# Trade shows



## DJCreations (Oct 22, 2013)

Can anyone recommend what the best convention/trade shows would be for us to go to for our business?

We mostly engage in Rhinestone/Bling products.
We make our own designs and buy some, we cut all our own templates (mostly on sticky flock) buy Rhinestones in bulk.
We make shirts, bags, decals, sheets for DIY with the Rhinestones to name a few.

We are starting to dabble a little bit with mixing Rhinestones with Vinyl like Laptops, phones etc and we are now looking into Rhinestone with vinyl for shirts, bags, apparel, etc.

We don't want to go and spend all day(s) at a show that will be 90% about for sign making or something like that so I thought someone here must know the right shows to attend. We would love if the the shows were west coast as we are just outside of Las Vegas, NV. 
I know SGIA show is this month and we did get passes for it but looking over some of the vendors, I am not sure it is the show for us....Can someone that has been to it give us some direction on that too.

So I guess we can sum it up by saying we are looking to go to show(s) that of course will have different vinyls to see but we are mostly looking for shows that gear toward 
Rhinestones
Template Material (not just the Sticky Flock)
Decal Material
Apparel
Accessories
Supplies

Thanks much all
Judi


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## BidsMaven (Sep 23, 2011)

I suggest ISS in Long Beach, CA which is coming up in January 2015. There will also be an ISS in Las Vegas in August, but that will be a smaller show than Long Beach.


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## DJCreations (Oct 22, 2013)

Thanks Myra, 
Will have to look into that one for sure.
Can it be seen in one day?


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## BidsMaven (Sep 23, 2011)

I suggest staying for at least a 2nd day. The classes at ISS are really excellent. If you're there for only a single day, it will be tough to divide your time between the show floor and the classes. You'll miss a lot of the value that ISS has to offer if you don't take advantage of the classes.


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## macman29681 (May 24, 2013)

BidsMaven said:


> I suggest ISS in Long Beach, CA which is coming up in January 2015. There will also be an ISS in Las Vegas in August, but that will be a smaller show than Long Beach.


I went to last years SGIA show in Orlando in Oct. 13 had never been to a show and bought about $5,000 in equipment there. Would you say that the biggest and best show to go to every year is the Long Beach show in January? Why is it better then the SGIA show in Las Vegas in 2 weeks. Appreciate any feedback.


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## BidsMaven (Sep 23, 2011)

macman29681 said:


> I went to last years SGIA show in Orlando in Oct. 13 had never been to a show and bought about $5,000 in equipment there. Would you say that the biggest and best show to go to every year is the Long Beach show in January? Why is it better then the SGIA show in Las Vegas in 2 weeks. Appreciate any feedback.


Here's my reasons for suggesting ISS/Long Beach:

- Judi says that she's interested in Rhinestones and that she mostly engages in Rhinestone/Bling products. ISS focuses specifically on decorated apparel and SGIA covers the whole spectrum of screen printing and even vehicle wraps. Judi even mentioned that she doesn't want to go to a show that will be for the sign makers. I think SanMar may be the only apparel wholesaler at the SGIA show whereas there are oodles of apparel wholesalers at the ISS show and there will be several dazzling rhinestone sources to investigate at ISS.

- Judi asked for a show that is on the West Coast, which Long Beach certainly is and January is coming up not too long from now. By the way, there is also an ISS/Las Vegas show that happens in August but it's much smaller than the ISS/Long Beach show and August is almost a whole year away.

It's not that ISS is better than SGIA or vise versa. They're both great shows. It's just a matter of what someone happens to be interested in.

Hope this helps.


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## DJCreations (Oct 22, 2013)

You hit the nail on the head Myra.
I figured they were the same but different and if I am going to spend my time at a show....I want the biggest bang for my time and see more of what I am needing and wanting.

Thank you very much for the info....now to look into places to stay....hubby thinks renting an RV is a good idea....could be? 
Thanks again


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## kingwoo (Mar 22, 2013)

Thanks for all your shares, bling bees!!

We are going to ISS in Jan. too. And get more background for our preparation. THX.


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## DJCreations (Oct 22, 2013)

Myra,
Being you are good at this ....

If elsewhere, not necessarily the West Coast.
What would you say is the BEST show for us to see for what we want? Would it still be the ISS?
Thanks


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## BidsMaven (Sep 23, 2011)

Yep. Given your interests, I think you'll find ISS/Long Beach an awesome show. I highly recommend it.


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## MarStephenson761 (Sep 19, 2011)

Judi, it's too bad you JUST missed ISS in Ft. Worth, that is by far the best bling show to attend. But in general I think you'll find Bling to be a pretty small percentage of any industry show you go to and while you'll find some good stuff at SGIA, it probably won't be in the rhinestone world.

ISS Long Beach is a HUGE show, but won't have all the best Bling equipment or supplies (because we won't be there. 

Can I make an alternative suggestion? Shows are a good place to get an overview of what's out there, but equipment vendors like us are doing more and more online presentations with live video that give you the opportunity to see an entire demonstration. You can ask questions and even send in files in advance to have output to different devices. This way you can ask all the questions you want without competing for attention, see many more types of equipment you won't see at the shows and get a better sense of who you'll be dealing with. AND save a few grand on travel to put towards equipment and supplies!


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## DJCreations (Oct 22, 2013)

Thanks for the feedback Mark....but I guess i am looking to see things like grades of Rhinestones in comparison to what we currently use. Also was wanting to find things other than just clothing to bling. 
My heat press and cutter are brand new. Yes, of course I would look at others cause someday we would like to be big enough to step and so you look at the potential future.
But it is more of what is in the present that we are interested in. Finding vendors that have the best price shipped in Sticky Flock and other stencil material, decal material for rhinestones, lift tape (think that is what you call it).
Storage ideas and just things that will help us grow our business that we don't know about or haven't thought about.


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## DJCreations (Oct 22, 2013)

WOW ISS must be a popular show
The hotels are all booked and those that are available are really really expensive. 
Anyone that has been to the show have any inside scoop as to some hotels that might be available that aren't so over the top. Gosh, we are only sleeping there!


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## DJCreations (Oct 22, 2013)

I know some have said the ISS in Vegas is smaller than the one in Long Beach. But does anyone know do they offer as many seminars?
I am booking my ISS for Long Beach but there are seminars that I want to attend but they are on the same day as others.
Rots!!!

So I thought, living in LV, I know it is all the way till August....but I could prioritize them and do some in LB and some in LV but I don't know what is offered in LV and the site of course shows nothing for LV, to far away, I guess.


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## DJCreations (Oct 22, 2013)

Ok....all set for the ISS Long Beach and looking forward to it.
Only question I have is....does anyone know at the convention center do they rent scooters? Hubby won't make the run without it for sure.


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## BidsMaven (Sep 23, 2011)

The talks will be the same regardless of the venue. The teachers give the same class in each location and, unless I'm mistaken, they have to commit to all the shows. You might check with ISS on this, just to be sure. The main difference is in the number of booths on the tradeshow floor, which is significant between Long Beach and Las Vegas. The Fort Worth show is also one of the big ones, and I believe someone else mentioned that they have more rhinestone vendors than Long Beach. So you might consider going there.


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## DJCreations (Oct 22, 2013)

MarStephenson761 said:


> Judi, it's too bad you JUST missed ISS in Ft. Worth, that is by far the best bling show to attend. But in general I think you'll find Bling to be a pretty small percentage of any industry show you go to and while you'll find some good stuff at SGIA, it probably won't be in the rhinestone world.
> 
> ISS Long Beach is a HUGE show, but won't have all the best Bling equipment or supplies (because we won't be there.
> 
> Can I make an alternative suggestion? Shows are a good place to get an overview of what's out there, but equipment vendors like us are doing more and more online presentations with live video that give you the opportunity to see an entire demonstration. You can ask questions and even send in files in advance to have output to different devices. This way you can ask all the questions you want without competing for attention, see many more types of equipment you won't see at the shows and get a better sense of who you'll be dealing with. AND save a few grand on travel to put towards equipment and supplies!


Mark your embroidery, right? I don't do embroidery...not yet anyway....maybe a few years from now!


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