Another bonus in going to Paducah, as if you needed one, is that if you talk to the vendors sometimes you can get a really good deal on one of their demo machines. I bought a demo from local dealer and was pleased with the deal I got. Had seen other good deals at quilt shows before I was finally able to get my sit down HQSweet Sixteen. Also you should be able to play with some of the machines to get a feel for them. I played with a stand up long arm at a class and realized I hated the feel of it, but loved the sit down.
Good luck and happy hunting!