Gearfest 2017 is about 1 month away in Fort Wayne, IN.  If you are in the midwest, I highly recommend getting to Fort Wayne for June 23/24.  There are tons of informative seminars on all sorts of musical topics from songwriting, recording, live sound and performance.  Rumor is our own Craig Anderton is going to be there showing off what Sonar can do.
 
So, who is going?

I am 2-1/2 hours drive from Sweetwater and have attended the last several years. I definitely recommend it to anyone who can be there. Unfortunately I am scheduled for surgery 9 days before Gearfest, so don't know if I can make it this year. But I will be there if I'm able to.

how crowded does it get and are rooms easy to get at this point?

I will not be able to make it this year, I have used up most of my vacation time for this fiscal year and my final two weeks will be spend in Norfolk, VA with my son and his wife.  The fiscal year ends June 30th, 2017, however, the wife and I have planned to be there in Ft. Wayne, IN next year and stay for a week to cover Gearfest 2018. 
 
I am looking forward for that vacation week in 2018 as my first time at Gearfest.

mixmkr
how crowded does it get and are rooms easy to get at this point?

There are a lot of attendees.  I booked a room yesterday for a reasonable price ($110/night).  Some of the hotels will show sold out on-line, but Sweetwater has apparently blocked out rooms in them.  They have a web page that will show you some availability (and rates) where they have blocks of rooms.

I will definitely be going (just booked the hotel).
Sweetwater does an incredible job with the event.
Staff is uber helpful and friendly...
 
Bringing the wife again this year...
Think I'll start by looking at PRS Private Stock... just to see her expression.  
 
Craig Anderton's seminars are some of the best.
Even if you're extremely tech-savvy, you'll walk away having learned useful ideas/techniques.
 
Trying to decide which piece of gear will follow me home.  
 
 
 
 

I'll be there and doing workshops. Also it looks like I'll be doing some workshops at Between the Waves in Madison, WI the weekend before. Check the craiganderton.com home page in about a week, and I'll have details up.

Jim Roseberry
I will definitely be going (just booked the hotel).
Sweetwater does an incredible job with the event.
Staff is uber helpful and friendly...
 
Bringing the wife again this year...
Think I'll start by looking at PRS Private Stock... just to see her expression.  
 
Craig Anderton's seminars are some of the best.
Even if you're extremely tech-savvy, you'll walk away having learned useful ideas/techniques.
 
Trying to decide which piece of gear will follow me home.  
 
 
 
 

Last year, didn't you follow the gear home?
 
Looking forward to seeing you again this year.  I am planning on attending Craig's seminars again.  Really looking forward to the one on songwriting with the computer.

dwardzala
 
Last year, didn't you follow the gear home?
 
Looking forward to seeing you again this year.  I am planning on attending Craig's seminars again.  Really looking forward to the one on songwriting with the computer.

LOL!  
Yeah, the guitar was waiting when we got home.
 
Looking forward to it.
Maybe we can get a group together for lunch, a beer, of coffee.
 
I'll be at Craig's seminars.
Look for the old long-haired dude.   
 
 

Anderton
I'll be there and doing workshops. Also it looks like I'll be doing some workshops at Between the Waves in Madison, WI the weekend before. Check the craiganderton.com home page in about a week, and I'll have details up.

Looking forward to the seminars... and chatting if you have a spare moment.