Mega-Events and Giga-Events - It's best when there are two of you...

Geocaching Mega-Events and Giga-Events

... or in threes, fours or in an even larger group. It's clear that every geocacher has their own profile, their own logs and their own personal sense of achievement. For some certain caches are boring, others find the hiding place of exactly this boring
cache worthy of favorites. Well, tastes are known to differ and that's a good thing. But most geocachers will agree with me that caching with someone is a lot more exciting than alone. It can be discussed and puzzled over. And I was personally glad a few times that I wasn't alone because I was either too small or too clumsy to hide. The ultimate evolution of small group geocaching can be found at a MEGA or GIGA event. At these events you will meet
like-minded people at a special place and spend exciting geocache hours in the fresh air. More than 500 participants take part in a MEGA event and even more than 5000 participants in a GIGA event. You can certainly imagine what a motivating
group dynamic can develop here when so many passionate cachers meet in one place.

In general, it is difficult to describe what you can expect from such an event. Some last a few hours, others several days. Nevertheless, I will try to give you a basic feeling for a MEGA or GIGA event in the following sections.

Mega-Events

A mega event is slightly larger than a normal event. In fact, at least 500 geocachers must have pre-registered to achieve Mega status. Mega events are usually also planned with a more extensive program: competitions (PETling long-distance), sales stands, music, guided tours, workshops, lectures, readings, food trucks, ... There is quite a lot on offer. If you want to organize one, you can't do it easily. The status is conferred, it cannot be chosen by oneself. If you plan to do something like this, a lead time of one year makes sense. Then a form is filled out in which you present your suitability and have to prove that you are capable of doing something like this. A Mega is released up to a year in advance and must have the 500 registrations required 3 months prior to the actual event date.

There are now about 20 megas a year.
A visit to a mega event is rewarded with your own icon in your profile!

Giga-Event

The Giga Event is geocaching.com's latest update on cache types. It is the consistent evolution of mega events, as they have gotten bigger and bigger in recent years. A giga event must have at least 5000 registered visitors in order to receive the status.

This is, of course, considerably more time-consuming and has therefore not happened too often in the past. At the time of writing this
blog, there were these giga-events:

Project MUNICH2014 (GC4K089), August 16, 2014 in Munich, Germany.

1. Mainz Gutenberg 2015 (GC50FTF), May 16, 2015 in Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany.
2. Project GeoXantike (GC56APX), June 6, 2015 in Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany.
3. Project Glück Auf 2016 (GC55555), June 11, 2016 in Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany.
4. GREAT MORAVIA 2017 (GC6GB1B), September 2, 2017 in Olomoucky kraj, Czech Republic.

It is striking that most of them were in Germany.
In terms of content, gigas are not fundamentally different from megas. Everything is just bigger, there is more of everything.

Visiting a GIGA event is also rewarded with a special icon.

Connecting passions

At first glance, the MEGA and especially the GIGA grounds look like huge, oversized school camps. At least for those events where you stay overnight. The cachers are well prepared, provide tents and caravans and set themselves up for the upcoming time. Already when setting up on the site, first friendships are made or well-known cachers are recognized. Then we philosophize, discuss and maybe even log one or the other cache. If you have a particularly long stamina, you can meet at one of the bars after the official supporting program and philosophize about the experiences of the day until the early hours of the morning. There is hardly anything nicer than enjoying a good glass with like-minded people.

Culinary highlights and campfire feeling

Of course, the culinary highlights are not neglected at the events either. Between the varied cache rounds, the area offers enough contact points to really fill your stomach. Numerous stands provide you with varied meals. At
most events there are also picnic areas so that you can eat from your picnic box. When it's getting dark, it's best to sit down by one of the campfires, enjoy your dinner and let yourself be infected by the adventurous mood.
There are often special night caches that could interrupt a break at the campfire. With this unique atmosphere, you will quickly forget the time and night will become day. But watch out, the next morning we continue with the MEGA or GIGA program.
It can be a bit difficult to get up then, but I'm sure you won't give it a damn, pour down a coffee and be fit for the next cache.

Everything is possible, nothing is neccesary

At the MEGA and GIGA event, practically all doors - or caches - are open to you in terms of entertainment. For example, special caches are laid that can only be logged at this one event. If you want to be entertained in addition to the traditional caching,
attend one of the numerous workshops. The topics dealt with in these workshops couldn't be more different. Learn which material is best for geocaching or how to find even the trickiest little cache with your GPS devices. The
organizers keep coming up with exciting supporting programmes. At certain events there are stages where a show is shown in the evening. Of course everything is voluntary and non-binding. But I'm sure that even the most addicted cacher likes to take a break for a few minutes and let the many impressions wash over him.