Superbooth is a trade show for electronic music gear, of which there are a fair few on the calendar. I’m no stranger to a trade show at this point - having worked in music retail for a while I’ve seen a few - and they’ve always been enjoyable albeit noisy and full-on experiences. 

But everyone I’d ever spoken to about it told me that Superbooth is a standout on the calendar; that it’s different from the rest. By taking the journey to Berlin this year, I got to experience its uniqueness for the first time, and in this blog post, I’ll share a bit of insight into why it’s special, why you might want to go, and some tips for if you do!

On paper, Superbooth could easily feel like the other shows, but there are a lot of aspects of the setup that change the feeling and vibe of the whole experience. 

Festival vibes/chill factor

Most trade shows are held in large conference centres, which is a pretty logical choice to house a large number of exhibitors - and Superbooth has a few larger halls that are indoors too. But a lot of the show takes place in the setting of a large woody park in Berlin. Among the trees and tents, you get fresh air and sunshine. All of which places you mentally closer to a festival than to a trade show. 

Combine that with lots of live music and people sitting with their backs to the trees playing homemade instruments, and the vibe of a trade show starts to disappear pretty quickly. Yes, the halls are noisy, but they’re also not uncomfortably cramped and close together, you can get respite when needed, and suddenly the whole experience is very chilled out again.

All the gear, all the people

What makes the ‘chill factor’ even more impressive is that at this point, it’s the biggest trade show on the calendar for electronic music gear. Manufacturers use Superbooth as a deadline to work towards, and that means all the big releases and announcements will be there, so you’re going to get maximum coverage and access to stuff for the overall time spent. 

As well as all the gear being there, all the people are too! Almost all of the YouTube synth community will make the trip out, and it’s nice to see spot those familiar faces. Perhaps more importantly though, all the makers are there too. When you’re trying something at a booth, it’s often the person who made it talking you through it. You get the best information and the best demo, because they know their things better than anyone. 

Everyone at Superbooth is super friendly and excited to talk about what they love, and they’re all here because of this shared passion. While this isn’t unique to Superbooth, the dedication of everyone in attendance, combined with the natural outdoors setting, amplifies the sense of community. 

More than the schedule

When you’re not at the show itself, you’re in an amazing city. It’s a small detail but one that adds to the whole experience. You’ve spent the day in the woods chatting synths; now you’re back at the hotel with Berlin’s great food and nightlife at your disposal. Queued for two hours to get KB’d at Berghain? No bother, there are tonnes of Superbooth-related after-events to get stuck into to keep the good vibes going. 

First-timer tips

With this being my first experience, I feel like I got a good handle on what was different from my expectations, so here are some tips for anyone thinking of going in future...

1. When booking, I’d say two days at Superbooth would likely be enough for most people, and I’d say three if you have workshops or seminars you want to go to, or a long list of things to see. A day would be tight to fit it all in; it is a really large space with a fair amount of walking involved. I kept finding large areas on day two I didn’t notice on day one!

2. The size of the site can be overwhelming at first- I quickly decided it was best to spend 30-45 minutes walking around the whole area just to get my bearings and figure out where things I wanted to see were, then make a plan later. The map was pretty useful - I found walking and referencing the map was a good way to tick off the main things I wanted to see.

3. It’s much quieter in the mornings, and there are often hefty waits for the most exciting bits later in the afternoon. If you want to make sure you see something, heading there for opening time is a wise move. Notice what was busy on day one and make a note to go to that first on day two!

4. While the food and drink on offer was generally of good quality, there weren’t that many options. Be prepared for pretty long queues in the open sun (bring suncream!) or perhaps bring your own food if you’re inclined and want to save a little money.

5. Don’t forget the talks and DIY workshops! There’s loads of extra stuff you can go to, including talks and seminars to get more in-depth info from some fantastic names and brands. Fancy building something to take away with you on the day? Keep an eye out for the DIY workshops ahead of time, as they’re ticketed and fill up fast.

6. There was a lot more sand than I expected, so choose your footwear accordingly. Don’t bring those box-fresh white trainers you just bought. 

Hopefully this has helped to paint a picture of what Superbooth is like. The event comes heartily recommended by all of us here at Signal Sounds, and it’s safe to say that if we had to go to just one show a year as punters, Superbooth would be the one. See you there next year?