The show must go on! That was the overwhelming conclusion drawn from the first Fencing & Landscaping News Show held at Newark Showground on October 19 and 20 .
Over 1,500 visitors attended the two-day event sponsored by treatment specialists Osmose and Arch Timber Protection, and the vast majority took the view that the show can only get bigger and better.
For many of the 40 exhibitors it wasn’t so much the quantity, but quality of the visitors that was impressive.
Darren Atkinson from fencing and gate manufacturer Calders & Grandidge, commented: “The show has been an excellent test of our new gate designs on the industry. Everyone who visited our stand showed interest in the products and asked the right questions, which goes to show that the right people came to visit. We view it as a definite success and we’ve already signed up for next year.”
Phil Walters of M&M Timber Co Ltd said: “The people visiting our stand were our target audience and we are predicting that it will prove to have been a very productive event. At many shows, visitors to your stand are not predominantly potential customers. Here there were fencing and landscaping people and key decision-makers – the right people.”
Virtually every exhibitor came to the event laden with innovative give-away promotional merchandise to boost brand recognition, but West Midlands firm Security Fasteners probably stole the show with its dedicated CD- ROM presentation.
Live demonstrations
Exhibitors also put on live demonstrations, including NS McDonald which showed the capabilities of its Australian-developed hand-held post driver, a product finding a ready market with fencing contractors across Europe.
Owner Neil McDonald said: “Visitors had the chance to view the post driver in action and test it out for themselves. There is no manually operated piece of machinery like it in the market place and it’s increasingly becoming a vital tool for fencers and farmers.”
Frome-based gate, fencing and timber supplier AJ Charlton & Sons Ltd exhibited an impressive shell scheme that greeted visitors entering the stands inside the exhibition hall. The company also reported that it was consistently busy through the show.
Michael Charlton said: “It was great to get so many people together from the industry and it’s something we should be doing more. I was impressed with all of the stands. They all had something to say and they said it well, even my competitors!
“The social side is also an important part of exhibitions. We share a lot of working experiences and, as well as getting to know individuals on a more convivial basis, we also picked up on ways in which we can improve our business approach.”
Another business which saw the event as a positive departure for the fencing sector was co-sponsor Osmose. “It was an excellent show and very well attended,” said marketing manager Anthony Bell. “Let’s hope it becomes a regular event in the fencing calendar as it’s just what the industry needs.”
Show success
From Fencing & Landscape News’ point of view, visitor numbers to the show were about what we predicted and for a first attempt it was an undoubted success, despite the fact that a number of plant and machinery visitors outside the exhibition hall were nearly washed away in a torrential downpour on the first afternoon! We can’t be anything other than delighted with the response to the event and we will definitely be repeating it in 2006. The format and venue have yet to be nailed down. Newark proved a good venue, easily accessible from both north and south, but we’ll make a firm judgement after reviewing all the comments. Our aim will be to build on this year’s success to make this the premier showcasing event for the fencing and landscape sectors.
