Dwelling Shows: Producers Stick Close to Home

By Rachelle Crum -- Tradeshow Week, 6/12/2006

Face it. Plenty of consumer show organizers are in the business of selling space to anybody who wants to buy it. That's why you can often go to a boat show and get a massage, or to a wedding show and check out the latest leaf blowers.

But a couple of organizers in the pivotal home show arena have begun to see that less may be more.

Certainly, real estate prices are not rising at quite the clip they were a year ago, but that doesn't mean people aren't spending money on their homes anymore. According to the Remodeling Activity Indicator devised by Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies, homeowners in the first quarter of this year spent $155.4 billion on home improvements and repairs, a 4.5-percent increase over the first quarter of 2005.

Research also indicates that remodeling contractors buy 24 percent of the building materials for remodeling products, but 77.5 percent of those actually selecting the products are homeowners.

All of which means that, if they choose to, home show organizers can be picky about their exhibitors.

One company, Mid-America Events & Expos, is attempting to renew the concept of a home products-only show with a launch this fall.

Another, dmg world media, a veteran producer of dozens of home shows, agrees that the model of a true home show is not only sound, but essential.

The Burnsville, Minn.-based Mid-America Events & Expos will launch the Mid-America Remodeling & Design Expo, which is being dubbed a back-to-basics show, Nov. 4–5 at the Minneapolis Convention Center.

Company President Robin Kocina said she is planning a showfloor that will solely feature remodeling and design exhibitors — so sellers of hand soaps and chiropractic firms need not apply.

"You won't find someone offering to clean your jewelry or check your spinal alignment at this show," she said. "What you will find is people who can help you remodel your bathroom or kitchen, or give you other ideas for updating and redesigning your home and making it more livable."

Kocina said the concept would benefit not only the show's attendees, but the exhibitors who are looking for quality attendees as well.

"When you have exhibitors selling clothes, vacation rentals, etc., it draws a broader range of people into the expo. But if a remodeling specialist spends the money to exhibit, he wants to meet with people who came to the show because they are interested in remodeling, not to buy chili seasoning," she said.

On the show's Web site, Mid-America explains the show launch: "Meet qualified contractors, suppliers and designers! But don't plan on getting your jewelry cleaned or your feet massaged at this expo — those people won't be here."

Despite this blatant warning, companies that fall into the miscellaneous category continue to call Kocina.

"We have people begging us to be in," she said. "We want to keep this very pure."

Purity is a standard dmg world media consistently tries to set for its home shows, said Tom Baugh, vice president, Home Interest North America, for the firm.

"We believe that delivering on the promise of creating a relevant home show exhibit experience is a basic element of success in a consumer show environment, not a trend."

Baugh added, "It's easy to sell space to anyone. The hard work is to stay true to creating a true home show experience by saying no to potential exhibitors that don't belong in a home show."

Dmg on May 31 announced that it is reducing its consumer home show portfolio by 14 events, including the Minneapolis Home & Garden Show — Fall Edition, which last took place in September 2005 and had a 26-percent decrease in attendees from 2004, according to Tradeshow Week research. Dmg will continue to organize the spring Minneapolis Home & Garden Show, which took place March 1–5 at the MCC. According to TSW research, the show in 2005 attracted 77,557 visitors, down 5.9 percent from the previous year.

Mid-America Remodeling & Design Expo organizers expect to attract about 15,000 attendees to 350 exhibitors in 100,000 net square feet of space this fall.

Baugh said that even though shows like dmg's newly acquired Tampa/St. Petersburg Home & Patio Show, which took place May 26–29 at the Tampa (Fla.) Convention Center, included the likes of chiropractic exhibitors, they won't for long.

"In general, we would say that it is not consistent with our vision to fill our shows with these types of exhibitors," he said. "We always aim to produce a show that is relevant to an audience that is focused on their home, and we're not convinced that our visitors come to see exhibitors in the category that you mentioned. We only recently acquired that show, and it often takes a few cycles to work those exhibitors out of the show."

Of course, not everybody sees it the same way.

Craig Gitlitz, president of American Consumer Shows, for instance, said the back-to-basics home show concept is irrelevant. The Mineola, N.Y.-based firm next year will organize 20 consumer home shows, so he feels he knows what he is talking about.

"I came to realize that consumers like to leave with something in their hand," he said. "They like to shop."

Mid-America got a different message, though, after it put together a focus group last fall for sponsors and exhibitors.

Shawn Davis of St. Paul, Minn.-based Top Shelf Custom Cabinetry was the focus group participant who suggested the show format, he said, because he was tired of showcasing his products to "looky-loos."

"There are a lot of shows out there right now," Davis said, "and it's difficult picking out those that are beneficial for a person renting a $7,000 booth."

With the Mid-America-run show, he said, "at least you know that people coming ... are looking for remodeling ideas, and that's important."

The Mid-America Remodeling & Design Expo is being produced in partnership with the Minnesota chapter of the Natl. Assn. of the Remodeling Industry. NARI members will conduct seminars and give presentations at the show.

And even before the show launch, Kocina said she is talking with representatives of NARI Natl., based in Des Plaines, Ill., about expanding the show to other Midwestern cities.

Mid-America has been producing consumer shows since 1998. In its portfolio are: Body Mind Life Expo, Mid-America Seniors Spring Expo, Mid-America Seniors Expo, Girlfriends Shopping Extravaganza and Sports & Recreation Expo for Women.

The remodeling and design show isn't Mid-America's first home show. The company formerly produced the Women's Home & Interior Design Show for two years and the Women's Home Expo for one year.

In 2005, dmg acquired the Tampa show from Florida State Trade Shows, along with the St. Petersburg Suncoast Home & Garden Show and St. Petersburg Suncoast Home & Remodeling Show. Also last year, it purchased Bathrooms & Kitchens Expo from Quantum Business Media. The Tampa show featured a Hurricane Expo, where attendees could learn the latest ways to protect themselves and their property during the hurricane season, which began June 1.