Saskatoon Expo 2018 Post Mortem
Ahhh Saskatoon! At the beginning of the year, I was fairly convinced I wouldn’t return to Sask Expo. Not because it became independent once more after Informa bought out the Calgary and Edmonton shows—because of personal superstitions.
To follow my sales journey and to see how I did at past conventions, click here for the full list of articles.
I talk conventions with my BFF on my new podcast, BUSINESS BFFs. Listen here.
General Impressions
In 2016, the day before I left for Saskatoon Expo, I fell and rolled my ankle pretty badly. I went to the con on the bus anyway but it took a while for me to heal.
In 2017, the day before Saskatoon Expo, I sprained my hand. There was no way I’d be able to handle travel, luggage, and set-up by myself, so I had to cancel the whole trip—forfeiting hundreds of dollars in table and travel costs.
I thought, maybe I’m cursed? Maybe I’m not “meant” to do this show? Superstitions and “signs” have a way of burrowing deep in the mind, creating irrational fears.
In January 2018, Chris Bernhard, the showrunner, emailed and offered me a discounted table rate.
I thought about it and said yes—wondering if this was me flying in the face of a Warning from the Universe.
But I’m happy to report that the third time’s the charm and I was not injured before, during, or after (knock on wood!) the show. It helped that, despite my busy schedule, I didn’t rush and gave myself lots of breaks in the week leading up to the event – so I wasn’t too tired or stressed! So yes, by being cognizant of my body and my limits, I “broke” a “curse.” How about that?
When I got off the plane, I noticed a woman with a Saskatoon Expo sign—definitely there to pick up some creator guests. I felt emboldened—they’re probably going to the convention center. I could probably get a ride.
Once I grabbed my bags from the carousel, I approached the woman and asked if it would be possible for me to hitch a ride—even though I’m a vendor, not a guest. She looked at my many bags and said, “We might be able to make room.”
We went outside, and turns out, they had two SUVs—room for me, my things, as well as the other guests. So thank you Crystal for accommodating me and driving me to the convention center! It saved me a $30 cab ride. 
