MORE THAN A GUITAR SHOW
MVG Guitar Shows started with a simple idea: bring people who love guitars together.
It grew from Marty Beeson’s love of guitars, but just as importantly, his love of people.
MVG Guitar Shows was created to bring those two things together and build a guitar community right here on Florida’s west coast.
THE IDEA STARTED ON THE ROAD
Before MVG Guitar Shows began, Marty was already part of the guitar show community, traveling as a vendor to shows in Orlando, Nashville, Asheville and Philadelphia. Along the way, he saw firsthand what made a great guitar show work: great guitars, knowledgeable vendors and, most importantly, people who simply loved being around guitars.
GREAT GUITARS
Vintage, rare, unusual or just plain cool — the guitars are what get people through the door.
GREAT VENDORS
Dealers and collectors who know their stuff, love to talk guitars and bring something worth discovering.
GREAT PEOPLE
Collectors, players, builders and fans coming together over one thing they all have in common: a love of guitars.
WHY NOT HERE?
Marty kept coming home from guitar shows with the same thought: Why wasn’t there a show like this on Florida’s west coast?
Eventually, the question became an idea: maybe it was time to bring a guitar show to this side of Florida.
By 2023, the idea had become a plan. Marty began putting the pieces together to bring a guitar show to Florida’s west coast.
THE FIRST SHOW
In 2024, the idea became real. The first MVG Guitar Show was held in Bradenton, Florida, bringing together vendors, collectors and guitar lovers from across the area.
BRADENTON, FLORIDA
2024
LISTEN. LEARN. IMPROVE.
WE LISTENED
LESSONS LEARNED
AND MADE IT BETTER
A MOVE THAT MADE SENSE
After the first show, the question was whether to return to Bradenton once construction was complete or consider something new. Marty reached out to the Florida State Fairgrounds and, just as importantly, asked the vendors what they thought.
The pieces came together. The Fairgrounds offered a more central, easier-to-reach location. Because attendees would now pay for parking, admission was lowered to help offset the added cost. The turnout was strong, the vendors were happy, and the move felt like the right next step.
A BETTER LOCATION
A BETTER EXPERIENCE
PEOPLE SHOWED UP FOR EACH OTHER
The first show came with challenges we never expected. But what happened next said more about the community we were building than a perfect first show ever could.
Several of our vendors didn't just point out what went wrong. They came alongside us with ideas, solutions and encouragement. Some offered to help with social media and marketing. Others shared what they had learned from years of doing shows.
And when MVG moved to Tampa, many of those same vendors came with us.
They believed in what we were building before we had completely figured out how to build it.
THEY OFFERED IDEAS
They shared what they had learned from other shows and helped us see what could be better.
THEY OFFERED HELP
From marketing and social media to practical advice, people stepped in with solutions.
THEY CAME BACK
When MVG moved to Tampa, many of those original vendors came with us.
THEN CAME TAMPA.
In 2025, MVG Guitar Shows moved to the Florida State Fairgrounds — and things began to click.
Vendors who had been with us in Bradenton returned. New vendors joined them. The show brought strong foot traffic, and guitar lovers filled the aisles buying, selling, trading, talking gear and making connections.
Then we started hearing something we loved.
People who came as attendees were already talking about coming back as vendors.
That's when we knew this was becoming more than an event. People weren't just coming to the show. They wanted to become part of it.
WHERE WE'RE GOING
Right now, our focus is simple: grow Tampa well.
We want to welcome more vendors, more musicians, more collectors, more builders and more guitar lovers while holding onto the personal relationships and sense of community that got us here.
And as MVG grows, so does the vision.
In the years ahead, we hope to bring MVG Guitar Shows to other communities throughout Florida — creating more places where people who love guitars can buy, sell, trade, discover and connect.
We're taking our time, learning as we grow and building something we believe can last.