UP CLOSE Trade shows are year-round effort

Home, business exhibitions attract thousands. SEMCO started in Atlanta in 1959.

Q: Would you please explain your business? A: The company was founded in Atlanta in 1959, and consists of two divisions, one for trade shows, the other for home shows. This Friday, we kick off the 29th annual Fall Atlanta Home Show at the Cobb Galleria Centre. From March 22-24, we’ll have the 35th Annual Spring Atlanta Home Show at the Cobb Galleria Centre. We’ve got a long history of doing this. We also put on the North Atlanta Home Show at the Gwinnett Center on Feb. 10-12, 2013. Q: What else does SEMCO do? A: We also put on trade shows, or business to business shows. These are for specific industries. Next year we’ll have shows in Tampa, St. Louis, Phoenix and Pittsburgh, as well as in Atlanta. Topics will range from coal handling to mineral processing to energy automation. Q: What does SEMCO stand for? How many employees do you have and where are your offices? A: It’s an acronym for Southern Exposition Management Company. We are located in Roswell and have seven full-time employees. Q: What are your estimates on show attendance? A: We’ll have about 18,000 at the fall home show, 22,000 in the spring and 10,000 at the show in Gwinnett. Q: I realize you’re a private company, but please give me an idea of annual revenue?

Michael Schoppenhorst works all year for 26 days of trade shows.

As show director for Atlanta-based SEMCO Productions, he prepares large home and business shows attended by tens of thousands of people.

Schoppenhorst puts on three home shows a year, full of exhibits by hundreds of home improvement companies.

Then there are about 18 days of shows not intended for consumers, but for businesses that sell to other businesses.

Schoppenhorst, 48, will oversee SEMCO’s upcoming Fall Atlanta Home Show (Friday-Sept. 23) at the Cobb Galleria Centre, where he expects 18,000 or so metro Atlantans to attend.

Admission is $10, but children under 12 get in free, as do adults 65 and older. A: About $4 million to $5 million, which includes gross revenues from both divisions. Q: How many exhibitors? A: At the fall show, about 325. This is where vendors get a chance to show off their wares to people fixing up their homes, as well as builders and remodelers who want to learn about the latest products available.

We have roofing companies, appliances, solar panels, countertops, foundation repair companies, plumbers, home alarm companies, you name it. If it’s for the home, it’ll be here. It’s one-stop shopping for attendees, who can compare the newest products and services for home interiors and exteriors from among hundreds of local home improvement companies. We also have expert speakers each day, and there will be demonstrations and seminars. Q: You must have plenty of floor space? A: It’s about 144,000 square feet, or just over three football fields. It takes us four, 12-hour days just to set things up. Q: I can see how exhibitors make money, but what about SEMCO? A: Our revenues are derived from exhibitors, who pay a fee to participate in the show. Then there are ticket sales and sponsors. The exhibitors sell a lot of goods and services. The home shows are the bread-and-butter for a wide variety of exhibiting companies.

What are the demographics of people who attend these shows? A: I would say we are a 60-40 split, female to male. Age groups run a wide range, from firsttime homeowners to those with growing families, to retirees and empty nesters who are repurposing rooms within their homes.

Another growing trend is multigenerational homes. Children are living longer at home or coming back after college. Seniors are moving back in with their children versus going to assisted living facilities. Q: How long does it take to plan for each show? A: It takes a full year. We have to create floor plans, rent space to exhibitors, do the logistics, line up the speakers, make media buys, and so much more — and that’s all before the show even opens. Q: Which division, the home division or the business-to-business division, brings in the most money? A: It’s probably about even. Because of the recession, we have worked very hard not to raise our exhibitor fees or admission prices. Q: How has the poor economy affected you? A: Because of the recession, the slowdown, there’s a lot more remodeling than building of new homes right now. People are staying in their houses longer. Or they are having to sell, which means they need to fix things up. A lot of people are updating kitchens and bathrooms, or putting in new flooring or just a new coat of paint. Curb appeal is important, no matter what you do inside. Q: From your vantage point, how is the housing market performing now? A: Housing is doing better, and I think the economy is slowly getting stronger. The home shows are a good barometer for this. Exhibitors are telling us there is pent-up demand, and that even people who have put off remodeling in the past now feel comfortable spending the money to do it. Excess housing inventory is shrinking, which is also good for the industry. Q: Do you see remodeling continuing on an upward path? A: Definitely, because people are staying in their homes longer. For example, there are 10,000 baby boomers turning 65 every day in the U.S. Instead of trying to sell their homes in a difficult market, they are choosing to remodel to add features they may have always wanted. Or they may add improvements to help them age in place, like moving the master bedroom from upstairs to the main floor. Q: What other trends are you seeing? A: There’s more interest in solar energy. It’s less expensive now and becoming very popular again. Tax credits are still great. Other trends include outdoor living spaces, home automation and green improvements.