So, only 2 weeks left till I will find myself lost among the booths of the ISSE Long Beach professional beauty industry trade show.
No. I don't recall off the top of my head what "ISSE" stands for-- my guess is "international salon and spa expo." If it's that terribly important to know for sure, Google it.
Truth of the matter is that, as I write this, I am sitting in front of my home computer wearing two sweatshirts, wool socks, and a double-thick fleece blanket (thanks Nikki)-- freezing my @$$ off even though the house is a balmy 68 degrees. I don't feel good. I can only breath out of one nostril, my throat isn't quite sore but it itches, and there's only so much orange juice a person can drink. Tomorrow I have to get out of bed and go to work. All day. Because most of my clients have tomorrow off as a holiday (Martin Luther King, Jr's birthday) so they can come in during the day-- while I am self employed and absolutely live for the holidays that my clients have but I don't. It allows me to make the absolute best use of the day's time.
There is no way I am calling 13 people to reschedule them just because my nose is stuffed up.
None of that has anything to do with the ISSE Long Beach tradeshow-- or any other professional beauty industry tradeshow for that matter. I'm just explaining why I'm too lazy and grumpy to bother openning another window on my computer just to look up "ISSE" for you. Besides-- have I mentioned that our home computer is nearly 5 years old and still running Windows XP? Don't get me wrong-- Windows XP was a good OS and it's served us well, which is probably why we still have the old computer. But the laptop at the salon is running Windows 7 and has a dual core processor and 8 gigs of RAM-- by comparison, working on this computer is painful... and our modem is on it's last legs here at home too. Internet access is unpredictable. But, like I said, all this is totally irrevelant to my post.
ISSE LB marks the beginning of the US nail competition season-- the race for the Nailpro Cup. And yes, there IS such a thing as a nail competition, and it's much more complicated than most people think it is.
Every year the schedule changes a little bit. This year the schedule consists of the ISSE LB show, ISSE Midwest, Premiere Orlando, and IBS Las Vegas. Each show will have around 5 or 6 individual competitons: nail art, 3d nail art, sculptured nail... etc. And this year they are ending the season and awarding the Nailpro Cup at IBS Vegas. Which is on June 18-20. Which means the 2011 US season is pretty short.
But again-- I wasn't going to rant about the US competition circuit. Although I can. I can a lot.
Instead, I have every intention of bitching about professional tradeshows. At least, professional BEAUTY INDUSTRY tradeshows-- since those are primarily the ones I attend.
They aren't open to the public, see.
The vendors sell products at professional discount prices-- so it goes to reason that they want to make sure that they are selling to professionals.
The exhibit halls look like the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, so it would be difficult for the people working the vendor booths to check proper id and creditials before making each sale.
So the people in charge of putting on these shows have become increasingly nit-picky about ticket sales. They make a big fuss about how you have to have show your professional license, or time card proving you are currently enrolled in beauty schoool, or have an official letter on company letterhead from your boss that says you are employed at a salon-- or whatever.
Mind you-- ANYone can buy a ticket. But once you get to the actual show with your ticket-- that's when the harrassment begins.
The venue's rental security outfit has been briefed to ask for certain types of documentation proving the guest's worthiness of attendance and if they don't present it-- it can really ruin your day.
I think it's gotten insane. Right over the top. Folks-- it's a BEAUTY show, it isn't this hard to get into a gun show. I'm not a big fan of the idea of Betty Jane Doe going in and buying 2 gallons of fancy salon shampoo at professional prices either... but it's not going to kill anyone if it happens.
When I compete in a nail competition that requires a live model, my entry fee covers MY ticket to the show for the day of the competition and a ticket for my model. My model is not required to be an active, licensed member of the professional beauty industry. She does not need to show her papers at the door for admittance. She can buy 2 gallons of shampoo at the discount price if she'd like, and nobody will question her.
A few years ago, at the Las Vegas show, my model opted to bring a friend to the show. Well, she opted to bring a friend to Vegas with her. She thought, seeing as how her friend worked at a makeup counter at a local departmant store and was on the fence about enrolling in beauty school, that her friend would really enjoy the show and so she was going to purchase her friend a ticket.
But she was met with so much scrutiny at the ticket booth that she gave up. Fortunately, I found a competitor who needed a model and the friend got to go to the show afterall for the small price of 2 1/2 hours and a mediocre set of nails.
I intend to take the BF with me to the ISSE LB show in two weeks. But the tickets are $50 for one day.
I've gone to concerts that cost less than that. $50 a day is preposterous and I'd keep my money if it weren't for the fact that one of my product distributors has offered me a deal I can't refuse if I stop by her booth.... although, she did also say she'd just send me a call tag and I could ship those bottles back to her....
But I want to go to the show. Even if it's only for one day and even if it cost me $50 for both me and the BF to go.
No. I won't be competing on Monday. Which is the day of the competition awards ceremony. Which means if I do compete on any of the other days, I will have to pay the cost of admission just to attend the awards ceremony. Which probably wouldn't make the cut of things I consider worth the money either, seeing as how my competition skills still leave much to be desired, so the odds of walking away from the awards ceremony with any actual awards is pretty hit and miss.
But, since the 2 competitions that I am most likely to enter are turn-in only nail art competitions, I need to attend the awards ceremony so that I can claim my entries. I am NOT investing the kind of time required to put together a good nail art competition entry and NOT getting those nails back!
So I have sent a little email inquiry to the ISSE LB people asking if they are going to make my life miserable if I try to take the BF through the front doors, even if he does have a ticket. Since their website sure makes it seem like they will.
I think I should be able to bring a guest to any tradeshow. I should be able to bring my spouse, my mom, my BFF, my salon assistant, my salon receptionist, my bookkeeper... I should get to bring a guest without risking losing the money for their ticket or getting harassed.
No. I don't recall off the top of my head what "ISSE" stands for-- my guess is "international salon and spa expo." If it's that terribly important to know for sure, Google it.
Truth of the matter is that, as I write this, I am sitting in front of my home computer wearing two sweatshirts, wool socks, and a double-thick fleece blanket (thanks Nikki)-- freezing my @$$ off even though the house is a balmy 68 degrees. I don't feel good. I can only breath out of one nostril, my throat isn't quite sore but it itches, and there's only so much orange juice a person can drink. Tomorrow I have to get out of bed and go to work. All day. Because most of my clients have tomorrow off as a holiday (Martin Luther King, Jr's birthday) so they can come in during the day-- while I am self employed and absolutely live for the holidays that my clients have but I don't. It allows me to make the absolute best use of the day's time.
There is no way I am calling 13 people to reschedule them just because my nose is stuffed up.
None of that has anything to do with the ISSE Long Beach tradeshow-- or any other professional beauty industry tradeshow for that matter. I'm just explaining why I'm too lazy and grumpy to bother openning another window on my computer just to look up "ISSE" for you. Besides-- have I mentioned that our home computer is nearly 5 years old and still running Windows XP? Don't get me wrong-- Windows XP was a good OS and it's served us well, which is probably why we still have the old computer. But the laptop at the salon is running Windows 7 and has a dual core processor and 8 gigs of RAM-- by comparison, working on this computer is painful... and our modem is on it's last legs here at home too. Internet access is unpredictable. But, like I said, all this is totally irrevelant to my post.
ISSE LB marks the beginning of the US nail competition season-- the race for the Nailpro Cup. And yes, there IS such a thing as a nail competition, and it's much more complicated than most people think it is.
Every year the schedule changes a little bit. This year the schedule consists of the ISSE LB show, ISSE Midwest, Premiere Orlando, and IBS Las Vegas. Each show will have around 5 or 6 individual competitons: nail art, 3d nail art, sculptured nail... etc. And this year they are ending the season and awarding the Nailpro Cup at IBS Vegas. Which is on June 18-20. Which means the 2011 US season is pretty short.
But again-- I wasn't going to rant about the US competition circuit. Although I can. I can a lot.
Instead, I have every intention of bitching about professional tradeshows. At least, professional BEAUTY INDUSTRY tradeshows-- since those are primarily the ones I attend.
They aren't open to the public, see.
The vendors sell products at professional discount prices-- so it goes to reason that they want to make sure that they are selling to professionals.
The exhibit halls look like the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, so it would be difficult for the people working the vendor booths to check proper id and creditials before making each sale.
So the people in charge of putting on these shows have become increasingly nit-picky about ticket sales. They make a big fuss about how you have to have show your professional license, or time card proving you are currently enrolled in beauty schoool, or have an official letter on company letterhead from your boss that says you are employed at a salon-- or whatever.
Mind you-- ANYone can buy a ticket. But once you get to the actual show with your ticket-- that's when the harrassment begins.
The venue's rental security outfit has been briefed to ask for certain types of documentation proving the guest's worthiness of attendance and if they don't present it-- it can really ruin your day.
I think it's gotten insane. Right over the top. Folks-- it's a BEAUTY show, it isn't this hard to get into a gun show. I'm not a big fan of the idea of Betty Jane Doe going in and buying 2 gallons of fancy salon shampoo at professional prices either... but it's not going to kill anyone if it happens.
When I compete in a nail competition that requires a live model, my entry fee covers MY ticket to the show for the day of the competition and a ticket for my model. My model is not required to be an active, licensed member of the professional beauty industry. She does not need to show her papers at the door for admittance. She can buy 2 gallons of shampoo at the discount price if she'd like, and nobody will question her.
A few years ago, at the Las Vegas show, my model opted to bring a friend to the show. Well, she opted to bring a friend to Vegas with her. She thought, seeing as how her friend worked at a makeup counter at a local departmant store and was on the fence about enrolling in beauty school, that her friend would really enjoy the show and so she was going to purchase her friend a ticket.
But she was met with so much scrutiny at the ticket booth that she gave up. Fortunately, I found a competitor who needed a model and the friend got to go to the show afterall for the small price of 2 1/2 hours and a mediocre set of nails.
I intend to take the BF with me to the ISSE LB show in two weeks. But the tickets are $50 for one day.
I've gone to concerts that cost less than that. $50 a day is preposterous and I'd keep my money if it weren't for the fact that one of my product distributors has offered me a deal I can't refuse if I stop by her booth.... although, she did also say she'd just send me a call tag and I could ship those bottles back to her....
But I want to go to the show. Even if it's only for one day and even if it cost me $50 for both me and the BF to go.
No. I won't be competing on Monday. Which is the day of the competition awards ceremony. Which means if I do compete on any of the other days, I will have to pay the cost of admission just to attend the awards ceremony. Which probably wouldn't make the cut of things I consider worth the money either, seeing as how my competition skills still leave much to be desired, so the odds of walking away from the awards ceremony with any actual awards is pretty hit and miss.
But, since the 2 competitions that I am most likely to enter are turn-in only nail art competitions, I need to attend the awards ceremony so that I can claim my entries. I am NOT investing the kind of time required to put together a good nail art competition entry and NOT getting those nails back!
So I have sent a little email inquiry to the ISSE LB people asking if they are going to make my life miserable if I try to take the BF through the front doors, even if he does have a ticket. Since their website sure makes it seem like they will.
I think I should be able to bring a guest to any tradeshow. I should be able to bring my spouse, my mom, my BFF, my salon assistant, my salon receptionist, my bookkeeper... I should get to bring a guest without risking losing the money for their ticket or getting harassed.
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