Home Show Organisers Seek Final Exhibitors for August Event
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Exhibitors wanting to be involved in this year’s Southland Home Show still have time to register for the iconic event, that has been part of the fabric of the community for 31 years.
Held at ILT Stadium Southland, the event on August 15 and 16 sees thousands of people through the doors over the two days - all looking for inspiration for their new housing or renovation projects.
Organiser George Owen has been the founder of this remarkable event since its inception, and exhibitor space is close to being sold out again this year.
The stadium hosts hundreds of exhibitors all promoting the latest products in their area of expertise - builders and renovators are well represented as are home decoration, furnishings, bedding, roofing, landscaping and more.
“Visitors to the show demand that we have kitchens and bathrooms on display because our surveys show around half the visitors to the show are keen to improve this part of their home.”
Statistics have shown that 17.7% of those attending the show plan to build, 50.6% want to improve their kitchens, 55% are looking at upgrading their bathrooms, 68% are undertaking repairs and renovations, 46.6% will be redecorating, 44% landscaping and 36% are looking for better heating/insulation.
Last year they also added a range of food vendors to the mix and coffee too - anybody that is interested in selling a good variety of eatery options or coffee should get in touch with George (see details below).
The Electric Motor Vehicle Company Limited will be back this year and will have an electric bike as a prize that someone will take home from the show. Other exhibitors have great prizes and special offers as well.
George can proudly say he is the only Home Show in the country that has never missed a year because of covid.
In 2020, at the height of the Covid epidemic, George programmed the show for election day, believing that they would not close the country down on that day, and they didn’t.
The show was a great success, with some people experiencing their first outing for some time.
George saw an opening for a Home Show in Southland back in 1996, after being involved in every other home show around the country for 20 years. This included being one of the first exhibitors in Waikato in 1983.
”It just keeps me alive,” he said.
Anybody wanting pointers on how to sell well should also hit him up for some marketing advice.
One year in the late 1990s at the Ellerslie Flower Show with a couple of friends, he set up a stand selling garden brooms, on the biggest day they sold $17,000 worth.
“That is a lot of brooms, especially when you consider that no one came to the Ellerslie Flower Show to buy a broom.”
George tries to ensure that exhibitors do really well, that can include ensuring a good stand design, not necessarily expensive, but well laid out, a good knowledge of the product, and a special offer for the duration of the show only.
“The show will have a multimedia advertising campaign that will attract thousands of Southlanders, and if you add those visitors to the thousands of parents and grandparents already at the stadium watching their children and grandchildren play sport, you have a lot of prospective customers.”
Free Entry means everyone comes in.
The show starts at 10am both days and runs until 5pm.
Office: 0800 734 335 | DDI: (03) 474 5057; Mobile: 0274 734 335 - or email him on [email protected]