Page 57 - BusinessWest August 18, 2021

Gisele Gilpatrick says the lingering pandemic has forced show organizers to constantly reassess safety protocols.
booth, they often share photos with her, but they are not of children and pets. “They bring us pic- tures of their basements and say, ‘this is what my nightmare looks like,’” she said, adding that an interesting dynamic happens when someone describes the specifics of their wet-basement problem.
“One person might be telling us their story, and others who overhear become interested in the conversation because they have similar prob- lems in their basements,” she said. “The next thing you know, a group of people are gathered around our booth.”
Safety First
While gathering at a booth can be good for business, this year, people will need to take social distancing into consideration when they con- gregate. The emergence of the Delta variant of COVID has show organizers making constant adjustments to their safety protocols.
“In planning the show, we’ve gone back and forth from wearing masks to not wearing masks as mandates keep changing, so it won’t be a sur- prise if they change again,” Gilpatrick said.
The maintenance staff at the Exposition grounds have boosted their protocols with more
frequent surface cleaning during the show. They have also strongly encouraged people to wear masks. Crane advised, “if you are at all uncom- fortable, wear your mask.”
Despite all that, Gilpatrick believes it’s worth attending the show, and for some, the scaled- down version might be easier to navigate.
“The crowds at the March Home Show can be
“We often see a 40% increase
in business right after the Home Show. Even though we’re in a busy time right now, that can change, so we want people to keep us in the loop when they plan their kitchen and bath projects in the future.”
overwhelming for some people,” she said. “This edition of the show will be easier to get around, and we will still have lots of quality exhibitors.”
As people have stayed closer to home for the last 18 months, many have set aside the money they would normally have spent on vacations and going out, and are using those funds instead to make improvements to the inside and out- side of their homes, a trend Loughlin said is far from over. “People who are planning home proj- ects now have been looking at their houses for a
(413) 562-0601
1106 East Mountain Road, Westfield, MA 01085
WWW.RAYMAAKERS.COM
Let Us Keep Your Project On Track!
CONSTRUCTION SERVICES OFFERED:
We Meet Demanding Schedules!
3On time 3On Budget
• Total Site Development
• Storm Water Management
• Pump Stations
• Utility Installation & Repair (water,
sewer, drainage)
• Mass DOT Certified
• Culverts and Bridges
• Steel Building Construction
• Sitework for Renewable Energy Projects • Airport sitework, rehabilitation, civil
construction
• Bonding to $15M
Commercial, Industrial, New Development Call today to discuss your project needs!
HOME IMPROVEMENT
AUGUST 18, 2021 57
BusinessWest