Hanley Wood Steps Out on the Deck
By Heidi Genoist -- Tradeshow Week, 7/24/2006
Hanley Wood has bought Professional Deck Builder magazine and DeckExpo from Dempsey Management Services. Two weeks after the deal closed June 30, for an undisclosed sum, Hanley Wood also struck an agreement with the North American Deck and Railing Assn. to sponsor the show.
Rick McConnell, vice president of Hanley Wood Exhibitions, will oversee DeckExpo as part of his responsibilities for the company's residential construction shows. Amy Weller will take over hands-on management, adding it to her current job of directing the Remodeling Show.
No one from Dempsey Management will continue to be involved in the show. The Dempsey family, owner of the company, is expected to move onto other ventures.
The 4-year-old expo for the deck- and rail-building business spans 25,000 square feet and attracts 1,700 contractors, according to Hanley Wood. Next scheduled February 2007 at the Las Vegas Hilton, it has rotated from Tampa, Fla., to Memphis, Tenn., and Atlanta.
McConnell said the show would continue to rotate for the foreseeable future. "If you look at the demographics, the deck business, particularly in the Northeast and Southeast, is booming," he said. "You see more and more composite material companies coming into the market, because they see great potential. This is truly a growth segment."
Hanley Wood does not plan to fold DeckExpo into any of its existing residential construction events, McConnell said. The show needs its own market identity, partly because of the large — and rising — number of contractors that specialize in deck building.
The NADRA came about as a result of that trend. The association is "trying to develop more and more certification for deck builders. It's important to follow code compliance" in the business, McConnell said. The show will offer an educational venue for these specialists.
He added, "This was not a turnaround situation. The show is already on a good solid foundation." Because of the added strength of the acquired magazine, as well as Hanley Wood's expertise in the sector, McConnell said, "We're very gung-ho."
