Vendors eye business leads at annual home show

It would seem that area homeowners are eager to find out what's new or popular for home construction at the Home Builders Association of Greater Springfield's 2009 Home Show, judging by the number of telephone and Web inquiries HBA staff members have fielded about the event.

HBA Operations Manager Charlyce Ruth said the five-year attendance average for the Home Show, scheduled this year for Feb. 6-8 at the Springfield Expo Center, is 14,000 to 16,000 people, but she wouldn't speculate on how many this year's show might bring.

On tap for the 2009 edition are nearly 240 vendors, including 21 builders and remodelers, a full schedule of seminars and demonstrations, and the latest innovations in home improvement. (See map, vendor lists and schedules at the links below this article).

Ruth said she's excited to see some of the booths, particularly because several vendors are switching things up and redesigning their space.

For example, The Bailey Co. will emphasize the remodeling side of its business by setting up its booth as a before-and-after kitchen remodel. The booth is split down the middle - done in late 1970s style on one side and ultra modern on the other.

Owner Matt Bailey said the approach is "something a little different than what I've seen at the show," and he hopes it will set his company apart.

Visitors to Bailey's booth won't see Aztec gold or avocado green appliances.

"That was a little too extreme for us," he said - but they will see retro linoleum, wood paneling, Formica countertops and the classic beaded curtain.

In contrast, the modern side will feature brushed nickel hardware, a glass tile backsplash, wood flooring and granite countertops, all of which is available from Home Show vendors.

The message, Bailey said, is that updating a home doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. And while he hopes the booth design will attract visitors, it also is proving to be a lot of fun for his staff.

"We actually researched dressing my staff up in the 'Starsky & Hutch' look," Bailey said, "but I don't know if we're actually going to do that." Still, it's a safe bet that there will be a leisure suit somewhere in the booth - even if it's on a hanger.

Demonstrations

While seminars are a regular feature of the Home Show, a new addition this year is live demonstrations on topics that range from high-tech home inspections to solar energy to home security.

Homer Berry, owner of Advanced Eco-Tech Inspections, will demonstrate "How Infrared Technology Enhances Your Energy Choices."

An infrared camera can show electrical problems inside a wall; spot moisture problems behind walls, under linoleum, behind siding or under the fascia; reveal missing insulation behind walls or ceilings; detect leaks in HVAC systems; and show heat loss or gain around windows and doors, Berry said.

This can provide essential information for the home buyer or seller, as well as help the homeowner measure a home's energy efficiency and address deficiencies.

Berry, who opened Advanced Eco-Tech in September, uses technology patented by Home Safe Inspection of Oxford, Miss. His experience with infrared applications, however, is international. Since 2004, he has worked overseas in U.S. embassies and military facilities, and with U.S. State Department contractors, as a Level I thermographer.

Nathan Jones, vice president, designer and consultant with Power Source Solar Inc., is also on the demonstration schedule, offering insight on "Solar Energy: The Alternative You've Been Looking For."

Jones said he plans to cover photovoltaics, which is electricity from light, and thermal energy, using solar panels for space and water heating.

Solar energy generation in the home is just now coming into its own.

"We've been in the business for 12 years, and most of our career was spent doing retrofit to existing structures," Jones said. "Just in the last 18 months or so have we been starting to see solar going in with new construction, where it's actually being designed into the home or business."

The net meter law, passed in Missouri last year, enables homeowners to generate some or all of their own electricity, and those who produce more electricity than they need can sell it back to the utility grid.

Jones' plan for his demonstration is "to remove the mystique from (solar energy) and just get it down to brass tacks and nut-and-bolts," but he also is prepared to provide more complex information in the question-and-answer portion of his program.

Home Show veteran Bryan Morris, finance manager for American Detection Specialists, also appears on the demonstration schedule with "Secrets of Home Security."

Morris said he will address practical matters related to choosing a security system, including how to get the best value.

"People are becoming much more aware of the need of some kind of security, and at the same time feeling much more concerned about not getting what they really need or somehow being taken advantage of," he said.

Morris will provide tips and tactics for making a good security investment.

For example, "The most important sensor, or the most important type of sensor for intrusion detection, is the door contact, simply because most intrusions are through a door," Morris said. "Somebody crawling through a window certainly can happen, but mostly that's a Hollywood thing because it is typically too difficult, it makes too much racket and it's too dangerous to try to come through a window."

Those who attend his program, he said, "will get something of value whether they spend a dime or not."[[In-content Ad]]