Dallas, TX, March 22 – In its first show under management of Hanley Wood Exhibitions, the 2007 DeckExpo
was a record setting event in terms of both exhibit space and attendance. For two days, February 28 – March 1,
the deck, dock and railing community came together at the Las Vegas Hilton to find new products, view demonstrations
and participate in education that would take their business to the next level.
Officially sponsored by the North American Deck and Railing Association (NADRA) and PROFESSIONAL DECK BUILDER
Magazine, DeckExpo provided attendees with MORE in terms of exhibits, networking and education opportunities. 165 companies
filled the trade show floor, a 14% increase from 2006, providing attendees with 30,200 square feet of cutting edge products, services
and show floor education. DeckExpo 2007 had a total verified attendance of 2,149 with buyer attendance up over 41% from the 2006
event in Memphis. Overall, both exhibitors and attendees were thrilled with the enthusiasm at the 2007 event.
“There was a very high energy at DeckExpo,” said W.R. “Bill” Schaffer, Vice President of Conves Lindo who was a first time exhibitor
at DeckExpo. “This was one of the best shows I’ve been to in 15 years.”
Martin Ruch from USP Structural Connectors had a similar experience at DeckExpo. “The attendance and location of the event were
excellent,” said Ruch. “All of our employees were excited with the energy and enthusiasm with the show. We haven’t seen an audience
like the DeckExpo crowd that ‘gets it’. We’re excited to come back next year!”
From an attendee point of view, DeckExpo offered the best range of products and services in an ideal setting for interaction and
exchanging of ideas. “The truth is I believe that what we learn at the Expo helps us to better service our customers,” said Bobby
Parks of Archadeck of North Atlanta. “I believe it helps to raise the industry standard by educating us as builders to new products
and keeps the creators of these products on their toes as they compete for our business. It forces the vendors to keep looking for
new and better ways to provide us the best available. It keeps us all from becoming complacent.”
New to the show floor were the Live Action Clinics taught by construction pros Mike Guertin and Rick Arnold. These peer-to-peer
instructional presentations focused on issues relevant to jobsite production issues such as flashing a deck ledger and composite
decking. With 5 unique session topics offered throughout the show, attendees had their fill of hands-on education. Attendee Bruce
MacDermott “particularly enjoyed the demonstrations and the ability to see so many different decking solutions in one place.” Said
MacDemott, “I loved the clinic sessions on deck materials and fasteners. Having so many different products discussed in one session
was a great benefit.”
The new show offerings, such as the Live Action Clinics and the Ice Breaker Reception on the show floor, definitely added to the hype
that drew an international crowd to this year’s event. The 2007 show had attendees from China, Denmark, Finland, France, Japan,
Russia, South Africa, Spain and Turkey among other countries. Phillip Hutt of Decks by Design traveled from Australia to attend DeckExpo.
“It was a professional expo that I would be proud of telling my peers in Australia about. I met many people at the show, some of which
will influence me greatly in business,” said Hutt. “DeckExpo also showed me the future of decking in Australia, the industry is growing
and I intend to lead it.”
The DeckExpo conference program played an important part in the success of this year’s event. This year’s offerings included a full-day
Conference Intensive, four Workshops and nine Seminars with content ranging from marketing and sales to business and production.
MacDermott found the DeckExpo classes both informative and invigorating. “It was fun watching classmates as they experienced profound
realizations of how they could be working smarter, not harder,” he said. “We all learned more than we had expected by the end of each session.”
Mark Hansen of Wasatch Valley Construction feels he benefited most from the marketing courses he attended at the show. “By applying
what I learned by attending the classes, I know that my business will grow by leaps and bounds this year,” said Hansen.
Shawn Miller of Classic Designs, Inc looks forward to attending the DeckExpo conference program every year. “There are education
classes that take you out of your ‘normal’ way of thinking and get you to realize that there is more than one way to run your business,”
said Miller. “Add to all that the friendships you make and the ideas you get from other builders across the country, and you have the making
of a must-see event that should not be missed for any reason!”
“It is important for the industry to attend the DeckExpo because this business is getting very specialized,” said Clemens Jellema of Fine
Decks, Inc. “Just one little piece of advice or recommendation can save you thousands of dollars. But the main reason I keep coming back
to the show is because of the people, to build relationships and share information.”
“I left this Deck Expo as I would leave a pep rally,” said Parks. “I felt invigorated, proud of what we do as deck builders, and felt confident that
I was up to date about what products are available to us. I felt ready for the spring season.”
The 2008 DeckExpo will be held in Orlando, Florida at the Orange County Convention Center, Hall NA2. Exhibits will be held March 5 – 6.
Conferences will be held March 4 – 6. For more information on DeckExpo, including a complete list of 2007 exhibitors, please visit www.DeckExpo.com
About Hanley Wood
Hanley Wood, LLC, is the premier media company serving housing and construction. Through four operating divisions, the company produces
award-winning magazines and Web sites, marquee trade shows and events, rich data and custom marketing solutions. The company also is
North America’s leading provider of home plans. Hanley Wood Exhibitions (Dallas) conducts 17 trade shows, including World of Concrete, one
of the top 20 trade show events in the country.
Founded in 1976, Hanley Wood is a $250 million company owned by affiliates of JPMorgan Partners, LLC. CCMP Capital Advisors manages
the Hanley Wood investment for JPMorgan Partners.
