Target your a;u'dience

By Charles Cibella Creative Connection Pompano Beach, Fl.

Erven in todaY's digitally driven Iieconomv. trade shows and home shows are still going strong.

Trade Show News Network lists hundreds of annual events on its Web site, www.tsnn.com. There are nearly 30 events under the hardware and paint classification alone, and well over 100 listings that could be characterized as home shows or home and garden shows.

In fact, nearly every medium- to large-sized metropolitan area hosts some form of home show annually, and many cities host several during the course of a year.

That means that for many businesses the challenge is how to choose which of the many available expositions to use.

For example, Corky Ellis of specialty distributor ASI Building Products, Tampa, Fl., has narrowed his participation down to a few shows a year.

"There are a lot of different shows out there," he says. "We look at what shows will directly help develop business fbr either ourselves or our customers."

An enthusiastic home show user, Ellis says timing is a key factor in choosing which show to patronize. "Vinyl f'encing, porch rails, patio covers, gazebos, arbors, decks and docks are among the products that we supply," he explains. "Spring is when people really start thinking about those."

In addition to timing, budget is always an issue when considering a trade show or home show. Booth rentals can vary fiom as little as a f'ew hundred dollars for a small booth to many thousands of dollars for a choice, high-trafflc location at a major exposition.

Most successful trade exhibitors will point out that such expositions are only one of several tools they use

The secrets of trade and home show success

to reach potential customers. Madden Manufacturing has used home shows to generate new leads for nearly 20 years, and takes part in at least four shows a year, along with several other expositions. But other marketing tools also play a role, according to Mike Madden, who oversees much of the company s trade show activity.

"Our market is in carports, screen rooms and roof overs, primarily for the mobile home industry," he says. "With that kind of market niche. we're very high on service and pay a lot of attention to detail."

pays particular attention to where a show is being held.

"One of the things that we can't forget as a manufacturer that supplies products nationally, is that there are regional differences in architectural styles, material preferences, even performance issues. Those differences should be reflected in the display," Madden notes. "Depending upon where we are exhibiting, we'll try to tailor our booth to that market using regionally-specific photography, regionally-appropriate products and anything else that might make a homeowner in that market believe that we understand their market."

Instead of custom designing a display, many dealers and distributors take advantage of prefabricated display units. Generally lightweight and easy to assemble, these units can simplify the process of preparing for a trade show.

Madden adds that the opportunity for one-on-one exposure makes a trade or home show an especially efl'ective marketing tool. "People can actually view what you're selling up close," he says. "They can't do that with a direct mail piece or newspaper ad. That's a huge advantage."

Once a company has identified the show or shows that have a place in its marketing plan. the next step is to design and build a display that cuts through the noise and confusion ofthe trade show floor.

Madden Manufacturing's display features large pictures, product mockups, and other visually interesting materials. In addition, the company

Madden notes another prerequisite for a successful show: organization. "It's important to be able to locate items you need I while you're talking with some' one," he says. "You have to be organized."

And be prepared to follow up on the leads you generate, adds Madden.

While Madden notes that attendance at some shows has slowed down, the leads that are generated seem more qualified than visitors in years past.

"In the past, a lot of things that happened at home shows involved drawings for freebie giveaways in every booth. But companies are now getting away from that," he says.

As a result, he says, "Most people we are seeing now are there for a purpose."

Clearly, the same thing can be said for those manning the display booths.

LAMINATED decking, shown here in a new public library, is becoming a popular specialty item tor retailers supplying custom homes and commercial buildings.

InOMMODITY lumber is like

\-,bread and butter for most retailers, but higher profit specialty wood products are the icing on the cake. One specialty product generating increased interest is laminated wood roof decking.

Lock-Deck laminated decking, a product invented in the early 1960s by Potlatch Corp., continues to thrive under new manufacturers. Classified in the construction industry as "heavy timber decking," the product enjoys increasing interest from architects and designers because the aesthetic appeal of wood combines with the structural characteristics of kiln dried lumber decking to make an attractive and cost competitive product.

Demand for laminated decking is growing, even though its initial cost is higher than solid sawn decking. Distributors, wholesalers, retailers and contractors argue that in-place cost for the decking is. in fact. competitive with solid sawn heavy timber decking because:

(a) Lam decking is manuf-actured using kiln dried lumber with a lower moisture content than solid sawn timber. This means fewer rejects at the job site.

(b) The product's lighter weight and stability with tongue & groove and end-match configurations allow faster, simpler installation. Common nails are toenailed from the top side