I'm not sure about buying at a quilt festival, but I would purchase an Accuquilt Studio for cutting -- if I had a permanent place for it (not really portable) and the money. It's on sale at the Accuquilt site for $410 right now. Of course, there is considerable additional investment for dies and mats, but those can be purchased gradually (and at discount sites online) over time.
For rotary cutting strips, I wouldn't be without my June Tailor shape mat. To make this mat (and any rulers you may have) infinitely better, purchase the Grip Strips from
http://www.guidelines4quilting.com/GripStrips.html . I have tried almost every ruler gripping aid on the market, and these far and away are the BEST. Again, though, you don't need to wait for a quilt show to purchase them.