Immediately after completing the last final exam of my first year, I jumped in the car and drove to Omaha, Nebraska.  Seven hours and several snowstorms later, I was drifting to sleep in my hotel room, restlessly anticipating the next day’s events.

 On Saturday, May 4^th, I had the honor of attending the 2013 Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholders Meeting as an MBA student representing Washington University in Saint Louis.  The meeting was held at the CenturyLink Center in downtown Omaha.

The meeting was action packed.  It started with Warren Buffett’s self-professed Hollywood fanaticism: an original showing of a 2013 shareholders meeting movie, specifically created for the entertainment of the 35,000 visitors in attendance.   It was witty, humorous, and insightful. 

The day continued on with Q&A, a tour of the exhibition hall, and more Q&A. 

Although no photography was allowed inside the arena, it was permitted in the adjacent convention center, where dozens of Berkshire Hathaway’s portfolio companies set up shop to discuss their businesses. 

Here are just a few examples of their larger than life displays (including the photo up top at the clever Larson Juhl custom framing exhibit booth):

 

The weekend did not end there. 

On Sunday morning, Brooks Running (yet another one of Berkshire Hathaway’s portfolio companies) sponsored an inaugural shareholder weekend 5K. 

With Mr. Buffett on the mic and start gun, this was not your typical race!  Despite the cold weather, the turnout was strong and all runners seemed to thrive on the Berkshire Hathaway spirit.

The weekend was a fantastic experience and I hope to make the trek again.  For more information on the meeting, visit the following links:

http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2013/05/04/live-blog-berkshire-hathaways-2013-shareholder-meeting/

http://www.bloomberg.com/slideshow/2013-05-06/the-berkshire-hathaway-shareholders-meeting.html#slide1 

http://investinyourself5k.com/event-info/latest-news/