I’m on the plane returning from the ISS Ft Worth Show and just wanted to share my thoughts about the event while they are still fresh. Please comment below on your thoughts on the ISS Ft Worth show and share any pictures with us on our Facebook page.
The show was very large from an exhibitor stand point and fairly well attended. Not nearly as much traffic as I expected, but I will say that the people who did come out to the show were very qualified attendees, looking to invest in their business and learn new ways to expand their business. I think we can safely assume that whatever recession might have hit our industry is now behind us and you can also point to the fact that SGIA’s floor space for the upcoming Vegas event has been sold out for some time.
As far as technology, our industry continues to grow and you are seeing several non traditional garment decorating methods becoming more main stream. The direct to garment technology has certainly rebounded. There were several different brands represented very well with at least 8 of the new Epson Sure Color F2000 on the show floor by my count. You also saw an increase in the interest in Sublimation with companies that are not typically exhibiting at ISS shows in attendance like Conde, JDS and RPL. You also saw a lot of digital technologies more prominently featured, with companies like GSG displaying solvent and latex printers and others like M&R and Lawson displaying direct to screen machines.
The other area that I heard a lot of positive feedback on was the educational series. ISS has done an outstanding job bring true education without a sales pitch to their attendees. I heard from several attendees that they spent time in several of the seminars and really came away with a ton of knowledge. I also talked to several presenters who said their classes were well attended, 
there was great interaction with questions and extended discussions. My Social Media seminar was well attended and I have already had an opportunity to interact with several of the attendees via Facebook and Twitter.
Finally our podcast was a success on Friday afternoon with Impressions and ISS welcoming us with open arms. We got to broadcast live across from the entries into the Impressions Awards and got to announce the grand champion. (List of Winners). There was some amazing work being done by folks out there and I’m happy to announce our industry is at a very good spot now.
