I think Mike V's opinion is valid as anyone else's.
Mine, not quite.
You see, I have some issues with the rulings of some competitions, as in the spirit of the competition they want to portray is not reflected in the rules (IDPA poohpooing calibers below 9x19 does come to mind). Maybe I am not a "real enthusiast or sportsman," but I go to events to have fun first, and hopefully improve myself in the process. And maybe meet new people. So, to me I would prefer events that I can compete with what someone would have: a place to put the pistol, ear and eye protection, pistol, and a couple of magazines. No need for the official vest (Like I have seen in IDPA) or other requirements that, as others mentioned here, force you to sink $500 just to get through the door. Any event that welcomes people with that even if they supposedly have some kind of theme is a good event in my book. Only person you should be competing with is yourself; scoring is just a minor consequence. And that is why I liked the zombie shooting event.
Here is another piece of misinformation (I am not here to offer useful advice): When you do start competing, forget about speed. Do it safe first, accurate second. Efficient third. Speed should come as a result of those three. Tying to what I was bitching about before safe and accurate has nothing to do with gear but knowing how to use what you have.
Fun fact: friend of mine who does a lot of IDPA only shoots using a IWB holster. I do not know about other places but he convinced the people running the event he goes to that he is there for the second letter ("D") of the name of the association, so he will only shoots how he carries. It does require more practice but I think he has a valid point.