Attending a Convention

As hard as they may try, we know that our favorite scrapbook store just can’t carry EVERYTHING out there in the scrapbooking world. What’s an obsessed scrapbooker to do when she feels the need to see, touch, or even smell all the latest and greatest of supplies? She heads to a scrapbook convention, of course. Whether you are attending a convention across town or across the country, you need to take on the old Girl Scouting attitude - be prepared!

Survival Tips
Yes, it’s a jungle out there, so take some time to draw up a strategy. If possible, see if you can get a map of the convention center beforehand. Some convention organizers have websites where you might find this information. On paper, it won’t look quite as intimidating as it will in person. Make sure to highlight your favorite vendors, so you don’t miss out on their booths.

You will want to wear comfortable shoes, especially if you aren’t accustomed to being on your feet all day or walking a mile (albeit indoors hopping from booth to booth). Also, consider bringing a bottle of water and a granola bar in your purse. At most convention centers, the snack bar is enormously overpriced, and usually very crowded. If it’s not prohibited to bring your own food into the convention center, take some snacks with you.

If you are planning to do a lot of shopping, you’re going to have to be prepared to carry all of your loot. Most conventions have outlawed the dragging of wheeled crop bags through the vendor area, just because they take up so much room. They can probably be checked in the coat-check area, which I have found to be very convenient and well-worth the few dollars it costs. You are able to drop off shopping bags and stick them in your crop bag throughout the day. If you don’t plan on buying that much, but still will be purchasing paper, you will want something to keep the paper from getting bent. There are several products on the market, including the Paper Taker by Crop In Style and Page Keepers by Cropper Hopper. I even picked up a 12”x12”-paper holder with a nice cloth handle at Wal-Mart.

Taking Classes
This is probably one of the most debated topics in my group of convention-going pals. There have been some great classes that were worth the money they cost, but on the other side of the coin, there have been others that were a waste of money and more importantly…TIME that could have been spent shopping! At $10-15 per class, you will want to choose carefully.

My best advice about the classes is to research them thoroughly. Take classes with instructors that have a good reputation, or are scrapbook celebrities – Becky Higgins, Karen Russell, etc. My personal favorite instructor is Stacy Julian from Simple Scrapbooks. Also, make sure that the class isn’t just going to be a commercial. This is a tough one, because most classes are sponsored by one vendor or another, and their purpose is to entice you to buy their products. That being said, those companies have a responsibility to present a class that will do just that without making you feel like you are watching TV. Read those class descriptions and look for a class that will teach you a new technique, something that you think you would like to incorporate into your scrapbooks.

Check your favorite online message board. I’m sure some of your ScrapJazz pals can give you recommendations on good classes. They also will know which ones give away the most loot in the class kits. Most companies who travel around the country with these scrapbook conventions will teach the same classes in different cities throughout the year. Take advantage of your cyber-connections and get opinions from other scrapbookers before you decide which classes you will take.

Lastly, don’t be afraid to fill out those surveys at the end of your class time. The class instructors will see them, as will the convention organizers. It will give them a better idea of what classes to keep or to drop for the next convention.

To Crop or not to Crop?

Most conventions plan big crop events each night of the convention, and sometimes even the night before. Some people love them, some do not. They can cost anywhere from $10-20 and normally have prize drawings and the opportunity to win something big. They also normally hand out goodie bags when you arrive, with product donated by some of their vendors or sponsors. Personally, I have never enjoyed one of these crops because I felt like a sardine. They pack you in and give you very little space to work. While I always enjoy the company and the prizes, I do not find it to be worth the money. If I want to crop and actually get something done, I have other options.

Another option for cropping that I tend to enjoy is holding a crop in the meeting room of a local hotel. We do this when we travel to go to a convention, and even sometimes when we don’t travel. If enough people are getting rooms at the hotel, they will sometimes let you use the room for free. If not, with enough people it’s a minimal expense when split up. This way, you are cropping with your own friends, and can spread out more than you would be able to at the convention crop. While you are giving up the goodie bag and chance at big prizes, hopefully you did enough shopping during the day to keep your mind off that.

Money-Saving Ideas
If you’re like me, the mental calculator is about to overheat thinking about how much this convention is going to cost you. Here are some ways you can stretch your dollar when attending a convention.

• Register early. Online registration opens several weeks before the convention, usually. You can get an early bird price on admission to the expo and sign up for classes too. They usually offer a special, such as sign up for three classes and get a 2-day pass to the expo for around $35-40.


• Choose your hotel wisely. Lodging costs can really make that weekend cost soar. The convention organizers will have an agreement with a local hotel, but don’t get caught up in thinking that will be the best deal just because they call it the scrapbook convention special. Do your homework; chances are you won’t be spending too much time in your hotel room anyway!


• Eat your meals off-site. Woman cannot live on scrapbook supplies alone … so be sure you plan to eat. We don’t want to see anyone fainting on the expo floor. I mentioned earlier to bring some water and a granola bar for power shopping purposes, but for your meals, I highly recommend leaving the convention center. Get your hand stamped or whatever you need to do so you can re-enter, and then find something more economical.


• Volunteer. The women you see when you arrive at the convention who hand you your class tickets, they are just like you and me--but they are getting paid to be there. Sometimes they are paid cash, but more often, they are getting their admission and/or classes for free in exchange for volunteering a couple hours of their time. Check the website of the convention organizer and watch for emails asking for volunteers. Whether or not you are local, you can still volunteer.


• Look for convention specials. Many vendors will do whatever they can to bring you into their booth and get you to look around and spend some money. Some will even offer ridiculously low prices on certain items – take advantage of that. Know the prices at your own local scrapbook store though, because you won’t want to go back home and regret a convention purchase you could have gotten in your own backyard at a better price.

Attending a scrapbook convention is an adventure, and for the typical obsessed scrapbooker, it’s one of those “I must do this before I die” things. Look in your favorite scrapbook magazine or search the internet; a convention is bound to catch your eye whether it’s nearby or across the country. Get your favorite girlfriends together and make a weekend of it. With a little planning, you’re sure to have the time of your life!