Can anyone tell me if this is worthwhile to join and pay $150 for?

It depends on which conference you are thinking about attending. The closer you get to the conference the fee goes up. I think it may be up to $200 now for Chicago. They have a list of the workshops listed on their website so if you find enough workshops which you feel would help you and/or you are interested in meeting reps from some of the companies face-to-face then it could be worthwhile.

Thanks Lisa. Yes, I was looking at Chicago. I will checkout their website before I commit. Thanks again for your help.

The deadline to take advantage of the lower price of $150 for the 2012 Chicago IMSC was February 15th. The price is now $200.

However, the IMSC was created to allow shoppers to grow their business in an atmosphere of camaraderie, trust and friendship. What kind of friends would we be if we did not work with you ?

We understand that the economic times are difficult, and that many of you may be waiting for your 2011 year-end bonuses, as well as possibly your 2011 tax refunds. Therefore, we would like to extend to those of you who wish to participate in the 2012 Chicago IMSC, but who currently have a limited cash flow, an exclusive offer : we will look at every request sent to info@imscnews.com, and we will work with you on an individual basis to possibly extend the deadline so you may enjoy the lower price of $150 for the Two-Day Conference.

No need to be shy, no need to be embarrassed. Just ask us and we will figure it out with you.

What do you expect to get out of it and how much experience do you have as a shopper now? If you're a seasoned shopper, is $150 worth it to you to network? If you're a newbie, are you comfortable spending that much money to learn stuff you could learn for free on the forums by reading up on the many posts? If I remember correctly, the $150 fee includes the conference only. You've got to pay for the hotel stay as an additional fee. So the cost will be more, including transportation, if you're not in Chicago.

Only you can decide if it's worth it or if there's any value in it for you. There's only so much learning to be done in this industry. There's not secret information at any of the conferences that are shared only with those who attend. Being Gold certified never helped me get more work. I had plenty before and the same after. I don't remember if the IMSC offers "certification" for shoppers who attend the conference. If they do, I'm not sure how many companies recognize it and how much of a difference ANY type of certification makes when you've got a track record (good or bad) with a company.

I've always felt these conferences are great for networking with company reps and other shoppers. If you're interested in working on the MSP side of the business, this would be a good place to network and put your desires out there to be known. Otherwise, if you need the money or have solid knowledge of how to MS, then you might not find the value worth the expense.

Still cannot believe they are never held in the NYC tri state area...yes, you can get very cheap rates in NYC such as the Holiday Inn on West 59th St and in nearby New Jersey.

I remember when they started the IMSC and it hasn't been all that long ago, maybe 3 years if that. From what I've seen of the schedule they are growing it by leaps and bounds. It will only be a matter of time.

I am a "more seasoned" veteran of mystery shopping. My first mystery shop was in late 2002 or early 2003. I attended the 2011 Las Vegas IMSC Conference. I had a good time and learned a lot. It is still a young conference, and they try to hit Vegas every year (for a good reason, it's a great town!) so it'll take awhile to get to all the other places.

That said, I did learn a LOT from a few of the presentations. Did you know the pool parties attended by 100's of people including BIG name celebrities are shopped at very decent rates, and free food and drinks in Vegas? Did you know you can make a KILLING doing Nevada shops AND companies will pay for your Private Investigators license AND help do the paperwork? Did you want to give personalized input and be a beta tester for iPhone/Android/Blackberry APPS for shop inputs? Do you know how to get the 3 or 5 day LUXURY hotel shops, casino's, or cruises? Who to contact? How to put together a portfolio they are looking for??

These are all things this seasoned 8ish year veteran learned. I also saw a LOT of info that I learned on the forums 6/7/8 years ago. But I expected that.

You usually have your choice of one of 2 sessions to attend, so that allows you to pick one that might be more informative to you.

Plus I met quite a few people, got to put faces to names like Servanne and others. Overall, it was well worth it, and a tax deduction.