How do I find out about conventions?

March 3, 2010 10:20 AM

Inspired by this FPP, I want to know how I can find out about shows and conventions. Whether it's cars, Barbies, anime, or anything else, I'd like to know about it so I could check it out. Is there some online database of these things that I can't find? (I'm in Phoenix, so anything AZ- or CA-centric would be helpful as well.) Thanks, MeFi!
posted by reductiondesign to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (5 answers total)

This calendar of trade shows might be helpful. Here's a tip, by the way - I don't know if it would happen at every convention/show (I can't picture the John Deere rep handing over a free tractor), but I've been to a couple of shows where I stayed until closing and I found out that a lot of the reps don't feel like re-packing all their samples and display items. At one office supply show I lwalked away with two large bags stuffed full of pens, markers, Day Runners, desktop organizers and other stuff that the reps would rather give away than carry back to their cars.
posted by Oriole Adams at 10:32 AM on March 3, 2010

A list of everything that's going on at the Phoenix Convention Center. If you hurry, you can check out the annual meeting of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration.
posted by *s at 10:57 AM on March 3, 2010

Here are the Vegas conventions.
posted by spasm at 11:53 AM on March 3, 2010

The Jugglingdb Events page has a list of upcoming circus skills conventions. It's regarded as being comprehensive and very reliable for the UK and Europe; I expect that its listings for the USA are similarly good.
posted by metaBugs at 12:34 PM on March 3, 2010

While this seems slanted towards anime & sci-fi / fandom:

http://www.google.com/squared/search?q=conventions
posted by GJSchaller at 1:49 PM on March 3, 2010