This year’s hub is going to be really special because it’s the first year where I’m going to be the Hub Master in Budapest! 😀 However that’s not the only thing that makes this year’s Hub such an important date. Exactly one year ago, I went to my first ever pen meet where I met awesome people and where technically Pennonia became “known”. Yay!
I still remember I was really anxious and excited, I just had to move to Budapest two months after I officially launched the website. Things were a bit hectic, I was struggling to upload a bajillion products, I was also working on my first inks. I actually took these inks to the Hub and gave them away as gifts for everyone.
Last year’s Hub was organized by Daniel, a local fountain pen enthusiast and really the supporting pillar of the fountain pen community in Budapest because he is the one who organizes the monthly pen meets and I think I speak for all when I say, the local FP community wouldn’t be where it is now if not for him. So thanks Dani!
It was actually Dani who encouraged me to take up the mantle this year for the Hub and it was something that I have gladly accepted! 😀 I’m a pretty huge Pelikan fan with a decent collection, so the brand stands close to my heart and you can bet I was happy when I was selected to be this year’s Hub Master.
In 2019 Pelikan released the Star Ruby ink and the special edition M205 that goes with it.
If things work out I might actually have the chance to take the new M205 to the Hub to show it to everyone. Naturally a bottle of Edelstein Star Ruby goes to everyone courtesy of Pelikan.
But we’re not here to talk about Star Ruby, so let’s move on to…
Finding the right place
You might wonder, what actually does a Hub Master need to do in the background to organize the Hub? Well it’s not really rocket science but I did have some trouble with it at first. Fortunately or unfortunately the Budapest Hub is rather small with this year clocking in at 15 participants. This means we can get away with reserving a table in a cafe or a restaurant instead of having to rent out a room or space somewhere.
The only headache it caused me was finding the right place. You would think Budapest has a lot of choices (and maybe I was just not good) but in reality, most cool cafes are too small to accommodate a group of 15 people at a big table. So I went to check out a couple of places and just when I thought I found the perfect one, it turns out that they literally have live concerts each evening…sooo the search continued. I found another cool place online and when I wanted to check it out they were on vacation for two weeks! Not wanting to risk it and to cut it close, I continued to look for the right place. I eventually found it and reserved a table.
If you want to check it out I can definitely recommend the place! It’s called Kelet Cafe, located between Moricz Zsigmond Korter and Szent Gellert Ter.
Extra goodies and how to improve the Hub experience
Naturally I have prepared something nice for this year’s Hub as well and I think a Hub Master should also take care of the guys who forgot to register so Pennonia will sponsor their Star Rubies so they won’t miss out on the fun. 😀
Some Hub Masters also e-mailed their local stationary shops in the hopes of getting sponsored goodies for the attendants, while others are preparing ink samples, paper samples etc.
Then there’s also the possibility to find a person who could be invited to talk about pen restoration, nib grinding, ink making and other interesting things related to the hobby. This year I tried to ask a local fountain pen restorer and he actually said that he will try to make it! 😀 So fingers crossed!
Last year Dani took us to one the coolest stationary shops (Bomo Art) so if you’re going to be a Hub master, that’s also a great choice to do! It was fun, interesting and we got to chat with the proprietor of the shop about both running a stationary business, as well as fountain pens and inks.
Final words
All in all I can’t wait to finally go to the Hub! I could also write a few more pages about being a Hub Master and I’m sure once my first Hub is over I will be able to write even more haha! So if you have any questions regarding it, just leave a comment below! 😀
I will definitely apply next year as well! While finding the right place was frustrating and took most of my attention, if the current place turns out to be good then next year I will put more attention towards improving the experience and making it a truly unique pen meet for all participants.
Naturally starting from this year, Pennonia will try to feature a Pelikan Hub sale if it’s possible.
I will also update the blog with photos and do a write-up of the whole experience and I also can’t wait to show you guys the surprise ink that I prepared for this year. 😀
I wish everyone a great Pelikan Hub!
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