Hey Indiana, If you can't come for the entire convention,
I think you can come for just one day, shop with the ventors and look at the cakes. admissions somthing like $10


thanks for the offer.

The button with the grapics on it would be a good idea - my SIL has a button making machine.......not sure how much he would charge to make them, I am sure we could get them pretty cheap though!

What does everyone think of that?

sounds wonderful

We need to be sure that ICES wouldn't mind our doing something like that. They shouldn't, since Cake Central is non-profit, but it could still be construed as promoting CC on ICES' "territory".

IMO I don't think they would care at all - it is not taking anything from ICES! They want the art of cake supported!! I will make a couple of phone calls and make sure......

I just talked to DD - they will do the buttons for $2. each - so that is out there if anyone is interested. (she said she would just charge for the buttons - no charge for making them)

That sounds cool. We don't have to have some outrageous design on it. Just a picture/look that everyone can identify in a crowd. Having our screen name and real name would be helpful too, but I don't think is a must.

So i am thinking of going to the convention now. Orginally I was going to go but my DD is due on the 9th of july and I was thinking the convention was early July. Now that I realize it is actually at the end i am sure she will have had the baby by then. So have to discuss with hubby then make hotel reservations and then sign up for the convention. I have been to one convention and that was in Nashville. Very overwhelming and I to bought stuff on impulse and never used it. Hopefully I will see lots of you guys there.

Teri

TS - she said she would put our screen names on them - we just have to give her the list of names. I will have her look at some simple cake graphics and get a link to it so you can see what they would look like! I am staying at the convention site, we'll figure out where to meet up to pick them up! (doing another happy dance here!!!)

sounds wonderful.

thanks Loucinda

The Cake Central logo would be wonderful if ok with Heath and Jackie.

You mean the cake with the calla lillies on it, or the piece of cake with the pink frosting?

I want to keep it as simple as possbile - since she isn't charging us to do it!

I don't have to have the CC logo or cake on it personally. The name tags for me isn't for advertising, it is for meeting the great people on here.

I'd be totally happy with something bright or just easily identifiable. Simple is best, especially since she is just charging for the buttons.

I realized I now have 5 weeks until I leave for St. Charles. I really need to make the final decisions for my cakes and get started on them!

If you are dancing I´m jumping!!
You can´yt imagine how excitting it is to go all the way from South America to the convention, but specially to meet all of you guys who have been so nice and helpfull for my business. My husband and I just bought a huge 2 drawers oven and a 20 lt industrial blender. We are doing great!!
The idea of the buttons is awesome, my husband is also a graphic designer and he´ll love to do any designs with our names and the CC sign.
I also wanted to ask you something. is any of you interested in going to the Wilton school?? When I registered the tour was already sold out, but one of the reasons that I´m going to this convention is to go and check the wilton school.
My husband is going with me because besides my cake decorating business, he´s starting a cupcake business, so we want to check everything in order to make it wright. So if any of you want´s to go with us, it will be great.
Let me know if you are interested in the design for the buttons, it doesn´t matter how simple we want them to be.
can´t waitttttttttt

sweetparty

wonderful to meet someone from south america I love that this group is international

You might call the school to see if you can check it out. I have taken a couple classes there and it is just a large room at the back of the store. It is just one classroom cause they just schedule one class at a time.

I don't know what you're expectations were and don't want you to be disappointed.

you also might check out their schedule incase they are offering something around the same time as the convention.

Okay I have a problem. I now have four, yes said four, display cake ideas. This is why I shouldn't think about it until last minute. Sigh.

hee hee

I'm still struggling with one.



I really can't wait to see all the cakes. someone posted pics from another show and I was just amazed at all the talent.

that reminds me, I gotta get my car tuned up. I'll be driving and hour each direction each day.............

Want one of my ideas?

I'm pretty sure I could pull three off, but I don't know that I really have time for all four. Especially since they are pretty labor intensive ideas. Hmmmm.... What's a girl to do.

Texas - if you're handing out ideas.....throw some my way!! I am on overlaod here - can't decide, and I won't have room for more than one.

I'll check with my DD about the graphics for the buttons, not sure if she has already started looking or not - she will be here today, and I will let you know, thank you for offering your DH's design services!!

I like the piece of cake, on a plate, with pink frosting CC logo for the pin. Shouldn't be hard to do--just click and copy.

oh Texas

I have lots of ideas. Unfortunatly the problems is getting them from my head into reality

Loucinda, the one I'm not doing any more was a Western themed cake. I did one lasd summer for a friend of the family's wedding cake. I had thought about taking the basic idea of it and adding to it. But then I had a couple more ideas, ones I haven't done yet so I decided I'd use them.

I was looking through one of those magazines that have cheap items in there and I saw a couple of things that I was like, "Uh, huh, I could do that in cake." Or at least I'm gonna try anyway.

Like Nannie, it is a matter of getting them out of my head like I see. I know in theory what I want to do can be done. It is just if "I" can do it, that has me wondering.

I have one cake idea I can't decide exactly how I want to decorate it. I have two different ideas for decorating it, but not sure which to go with. Why is it once you get an idea, they just keep coming until you have too much to pick from?

I haven't been to convention for several years, but remember the hand outs, when I was at convention, we had a ribbon which we pinned the handouts too, I made them for my sister, and daughter and myself, used good ribbon, or material, and made them into a long loop that you could put over your head, that went from your shoulder, across your chest, and ended up about your waist or maybe hip line. I don't know if the hand outs are as popular now as they once were, not having been at convention for a while. We also had little brass safety pins we gave with our hand outs so people could pin them to their ribbons.

As for shopping, and suitcases, since most of the airlines are charging for checking your bag, think about UPS, or the USPS and ship your stuff home, find out the cost of checking your bag, and the cost of shipping UPS or post office. bulky stuff that doesn't weigh a lot might be cheaper to ship then to put in a suitcase and check.

After you buy what you SIMPLY MUST HAVE check out the vendors again on Sunday afternoon, because a lot of them mark the prices down so they don't have so much to ship home. Save some of your money for this, you can alway tell your hubby, "but honey it was on sale"

Hope you all have a wonderful convention, wish I was going.

I have a question. Do vendors offer special convention prices or are they the same you find in stores and on the web??
I would lik e to know this, because if the prices are the same for example in Wilton Items, I have a retailer in Miami that gives me 15% off in all wilton products, so it might be easier to buy this things in Miami than in Chicago.
The other thing that I wan´t to know is that I saw the vendors list and they are several shops that carry most of the brands that are also going, so what do they normally bring with them?? the same colors, cutters and mold or how does it normally work??
I´m so excitted that every night I dream of what I´m buying$$$$$

good question

here's another one for you experienced convention goers:

I would like to volunteer for a few hours and I guess there are lots of areas to help out... any suggestions of what is the most fun?

thanks

The last time I attended convention, the vendors had some special show prices, probably not on all their products but on some, if you get a discount from your local dealer, by all means check out the prices your dealer may be cheaper, and even if your dealer isn't quite as cheap, you may still prefer buying from you dealer, in appreciation for the discounts you get all year long.

The best place to volunteer, the cake room is fun, hospitality is good, being a volunteer to help with the demo's is good, you might get to see a demo you wouldn't other wise see, It depends on where they need help.

I can't really say if they have a better price or not at the convention. If you are looking for big items I would shop around online first and see what the price is and take that information with you.

For me the best thing about shopping there is that you don't have shipping and handling charges unless they are out of something or didn't bring an item with them.

You will see some repeats in the vendors but they will have differences in some items too, and they may have different prices. They also have done a little discount/freebie book in the past that some of the vendors offer discounts for different items.

While there are a few that have Wilton stuff, you will see more from other brands. Wilton has a booth but never sales anything in it. It is more for show.

Nannie, volunteer for a demo or two. You will take the tickets, hand out hand outs then you get to sit in the room while the demo is going on. You can also tell them you have such and such time free and where do they need you.

I totally think every one should volunteer at least once. I totally gives you a different prospective of the convention and you appreciate all of those that give their time so that the rest of us can enjoy our time there.

FYI

I just got a couple of emails that the hands on classes I signed up for (kim morrison and bowen weber) do not require that I bring materials


I know someone was wondering about that.

counting the days ..............

I got the info on the hands on for Nic Lodge - nothing needed!

About the volunteering - there is a sign up sheet on www.ices09.org (click on the volunteer link at the top of the page) It shows where there are empty slots that they need filled. Most of the demos are gone - and if you volunteer 10 hours total you get a specail pin from ICES.

I've signed up for several places to help out - I can't wait!!!

I am going to start another post on here for the name badges - for those that want one. I will collect the money for them at the convention.