Anarchapulco has been known as the largest gathering of anarcho-capitalist minds in the world for years now but it hasn’t been without criticism.  In fact, partially due to the confrontational nature of anarchists in general, Anarchapulco has faced immense amounts of criticism over the years.  Everyone’s got an opinion on Anarchapulco, whether it be good or bad if they know about it.

In fact, in 2018, Anarchapulco was forked by me and my life partner at the time, John Galton.  We had a different, more decentralized, vision for Anarchapulco and as a result, Anarchaforko was born.  The event was built primarily on the criticisms of those who were involved, but afraid to voice their opinions.  Putting it simply, previous management didn’t take criticism as well as it could have.

Some theorized we were trying to replace Anarchapulco all together, but in reality, that was NEVER the goal.  What we truly wanted was to inspire the organizers to decentralize the event, return it to grassroots, and make it more about anarchy and less about what it had become, which many identified as a “corporate” feel at an event that had gotten famous for being a taste of Anarchy free for all.  There’s nothing wrong with growth, but it matters how we grow.

Well, if there’s one thing that 2020 has FORCED, its decentralization.  While the Anarchists are not afraid to meet, strict restrictions on guest capacity for events in Acapulco is forcing Anarchapulco to innovate.  That is where this year’s unique structure has come from.  Many are critical of doing a virtual event at all; I think it’s an excellent way to change with the times.  I’m of the opinion they should keep this up even after restrictions fall.

This year, Jeff Berwick changed the game by hiring former Agorist Nexus guest, Catherine Bonadin, to spearhead the event.  Not only is Cat driven, but she’s great with people which was the main criticism of the person in her job in years past.  Cat spent the last 2 years before this working very closely with the production team, learning all the intricate parts that make Anarchapulco what it is.  She is the BEST person he could have hired to do this positions, although there are definitely some out there who criticize even that decision.  While working for Anarchapulco and learning the ropes, she was listening to the comments and criticisms from those who came to make the event something people can really get excited for.

Anarchapulco is going virtual, first with a free event that will bring in experts to debunk the coronavirus lies, which will happen in February.

In March, there will be both virtual and in person opportunities to become involved.  There will be a virtual conference center, likely also with a virtual marketplace for those staying at home.  The virtual ticket is only 150 dollars and includes access to in-person watch parties both in Acapulco and worldwide.

This is the general admission so to speak and as far as most people are concerned, the magic of Anarchapulco is in the stuff that happens around the event within the city.   For many, the access to the house parties and live stream is MORE than enough. This year, Anarchapulco is encouraging this decentralization location-wise more than ever…and I am here for it.

For those looking for that in-person experience that can afford it, there is a limited 75 person studio audience for the main stage.  The location will not be announced until the last minute to avoid people testing the capacity limits at the venue.  There will also be exclusive one on one time with the speakers included in the VIP ticket.

Considering the strict restrictions worldwide, the way they are managing to get around these to still gather both virtually and in-person is incredible. Sure, having to deal with restrictions at all SUCKS but it is better than letting coronavirus claim the event altogether.  This is something which truly accommodates everyone worldwide; like I said above, they should continue this for years to come. While coronavirus can shut down large in person gatherings, there’s not a damn thing they can do to those who meet online in this way.

An unspoken but definitely felt goal of this year is to fix the mistakes of years past.  Every project has growing pains as it gains in size and popularity, but it’s how they handle those growing pains that determines their success in the future.  There were some mistakes made, lots of them with communication, and Cat has already mended some of the bigger mistakes, such as with Macey Tomlin and Anarchawakening.

Many say Anarchapulco lost what made it great to begin with, which is something I certainly insinuated with my confrontational posts while planning Anarchaforko.  The thing is, there is ALWAYS room for growth and change.  All it takes is listening to the customer and delivering what they want. And what they’ve said is “Back to Basics”.

In some regards, Anarchapulco became known for promising things they weren’t delivering, for example, the strip club on premises.  That’s one of those things that with the strip club market in Acapulco, even if you could do it, why would you want to? Why not just make a strip club crawl as an event and support the local economy a bit?

As it grew, so did the possibilities, but they didn’t quite learn the lesson of “ANNOUNCE NOTHING UNTIL ITS FINAL”. This is a lesson clearly learned this year, as Cat has refused to announce anything until all steps are in place for it to happen.

In the past, one of the bigger criticisms was actually in choice of venue. Many love the Princess resort atmosphere, but many also felt it lacked the dynamic energy of the main bay of Acapulco itself. Many felt isolated on the resort.  Anarchaforko was held in the main bay on principle to help get the attendees off the resort and into the city. We never felt it needed to abandon the resort, just to decentralize beyond it.  In other words, have other options in addition to the resort, something for everyone.

However, being forced to decentralize a little will actually be great for the event in the long run.  A big part of the magic of Anarchapulco is in the city itself and it’s somewhat difficult to really enjoy that if you primarily stay on the grounds of the resort.  So, in that way, the restrictions are a blessing in disguise.

And sure, maybe in the future when the restrictions lift, Anarchapulco may very well return to the loved Princess resort.  But maybe not. Maybe some interesting lesson in the value of decentralization will be learned that will change the event forever.  One thing is for certain, they’re finally listening to their attendees and trying to offer something for everyone.

We will just have to see, but consider this my official endorsement of the event.   The fact that I’ve been so critical of the event in the past makes it so my feelings of pride are very strong as I watch Cat Bonadin take the reins and revolutionize Anarchapulco.

So, here’s to Anarchapulco and Cat Bonadin for the hard work she’s been putting in to revolutionize Anarchapulco and set it up for the future.

For tickets, follow this link and use my code lily10 for a 10 percent discount!

Anarchapulco.com