home remodeling & lifestyle show
what to expect at this year’s lifestyle expo
Feature Story
EXPECT SOME NEW THINGS WHEN THE UPCOMING ANNUAL HOME REMODELING & LIFESTYLE SHOW
hits Albuquerque at the New Mexico Expo for the 27th year.“We’re going to have a variety of things,”said Rena Reiser, show manager.“There are going to be plenty of home stuff to get your spring projects kick started. It’s the first show of the year so there are plenty of things for people who have been putting off certain tasks during the winter.”
bigger and better
Reiser is part of a new group, Albuquerque Home Shows, which bought the popular event last year. This is its second show after putting on one in the fall, and the company has vowed to make this one bigger and better than ever.“This is our second as new owners so each show we’re looking to be new and improved with fresh ideas,”to she said of the EXPO that will run February 25-26 at the Manuel Lujan Jr. Exhibit Complex.
a touch of new mexican culture
Toward that end, the show has dedicated an entire hall to nothing but New Mexico products.“We’re going to have everything from foods, to jewelry, to art,”Reiser added.“All kinds of things will be there in Hall C; olive oils, jerkies and salsa. New Mexico made products. Hand-crafted items.”The additions were brought in after checking the results of questionnaires to attendees of last fall’s show.“We surveyed our people as they came through in September,” Reiser said.“We asked them what they would like to see more of at the show. Some of the feedback was for retail type of items, more New Mexico-type of products. Not everybody was there just for the home stuff. And we listened.”
Apparently the idea was a hit with vendors, as well, as that hall sold out quickly, Reiser said.“There are so many different types of woodworking, metalworking and other artists. It adds interest to the show and gives people a reason to stick around so it’s not just home improvement, there is a little bit of everything,”she added.
entertainment and seminars
In another effort to get people to hang out longer and increase the benefits to the attendees this year, Reiser shares that the show will include a stage that not only will be filled with entertainment, but also a full slate of seminars that will be useful for the consumer looking for some home ideas. “There’s going to be financial stuff for the home, a dog trainer with obedience tips on training and gardening tips,” she said. “We’ll be giving away door prizes like the Amazon Echo.”
dreamstyle’s presence
Some of the vendors have been enlisted to help, like DreamStyle Remodeling. “We’re going to have one on kitchen and bath remodeling, one on what to look for when replacing windows and our remodeling department is going to do another one,” said Dawn Dewey, DreamStyle marketing director. The Albuquerque-based company will have a major presence at the show, filling the equivalent of 20 10-by-10-foot booths, she said. “The home shows are a great opportunity for people in the community -as the season warms, people are looking to make improvements to the home – to have a chance to see everything we offer,” Dewey said.“It’s a place where they can shop around and have a good time.”
In addition to its exclusive Renewal By Anderson windows, which will have a particular extensive display, DreamStyle will also showcase its custom remodeling, design/build kitchens and bathrooms; bath wrap products to shower conversions, sunrooms, stucco, cabinet refacing and patio covers. “We’ll have a wide selection of top name-brand home products,” Dewey said. “We’re going to have a lot going on.”
adopting pets
Being a big sponsor of the Albuquerque Animal Humane Society, a portion of the space will be filled with adoptable pets. “We’re also going to have giveaways and a lot of fun stuff so people can come by and see what we have to offer,” she said.
vendor benefits
The show is not only good for attendees, but the vendors get benefits, as well, said Lucas Satterfield of BAC Roofing.“We like the steady crowd,”he said.“We’re very pleased with the quality of people who come to the show. We’ve been doing the home show forever now. We like the hours, how it is set up and ran. They advertise it very well and keep it very busy.”
Often customers will come back to visit, Satterfield said.“We have several customers that come back to see us every single year,”he said.“And we get a lot of leads. We get people who call us and say they saw us two or three years ago and kept the card and call us when they’re ready.”
It’s also a good time for the vendors to do some meet and greet.“A lot of the vendors have been doing it for a long time,” Satterfield said.“Other than customer access, you get a lot of good, quality time with vendors. It’s great for building relationships with other vendors.”Still, in the end, it’s the consumers who truly benefit. “We have a total of more 260 booths with more than 200 exhibitors,”Reiser said.“The cool thing is you can compare the different businesses. For instance, if you’re thinking of solar, you can interview more than one. It all will be under one roof to allow people to do some comparison shopping.”