Dear vendors and sponsors:
Thank you for being part of the 2024 HBA home & Outdoor Living Show. We promised to share feedback with you after the show, so below are some of our key takeaways from our observations and your survey responses.
Overall, you were satisfied with the event. You overwhelmingly loved the new space and having more food options. In the Wilson Logistics Arena, you seemed to see higher quality leads from attendees who came to the show with intention. We’ve already heard from several of you who have seen Home Show attendees follow-through by visiting your showrooms this week – love it!
We saw slightly lower attendance this year compared to last year, and the mezzanine vendors seemed to suffer the most. We’re already thinking of ways to address these issues. For next year, we will increase our marketing budget and change up our marketing mix. We will also reduce the price of mezzanine booths and add paid options for additional vendor visibility.
The date of the show is a major concern for you, and we want you to know this wasn’t our ideal date either. The reality is that we have two potential venues. Our date options are very limited, but we WILL explore those options. If this week in April turns out to be the most ideal date for the event, this is what we ask of you: OWN IT! The good news is that we are not competing with major sporting events (Masters viewership now vs NFL playoffs viewership in January/February – who’s prepared to miss out on a Chiefs playoff game?) or potential for catastrophic weather (Remember in February 2021 when we were asked to conserve power for a week due to below freezing temps and ice?).
Other challenges for the first quarter include working around the holiday hangover in early January, the International Builders Show in February, Spring Break (eliminating two weekends in March), and Wilson Logistics Arena events that require significant cleanup (Rodeos, monster truck rallies, BMX races, etc.) before the venue is useable. We’ll have to cross the Easter bridge when we get to it. We know that you may not be aware of all these obstacles, and we appreciate your understanding – there will always be something!
We will spend time over the next few months talking about marketing and developing a solid plan to increase traffic flow. This was our first year in this venue, and the weather was uncharacteristically warm (Isn’t April supposed to bring showers?). We have more to work with for next year, and we hope you’ll stay onboard. Once our 2025 date is secured and we’ve made necessary updates, watch for our emails regarding booth registrations in mid-summer.
Remember to follow up on your leads! Your return on investment is not just sales – think about the connections you made with other vendors and the opportunities that may come from those connections.
We are grateful for your support!
HBA Staff