Here is everything I bought on my birthday at the Innovative Beads Expo. Needless to say I didn't go by my original budget, but I plan on making a lot of new pieces to put in the Giving Tree and the Jewel Box of Cape Cod, as well as at my shows and my hopefully soon to be Etsy shop.

So here's what I got!

What better way to spend my birthday than by going to a bead show! I will be going to the Innovative Beads Expo in Marlborough MA tomorrow before I need to go to my full time nursing job. Sleep is clearly not my priority (oops! I do love caffeine!)

Here are some of my tips and tricks to successfully attend a bead show. 

Before the Show Prep:

• Take a peek at the vendor list (Are there multiple vendors you want to see, if yes, then good, its a good show for you to go to)
• Do you have the money to go? Bead shows are no fun without money, and you don't want to rack up tons of credit card debt on beads. (As tempting as it might be) If you really need to stick to a budget and don't want to overspend, bring only cash. If you have more willpower, have both cash and a credit card. Some vendors don't accept credit cards, and you don't want to miss out on those beads. 
• Get a good nights sleep the night before. Smarter choices are made with more sleep :) 
• Pick out a comfy outfit (including shoes!). Comfort is key at bead shows, especially when it comes to shoes because you will be doing lots of walking (depending on the size of the show)
• Wear something you made. Bead shows are the perfect place to show off what you have made, and a great opportunity for networking! 
• Make sure you have all of the proper paperwork (tax id number if you have one, some places may want copies, so it may be best to bring a copy if you can, any coupons for the show/booths, business cards to hand out)
• Pack some snacks in your bag, like a granola bar or some nuts, to help keep your blood sugar stable while shopping. Or maybe some chocolate :) Just make sure you have hand sanitzer to clean your hands (or go the ladies/men's room to wash them) before you eat. A drink, such as a water bottle is a good choice too.
• And speaking of your bag, you want it big enough to hold your goodies, but not huge enough to knock over displays or whack someone in the face. A bag with good straps is a good choice to as it will help your shoulders once it gets weighed down with all of your beads!

While at the Show

• Walk around the whole show, scope out the booths and prices. Why may you ask? It's simple really, a lot of booths can have the same beads, if you walk around you will know which ones have the best prices! 
• Keep in your budget. Do you really need that extra strand of beads if it means you eat ramen all week? Trust me I know its very tempting. 
• If going with a friend, share in the deals if you can. Say a vendor gives so much off a X amount of purchase, but it's not possible for you to do it alone, split it together! 
• Take business cards of the vendors that you like, that way when you need something after the show you know where to find them! 
• Talk with the vendors, find out where beads are from, or the stories behind the handmade beads. The stories are perfect thing to pass along to your customers when you make something with the beads. 
• Have fun! Bead shows are fun, and can be overwhelming, so if you need to take a break, definitely do it! 

After the Show: 

• Have fun going through all of your beads! 
• Organize all of your receipts so that come tax time you know how much you spent! 
• Create something new!