Robyn Hawk Tucson Gem Show 2008

Tucson Gem Show 2008
Robyn Hawk
26 Feb 2008
Tucson Gem Show 2008 by Robyn Hawk (AKA "A Fly On The Wall")
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Well – the 2008 Tucson Gem Show is history – this one was a spectacular feast for the eyes and the wallet!
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A description of the TGS is rough, a vendor at the Tucson Gem & Mineral Show (the original show of the TGS) summed it up perfectly...
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"The description of the show by any individual person is like a group of blind men talking about their encounter with an elephant. To the blind man who feels the leg of the elephant says that the beast is like the trunk of a tree. To another feeling its trunk thinks it resembles a great snake and to the man who feels the ear the elephant is like a giant leaf.
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Each person who describes the show, depending on their interests and the small part of it they were able to see is going to describe it differently, sometimes completely differently." Quote from Rock Currier
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For me the TGS is about learning, new finds and communing with my peers. This means that I tend to concentrate on 4 shows because of their learning opportunities:
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AGTA Show - http://agta.org/tradeshows/gft-seminars.html
Tucson Electric Park - http://www.electricparklearningcenter.com/
Rio Grande’s "Catalog In Motion" - http://cataloginmotion.com/classrooms.asp
Tucson Gem & Mineral Show - http://www.tgms.org/2007show.htm
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The photo above shows you the Tucson Electric Park venue – the photo below is the AGTA show. As you can see they are two different worlds!

The floor of the AGTA show (notice the business attire?) Just one of the magnificent cases of jewels at AGTA

Have you always wanted to do this but don’t know what to expect? Let me dispel some of the usual misconceptions about the Tucson Gem Show...

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1. The Tucson Gem Show is this giant show with tons of booths

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...not quite...the Tucson Gem Show is actually 47+ separate shows and each individual show can house 50 to 500 vendors. Really try to get out and see a variety – if nothing else – get on a Gem Shuttle and stay on for the entire circuit. They run to all the shows and it is a great way to get a feel for some shows you want to hit!

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2. You Need a Car -

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After reading the Show Guide and seeing where the shows were located, I figured I would need a car...don't do it...I probably spent a total of $150 on taxis (you would eliminate this cost totally if you stayed at a hotel near one of the venues).

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Tucson is undergoing a 5 year freeway renovation project and the traffic is a pain, aside from the fact that finding parking near most of the venues is very tough. The city of Tucson provided (FREE) a system of shuttles that went to the various shows, so if your hotel was near one of the shows - you had free transportation from 8am to 7pm every day.

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3. You have to have a business license and re-sale number -

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(one show actually required letters of reference from companies you've purchased from in the past) to get into (and buy) at most of the shows...as a student this was a huge fear for me as I no longer have a business. Most of the shows will admit Students without question, some want a student ID. The majority of the venues offered "Visitor" passes and you can buy from most of the vendors. The vendors that are "Wholesale Only" or required a "Minimum Purchase", display that info prominently.

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4. You can get amazing prices that will beat the LBS and your Bulk Buying Groups...

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True and False! If you are going to Tucson as a designer of one-of-a-kind pieces, while prices will definitely beat your LBS, you aren't likely to get any great deals.

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If you have a beading supply business and can afford to purchase multiples, most vendors will offer deals by the gram, kilogram, or pound.

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You need to do your homework - most of the vendors deal in millimeters, centimeters, grams or kilograms, know your weights and measures, nothing says amateur like messing up a weight.

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One way to get your bearings is say an item is priced per carat...get the vendor to weigh out and price a medium size of the stone you are looking at so you will have an idea what you can find in your price range. At the bead vendors watch them weigh out a kilogram of beads for someone (most will let you mix and match and one vendor gave $100 in free beads to anyone with business ID)...it will give you an idea of whether this is a deal or not.

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5. Looks Matter -

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you know, the more I dressed down the easier it was to talk to some of the vendors...there are shows that I feel that "business attire" is necessary(the AGTA, GJX & GLDA Shows in particular). But the bottom line on the dress code is "business casual" - if you are like me, you are going to do alot more walking than you have done in a while (and it is continuous day after day), so the most important piece of wardrobe is your shoes!!!

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6. This is going to break me! It doesn’t have to if you so a couple things – make a list and have a reason for going. It is just like grocery shopping – if you know why you are there and have a list you spend less. Unfortunately this only works after your first TGS...the first time you go, you see so many things that you didn’t know existed – so they weren’t on your list. But, those items go on your "next year" list!

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So the number one thing is enjoy yourself you will meet peers from across the US and Internationally!

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For more info on the TGS and her personal experiences at the 2008 show go to Robyn’s blog at: http://tucsongemshow.blogspot.com