Pelikan Hubs has been a leading pen enthusiast event since 2014. Its survival through the COVID-19 pandemic shows its enduring popularity. On September 27, the ninth gathering of the fine writing community took place. This year, Hubs were held in 254 cities across 47 countries, with about 8,702 participants registered, a notable increase from previous years. Nearly one-third of participating cities were in the USA, including my own Hub of Philadelphia, one of the original Hubs locations back when there were fewer than 1,000 participants. This year’s growth is likely due to a longer timetable and a simpler registration process, a definite improvement from last year. Missed attending a Hub? Keep reading for an overview of the event and a summary of my local Hub’s activities.

Pelikan has been facilitating the annual Hubs event since 2014. Friday, September 22nd marked the 8th annual gathering due to a hiatus in 2020 and 2021 brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. The event has grown exponentially since its inception, now counting well over 6,000 participants annually and this year continued that trend. Similar to last year, Hubs were selected in roughly 220 cities spread across 47 countries. That accounts for about a quarter of the nations in the world today. Amongst the selected cities, the United States played host to 76 of them with my local city of Philadelphia once again being chosen. Unfortunately, this year’s registration was rather abbreviated, with Pelikan only providing a two week window for entry, leaving some fans on the sidelines. Every Hub needs a leader and I have had the privilege of helming my local hub for four stints as Hub Master, most recently in 2022. Given the challenges inherent to the role, I happily stepped aside and Frank Limper, now a three time Hub Master, once again took up the position. Our local Hub was in a new Philadelphia location this year, held in a private room on the second floor of Drinker’s Pub, located near Rittenhouse Square. The space accommodated our gathering nicely and allowed for food and drink which was very welcome after a hard day’s work. Read on for a look back at the night’s activities.

The inaugural Pelikan Hubs event occurred in 2014. Like any new venture, this one was surrounded by uncertainty, largely because no one knew quite what to expect, not even Pelikan themselves. What those few original attendees got was an evening with likeminded people enjoying each other’s company and sharing pens, inks, and paper. Despite their inauspicious beginnings, the Hubs would continue to grow year after year, reaching their peak in 2019. The event’s trajectory predicted noting but continued growth, its future appearing ever bright. Sometimes, life has a way of coming at you when you least expect it. We were all blindsided by the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 and the Hubs would ultimately be derailed by the unexpected arrival of a global pandemic. Public health considerations would force Pelikan to cancel both the 2020 and 2021 Hubs events to the disappointment of thousands of aficionados. Millions have died, irreplaceable souls who should not be forgotten, and we should not lose sight of the emotional and economic toll this pandemic has extracted upon us all. Still, life must go on and so it was to the elation of thousands that Pelikan announced the return of the Hubs event for 2022. Despite a shorter window for registration, when all was said and done, there were at least 220 Hubs spread across 47 countries counting 6,107 registered participants, numbers that actually exceeded those of the 2019 gathering, a telling reflection of the pent up demand and certainly not a bad tally for an event on hiatus for two years. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania has played host to a Hub since the event’s inception. It was my honor to once again helm the festivities as the local Hub Master. This year’s Hub was held in the Pabbit room at Philadelphia hot spot Pub & Kitchen located near Rittenhouse Square. Our hosts were gracious, the food delicious, and the drinks very satisfying but all paled in comparison to the company and the jovial atmosphere. Read on for a recap of the evening’s festivities.

The Pelikan Hubs event is now over and, after a day of reflection, it’s time for my traditional recap.  The most dramatic thing that struck me about the sixth annual Hub event is the sheer amount of growth that has occurred over the past six years.  As I demonstrated in my post analyzing this year’s numbers, the annual registrations continue to grow at an astounding clip.  The 2019 event saw Hubs take place in 200 cities spread across 46 countries with over 5,500 registered participants, a roughly 15% increase over 2018’s numbers.  While those worldwide stats are indeed impressive, I can’t help but be awed by the growth of my local hub.  At the very first Hub back in 2014, there were four of us sitting around a table in a small cafe passing around pens and sharing our experiences with various inks and papers.  Five years later, the Philadelphia Hub is bursting at the seams and I’m sure similar stories can be seen the world over.  The passion of this year’s batch of Hub masters was clearly on display, many going above and beyond to make their individual Hubs extra special.  I commend those who have taken up the mantle because it is thanks in no small part to their efforts that this event has been able to continue to grow.  In Philadelphia, Frank Limper of Federalist Pens and Paper helmed the Hub for the second year running, once again selecting The Victoria Freehouse Pub to play host.  With tasty food and refreshing drink, the venue provided a cozy atmosphere though perhaps one our Hub has outgrown.  The only major downside to the location this year was the lack of street parking due to an event happening at the waterfront.

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