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20 Feb 2023
Engaging new customers, driving orders, increasing brand awareness and planning ahead topped the agenda at an NMBS event designed to help suppliers do better business with independent builders’ merchants.
Builders’ merchants buying society NMBS held its Exhibiting Excellence event on 31 January, at Coventry Building Society Arena. A prelude to the NMBS Exhibition on 19-20 April, the event supports supplier exhibitors with tips on how to make the most of the event by offering exclusive event rebates, offers on products and showcasing innovation.
Andy Hextall, NMBS commercial director, said:
“The NMBS Exhibition is the main buying and selling event for the independent sector, driving growth and engagement between suppliers and merchants by encouraging exclusive rebates and offers on products.”
“This year’s Exhibiting Excellence event saw the reintroduction of the exhibitor support day, with more than 350 attending to hear insights and advice from previous successful exhibitors, business experts and event leaders.”
Exhibiting Excellence 2023 also gave insight into how suppliers and independent merchants could use the NMBS Exhibition to support each other to help reduce the impact of materials costs moving forward.
The exhibitors heard from Chris Skeith, CEO of the Association of Event Organisers, as he explained: “76 per cent of brands are more likely to buy after seeing a company at an exhibition, so face-to-face interactions with potential customers are so important. Exhibitors need to focus on the visitor’s main priorities at events, being inspired and building connections, before their desire to buy products, to have the most effective interactions.”
The event heard talks from NMBS members, David Berry, managing director at C & W Berry and Paul Pamment, general manager at C.T. Baker. Paul explained how he uses the NMBS exhibition as a training opportunity for his junior buyers as part of a six-week challenge to make as much profit from the products they buy at the NMBS Exhibition as possible. Both David and Paul reiterated the importance for suppliers to communicate their offerings before the Exhibition to help them plan for the event.
Liz Male, director at Liz Male Consulting shared the importance of getting the core of a business, the website, matching the tone and feel of external communications, such as event presence, social media and press coverage.
Liz explained: “If potential customers are interested in doing business with you, they will Google you first. Make sure there’s no grit in the customer journey and the branding is consistent from their first interaction to their order confirmation and beyond.”
The event concluded with presentations and suggestions from NMBS suppliers who have exhibited at the NMBS Exhibition event previously, including Andrew Miller, head of sales at Marshalls, Jason Geeves, national account manager at Makita, Chris Ridgeon, group accounts sales manager at Toolbank and Tyrone Elkins, commercial manager at Restec. The main takeaways from these presentations were the importance of planning and following up on all leads. The look of the stand is critical to drawing attention and giving a quick product summary to potential customers. The presenters mentioned the importance of looking engaged and avoiding using phones or laptops to fill time, potentially missing out on sales opportunities. Exhibitors should also consider which colleagues they bring to the event, how many and the attributes and knowledge of each person to get the right mix of skills and confidence.
Looking ahead to the Exhibition 2023, NMBS chief executive officer Chris Hayward, said:
“This is the 55th NMBS Exhibition on our 60th year of trading and we are planning on making it the most successful show yet. In 2022 the event helped over 15,000 orders to be placed.
“With the help of over 270 exhibitors, 900+ delegates and a new app this year, we are supporting our suppliers and members business growth.”
Free registrations are now open for attendees at the NMBS exhibition: https://nmbs-2023.reg.buzz