70th Home & Garden Show Expands to Second Building at the Big E

All Under One Roof (Actually, Two)

Andy Crane says the home show thrives, even in the internet age, because home-improvement business owners need to stay visible and put work into the pipeline.

Andy Crane acknowledged that many contractors and home-improvement companies are busy these days, thanks to a combination of factors, from people staying in their homes — due to higher interest rates and a shortage of inventory — to finding enough help to get jobs done.

They’re so busy that some — but certainly not all — are booking jobs several months out and even into next year, in some cases.

But even in this climate, where some contractors can’t touch new business for a few more quarters, it’s important to stay in front of consumers and continue to put business into the pipeline, said Crane, president of the Home Builders and Remodelers Assoc. of Western Massachusetts (HBRAWM).

And that’s why he’s not only expecting a sellout of booth space when it comes to this year’s Original Western Mass Home & Garden Show, taking place March 27-30 at the Eastern States Exposition — the 70th edition of this spring tradition — but also why the show is expanding into a second building this year, one dedicated almost exclusively to the ‘garden’ aspect of the event.

And with that move, the show is turning back the clock in some respects.

“Back in the day, we had two buildings, and a few years, we had three buildings,” Crane told BusinessWest. “This year, we’re going to have at least two and an outdoor area.”

The second building, known as the A Barn, will be geared toward yard equipment and accessories, plantings, and landscapes, with some details still to be finalized, he said, adding that this has been an element missing since COVID.

But getting back to his thoughts about contractors and why they want to be at this show, Crane said many aren’t coming to the Big E grounds looking for work — they already have enough. Instead, they want to make connections and enable consumers to at least get the process started.

“It gets the juices flowing — you might get some ideas and talk to some people,” he said. “Let’s say they can’t do it for a while … if you don’t get that process moving along, you’ll never get it done.”

Adam Quenneville, president of Adam Quenneville Roofing & Siding, agreed. His company has been part of the home show for roughly 25 years, and he comes back each year to help make sure the phones keep ringing.

“I would think that people still enjoy touching and feeling products and getting a sense for what they think that person is like. You can’t get that off a laptop; you just can’t.”

This is a quieter time of the year — although roof crews can work pretty much year-round — and a good time to make connections and add projects for the rest of the year, he said.

“It’s great to get out and see potential customers, and it’s an opportunity to get leads, give estimates, and secure business. A lot of people are going there because they have a home improvement in mind, and it’s nice to be able to let them see us in person, talk to us, get information, and go from there.”

With that, Quenneville spoke for every vendor at the show, including the ones who sell beer nuts and pickles, most of whom are focused not on making sales that day, but on the ‘go from there’ part of the equation.

It’s why the show has thrived for 70 years, and why the 2025 edition is shaping up as another opportunity to build back from the tumultuous COVID years and continue to grow.

Through the Roof

Crane said the home show, which annually attracts between 12,000 and 15,000 visitors and, recently, about 300 to 400 vendors, will be marking 70 years in some subtle ways, with additional giveaways and other promotions.

But mostly, this show will be like the 69 that have come before it, in that it presents an opportunity for the public to gather, see what’s new (or not so new, but still important), talk with experts, maybe finalize some plans for what they want to do, and put a face and business card with a person and company they’ve seen on the internet or heard about from neighbors, friends, or relatives.

Adam Quenneville says he’s been coming back to the home show for 25 years because it provides valuable exposure and leads for new projects.
Staff Photo

It’s been this way since the mid-’50s — except that part about the internet, said Crane, adding that, before social media and before consumers could click on websites, contractors had to get out in front of people. The home show was created to give members of the HBRAWM an opportunity to show what they do, how they do it, and, yes, how much it will cost.

And while consumers can learn much about a product or contractor by visiting a website, and still more by following up with friends and neighbors who placed a specific contractor’s sign on their lawn, there is still much to be gained from seeing these professionals in person, Crane said.

“I would think that people still enjoy touching and feeling products and getting a sense for what they think that person is like. You can’t get that off a laptop; you just can’t. “If it’s a zero-turn mower, would you rather sit on one than look at a picture?” he asked rhetorically. “How about picnic tables and high-top tables … you might as well get the exact one you want and the exact color. As for sheds, isn’t it better to stand in the shed rather than look at a picture of one? You can visualize where your mower is going to go and where your pool equipment is going to go or the pellets for your wood stove. That’s what the show brings that computers don’t bring.”

It still does that, but it has become much more, he went on, adding that the event has become a rite of spring for many, and a social gathering for some, with friends and neighbors often gathering at the show and then going elsewhere for dinner.

“The show is still a great place to talk, shop, and get ideas about your home, your property, some of the things that people like to do in their homes,” he said, adding that, while some things have changed since Dwight Eisenhower was patrolling the White House, the best things about the home show are what hasn’t changed.

For 2025, there will be more of the same, said Crane, with the emphasis on more, especially when it comes to space for visitors to roam and take in the many exhibitors, who cross every spectrum of home and garden improvement, from who can do the work to how to pay for it.

Indeed, there will be several banking and finance institutions on hand, he noted, adding that the categories for vendors runs the alphabetical gamut, from air filtration to women’s clothing, with more than eight dozen in between, everything from awnings and canopies to foundation repair; kitchens and baths (huge items of interest) to mosquito protection; sheds and gazebos to wells and pumps.

It will all be under … well, two large roofs in 2025, said Crane, adding, again, that a second building is something the public has asked for, and something that’s needed to properly showcase vendors and products.

As noted, the A Barn will focus on lawn and garden equipment, furniture, and accessories, everything from mowers and snow throwers to chairs, tables, firepits, and fountains — items that couldn’t be displayed as effectively in years past due to a lack of space.

Starting the Conversation

While the additional space provides room for more vendors and a chance to spread out, it also further activates the outdoor spaces at the Big E, said Crane, adding that there will now be traffic between the buildings — and opportunities to capture the attention of that traffic.

Over the years, those staffing the Adam Quenneville booth have succeeded in gaining the attention of visitors, said the company’s owner, adding that it has generated a steady flow of leads — and eventually customers.

“If I have to guess, I’d say we get about 100 opportunities,” he said, meaning actual estimates for potential customers. “We’ll probably give 90 people prices and secure about 50% of that — 45 to 50 jobs.”

That more than justifies the cost of the booth, he said, adding that the show has been one of the more successful methods of getting right in front of the public, telling the company’s story, and keeping the pipeline of work flowing.

Nick Riley, president of Chicopee-based N. Riley Construction, agreed. His firm specializes in home remodeling and new construction, and he’s been a regular participant at the show for the past 20 years because of the opportunities it provides to be visible, talk to people directly, and hand out business cards.

“We do really well at the home show, and that’s why we keep coming back,” he said, adding that he doesn’t take leads directly at the show, but instead instructs visitors to call and make appointments — and many of them do. “It’s about more than the eventual leads … it’s about getting in front of people, seeing them in person, and saying hello.”

Hundreds of other home and garden professionals can say the same thing, and they have — some of them for a half-century or more.

They keep coming back because the Western Mass Home & Garden Show has long been a spring tradition, a social event for some, a chance to gather ideas for most, and an opportunity, for those on the vendor list, to get down to business.