What Caffeine and Octane does

Caffeine and Octane (legal entity: High Octane Events, LLC) is a privately held event and media company that has operated since 2006 as the operator of a recurring monthly car show targeting automotive enthusiasts in the U.S. Southeast. The company's flagship product is the Atlanta monthly show held on the first Sunday of each month at Town Center at Cobb in Kennesaw, Georgia, which the company describes as the nation's largest monthly car show and reports attracting over 2,500 vehicles and 25,000+ fans per event. In 2018 the company expanded into Jacksonville, Florida through a strategic partnership with Jacksonville Car Culture, hosting a second monthly show at The Avenues mall.

The product portfolio extends beyond live events into a multi-channel digital and commerce platform: a YouTube television channel (@CAFFEINEANDOCTANESHOW) featuring cinematic vehicle features and interviews; native iOS and Android mobile apps; an online classifieds and auction marketplace called "The Paddock" for buying and selling vehicles; an e-commerce merchandise store selling "Speed & Style" branded apparel; and specialty ticketed showcase events (Caffeine and Exotics, OctaneFest, Caffeine and Octane at the Beach). Media distribution is amplified through partnerships with MotorTrend and Speedvision, and venue/sponsorship infrastructure is anchored by Town Center at Cobb and a network of automotive and hospitality sponsors (Butler Tires and Wheels, Home2 by Hilton, TRU by Hilton, Sonesta ES Suites).

The business model is event-driven and primarily B2C, with general admission kept free to maximize attendance and content value. Monetization is diversified across four streams: corporate sponsorship (the largest economic engine, enabling free attendance), premium and reserved parking ticket sales, merchandise sales, and classifieds/auction transaction fees. Customer segmentation is horizontal and persona-based, targeting automotive enthusiasts — builders, collectors, and weekend drivers across JDM, muscle, exotic, classic, and specialty vehicle categories — as well as automotive-related businesses seeking targeted sponsorship access. The company is led by CEO and Producer Bruce Piefke and Executive Producer Ed Coughlin, operates with a lean headcount of 1–10 employees, and has no disclosed institutional funding, acquisitions, or material leadership changes.

Name

Caffeine and Octane

Legal name

High Octane Events, LLC

Website

https://caffeineandoctane.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Caffeine and Octane is a privately held event and media company that has operated monthly automotive enthusiast car shows in Atlanta (Kennesaw, GA) and Jacksonville, FL since 2006, monetizing free live events through sponsorships, premium parking tickets, merchandise, and a vehicle classifieds marketplace, with content distributed via a YouTube channel and mobile apps.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Automotive enthusiast events and media

NAICS

Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers (441)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Auto, Boat & RV Shows (MPAGAFAC)

Keywords

• Monthly car shows
• Automotive enthusiast events
• Automotive media content
• Vehicle classifieds marketplace
• Branded automotive merchandise

Headquarters

HQ city

Braselton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Classifieds/Vehicle Sales Platform: Online marketplace network for buying and selling vehicles and machines of all kinds. Users can list vehicles for sale and the platform facilitates transactions between buyers and sellers.
2. Merchandise Sales: E-commerce storefront selling 'Speed & Style' branded merchandise including apparel and accessories. Products sold through shop.caffeineandoctane.com.
3. Event Tickets: Sale of premium spectator parking tickets and reserved showcase parking tickets for car show events. General parking and spectator attendance remain free.
4. Sponsorship Revenue: Corporate sponsorship deals with automotive industry companies including tire retailers, custom shops, law firms, and automotive dealerships. Sponsorship funds enable the free community events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Caffeine and Octane operates the nation's largest monthly family-friendly free car shows, hosting recurring monthly automotive enthusiast events in Atlanta (first Sunday at Town Center at Cobb, Kennesaw, GA) and Jacksonville (second Saturday at The Avenues mall, FL). Beyond live events, the company produces a YouTube TV show with cinematic vehicle features and interviews, runs an online classifieds marketplace (The Paddock) for buying and selling vehicles, and sells branded 'Speed & Style' merchandise through an e-commerce storefront. Revenue is generated through sponsorships, premium reserved parking tickets, merchandise sales, and marketplace activity.

Product overview

Caffeine and Octane is a car show event company operating the nation's largest monthly family-friendly free car shows. The company offers multiple in-person events (Caffeine & Octane Atlanta held first Sundays and Caffeine & Octane Jacksonville held second Saturdays), a YouTube/TV channel featuring automotive content, an online classifieds marketplace called The Paddock for buying and selling vehicles, and a merchandise store. The product portfolio centers on live automotive enthusiast events supplemented by digital media content and e-commerce capabilities. The company has been operating since 2006 and hosts events in the Atlanta and Jacksonville markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Caffeine & Octane Atlanta Monthly Show The nation's largest monthly family-friendly free car show featuring all makes and all models. Held the first Sunday of every month from 9 AM to 11:30 AM at Town Center at Cobb in Kennesaw, GA. Attracts over 2,500 vehicles and 25,000+ fans per event. Free for spectators and exhibitors, with optional premium reserved parking.
• Caffeine & Octane Jacksonville Monthly Show Monthly car show held every second Saturday of the month from 8AM to 11AM at The Avenues mall in Jacksonville, Florida. Brought to Jacksonville through a partnership with Jacksonville Car Culture, combining C&O's brand with Jacksonville Car Culture's decade-long experience hosting Jacksonville Cars & Coffee.
• C&O YouTube TV Show (@CAFFEINEANDOCTANESHOW) YouTube television channel and TV show featuring the world's largest monthly car show reimagined for digital audiences. Offers cinematic features, exclusive interviews, behind-the-scenes access, and event coverage, with show segments including 'Caffeine and Exotics,' 'OctaneFest,' and 'Caffeine and Octane at the Beach.' Powered by MotorTrend and Speedvision networks.
• C&O Classifieds (The Paddock) Online community network and marketplace for buying and selling machines of all kinds, including vehicles, cars, trucks, and motorcycles. Enables registered users to list vehicles for sale and browse listings, facilitating transactions between third-party buyers and sellers.
• C&O Merchandise Store Online e-commerce storefront selling 'Speed & Style' branded apparel and merchandise, as well as event tickets and premium/reserved parking passes. Operated through shop.caffeineandoctane.com.
• C&O Mobile App Native mobile application available for iOS and Android devices (Apple App Store and Google Play) allowing users to access event information, merchandise, and C&O content on the go.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MotortrendcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor automotive media network partnership. Motortrend serves as a power sponsor and media partner, providing exposure through their automotive content network and lending credibility to the C&O brand.
• SpeedvisioncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAutomotive television network partnership. Speedvision is listed as a powering partner alongside Motortrend, extending C&O's media reach through their television and digital platforms.
• Jacksonville Car CulturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership to relaunch North Florida's most popular monthly car show. C&O has partnered with Chris and his team at Jacksonville Car Culture, combining marketing resources, experience, and knowledge to expand into the Jacksonville market while preserving what made Jacksonville Cars & Coffee successful.
• Town Center at CobbcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary venue host for C&O Atlanta monthly events. The shopping mall in Kennesaw, GA provides the physical location for the nation's largest monthly car show, accommodating over 2,500 vehicles and 25,000 fans per event.
• Butler Tires and WheelsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial sponsor of Caffeine and Octane. Butler Tires and Wheels is a retailer providing automotive parts and services to enthusiasts.
• Home2 by HiltonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial hotel partner located across the parking lot from the Atlanta event venue. Offers C&O discounted rates for out-of-town attendees.
• TRU by HiltonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial hotel partner near the Atlanta event venue. Offers C&O discounted rates for visitors attending the monthly show.
• Sonesta ES SuitesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHotel partner in Kennesaw, GA (near Atlanta events) and Jacksonville, FL (near Jacksonville events). Provides discounted rates for C&O attendees visiting from out of town.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cars & Coffee: Cars & Coffee is a national network of informal free weekend morning automotive meetups held in parking lots. The format — free spectator access, casual vehicle display, local community — is the closest direct analog to Caffeine and Octane's monthly car show model.
• Goodguys Rod & Custom Association: Goodguys is one of the largest hot rod and custom car event operators in the US, hosting dozens of multi-day car shows, swap meets, and autocross events annually. Directly comparable to C&O as a multi-event enthusiast car show operator, though focused on hot rods/customs rather than C&O's all-makes-all-models positioning.
• Barrett-Jackson: Barrett-Jackson operates the highest-profile collector car auctions in the US, combining live enthusiast events with vehicle transactions. Comparable to C&O across the event-plus-marketplace model, with similar reliance on enthusiast sponsorship and media exposure.
• Carlisle Events: Carlisle Events operates large automotive enthusiast events, swap meets, and auctions at its Pennsylvania fairgrounds. Directly comparable to C&O in the multi-event car show business, with a longer multi-day format rather than C&O's monthly cadence.
• Mecum Auctions: Mecum is the world's largest collector car auction company, hosting live auction events nationwide with strong enthusiast attendance. Comparable to C&O in combining live automotive events, vehicle transactions, and sponsorship-driven monetization.
• Bring a Trailer: Bring a Trailer is the leading online collector car auction platform with a media-driven listing format and active community. Directly comparable to C&O's The Paddock classifieds/marketplace business, though BaT is a pure-play digital auction versus C&O's event-anchored approach.

Emerging players

• Cars & Bids: Cars & Bids is an online auction platform focused specifically on 1980s-present enthusiast cars. Closely comparable to C&O's The Paddock in target demographic and vehicle mix, though still building scale relative to Bring a Trailer.
• RADwood: RADwood is a themed car show event series celebrating 1980s and 1990s automotive culture. Comparable to C&O as a brand-driven enthusiast event company with strong community identity, though it operates as a traveling pop-up rather than a fixed monthly show.

Broad incumbents

• SEMA: SEMA is the primary US trade association for the automotive aftermarket industry and operates the massive annual SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Comparable to C&O as a focal point for the automotive enthusiast ecosystem and a draw for the same sponsor base.

Regional players

• Hot August Nights: Hot August Nights is a major classic car event held annually in Reno/Sparks, Nevada, drawing tens of thousands of vehicles and spectators. Comparable to C&O as a destination-scale car show, though geographically distinct and seasonally concentrated rather than monthly.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@CAFFEINEANDOCTANESHOW
• Xx.com/caffeineoctane
• Facebookfacebook.com/CaffeineAndOctane
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/caffeine-and-octane

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Caffeine and Octane