Planning on going this weekend for first time. Has anyone gone - was it worth your time? Any tips? I'm wondering what to expect - thanks!

It is so much worth it. When I first went a few years ago, it seemed like there were more vendors and they had a lot of cool giveaways (drawstring bags, t-shirts, pens, lipgloss, mousepads, etc). I guess with the economy, a lot of the vendors don't have as many freebies or it's just pens and candy, which is fine. It really gives you a chance to see the costumes in person and on a model (if they bring one). Some costumes look better in person than in a catalogue. And they have other vendors there as well too. My staff and I look forward to going each year.

Tips: wear comfortable shoes and bring a suitcase for the catalogues and giveaways. I don't know if they have it this year, but in the past you could buy a suitcase from UDMA for $20 or $25.

I just checked my paperwork for the show. It says that when you register you will be given a free "tote bag" I intend to bring a sturdy bag but with my husband in tow, maybe I can send him to the car periodically to "dump the stuff".

I'm really looking forward to this show. I especially like the idea that you can listen to the cd's before you buy them. I'm getting sick of the same old music I've been using and I just hate it when I order something from a flyer and only a few songs are usable. A few years ago I bought a David Howard cd of show tunes for Ballet Class that is just wonderful. One of my goals for this show is to score some new cd s

I hope you have a nice time

Keep On Dancing!

xoxo

They do give the free tote bags, but will all the stuff you will accumulate, you need a suitcase.

I take my own rolling suitcase and it works the same. You will not want to carry it in bags, seriously!

I have spend some big money listening to all the music that Lebo's brings. It is so helpful to listen before you buy.

I go every year and its a 5 hr drive from where I live.

I have never been able to go to the UDMA show because their last stop is on the east coast, and runs here late October. I'm too busy with our Nutcracker, and always wondered why this show can't be held the end of August, when I have nothing to do. I asked UDMA, and they told me the vendors wouldn't be ready then.

Well, this year, I finally got to Rhee Gold's Orlando Seminar in August, and found most of these same vendors - so it can be done. And most of them had their catalogs too. I also spent lots of time listening to the tons of CD's brought by several vendors, for the same reasons previously mentioned. I really appreciated seeing the actual binders of dance syllabus material too, from Leap 'n Learn, and Dance'M.

I always brought one of those roll carts that look like a crate and my friend brought a smaller, rolling suitcase. After the first year that I was weighed down with stuff (extra catalogs, etc.), I learned my lesson. I always liked to stay the night before and go to the fashion show and dinner.

vfdt -
It is a costume show and I think what she meant is that the costumes wouldn't be ready. Thereason I go every year is to get a real visual of costumes. It's amazing what a difference it makes. I woudn't go if it was just the catalogs.

^^^ Several of the major costume vendors were at Rhee's August Seminar, with their costumes on display. Art Stone, Revolution, Curtain Call (with live models standing on a pedastal) were quite prominent, and had their latest line. I wouldn't have mentioned them if all they had was their catalogs - what good is that ;~(

As far as I know there's no fashion show or dinner this year. I'm looking forward to the seminars tomorrow though!

I'll be in a black and pink "DANCEWORKS UNLIMITED" jacket i want to meet everyone!!!!! BTW my names Christine so you dont feel awkward. JANET I HOPE YOU'RE THERE!

Just came back from the show! Lots of nice costumes!! Kind of disappointed that there weren't many places selling the instructional DVDs - was particularly hoping to see Cathy Roe's stuff but no booth this year!! I did get to have a nice chat with Ofer Ben and got a great tap dvd from him!

Hope everyone that went had a blast and got some great ideas for costuming. If I hit anyone with my heavy back-breaking tote bag, I am sorry!!

So...who will be going to Chicago (Schaumburg, actually) next weekend?

Went to the show yesterday and I'm so glad I did.

Thanks everyone for the rolling suitcase tip. My husband lugged the suitcase and I had an additional coach tote. We made two trips back to the car to unload!

The nice surprise was that Angela and Steve Sirico were there from Dance Teacher Web...( danceteacherexpo.com and danceteacherweb.com )

They used to teach partnering at the DEA conferences. I really missed them lately.

Also, it was great to be able to pick up some magazines...Pointe and Dance Teacher, for example, that I'd let expire...best part...FREE! Dance World Bazaar also had some nice stuff on sale. I ended up spending way too much money between Lebos and Miller and Ben Tap books and videos, but it was worth the trip.

If anyone is thinking of going to the UDMA show in Chicago, I would definately recomend it...and a rolling suitcase! UDMA did have cheap ones on sale for only $10.00.

Keep On Dancing!

Thanks for the feedback and tips -the rolling case was a life saver! Although I could barely lift it to get it in the car

It was great to see the costumes in person and some on models. I also picked up some new DVDs and music, snagged some Chistmas gifts for dd, discovered some new resources, and met some great people. Hope those who went experienced same, I would recommend it for those thinking about it - enjoy!

We went Saturday night to the 2 hour sneak preview, grabbed all the catalogs, went back to the hotel & looked them over thoroughly. Went back on Sunday with some notes... HANDS FREE & spent 3 more hours. It was great not to have to drag the suitcases around! UDMA costume show is a MUST!

^^^ I'm curious if someone can tell me if most of the UDMA vendors also appear at the Dance Teacher Magazine convention in NYC in July? I can't get to the UDMA in October, and honestly, I get two copies of every costume vendor's catalog: one at my home address, because of the credit card I use, and the other at my dance school - which I wish I could stop. No matter how hard I try to hide them, my teen dancers find them before I can throw them out, because they need to be set aside for re-cycle. I certainly don't need to attend UDMA to pick up a third copy.

I'm a very small school, and buy most of my costumes last minute online from the Ebay costume sellers, who sell groups of close-outs at half the price of the manufacturers. I think the costume vendors have gone way overboard in the quantities of costumes (multiply the # of catalogs times the # of costumes in each - seems like a hundred thousand to me), and the subsequent size of their catalogs. Also, as the costumes' cost goes up, their quality goes down. Looks to me like the inflated pricing is going into the catalogs that I keep trashing, instead of into the outfits that my customers buy and see.

I wish we could stop this insanity, and just shop online, where I can search, and quickly order, as I do now when buying most of our costumes from Ebay sellers. Especially if this would bring the prices down to a more reasonable amount. Asking parents to pay $100 per costume is just going to create a bad buzz and make moms want to drop dance ASAP.