Every year- we at Safety Hoist search the web looking for the best trade shows and expos to attend. Expos from roofing to painting and everything in between- we’ve done it all. When looking for shows to attend, we always consider the location as well as show content. With Texas leading the nation in residential homebuilding, it was a no-brainer for us; we had to find a show in Texas! When we found Sunbelt Builders Show, we immediately knew we had to go. Not only was the show in Grapevine, Texas, it included some of the leading residential building professionals in the country. So, we packed up our things and booked our flights to Fort Worth, Texas!
Headquartered at the Gaylord Texan Resort, Sunbelt Builders Show kicked off on August 6th, 2019. Robert Delaney, President, Nick Bleiler, our Operations Manager, and Dimya Williams, our Warehouse Supervisor, lead our team in setting up and running our company booth. I had a chance to sit down with Nick and Dimya to discuss their time at our most recent show.
Sunbelt is historically a huge conference for the building industry. This conference has sold out the past five years, so needless to say, expectations were high. “We loved seeing all the activity” Dimya recounts. “There were so many vendors as well as attendees. It was an awesome mix of people all brought together because of our industry”. The show hosted roughly 200 exhibitors and close to 3,000 attendees.
Aside from its past popularity, how does the show stand out among so many others? Nick thinks it was their creativity in the design process that set this show apart from the rest. “Before walking into the convention center, we passed a huge wall with a lot of writing on it. This caught our eye, so we went up to see what it was all about. The wall was a giant canvas for exhibitors and attendees to sign and write little comments. I thought the idea was so innovative and something we haven't seen at any shows before. It was a fun way to meet people and companies you may not have met at your booth”.
Wow! It sounds like the design of the entrance into the convention center was a huge success- but how did the inside stack up? Dimya and Nick agreed that the inside did not disappoint. “The facility was absolutely beautiful. We loved seeing all of the different exhibitors. There were so many new products as well as a ton of familiar companies”.
"We knew right from the second the show started that we made a good choice coming" Nick recounted. "We got the opportunity to speak with customers who had previously purchased our products as well as new attendees who wanted more information. That's what these shows are all about - getting our products out there and informing potential customers of the benefits of owning a Safety Hoist. I definitely think we accomplished this at Sunbelt".
Nick Bleiler and Dimya Williams enjoying their time at Sunbelt Builders Expo[/caption]
While you may think these conferences are all work and no play for vendors, Nick said he had a blast. “We loved our “booth neighbors” and had a great time chatting with them. Even though they were Cowboys fans, we will let it slide since they are from Texas and we are from Philly”. Nick and Dimya agreed that the surrounding booths made their time at this show so fun and enjoyable - even though they were Cowboys fans. When asked about the most unique product they saw advertised, the answer was unanimous. “Besides our products of course- we loved the ABC Supply booth. Their setup was awesome. They even had a formula 1 race car and a racing simulator. It was very creative and interactive ”.
Wow - it sounds like those high expectations were met! Our team had a great time showing our products and interacting with everyone who attended. From all of us here at Safety Hoist Company, we want to thank everyone who showed up and supported our company at this show- we truly had a blast!
Want to join in on the fun next time? You can find us in New Orleans September 23rd-26th for the annual
Want us to come to a convention in your city? Let us know in the comments!