Having been organising exhibitions for over 30 years – notably the bridal show, which also runs at the Harrogate International Centre – Wendy Adams first got involved with The Flooring Show back in 2009, just as the recession was really starting to bite. We find out how things have changed over the intervening years and what the current health of the show and flooring industry looks like.
Ed: So how did you make the switch from bridal dresses to flooring?
WA: It was when the owners of the original Harrogate Flooring Show decided to switch the venue to the NEC and the show’s original founder, David Wildman, was asked if he would be interested in organising an alternative one in Harrogate. Although not involved in flooring at the time, I was well versed in exhibition organisation and offered my services.
Ed: But now you’ve taken over full time?
WA: Yes, David decided back in 2012 that he actually enjoyed the retirement he’d interrupted to put the show back on and wanted to return to it, so I, basically, took over the whole organisation and marketing of the show.
Ed: Was that difficult?
WA: Very. The recession was still showing little sign of abating. Some exhibitors had pulled out and others were thinking about doing the same and I had to quickly understand how to better market and promote the show. It was tough, but we managed to make it through.
Ed: It obviously worked, as it’s still going, so how is the current health of the show?
WA: I have to say pretty good. We’ve managed to increase both exhibitor numbers and visitor numbers year-on-year. This year we’ve increased the number of exhibitors from around 160 last year to 190 and visitor numbers are up around 10% to 3,200.
Ed: What’s the breakdown of visitors?
WA: The majority are from the retail side, and we have strong representation from architects, interior designers, facilities managers and other specifiers, with a smaller, but significant, showing from flooring contractors.
Ed: What’s been the highlight(s) of the show for you this year?
WA: It was great to see the final of Carpet Fitter of the Year being held at the show, which will continue to be a feature at future shows. The Sunday night party was also great – especially the Bash Street Drummers – and we had a lot of compliments about it. The new feature ‘Ask the Expert’ proved a good addition and is something we’ll be keeping for next year with a few tweaks to make it even better.
Ed: So, in general, a successful event?
WA: Definitely. The feedback from exhibitors, in particular, has been fantastic. I think it’s best summed up by the rebookings we’ve already taken for next year, which account for 85-90% of this year’s exhibitors.
Ed: Any major changes planned for next year?
WA: We won’t change anything dramatically. We’ll continue to tweak and evolve things to make them better and get more visibility in marketing the show to boost visitor numbers. The Flooring Show is the main show for the industry in the UK, because it works for the exhibitors. We want to keep that going.
We’ll be talking to another leading figure from the flooring industry in next month’s F-Talk.