Know what you mean. I tried a bigger plate, but that didn't work well for me.
I wouldn't do this show if a high percentage of my customers didn't come expecting to see me (that and it's practically in my back yard).
PH - Better make it a late lunch if you can. The line to get in on Friday at 12 noon fills both the upstairs mezzanine and down stairs lobby. That first half hour is a bit nuts.
Also know that this is a huge show, one or two hours will barely get your feet wet. We had around 700 vendor tables/booths and had to have a spill-over ballroom adjacent to the main venue.