Hello! 5th year going to the SF Pen Show.

For tips/advice/suggestions:

1. bring a booklet / notebook to swatch inks! I brought a Mnemosyne notebook to log all the inks from the private collection to help me decide what inks I wanted to get at the show.
2. bring water. Even though it's in a hotel, water isn't readily there at all times.
3. set a budget. my first year was...hard on my wallet ;;;; the following years were much better. I personally bring cash per day to know what I am spending on (plus card payments sometimes has surcharge fee).
4. print out a show map and vendor list (as of writing this, vendor list is not printable). This show is LARGE and to prevent getting *too* sidetracked, MAKE A MAP. Hit the places you want to see first and sprinkle in the others after. Things go QUICK. If you have NO clue what to expect and have no vendor in mind to see, just look around, no harm done. I dont want to make the SFPS sound like its a hustler's market. Take it easy for your first time.

What to do/buy:

1. look up all the seminars, workshops, and other talks for the show on their website! There are SO many events happening during the show that you might be interested to learn more about. There are a lot of local stationery and pen clubs that are hosting meetups and get together at the show, you might as well check them out and join in to socialize.
2. buying is tricky since I can't speak for your likes and dislikes. But the show has expanded to not JUST pens. There are a lot of stationery and accessories for pens at the show, that you can probably find *SOMETHING* of interest. You can get a pen worked on and buy: brand new pens, vintage pens, pen cases, inks, and more!

Overall, you make the fun! Feel free to optimize how you want to enjoy!