It really depends on what you are going to a trade show for. What type of work do you plan to do (screen printing, embroidery, dtg, digital transfers, signs, offset printing, laser engraving,....)? I ask these questions because it will provide the forum members a better understanding of what your needs are and which show to recommend.
Traditionally speaking, SGIA is a huge equipment show. Most of the equipment at SGIA is geared toward large format sign and banner printing. The SGIA show can be pretty intimidating for someone's first show and might not have as much on the decorated apparel side as a new person would like. If you are going to be primarily focused on decorating apparel, then I would recommend you going to the ISS Show or NBM / Printwear Show. These two shows tend to have more apparel companies that you can talk to and see the new apparel styles. It is my opinion (working trade shows for the last 6 years) that the best decorated apparel trade show every year is the ISS Show in Long Beach every January. It has the most exhibitors that focused on decorating apparel. The NBM / Printwear shows are also good if you are looking to cross-over between the decorated apparel industry and signs / banner or awards / recongition industries.
Hope this gives you a good starting point for you to make your decision. Definitely check out the exhibitor lists of whichever show you are considering. Best wishes.
Mark
This is not actually correct. While it is true that the SGIA show is the place to go if you want to see graphic and large format equipment in action and up close, you will also see the full line of manual textile in action (Workhorse, Brown, Hopkins etc.) as well as M&R, Tas, AWT, MHM and all of the rest....printing live with automatics.
Every major ink, emulsion and chemical manufacturers will be there and all of the major garment manufacturers are there with their new lines.
You will see just as much manual and small format garment printing as you will automatic printing.
The graphic screen equipment that is there and actually running is actually a small fraction of what is running in textile.
The show may look intimidating to a garment printer at first blush because (a) This show does include all of the small, medium and Grand format digital graphic printers printing live as well as all of the major and minor DTG's running live.
All of the mesh companies and all frame manufacturers are there as well.
The difference in this show and others is that the booths here from all of the same manufacturers that go to ISS are much larger. There is also a lot more live printing than you see at ISS shows because there is a lot more room for equipment and dryers.
The seminars are larger with a lot more demonstration printing as well.
If you want to not just visit with almost every manufacturer in the industry (which you can also do at ISS)....but see virtually their ENTIRE line of products in action to compare.....all at one time......this is the show to go to.
Its just a much larger show and companies from every corner of the indusry will be exhibiting. Ray