I get a lot of electronic correspondence from around the world concerning all things Pelikan but the question that I am asked most frequently is without a doubt in regard to the Pelikan Hubs event. It is a testament to the impact that the Hubs event has had on the fine writing community. Beginning in 2014, the Hubs was conceived of as a way of bringing together fans from within the pen community from all around the globe in order to share in our combined passion for fine writing. The event became a tremendous success, growing in magnitude each year. The last event held was in 2019 and it occurred in 200 cities spread out amongst 46 countries with over 5,646 participants and future participation showed no signs of slowing down. Then COVID came and forced the cancellation of the 2020 and 2021 events to everyone’s great disappointment. In the end, Pelikan simply had no choice, and the cancellations were wholly justifiable amidst one of the biggest public health crises of the 21st century. While COVID is not gone and Monkey Pox is on the rise, there have definitely been signs of improvement and people have been able to once again gather with proper precautions. Pelikan must think so too as we awoke this morning to news that Pelikan Hubs 2022 is a go but the registration window is short so you must act now in order to not be left out. Read on for all of the details regarding Pelikan Hubs 2022.

This year’s Hubs event will take place on Friday, November 18, 2022, at 6:30pm local time.  That is a bit later than past events which typically occurred in September. Online registration for Hub participants is now open via the Pelikan Hubs website. Their “terms and conditions” page indicate that the registration period will close on Sunday, August 21, 2022. That is a short window in which to act and while Pelikan has been known to extend that window in the past, I wouldn’t count on that happening. If it is your desire to participate, even if you are undecided, you should head on over and get signed up. In making their announcement, Pelikan posted the following letter to their fans;

“The time has finally come. The Pelikan Hubs are back and taking place again this year! These Hubs are about a love of handwriting, the thrill of colorful inks, and elegant writing instruments that glide across paper with a smooth nib. The connection of many thousands of Pelikan fans across the world, all celebrating their shared passion, creates an unimaginable, magical energy. This connection is so deep that you can feel it. The Hub is an unmissable and extremely special event for any Pelikan fan. It has interesting and inspiring people who share the same passion for high-quality writing instruments, all meeting on the same evening at many different locations around the world. Join in and become part of our passionate fan community!”

The Pelikan Hubs Team

Pelikan remains very aware of the ongoing pandemic and does indicate that they will continue to monitor developments closely but obviously feel that things are currently at an acceptable level to proceed. They do caution about heeding the necessary hygiene precautions that will likely vary from venue to venue.

The registration form asks for your name and email address as well as your permission to pass your information onto your location’s Hub master. Once submitted, Pelikan will send an email to confirm your personal data with a link to complete the process. It is via the link that you will select your country and city and have an option to nominate yourself for the Hub master position. If you don’t see your country/city listed, don’t panic. Simply fill it in under the second option. Locations will be added to the drop-down menu once the necessary number of participants is achieved. If you desire the job, it is Hub master’s responsibility to select the location, preferably near the city’s center, as well as hand out the small gift that Pelikan intends to provide each attendee. Past examples of swag provided by Pelikan have included pen holders, cases, note pads, and ink. There needs to be a critical mass of at least 7 participants per location in order for a city to be suitable as a Hub. New for this year is a soft cap of 25 participants per location. That is notable because the top 30 venues for the 2019 event had registrations ranging from 45 to 120+ participants per location which made finding a suitable venue very challenging and burdensome for the Hub master. This is not a hard limit, however, and Pelikan states a willingness to proceed with Hubs larger than 25 individuals if the local Hub master feels that can be accommodated. Venues in the past have included restaurants, parks, bars, and many others. The only limitation is that religious establishments are prohibited. Of course, there is also a big social media component so Pelikan would like to see photos from the event online via the hashtag #Pelikanhubs. Once the registration period closes, Pelikan will select the appropriate cities and inform the Hub masters of their selection. From that point, the Hub masters will reach out to their location’s attendees with further details.

As an aside, I have attended every Hub in my region from its inception in 2014 until the last event in 2019 and I served as my city’s Hub master from 2015-2017. I can honestly say that the event is a great opportunity to get out and interact with other people that share a passion for fine writing. As Pelikan says, this is truly an event organized by fans for fans with the company only playing a supporting role in the organization. Even if you don’t have a Pelikan pen, all are welcome to attend. The great diversity of writing instruments, inks, and experiences is what makes the Hub so unique. I am very much looking forward to this year’s event and hope that we can all come together safely to enjoy a rare evening of pen, paper and ink centric discussion. See you at the Hub.

Registration Form