I have seen a lot of threads here lately about the high cost of this, or the ridiculous cost of that. It has occurred to me that the reality is, everything is increasing in price, including this hobby. And yet, people still make quilts and attend shows.
That leads me to the conclusion that people will "find" money to do the things they want - whether it's to purchase a few yards of that "expensive" fabric, buy a new machine, or go to shows. I wouldn't mind if when I go to the Houston show in November, there were fewer people there because it costs too much to attend, but I know that won't happen. So while there are people who will skip the shows because of the cost, there are many more who find the cost reasonable and will attend.