FIT for purpose?
April saw the inaugural FIT Show burst onto the Fenestration scene. Replacing the now defunct Glassex exhibition, the FIT show was branded as the event to restore the buzz in the Fenestration world.
Lister Trade Frames of Stoke on Trent were one of the first companies to sign up nearly a year and half before the planned launch. They recognised how important it was going to be with what they thought would be a pivotal moment in the Fenestration calendar.
“When we were presented with the concept of the FIT show and the enthusiasm that Matthew Glover displayed, it was a no brainer to become part of it,” said Mark Warren, Managing Director. “We decided to take two stands and set the gears in motion planning our exhibit.”
Listers participation was also recognised by the event organiser Matthew Glover who said, “Listers standing as a major brand in the industry together with Mark’s work both as the Managing Director of the company and his involvement with the GGF meant Listers early support for The FIT Show was an undoubted influencer for others. Listers have a reputation for setting standards and we have little doubt that having the Listers brand in our early exhibitor’s lists attracted others too.”
“Mark’s position as President of the GGF also helped us by offering a personal ‘seal of approval’ for many within and without the GGF,” added Matthew. “Listers on-going promotional and marketing work from the outset was a great boon to us.”
As more and more companies joined up, it was clear to Listers that they had made the right decision to get involved early. Having secured a prime position between Halls 1 and 2 they had positioned themselves right in the midst of the foot traffic and given themselves the best opportunity at attracting extra business.
Listers approached the exhibition with their usual fervour and industry and had been bombarding social media with teasers and glimpses at what they would be displaying and it obviously paid off as the Listers stand welcomed a wide range of interested parties who had followed their tweets and Facebook updates.
“It’s fair to say we were delighted and a little bit surprised at how busy the event was,” said Phil Warren, Listers’ Sales Director. “The crowds were there for the whole 3 days and we were rushed off our feet! We took 7 members of staff to man the stands and armed with their iPads and data pens, we came away with over 200 potential new customers.”
The evidence suggests that the FIT show was a roaring success for all that took part. In fact Listers converted one of their leads just 3 days after the event to secure a £7k conservatory order.
“We’ll definitely be involved at FIT show 2014 and we’ll take what we learnt from the 2013 event to make sure that we get even better results next year,” said Phil. “With the amazing way this event was delivered, we can only assume that next year is going to be even busier and we want to be a part of that.”