The National Hardware Show® celebrates a rich history,
spanning 66 years of serving the home improvement marketplace. Back in the day, this was where deals were
made in the hardware, home improvement and tool industry. If you had something
to sell, THIS was your gateway to
the retail world of all that is home repair and improvement. Industry stakeholders have looked forward to
that trip to originally New York, then Chicago and in recent years, Las Vegas, to
find out what was new, who was new and the latest tricks and techniques.
With the introduction of the big box store format, the
consolidation of retailers and the change in demographics of the American
homeowner, the influence of the Show has undergone a metamorphosis. The biggest deals with the biggest retailers
are now made throughout the year, allowing greater opportunity for small
inventors to introduce their innovations right along with industry power houses
like Stanley®, Craftsman® and their ilk.
Paint, lawn and garden were added to the NHS once the location changed
to Vegas. Then, lo and behold, after we
launched H.O.W. ®, tailgating
products were added to the mix. Now
we don’t think we had anything to do with that, but it sure was nice to find
out that we weren’t the only folks who realize that people who work on their
homes, probable dig sports too. Not to
mention, it’s one stop shopping for our crew – one trade show to provide new
product information for everything that we cover.
Until the likes of HGTV® began to grace the small screen, no
one outside of the industry had any idea that the offerings on your local
hardware and home improvement store shelf arrived there as a result of this
massive trade show. During my days in the industry, I waited with bated breath
for the call to work the booth at the Hardware Show. Great stories were told of the Mad Men style
social events, big deals and efforts to surreptitiously check out the wares of
the competition. Yep – I was invited out
of the occasional competitor’s booth once or twice – did my share of chasing
as well. The big excitement for me as a
product marketer was the opportunity to share my zeal for my product with the
retail decision-makers who normally only get that as filtered through our sales
force.
After more than a decade of being an exhibitor at the Hands
On Women® equivalent of New York’s Fashion Week, now I look at the show through
the eyes of editorial media. Having been
part of the development, testing, marketing, training and end-user support
processes of providing products in this marketplace, I have a different perspective
than my fellow H.O.W. ®-mates. Our
combined points of view allows H.O.W. TV® to give you the true inside scoop on
what’s new to help you attack all those projects on your to-do list; and maybe
even some that you thought were outside of your abilities. Remember, we can do almost anything with the
right tools.
The number of products unveiled at this show
that women would find truly helpful, yet to this day are absent from the
average retail shelf, would fill a Hands On Women® warehouse store. While the
average woman is not necessarily foremost in the minds of retail decision
makers as they view these wares, these great products should not be excluded
from finding their way into your project ‘bag of tricks’. Tell us which
products you would seek out and what questions you would ask the companies’
experts. We will be reporting daily from the Show on our Facebook fan page. Make
sure to sign up for the H.O.W. Now News newsletter for our wrap up report of
the 2012 National Hardware Show. And guess what – this year, they’ve added a
section of the floor dedicated to product made in the USA – WOO HOO!
The logos and trademarks shown in this post are the property of their respective owners.
The logos and trademarks shown in this post are the property of their respective owners.
