Home and Leisure Show offers break from winter

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This article was published 11/04/2022 (1433 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The excitement of the first live spring trade show in two years was enough to draw a large crowd to the Keystone Centre over the weekend.

It was a smaller Brandon Home and Leisure Show than pre-pandemic instalments, but everyone from the vendors to children picking up free gifts were happy to have it back.

“We’ve had so many guests come back and say they are just happy to see a show,” said Leann Bower, manager for the Brandon Home and Leisure Show. “We missed things for a couple of years. It’s smaller this year because not everyone who was with us before could join us, but we will have them back next year. This is a great start to getting back to the way things were.”

There were a few reasons for the smaller number of exhibitors. When they started planning the show, they were still under pandemic restrictions and had a smaller floor plan, so they couldn’t open up space for every business and service that would normally attend the show. Additonally, many businesses are still wrestling with supply-chain issues and being short-staffed, so they couldn’t guarantee they would have enough stock or people to run their exhibits.

Trade shows have always been about businesses and services coming to the people under one roof. This event brought together businesses ranging from home renovation to leisure, landscaping, automotive, pools and spas and gardening. Those companies also serve a wide range of needs, from do-it-yourself, to hiring experts to do the work for you.

Often, trade shows are a place for people to see what a business has to offer without having to go straight to the business’ location and discuss purchasing products and services. The joy of a live trade show had many pulling out their wallets for immediate sales, Bower said.

She had been walking around and could see sold signs going up on several display items, including home spas and barbecues.

One of the businesses that has been part of the trade show since it opened is Alternative Landscaping, which specializes in home decor, snow clearing, garden centre, greenhouse, yard maintenance and excavation. The business has been part of the trade show since it opened its doors 24 years ago and has been sponsoring for about eight years, according to co-owner and general manager Karin Griffin.

A show like this is great for Brandon and their business as they are about home and leisure, Griffin said. The city gets to showcase the services and attractions they have, and Alternative Landscaping gets to highlight their products and services.

While the trade show may not generate much immediate business for them, it promotes the business’ name to the public.

“Our business is well-known around the city and we have a lot of clients outside the city. It’s about seeing people during this time of year and having them come meet us to talk about an issue they may be having, or discuss an idea they have and see if it will work for them.”

After two years of pandemic restrictions, people have come to realize their homes are the most important space they have and want them to look their best. People have been coming to Alternative Landscaping to renovate and redesign their indoor and outdoor spaces to make them more comfortable and functional.

People are also thinking about the cost of living and food security, prompting them to use their extra space to grow their own food.

Another summer recreation season is around the corner, and the Universal Truck Accessories booth looked like it was ready for a camping weekend, with vehicle rooftop tents, coolers, hitch barbecues, folding chairs and the business’ signature Jeep.

General manager Jon Penner said the company has been waiting two years to get back to the trade show and is more than pleased with the reception they received. The two-year wait has actually worked out well for them because it allowed the business to introduce outdoor and lifestyle products.

Demand for outdoor gear hasn’t gone away and it likely never will, Penner said. There was the initial surge in 2020 as people sought to get outdoors and away from lockdowns. During that time, people developed a taste for outdoor adventure and camping in comfort with family and friends. Universal Truck Accessories manoeuvered to take advantage of that.

“The things we have certainly supply people getting out into nature with those comforts,” he said. “We pick brands, but we wanted good value, like White Rock coolers and mugs. They are like Yeti, but they are a Canadian company and about 30 per cent cheaper.”

It’s not just camping supplies; they brought their Gladiator edition Jeep to show what they can do to people’s vehicles to make them outdoor-adventure ready, from floor mats, running boards, extra lights and a lot more.

» kmckinley@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @karenleighmcki1