SHOW PREVIEW

HOME EXPO GOES Virtual

The Fall Dispatch Home & Garden Show goes “on demand” this year, with a virtual exhibit hall and lots of giveaways.

BY EMMA FRANKART HENTERLY

For years, the Fall Columbus Dispatch

Home & Garden Show presented by Rosati Windows has been the expo to attend for all things related to outdoor décor, lawn and garden care, home improvement and interior design as homeowners prepare for winter. This year is no different in that respect, but to avoid concerns about the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the Show’s format will change for 2020.

“The health and safety of attendees and vendors at the Fall Home and Garden Show is paramount to us,” says Stephen Zonars, vice president of Ventures Events for Dispatch Media Group, which produces the expo. “That’s why we’ve decided that instead of encouraging guests to come to the show in person, we’re bringing the show to them.”

That’s right—like many events of 2020, the Fall Home & Garden Show will be a virtual experience, taking place Oct. 8-10 from the comfort of your home. But unlike other virtual events, you won’t have to sit through a onesided video presentation or deal with the frustration of a dozen other Zoom participants who forgot to put themselves on “mute.”

“One of the biggest benefits of our expos is that guests get the opportunity to talk one-on-one with vendors in dozens of home improvement categories, and we wanted to preserve that level of connection,” says Zonars. To that end, he and his team have created a virtual version of the expo, complete with booths staffed by area vendors and pros.

Guests will be able to “walk” around the digital space and “visit” vendors at their booths, communicating with them in real-time via text chat, voice or video. This novel approach also provides the unique experience of being able to show projects to vendors, also in real-time, so vendors can give more detailed feedback and estimates.

The interactive portion of the expo ends on Oct. 10, but the Show platform will remain online through Oct. 31, allowing guests to contact vendors and request a call or email back.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Home & Garden Show without giveaways and celebrity guests, and this year’s online expo is no exception. Attendees will have the chance to win “free-for-a-year” prizes in a variety of categories, from gasoline and lawn care services to utility bills and subscriptions to The Columbus Dispatch. Plus, one grand prize winner will receive $5,000 that can be redeemed with any vendor at the show.

Find information—including announcements about aforementioned celebrity guests—buy tickets and more at DispatchHomeAndGardenShow.com.