Your h+h americas Content Plan (Before You Even Pack Your Bag)

If you’re heading to h+h americas, you already know it’s one of the biggest events in the quilting and fiber arts industry. What you might not have thought about yet is what content to create or even that your audience (the people who buy your patterns, take your classes, and follow your work) aren’t going to be there, but would enjoy seeing 'behind the scenes.' And that’s exactly why you should be pulling out your phone.

When your customers and students watch you move through an industry event, you stop being just a name in their inbox or another post on their social media feed and become someone who is genuine and is professionally connected - especially when they see you learning, connecting in real time, and staying current in the industry. That helps build trust and authority when you share what you are doing and learning, and builds connection when you share a little (or a lot!) of your personality. All you need is a plan before you leave home!

Here's what I would suggest you plan for as you prep and enjoy h+h americas:

Before You Leave

Create a quick travel reel: grab a short clip of when you leave and when you get there. If you have time, get a few clips of you in progress (the coffee you grabbed on the road or before the plane, travel snacks, packing the car, etc.) those clips can make a great reel. It illustrates a quick story and engages the viewer.

Use a hook like "Come with me to h+h americas Industry Trade Show!" or "POV: You're a Quilt Pattern Designer going to h+h americas!" or "I'm Out of office this week - I'm on my way to...laugh, learn, connect, and grow my business!" (just be sure to tell them where your specifically going in the caption).

I like that these set you up for all the content you're about to share! Here's one I shared my first year!

At the Show

"A come with me" Reel or longform video. “Come with me to see the show floor!” “Come with me to see my favorite people!” “Come with me to find where I am presenting!” and you can either pop over there with a fun transition, or record walking there and either use timelapse or speed it up until you get where you're going.

On Wednesday, take a quick clip of the show offically opening when the doors open and the crowd surge in and here's a simple hook for that: “I wish more people knew the excitement you feel and the door opens at h+h!”

Get a Reel of the line for Sample it! Showing a line creates curiosity, but be sure to explain what they’re waiting for and where they are or you'll have some frustrated viewers!

Have a booth? You should grab a before-and-after short video clip for a reel/short/TikTok

Here is a fun one of my table for Sample It:

The People!

Take selfies with your favorite people, old friends, and new friends - these can be pictures or very short video clips. Share them in your stories or compile them into a carousel or a reel at the end of the day to share the wonderful people you met that day! Don't forget to tag them - it helps boost everyone's content.

Outfits! What are you wearing at h+h? Many business owners wear creative outfits, handmade from fabric or patterns that they designed. Many wear quilting-inspired T-shirts. I was asked by a client and friend to carry her bags (she had a medical emergency and had to cancel her trip to h+h). Every morning on my way to the keynote, I shared which bag I was carrying that day and who let me carry it! It was a lot of fun to brag on my client while wear her gorgeous new bag and tell everyone who complimented it that they could get the pattern to make thier own.

Whatever you wear, just be sure you have comfy shoes! Here is a fun example with me and my sister for our QuiltCon outfits!

Don’t know who to take a selfie with? Come find me at booth 1707 - I’d love a picture with you, and you can grab a look at our community quilt project, learn more about the Self-Publishing Incubator and the DMMC, and you may even catch Andi recording for the Quilting on the Side Podcast!

What You’re Learning

Get pictures of the talks you attend. Like the morning Keynotes ( I never miss them - totally worth getting up for!), main stage panels or presentations, and the Fashion Show. Share your favorite insights as text over this image or as a reel.

Took a business class? Do the same thing! Ask your audience their opinion on what you learned (if it’s relevant). One statistic that was shared during a Keynote where HandiQuilter shares the results from the Quilters Survey was that the average quilter owns at least four sewing machines. That would be a fun thing to ask your audience: "how many sewing machines do you own? Are you like the average quilter?" I own three sewing machines, almost there!

What’s New in the Industry

Be sure to share fun products you find, whether they’re new to you or new to the industry. I’ve heard rumors of new fabric lines and new quilt patterns that are coming out. As long as they have been officially launched, you can share those as well!

There are also speciality pavilions like the Pattern Designer Pavilion, the Product Showcase, and also an entire book pavilion! You can share the books that are for sale, and that are coming out. Feel free to stop by my booth at 1707 and see our Self-Publishing Authors' books. They are in the Beta Reader and ARC Stages - you can even sign up to be an ARC reader! Books written by our authors that will be coming out later this year.

There are exhibits on Fashion Boulevard, Needle Arts Alley, cool things to see while you rest at the Great Outdoors Exhibit, and the Cherrywood Challenge Quilts. This year, 2026, a Dancing with the Stars Costume exhibit! So much to see and so much you can share and celebrate within the Fiber and Craft Industry!

After the Show: Pull It All Together

You’ve just spent a few days inside one of the most content-rich environments in the fiber arts industry. Don’t let it live and die in your camera roll or just on your stories. Take everything you captured - the video snippets, the photos, the insights from sessions, the new products that caught your eye - and turn it into a blog post or long-form video. A “recap of h+h americas” post does double duty: it gives your audience a front-row seat to your experience, and it keeps working for you long after the show floor is swept clean. Your future students and customers are searching for this stuff. Be the one they find.

Bonus points if you end all your social media content with a reel that share your favorite parts of h+h! This does double duty for me, allowing me to slow down and reflect on my time there and create an engaging piece of content.

Here is one from 2025:

What would you add?

Your experience at h+h can be more than just face-to-face growth. It’s proof to yourself and to your audience that you take this work seriously. The people who follow you benefit in knowing that they’re learning from someone who’s an authority in the industry, someone who takes their business seriously, but that doesn't mean the content can't be fun! What would you add to this list? Comment below and let me know!

Now go pack your comfortable shoes and charge your phone. You’ve got content to make!

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