Space at a premium for 2008 Home Show

What: The 2008 HBA Home Show

Where: Springfield Expo Center, 635 St. Louis St.

When: 10 a.m.–8 p.m. Feb. 1–2; and 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Feb. 3

Tickets: Available at the door for $6 per person; children 12 and younger admitted free. Event passes for all three days are available for $10.

As far as obstacles go, the most recent one faced by the Home Builders Association of Greater Springfield is a good one to have. At press time, Operations Manager Charlyce Ruth reported a waiting list of 33 vendors for the 2008 Home Show, which will be held Feb. 1–3 at the Springfield Expo Center.

The 2006 Home Show, which drew 18,600 attendees, was the first year “in a long time” that the event had a waiting list for vendors, Ruth said, and the momentum seems to be continuing.

“The vendors work really hard on their booths and I think the public responds to that,” Ruth said, noting that she added a dozen tables to accommodate more vendors.

John Harp, chairman of the HBA Home Show committee since 1984, said the event has evolved into a regional attraction for builders and other companies with strong ties to home building.

“We’ve been called the strongest show between Dallas and St. Louis by vendors who go to other shows and come to ours,” said Harp, who is the regional sales manager with Acme Brick Co. “You go to other shows, and they have a lot of vendors selling flowers or airplanes that fly the loop-to-loop or Kirby vacuum cleaners and things not directly related to building a home. We’ve weeded those out over the years.”

What will be found at the event, according to the HBA, is a record number of vendors – at least 476 booths, representing 243 vendors – who will be ready to talk shop with current and potential homeowners.

“You can basically find everything you need at this show to build your house, including financing or subdivisions to go looking for lots,” Harp said.

Market in flux

With the housing market in a downturn, the show gives vendors a chance to connect with more customers and build their businesses.

“It’s been pretty good, but we are starting to see a softening of the market, which is making that buying customer even more valuable,” Harp said. “People come to our show ready to buy.”

Potential business leads may have attributed to the waiting list for Home Show vendor space.

“Individuals are having to work a little harder to get in front of people,” Ruth said. “When business is really good and you are booked out for eight or nine months, the Home Show is still a good idea, but it doesn’t have that sense of urgency.”

The Home Show was a top priority for Matthew Wehner, the new owner of Cabinets by Lane.

“We just bought the business two months ago,” Wehner said. “The previous owners had never been part of the show. My wife and I attended the Home Show and thought it would be a great marketing tool to get out there and introduce ourselves to the public and the builders.”

While Wehner will highlight his new role with Cabinets by Lane, other vendors will be capitalizing on trends, which Harp said include environmentally friendly options and energy efficiency this year.

That’s what Bob Huntoon, owner of Liberty Home Solutions, is counting on.

“We sell a line of energy-efficient and maintenance-free windows, doors and siding,” Huntoon said. “They are popular … now that it is so costly to heat your home.”

Huntoon said that even in a downturn, quality will count.

“It’s like everything else,” Huntoon said. “Because it has the best value, I don’t think the market for good quality anything will ever go away.”[[In-content Ad]]