a tangible atmosphere for everyone involved , and that takes intentionality . Can you speak to that ?
[ Andrés ] Well , in the secular music world or the Christian world , there is a lot of distance between the artists and the people . And I really think that needs to be broken . That ’ s what I talk with the people that I go chair by chair saying , “ Hello , how are you doing ?” Talking a little bit because I want the people to feel that the people who are doing great and big things are exactly the same as them , so they can do it as well . That ’ s the reason why I do that . And because it ’ s not just about guitar . I think that the people need to feel comfortable to open their hearts . So that ’ s the main reason why I go and talk with them when they ’ re taking lunch . I go and say hello again , “ How are you doing , how are you feeling ?” I want them to know that we are interested in them . It is not that we want their money to come to our camp . It is not about that . It is that we are doing this because we really want to help them , and we want them to have that one hundred percent clear in their minds .
[ Doug ] I love that ! So , separate from the heart , spirit , and guitar , there are a ton of great gear giveaways . Seriously , you gave away more gear than I ’ ve ever seen given away with the exception of Sweetwater . The excitement filled another tank for people . They responded to all different things you offer , but the giveaways added a constant source of just excitement . While everybody loves free gear , some of the people at the camp do not have a ton of disposable income , so even coming to the camp came at a tangible cost for some of these folks . The list of brands who gave away gear was incredibly deep : Boutique Pedalboards , Cornerstone Music Gear , Crossrock Case Company , Elixir , Fender , Gretsch , Line 6 , Martin Guitar Co ., Ollo Audio , Raven Straps , and Sam Audio . Can you tell us about that and how you cultivated the brand relationships ?
[ Chris ] Yeah , so through the business relationships that I ’ ve created throughout the years , I put it in their hands . I always tell them , “ Look , I have this camp I do every year . I ’ d like to promote your brand and have you be a part of this and do some giveaways .” 100 % of the companies I reached out to this year sent things to be given away . Those amazing headphones that I use in the studio , they ’ re like $ 600 mixing headphones . They sent me a pair of that to give away . Elixir is my favorite string company . They always support me in the things that I do . So did Sam Audio , the in-ear company that I work with as well . They actually showed up in person to do custom molds , and they also gave away two Universal in-ear monitors . Gretsch was the biggest sponsor – I believe we gave away seven Gretsch guitars . Fender sent me a Telecaster to give away as well . Martin sent an acoustic guitar . Some of the winners actually wanted to give their stuff away . I ’ m telling you , it ’ s a crazy thing when the people that are actually there are saying , you know what ? I got all this gear
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