Road To California

What Road To California does

Road to California is a privately operated quilting industry event producer founded in 1987 and headquartered in Upland, California. The organization runs the annual Road to California Quilter's Conference & Showcase, a 4-day event held at the Ontario Convention Center that brings together hobbyist and professional quilters for vendor exhibitions, instructional classes and workshops, lectures, special exhibits, contest competitions, and a raffle quilt program. The 2027 edition is scheduled for January 20-23, 2027.

The company operates with a lean team of 8 employees and generates revenue through four event-driven streams: attendee ticket sales, vendor and exhibitor booth fees, class and workshop registration, and raffle quilt ticket proceeds. Its go-to-market is event-driven and community-led, with marketing executed through a content website, email newsletter, and organic social media presence on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Sponsorship and exhibitor relationships with sewing-machine brands (BERNINA, BabyLock, elna, Janome) and fabric companies (Cherrywood) underpin the vendor ecosystem.

Technology is limited to a functional online registration portal that supports attendee enrollment, vendor and faculty applications, artwork contest entry, and personal schedule management. The organization has extended its footprint through an affiliated event, Road to Virginia, replicating the conference model in a second regional market. There is no disclosed ownership structure, external investment, or parent company affiliation.

Name

Road To California

Legal name

Road to California

Website

https://road2ca.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Road to California is a privately held event producer that organizes the annual Road to California Quilter's Conference & Showcase at the Ontario Convention Center, serving hobbyist and professional quilters with vendor exhibitions, classes, contests, and a raffle quilt program since 1987.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Quilting Conference and Trade Show

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

akta.pro primary industry

Consumer & Public Shows (B2C) Organizers (THAHABAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Lifestyle, Home & Garden Shows (MPAGAFAB)

Keywords

• Quilting conference
• Quilt showcase
• Quilting classes
• Textile exhibitions
• Craft education

Headquarters

HQ city

Upland

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Event Ticket Sales: Revenue generated from attendee registrations for the annual quilters conference and showcase event. Attendees pay to access the exhibition, classes, lectures, and tours.
2. Vendor and Exhibitor Fees: Revenue from quilting-related businesses that rent vendor booths and exhibition space at the conference to showcase and sell their products to attendees.
3. Class and Workshop Registration: Fees collected from quilters who register for instructional classes, workshops, and lectures offered during the conference.
4. Raffle Quilt Program: Revenue generated through raffle quilt ticket sales, with proceeds supporting the conference operations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Road to California operates an annual quilters conference and showcase held at the Ontario Convention Center, featuring vendor exhibitions, educational classes and workshops, lectures, raffle quilt programs, special exhibits, and contest competitions for quilting enthusiasts and professionals. Attendees register online and attend the multi-day in-person event to learn quilting techniques, view quilts, purchase supplies, and engage with the quilting community.

Product overview

Road to California is a single annual conference event, not a software platform. The primary offering is the Road to California Quilter's Conference & Showcase, which serves as the main product encompassing vendor exhibitions, educational classes, contest competitions, raffle quilts, special exhibits, and related quilting community activities. The event takes place at the Ontario Convention Center and is the sole product/service offered by this organization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Road to California Quilter's Conference & Showcase Annual multi-day quilting conference and trade show event featuring vendor exhibitions, classes, contests, raffle quilts, and special exhibits for quilting enthusiasts and professionals.
• Class and Workshop Registration Educational instructional classes, workshops, and lectures on quilting techniques taught by faculty members during the conference.
• Raffle Quilt Program Raffle quilt ticket sales program with proceeds supporting the conference operations.
• Vendor and Exhibitor Booths Booth and exhibition space rentals provided to quilting-related businesses to showcase and sell products to conference attendees.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• BERNINAminorOthersBERNINA is featured as a sponsor and exhibitor at the Road to California Quilters Conference, showcasing their quilting machines and sewing equipment to attendees.
• BabyLockminorOthersBabyLock is featured as a sponsor and exhibitor at the Road to California Quilters Conference, displaying their embroidery and quilting machines to the quilting community.
• CherrywoodminorOthersCherrywood is featured as a sponsor at the Road to California Quilters Conference, supporting the event and connecting with quilters through their products.
• elnaminorOtherselna is featured as a sponsor and exhibitor at the Road to California Quilters Conference, showcasing their sewing and quilting machines to event attendees.
• JanomeminorOthersJanome is featured as a sponsor and exhibitor at the Road to California Quilters Conference, displaying their quilting and sewing machines to quilters attending the event.
• Road to VirginiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRoad to Virginia is an affiliated quilting conference event operated in partnership with Road to California, extending the quilting event brand to a second regional market in Virginia.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• MQX (Machine Quilters Exposition): Specialized quilting-machine-focused trade event with contests, classes, and vendor exhibitions; comparable in format and audience, with emphasis on machine quilting vendors that overlap with Road to California's BERNINA/Janome/BabyLock exhibitor base.
• Road to Virginia: Affiliated quilting conference operated in partnership with Road to California, extending the same event concept to a second regional market in Virginia; directly comparable product, format, and target audience.
• AQS QuiltWeek (American Quilter's Society): National circuit of multi-city quilting events featuring contests, classes, and vendor exhibitions; directly comparable as a multi-event quilt show organizer targeting the same hobbyist audience.
• Houston Quilt Festival (Quilt, Inc.): One of the largest consumer-facing quilting shows in the U.S., run annually with classes, vendor halls, and special exhibits; directly comparable to Road to California's format, customer base, and revenue model.
• Original Sewing & Quilt Expo: Multi-city consumer show combining sewing and quilting classes, vendor halls, and contests; comparable as a regional tour-format event series targeting the same hobbyist sewing/quilting customer base.
• Empty Spools Seminars: Boutique quilting workshop retreats featuring world-class faculty in an intensive class format; comparable audience (dedicated quilters) and overlapping faculty talent pool with Road to California's classes program.
• Mancuso Show Management: Long-standing organizer of multiple consumer quilt shows across the U.S. (Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival, Quiltfest, etc.); directly comparable as a multi-event quilting show organizer serving the same vendor and attendee ecosystem.

Emerging players

• QuiltCon (Modern Quilt Guild): Annual modern quilting conference with contests, lectures, and vendor hall; comparable audience but skews younger/more contemporary, representing both an overlapping demand pool and a potential next-generation audience source for Road to California.
• Stitches Events (XRX Inc.): Multi-city consumer event for knitting, crochet, and needlework with classes and vendor marketplace; comparable format and customer-adjacent audience (fiber arts hobbyists) to Road to California's quilting base.

Broad incumbents

• Creativation (formerly CHA - Craft & Hobby Association): Larger trade show covering the broader craft and hobby industry including quilting, sewing, and yarn; comparable as a B2B/B2C event organizer with overlapping vendor base but serving a wider category.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/road2ca
• Facebookfacebook.com/road2ca
• Instagraminstagram.com/road2ca
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/road-to-california

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Road To California