Better Than Ever

Following COVID hiatus, Gilcrest/Jewett Trade Show returns for a third year.

Back in 2018, Matt Thompson of Gilcrest/Jewett had visions of a local trade show event to bring together customers and suppliers in a way they couldn’t on a daily basis.

“From the first, we got great feedback from both exhibitors and attendees,” says Thompson. “The only real opportunity most of our customers have to talk to the suppliers or try out new products is at national trade shows, so having something local gives more people a chance to do that.”

He says the company had planned to host the trade show annually. However, the COVID pandemic brought a temporary halt to this event as it did with so many others. “We hosted it in 2018 and 2019,” Thompson says, “and then couldn’t in 2020, of course.”

The next two years were so hectic, coordinating an event in an industry already at capacity simply wasn’t possible.

“By the beginning of this year, we felt we were able to do another. Our customers and vendors hadn’t had a chance to get that same face time in quite a while,” says Thompson.

Held in early April, the 2023 Gilcrest/Jewett Trade Show brought together about 50 vendors and 200 attendees at the West Des Moines Sheraton. Thompson says, “We had a few new suppliers set up booths this year, and nearly all the suppliers who participated the first year have returned every time.”

For vendors, the appeal of the event is the one-on-one connections they make with the end users of their products. For builders and contractors, the evening offers a rare opportunity for hands-on introductions to new materials and products.

Kent Card, Territory Manager for Wausau Supply, has participated in all three trade shows. He says, “Gilcrest/Jewett does a good job of coordinating a great event with a good vendor and customer turnout. It gives us the opportunity to show our products to people in the trade and to spend quality time with Gilcrest/Jewett contractors and Gilcrest/Jewett staff.”

Wausau offered multiple booths at this year’s event to showcase different products. “The show gets us in front of serious end users with projects that use many of our products,” Card says. “It’s awesome to meet customers that are currently using our products as well as to present products to potential new customers. The relaxed, casual atmosphere allows customers to spend as much time at each booth as they want, and that’s really helpful.”

Thompson says, “At the end of the night, one exhibitor told me the last builder who stopped by his booth and talked made the whole evening worthwhile. Sometimes it’s one contact that makes all the difference.”

From the builder perspective, those few hours visiting each booth can also have a major impact on future projects. “I had a builder tell me he stops at every single booth because it’s the best opportunity he has to really check out the products and see new options that aren’t always a regular stock item,” Thompson says. “The vendors really appreciate that, and we’re looking at ways to encourage more builders to take advantage of that one-on-one opportunity.”

Because contractors typically only see the products Gilcrest/Jewett regularly keeps in stock, shows like this can introduce a wider range of product options. “We always offer lumber, windows, floor covering, and cabinets,” says Thompson, “but some people don’t even realize the variety of materials we have. And we can order those less common products for custom jobs, even if we don’t stock them every day. So our suppliers like the chance this trade show gives them to introduce those products to our customers.”

This type of feedback from both exhibitors and attendees helps Thompson and his team provide an even better event each year. They’re already discussing ideas for next year’s show. “We would like to make this an annual event,” Thompson says, “so we need to make sure we’re bringing something new each time to make it worthwhile for both suppliers and attendees.”

Along with parent company US LBM, Gilcrest/Jewett is already working on ways to coordinate with suppliers for next year’s trade show, including adding a registration component in order to better track attendance and enable better follow-up.

“We always hold the show in conjunction with the Greater Des Moines HBA’s After Hours event, but we’re also considering ways to adjust our exhibit hours so everyone is getting the most benefit,” explains Thompson. This year, in fact, exhibits opened earlier than in previous years. Thompson says that gave exhibitors more interaction with potential customers.

“We’re discussing incorporating more training elements next year. The educational aspect is always a great feature, whether it’s hands-on training sessions from vendors on new products or applications, or a training session as part of continuing education,” Thompson says.

The Gilcrest/Jewett Trade Show is educational for Thompson as well. “Even though we haven’t done formal follow-up questionnaires, our suppliers and customers offer constructive feedback so we can continue to improve the show,” he says. “We get feedback on which products customers are interested in, the suppliers get feedback on what their end users want to learn more about, and it helps all of us serve our customers better.”