I had the pleasure of attending Berkshire Hathaway's (BRK.A 0.68%) (BRK.B 0.53%) shareholder meeting in person this year. With an estimated 50,000 people in attendance from all over the world, there were tons of investors in Omaha eager to hear Chairman and CEO Warren Buffett and Vice Chairman Charlie Munger answer questions on a variety of topics.
The actual meeting was fine, but the real highlights from the weekend were seeing what Buffett has built at Berkshire Hathaway over the past 50-plus years and meeting all the different investors from around the world. It is well worth the travel and lodging expenses if you are a passionate value investor.
If you missed the meeting this year, here are three reasons to go to Berkshire Hathaway's annual meeting for shareholders next year.
Image source: Getty Images.
1. Seeing the spectacle in person
If Buffett and Munger are your investing role models and you know about the long history of Berkshire Hathaway, you need to go to the annual meeting at least once. Not just for the actual meeting, but for the event hall with exhibits for all the businesses Berkshire Hathaway has bought over the past 50 years. You can see (and buy) See's Candies, the BNSF railway, Dairy Queen, and all sorts of companies that have helped propel the Class A stock from around $11.50 a share when Buffett took over in 1965 to almost $500,000 a share today.
While you might not learn anything perusing the event hall that you can't learn from reading a history of the company, it is still amazing to see in person what a small textile manufacturer has turned into with 50 years of compounding.
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2. Camaraderie and meeting other investors
My favorite part of the event, and I think the highlight for almost everyone else in attendance, was seeing and meeting all sorts of investors from around the world. From different people associated with the Motley Fool to podcast hosts to people you've interacted with on Twitter to famous investors you've read about, there are all sorts of new people to meet in Omaha at the Berkshire meeting. This includes at the actual event, but also at all the side events and meetups during the weekend.
And I'm sure next year's meeting will be just as vibrant. If you are interested in meeting new investors or some of your role models in the industry, Omaha is a perfect place to do it.
3. There are only a few years left
Lastly, I think you should go to a meeting sooner rather than later, given the age of Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger. Buffett is 91 years old and Munger is 98, so it is hard to imagine them being able to answer questions in a public forum for much longer. I wouldn't take the chance that it will be much more than a few years at this point.
It will be a sad day when Buffett and Munger are not a part of Berkshire Hathaway. If you want to see the two investing legends in person and all the rest that the weekend has to offer, it is best to do it soon, and there's no better time than next year's annual meeting for shareholders.
