If I may chime in, MMSI also puts on one of the premier figure shows in the World. The very best miniaturists in the world try to make the rounds of the following;
Euromilitaire in England (sept.)
"The Chicago Show" by MMSI (October)
SCAHMS in Anahiem (March)
There is a show in Atlanta that is gaining an excellent reputation as well. But these three seem to be the ones that get alot of coverage in the figure magazines, and as I said, the awards lists read like a who's who of the art of military miniatures. These are the guys who scuplt the figures I pay just to paint!
I finally convinced the wife to let me sneak of to California for the SCAHMS show
! From what I hear on other, more figure oriented forums, if you ever get a chance to go to one of these events, you should try and take advantage of that opportunity. At least check out their web sights for the photos, they're inspirational.