Intersect Los Angeles 2023
Clockwise from top left: Peter from Jack Mason, Cullen and Wes from Nodus, Patrick from Bremoir, Markus from Formex, Bill from MKII, Ryan with Raven and Finch, Andrew from Astor+Banks, Alan from Tsao Baltimore, and Jerry from Dryden.
We’ve reached a point where we have to delineate which Intersect we refer to, since this is the first year that Intersect expanded outside Los Angeles. In September, we partnered with our friends over at Jack Mason to host Intersect Dallas. It was the first taste of what Intersect could be if we took the original vision from the beer-stained bar meetup and copied and pasted it across the entire country, and eventually the world.
What sets this event apart is not only that it is smaller and more intimate, nor is it the fact that attendees have to RSVP to let us know that they’re coming; The key difference is that Intersect is organized and owned by the showcasing brands.
We – the brands – control the size, pace, and feel of the event. We pick the cities, we pick the drinks, we pick the music…you get the idea. It has become a fresh canvas for all of our small and independent brands to have a hand at painting it. Each show has a different personality despite the fact that similar brands may be showcasing. As our brands’ stories unfold, the show evolves with us. This is what keeps Intersect exciting and special.
After the event ended, I sent a “thank you” email out to the 12 other participating brands to thank them for trusting our vision enough to make the trek out for something new and untested. This is an excerpt from that email that I think embodies what Intersect is and what it will remain to be:
“Those who have known me for a few years now know that I've been harping on this "rising tide raises all ships" thing since the beginning. I've always been a believer that the little guy(s) are willing to work twice as hard for half the reward, and that is what keeps us pushing boundaries, finding new avenues, and reaffirming our presence in the industry. We all have stories worth telling, so we should do so on our own terms . . . That is why I believe in the idea of cooperation between brands–smaller and independent brands–to "Intersect" and build something interesting and important that has a reason to exist. "Nodus" literally means Intersect, so you could even say that that is why we exist.”
Bringing the show to our home court of Los Angeles–where it all started–is always special. The original handful of attendees of our very first meet-up still attend every single Intersect, and it is always insightful to hear their perspective on how the event has grown and evolved over the years. This year’s show featured 13 brands, many of which traveled in from around the country.
As far as we have already taken Intersect, we are only just beginning. Our comrades from Jack Mason and Formex have stepped up to be valuable partners in taking Intersect to the next level, which currently looks like this: four shows in 2024 (Atlanta, Seattle, Los Angeles, Dallas – in that order). Our teams are collaborating on building out a central Intersect website where we will put all relevant information for each event. Various brands and meet up groups have stepped up to provide assistance in many aspects of putting these events together.
For the first time since starting Nodus, I see our corner of the industry starting to come closer to what I’ve always wanted it to be: collaborative. I am happy and proud to play a small role in pushing us towards a more collaborative future where we can tell our stories on our own terms.
