resident award travel guru, Katie Rollins. Both of them shared tips on what credit cards are best for getting started in points, going deeper into hotel rewards, and the movies or TV shows that fostered their love of travel.
It was an incredible night that showcased this amazing community of travel lovers and self-professed “sickos” coming together for an unforgettable evening. We're so proud and grateful of what we've built here and to have you all along for the ride.
Sad you missed it? We're planning to drop the recording as an extra-special bonus episode of the podcast next Tuesday, June 23 – watch your podcast feeds or YouTube, folks!
So, when's the next one, you ask? Well, we have something in the works already … and plenty more ideas, too! And considering how this went, we can't wait to go live with our so-called “Thrifties” again very soon. Stay tuned!
