1. Wear comfortable shoes and clothes. It's very hard to enjoy shopping for pretty items when your feet are hurting. If possible, wear layers of clothing ... your never know what temperature the hall will be, and it can vary drastically in different areas.
2. Bring water and a snack. Being hydrated keeps you from feeling too tired and a few calories will keep you focused on your shopping.
3. Grab a friend or two or three. Shopping is always a lot more fun when going with like-minded friends.
4. Always pick up the show guide [and/or look at the vendor list online]. You can decide who you want to see or how you want to work your way through the market. My normal plan of attack is to seek out certain booths if I have a project in mind or am pressed for time. Otherwise, I take my time and go aisle by aisle.
5. Watch a demo or do a make-n-take. These are two fun ways to see and try something new. Check out these BeadFest Inspirational Playground offerings for only $5 a session.
6. Bring a list of materials needed for upcoming projects. Lots of times you can easily find hard to get items and a few can't live without goodies.
7. Pace yourself ... have lunch and do a goodies purchased show-n-tell with your friends. I find that it's almost as fun as shopping and lets me see other things I might have missed.
8. Plan to do a couple of laps around the venue, if you have time. I find that when I first walk around, I can easily become sensory overloaded and have trouble making sound decisions. So take a stroll, look things over, and mark in your show booklet the booths you definitely want to go back to and explore further.
9. Be open to new ideas ... it could be a new technique, or new bead shape, or maybe a new material all together! Large shows like BeadFest offers the best opportunity to see various techniques and lots of different products without having to hunt far and wide. Something new may reach out touch your creative side ... so be ready to embrace it!
10. Enjoy yourself ... talk to vendors, talk to strangers, ogle pretty jewelry and unusual beads ... you get the idea. I can't think of a better way to spend the day then with good friends and lots of beads.
You can check out the all BeadFest information by clicking this link.
I hope to see you all at BeadFest.
Happy Beading!
Leslie, your advice is wonderful. Often people get worried, not knowing what to expect. You helped to by reminding shoppers it was a fun event and even more fun when we are prepared. A checklist is a way to make it even more fun because you can be reassured that you've forgotten nothing by ticking off our checklist and be ready to,play with the beads 💕Becki
ReplyDeleteThanks Becki,
DeleteI'm glad that you feel I gave good advice. I was like a deer in headlights at my first show so many years ago. LOL
I think you covered everything, especially shopping with friends. Also, don't be afraid to stop a person you don't know to look at their jewelry. I don't know anyone who doesn't like to be admired!
ReplyDeleteThanks Kathy, I'm glad that I was on the mark. See you soon.
DeleteI've seen shoppers who prepared by stringing a few beads of each type that they want to match or coordinate with. I use the OneNote app on my phone to compile a list that I probably won't lose. I get overwhelmed by the massive variety--and it's harder to shop for a few specific things than to just buy everything in sight!
ReplyDeleteThanks Nolly, I will have to include that in an update. I totally forgot about people using technology to shop ... I'm still pretty old school. LOL
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