All Hooped Up: Brent Taylor, owner of Durkee Embroidery Hoops, displays a new hoop he debuted at ColDesi's Apparel Decorating Extravaganza on June 24.

Adam Wilson's screen printing business in Buffalo, NY is a solid 325 miles from Lancaster, Pa. But the distance didn't dissuade the owner of SoCorp from making the six-hour trek south Friday to attend ColDesi's Apparel Decorating Extravaganza in the heart of Amish Country. With customers increasingly asking for embroidery, Wilson is considering adding the decorating medium to his repertoire, and he figured the trade show would be a great place to learn the basics before deciding to take the leap. “You might meet someone who can help; you might be able to build an important relationship,” he said.

Wilson was far from the only attendee in quest of apparel decorating knowledge. Indeed, the extravaganza drew more than 150 decorators who came to check out offerings from a diverse range of 24 vendors and to attend education sessions on everything from appliqué and digital printing to digitizing, rhinestones and enhancing their business' online presence.

“It's an intimate show where everyone has the time to see what they want to see and to ask their questions and have them answered,” said Bill Richards, national accounts manager for ColDesi, a Tampa, FL-based provider of apparel decorating equipment.
The show's relaxed atmosphere proved a benefit for Wilson, who was able to have a productive chat about embroidery, rhinestones and more over lunch with representatives from ColDesi and Colman & Company –a Tampa-based supplier of embroidery, DTG printing and rhinestone supplies.

During the show, a consistent crowd gathered at the XPresScreen Inc. (asi/14703) booth to watch and try the Winston-Salem, NC-based company's XpresScreen Exposure Unit. Mary Lou Vanderpool drove down from Monroetown, Pa. with a particular interest in seeing the unit first hand. A home-based embroiderer, Vanderpool said she wants to add screen printing, but doesn't want chemicals and odors fouling her basement. That's why, she said, she is attracted to the exposure unit: it eliminates the need for chemicals, emulsions and a dark room. “I think it's the way to go,” she said.

Imprint This: Janet Gould of Imprintor displays the Imprintor Professional System, which enables decorators to print a variety of non-apparel promotional products.

Santina Upshaw also found something she was looking for at the show. Upshaw is a fashion and design teacher at Creative Arts High School in Camden, N.J. She came to the extravaganza in search of creative ideas for her classes and ended up purchasing Colman & Company's Glitz-Up rhinestone applicator, a tool that, she said, will allow her students to embellish creative rhinestone designs. “They're going to have a lot of fun with this,” she said.

Like Wilson, embroiderers Paul and Kaye Womax attended the show because they're interested in adding another decorating option – heat transfers. The couple from Millsboro, DE said a growing number of customers have asked for transfers; the Womaxes feel its time to start catering to the demand. “We're getting a lot of calls on it but we don't have it,” said Paul Womax, as he and his wife assessed the Drucktech heat presses ColDesi had on display. The owners of KP Stitches are fans of the support ColDesi gives on their SWF embroidery machines, and believe they'll get the same service if they buy a heat press through ColDesi.

Meanwhile, as SWF embroidery machines hummed away, stitching American flag designs on red fabrics, show-goers perused the stock embroidery designs at Dakota Collectibles' booth and checked out a Durkee Embroidery Inc.'s new hoop, which enables home embroiderers to hoop on shirt sleeves, pant legs and to create larger left chest logos. Attendees also paused to learn about the Imprintor Professional System. The device allows users to print on a variety of surfaces, from plastics and glass to ceramics, which opens the door for embellishing non-apparel promotional products. “It's a great add-on to your business,” said Janet Gould of Ogelsby, IL-based Imprintor.

For attendees like Deborah Gildart-Hanks, the education seminars were an integral part of the day. The owner of Downingtown, Pa-based Faith Threads Embroidery attended a digitizing session and another class on how to get her business noticed on the web. Tips from the latter session included: build links; establish social media pages; feature the names of towns you want to serve as keywords on your website; create videos; and write relevant website content in paragraph form. All of that can potentially help you rank higher in Google searches, increasing the chances a prospective customer will find you online “The classes are part of what really draws people,” said Linda Shahvaran, general manager at ColDesi.

The next Apparel Decorating Extravaganza continued on Saturday. Another extravaganza will be held July 22 and 23 in Montgomery, AL. There are several dates planned for this year. Check it out here!

Getting Glitzy: Colman & Company's Glitz-Up rhinestone applicator impressed a fashion & design teacher from Camden, N.J., who bought one for use in her class.

What's Good?: Attendees peruse the floor at the ColDesi's Apparel Decorating Extravaganza on June 24.