Thanks a lot for your suggestions. You're most definitely right with the site being too locked up and I guess this is also the reason why the signup rate of visitors coming over the frontpage is rather low (in contrast to those who have been invited by other members). So I guess it would be better just to show on the frontpage what's going on inside?
Once they're in, users seem to feel quite well. The first thing they do is actually list their equipment and then see what other members use. They also come back quite regularly. I got the idea when I saw users on photo forums creating very elaborate badges showing their equipment in their signature. When you spend a lot of money for cameras and lenses, you're not only proud but you also like to know what others use and chat about it.
I don't think that you should reason too much from the font somebody uses. Plenty of successful websites started out with an amateurish look and for some of them it's still a trademark.
Simplicity wins here! You can add all sorts of fun stuff later once you have a base of returning users (and you clearly don't lack creativity for that).
1) change to text color of the header (black on dark gray is not easy to read)
2) You have two search inputs - kick one and move the events section up.
3) To see event details you just have to click the row/div and not a link which is good - show it by highlighting on mouseover.
4) You have some gems for your target audience hidden in your footer - display them more prominently.
Not too long ago I thought web apps could never really compete with desktop apps in terms of usabilty. Meanwhile I clearly prefer Gmail over Outlook. Attaching files via drag&drop is the only thing I really miss. Great job, Gmail team!
I did an internship in Lagos, Nigeria and during this time a lot of folks from Ghana came to work there. They were the most friendly, open-minded and welcoming people I met during this time. Now that Nigeria is no longer a safe place to be, a lot of expats (mostly working for oil and construction companies) moved their families to Ghana . I doesn't matter from where they fly out to the oil rigs.