Lace up your walking shoes and start an endurance training regimen!
This is the time of year for the home shows that come around annually.
VISIT OUR BOOTH #331 AT THE SUBURBAN HOME
& GARDEN SHOW @ OAKS EXPO CENTER; FEB 24-27, 2011
(Click on Picture for Event Information)
If you have never been to a home show, let me describe one of them to you.
Picture an extremely large exposition hall, some approach millions of square feet! Then you add hundreds of vendors which include national manufacturers, service companies, builders, remodelers, landscapers, local and national retailers, tool companies, furniture makers, cabinet companies, plumbing and electrical fixture suppliers, just to name a few. Into the mix, you then add thousands upon thousands of shoppers, from homeowners seriously searching for their dream to the people who are just window shopping with no intent to acquire anything except perhaps an idea or two.
These events are a lesson in human endurance. The fact that they are held over a 4-5 day period is evidence of the fact that, due to their immense size and the volume of people in attendance, you cannot possibly see everything there is to see in one day without setting a land speed record.
Here are a few tips on getting the most out of your visit to a home show…
1. Get advanced tickets. To save time, go to the event website and see if they are offering advanced tickets. This will save you the time of having to wait in line at the ticket booth at the front door with hundreds of other attendees.
2. Check around for free passes. With a little work, you can probably find a vendor or supplier that will have free or nearly free tickets for at least one day of the show. Don’t be afraid to ask at your local hardware store or supply house if they would have any passes available. The money you will save is worth a few phone calls or visits.
3. Plan ahead. Most events print advanced pamphlets that will give you a floor plan that will show the location of the vendor booths. Knowing that it would be a miracle for you to see everything on the floor, pinpointing your favorites and mapping out a route ahead of time, will assure that you see what you want to see. After that, everything else is a plus. Also, locate the restrooms and water fountains along your route. Just do it, you will thank me.
4. Take a backpack. Almost every vendor and every booth will have something to give to you. And without a doubt, you will be able to secure a bag of some sort to place all of these goodies in. But your own back pack is a must to make sure you have plenty of water and snacks and a place for you jacket that you most likely won’t need among the herd.
5. Eat before and after you go. It would serve you well to eat a hearty breakfast and get something to eat on the way home from the show, rather than eat inside the show. Two reasons, lines, lines and interest rates. Okay, three reasons. Lines, everyone seems to get hungry at the same time, believe me. Interest rates, you might need to get a home equity loan to pay for that hot dog, chips and a soda.
The moral of the story is “be prepared”. Do your “home” work, plan your day and stick to your plan.
And in the lingo of show vendors…“Have a great show”!
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