MamaO2011

I don't think it's the same show. The IQS is downtown at the Cincinnati Convention Center.

Barb in Louisiana

I haven't been to the Cincinatti, but do go every year to the Houston Show. It takes me 3 days to view the quilts & go see the vendors. I buy the program the first day & view all the quilts that are being shown. Go home that night & mark the location of all the vendors that are a must see for me. Then I start up & down each aisle in a very systematic way, otherwise I miss something or someone every time!

1. Comfortable shoes are a must. I love lightweight thong sandals with a 1" thick rubber/sponge bottom.
2. Lightweight bags that you can check when full. The Babylock booth had backpack style ones. Tin Lizzie & other long arm or major sewing machine brands give away very lightweight bags. Unfortunately, they can tear up, so don't overload too much. We paid a dollar each to check them in Houston. Well worth the money. The show doesn't allow any roller carts to put larger items in.
3. Mailing labels, & a purse or backpack that will hold a bottle of water. There are signs that you aren't supposed to bring in any food or drink, but a lot of people do, otherwise you can spend way too much on those things when you could be buying quilty things.

Last year in Houston, there were many booths with jewelry, beading, & rhinestones. Accessorizing the quilts has brought in a lot of new ideas. Have fun!!!!!

My friends & I leave the show exhausted after getting a Starbucks coffee each day & can't wait to get back the next day. When the show is over, I have taken more Advils that I do in a couple of months & start planning the next year's visit. I always run into people I know even though the show is over 300 miles from where I live. But don't count on being able to find your friends unless they have cellphones & even then, there is so much chatter & bustling going on that you can't hear your cell ring unless you have very good hearing or an earbud. Wish I was there to go have some fun with everyone.

Forgot to mention, there were almost 1,000 quilts on show in Houston last year & somewhere around 500 vendors. We saw many nationalities there...Japanese, Austrailians, New Zealanders, Brits, ladies from Argentina. It is truly a world event!

BellaBoo

Go to big quilt shows alone. No hassle of having to wonder if a companion is hungry, tired, ready to move on, sore feet, and so forth. I may go back and look at one quilt five times and having someone say you want to see it again! Why? just infuriates me.

117becca

Ironically, I was talking w/ a quilting friend of mine at church this morning and realized that I was thinking of a different show.

So - I still plan on going and thankfully, I'll end up in the right place since I'm coming about an hour away.

Is there onstreet parking near there, or is it just in the garages?

DogHouseMom

I went to it once when it was in Chicago, and I've been to Paducah. Loved them both!!

One thing I read recently on the IQS site is that ROLL CARTS ARE NOT ALLOWED!! So don't bring one.

MamaO2011

There won't be much on street parking, but there is a large garage that has a skywalk directly into the convention center. It costs about $10 for the day, but the convenience is nice. We always use that one.

I was hoping either my aunt and cousin or my mother-in-law would go with me, but no one wants to spend a full day, so my DH has volunteered to hang out. He's an enabler, so I will probably come home with more things than I should!!

Judi in Ohio

Different show. the one downtown is the big International. Sharonville has a regional show.