Fifth Wairarapa Home Show attracts 37 exhibitors

Homeowners, families, retirees and people escaping from the weather turned out for the Wairarapa Home Show at the weekend, held in Masterton's recreation centre.
In the past, exhibitors across the whole show had picked up $2 million worth of business, Event Action organiser Mark Harris said, and some make more business than they do at the Palmerston North home show.
The show, now in its fifth year, attracted 37 stallholders from home and as far away as Auckland and Tauranga, selling wares including bathroom goods, solar panel systems, kitset home building, architecture services, karaoke systems and plastic bag sealers.
Over the two previous years, all available stallholder spots had been let a week out from the show.
This year the show had attracted "a number of new exhibitors", along with some who returned "which shows that we've got credibility with the exhibitors", Mr Harris said.
"It only takes a couple of those places that are selling homes & to sell a couple of houses and we've probably got half-a-million dollars of business in itself."
One exhibitor had picked up 50 leads off the Wairarapa show, with only 1400 visitors through over the weekend, which Mr Harris labels a "staggering amount" in comparison to 100 leads established at the Palmerston North home show with 15,000 to 20,000 people through.
"Interestingly enough, a lot of the businesses are from outside Wairarapa too, which means a lot of business could be going outside the Wairarapa region, which is sad," Mr Harris said.
But Masterton Queen Street business Home and Hozed Greenworld owner Shaun McGillicuddy, who was in his fourth year of exhibiting at the show, said Wairarapa businesses often have an advantage at the show with the visitors, who often bypass those from out of town.
He said having a stall at the expo is good for business, not only for instant customers, but for making contact with people who might want to renovate their house a year down the track.
You might also pick up customers who might not otherwise know of you, he said.
"Just because you're a local business, doesn't mean that everybody comes to your shop or comes to you. It's just another way of getting to the people.
"It's ideal if you're looking at renovation. It's just good to get different ideas. It's just vision, people come in to get all the ideas of what you can and can't do."