Somehow, I was perfectly fine on Saturday morning, despite the fact I danced until I almost dropped! Guess it's just the spirit of the trade show, haha!
As far as shopping went, Saturday was a little more hefty for me. I was amazed at the selection at the Frank Rowe booth and ended up with a few extras. Then, I ran towards the Groomer's Helper booth with Dianne yelping, "Chuck! Chuck! We need loops!" In addition to a hug, we each got two regular loops and a little one. Man, do I love those loops! Chuck, don't stop making them!
Did I mention I now have a reputation to maintain? I stopped by the Davis booth and one of the reps asked me if I was the dancing dog at Hershey. Oh man, people are already recognizing me! Just wait until they can do that for my grooming, not just the way I bust moves, haha!
Today was the day for breed trim classes. Jodi Murphy hosted the Cocker Spaniel seminar, which I found very informative and helpful. I'm going to take her advice on holding the hair when I bevel my feet. I've never wanted to groom a Cocker so badly, haha!
In between seminars, we ran into none other than Debra and Novi from school! After some talking about how we were hoping for a few more vendors to be there (Kenchii, we're looking at you!), we agreed to meet up and hang out after our classes were over. How cool, a mini reunion!
The Schnauzer class was also a lot of fun. The little guy, Riley, kept trying to paw at Jodi and Dianne Betelak, and was just adorable. I snapped a picture of him yawning! They used the new #6 blade on him, and I knew I had to get one; it made his back coat look very natural, and now I want to try it out on some shop Schnauzers!
The best class, hands down, was the introduction to the Black Russian Terrier. Cash (short for Cassius) was the biggest dog I've ever seen in person, dense and muscular. I'd be struck with nothing but paralyzing fear if I saw one of them coming at me! Cash filled me with a sense of awe; the big beastie on the table was dignified and regal. That is, until Judi started clippering him! He got nervous, as he'd never been clippered, and began to wiggle. Soon, mama held onto one side, papa held onto the other, and Judi stood in the middle, taking off all that thick hair!
At the end of the seminar, we got to come up to get close to Cash. Dianne couldn't stop touching his hulking body. I held my hand out, completely unafraid, for him to sniff. As I felt the rush of air going into his giant nose, I also felt a sudden and strong connection to him. I truly believe that some dogs and people can form an instant bond, and I shared a special moment with Cash, albeit a brief one. Even after we walked out that door, I was still in awe over the gentle giant propped on the table.
We met up with Novi and Debra, who both bought tickets to the Best in Show and John Nash tribute banquet. We went back to the room to change; Dianne wasn't going in ripped jeans, and I donned my Nash uniform. When we went back to the Expo Center, we all felt horribly under dressed - everyone was really fancied up!
The banquet began with a rice appetizer as the winners of all the competitions presented their dogs and were named Best in Show from their respective classes. Looking at those dogs gave me a good idea of what I ultimately want to aim for. Next was a chicken entree and the Cardinal Crystal Achievement awards, hosted by Lisa Leady. She ended up winning two of them, and cried for each one. Big congrats to you Lisa, you really are an outstanding example from our industry, and give each one of us something to strive for!
Emotions continued to run high as we continued with our tribute to John Nash. Judge Joey took the stage to talk about John Nash, the grooming innovator, and John Nash, his friend. I got choked up as he talked about all the things John did in the short time he was with us; I felt like I got to actually know him, even though I never met him. Joey showed us the video of the pilot Groom School, taped almost ten years ago. I was filled with mixed emotions as I watched it: there was the school I wanted to go to; there was the spirit I wanted to keep alive; there was the team who started it all; there were the scissorcises I'm still aching to learn! It was a wonderful tribute overall, and increased my drive to strive all the more. Now if only someone can show me how to boogie with a pair of shears...
There was music towards the end, but I decided to leave the floor to the seasoned pros this time. I sat with Novi, Debra, and Dianne; we gabbed until the party ended, then went next door to the Embassy's lobby to hang out. By the time we shared our funniest stories and were ready to say goodbye until Hershey, it was already close to 2 A.M.! Once again, I crawled into bed, ready for Sunday, the last day of Intergroom.
I'm still surprised I was able to wake up on time; two wild nights since I was in school, and I was able to function! Fueled by the excitement that lingered in the air, it was time to wrap this one up.
I admit, I went a little crazy with buying scents, but honestly, who can resist trade show deals? I got Show Season's Pacific Breeze, Mutt Magic, and Sugar Cookie. Davis had White Tea, Lavender Magic, and Plum Blossom; I got one of each! It's kind of ironic that I went so crazy buying doggy colognes, and then bought a bottle of Miracle Air from Chris Christensen. Guess that means that I can just spray one cologne until I get sick of it and then get rid of it, making way for the next one... yup, I've already done it several times!
The Espree booth had Plum Perfect shampoo as well as Berry Delight, which I never heard of. I bought a bottle to try, hoping it might "get all the shit out of the coat"! Haha! My last big purchase was a new Wahl Arco trimmer. Nancy lets me use the one at the shop now, but this way I'll have my own and she'll have a backup. I opted to get the special pink one, as some of the proceeds are donated to cancer research.
Classes were good, overall. The Poodle class contained several neat tricks for sculpting a perfect Poodle build, even on a not-so-perfect dog. Jodi's Clipper Tricks had several gems of information, although most of them I already learned from Nancy! Maybe I know a little more than I realize...
Anyway, the last class was an interesting one, although not what I was expecting. It's About Time, featuring Gary Carlson, was all about ways we can cut time wasters out of our schedule to make more time for us, and then celebrate having done so. While I liked the fact that he stressed the importance of positive reinforcement for people and made the class interactive, I was expecting to pick up some speed grooming tips. Well, at least I got a few good snippets out of it, and can easily apply them!
Dianne's husband drove up from Philly to help her haul her new table back home. I waited outside the competition ring while she searched for the perfect one. I got the chance to say goodbye to Chuck and Jorge, but not Joey. It made me really sad, actually; I wanted to thank him for the night before. He's one of the busiest guys I know... him and Xavier! Hehe!
The trade show was now officially closed. Vendors began tearing down their booths. Somehow, it just didn't seem right. I knew it was Sunday, but it felt like Intergroom ended too early. That's the one thing I will always hate about trade shows, they just never last long enough. The only other thing I don't like is that the people in the audience will usually talk during a class! I didn't sign up so I could strain to head the speaker while someone goes on about something irrelevant. What's one of my favorite sayings? Shut up, listen, and learn! Good thing I have a strong willpower, otherwise I just might shout that out someday!
Other than two gripes, Intergroom 2010 was truly a blast. It might not have been as wild and big as Hershey, but what trade show can compare to that behemoth? Intergroom drew a nice crowd, had a variety of vendors, and hosted some fun classes, not to mention I got to meet up with old friends and make new ones. Aren't those the main goals of any trade show?
I'm still quite tired from my trip home. Dianne and her husband left the hotel last night; she went to see little Etta and get her brand new toys ready to groom! I'm glad I stayed at the hotel one more night - I really didn't have even half an hour in me to drive. I love that feeling of complete exhaustion after the show's close, knowing you had a great time while improving yourself. No doubt about it, I'm completely hooked on trade shows.
...is it bad I already have a list started for Hershey?
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