Annual Conference Handcrafted Soap and Cosmetic Guild

[jofa]

Hey, guys,

So, I'm relatively new to soapmaking and I would love to attend a soap conference, fair, etc.
Last night I found this conference, but since I don't live in the US, it's kind of a big deal for me and I would like to know if this one is worth it, if there're better options, etc etc.

Thank you!
Joana

 

[dixiedragon]

I would tentatively say no, just because a lot of the ingredients (fragrance, chemicals, etc), might not be available where you are. You could learn some skills and techniques, and that might be worth it to you. Where do you live?

 

[earlene]

Do you have a soapmaking guild in a country that is closer to where you live? We have several smaller conferences around the US that cost a lot less than the one you mention, that many of the same vendors participate in, making it more affordable for the hobbiest soaper and small business soapmakers as well. Maybe if you can find a soapmaking guild closer to you, you can find a similar kind of conference that would be more affordable for you as well.

 

[jofa]

Hey Dixiedragon, I live in Brazil. And you're right, we don't have almost anything soapmaking here. We have tons of oils of all kinds, and chemicals are not difficult to come by. But I already import my fragrances and colorants, so that part would not be a problem.
My main concern is to know is if this particular conference is worth the international trip or if there's something better out there.

Thank you!

Do you have a soapmaking guild in a country that is closer to where you live? We have several smaller conferences around the US that cost a lot less than the one you mention, that many of the same vendors participate in, making it more affordable for the hobbiest soaper and small business soapmakers as well. Maybe if you can find a soapmaking guild closer to you, you can find a similar kind of conference that would be more affordable for you as well.

Earlene that would be the sensible thing to do, but we don't have anything remotely similar to a guild close by. Even in the Spanish speaking countries around Brazil.
The market for handmade soap down here is very small and people mainly work witb MP.

 

[shunt2011]

I have not ever been to that conference but it gets rave reviews. I've also heard that many of the vendors give some great incentives for products during the show. They also have products available for purchase. I've mostly not gone due to the expense and time away from my real job.

 

[dixiedragon]

If you are interested in learning skills, I would check out this:
http://soapalooza.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=29

You could focus on the particular skill(s) you want, and get individual instruction.

Whether it's worth it depends on your goals. The conference was only 2 hrs away from me last year, but between the $700 entrance fee and 3-4 nights in a hotel, that would be over $1000 - and that's before buying any FOs! So, for me, it wasn't worth it.

 

[shunt2011]

And they have some really nice FO's at Soapalooza too.

 

[jofa]

Thank you, guys, you gave me a lot to think about.
I like the idea of going to Texas (never been), but the price is hard to swallow, it's true.
I'm gonna check out Soapalooza.