Timber flooring companies exhibiting at the Contract Floor Show in London last week were disappointed by visitor numbers, according to a straw poll of those supporting the event.
Companies contacted by TTJ, including ABV Hardwood Flooring, Upofloor (UK) and Jaochim Eckert Parquet (UK), reported that the show at the Hammersmith Novotel on February 6-7 failed to generate the numbers of architects and specifiers they had hoped for.
John Michael of ABV Hardwood Flooring said: ‘It could have done with more people. We spent most of the day talking to other exhibitors. I don’t think enough people got to know about it. It was very expensive for what we got out of it – £1,200 for 10m².’
Director of Jaochim Eckert Parquet (UK) David Watkins said: ‘We only had a handful of architects and specifiers on our stand and were led to believe that there would be many more of this sort of visitor. It was disappointing and there was a very narrow band of visitors who seemed to be mostly contractors.’
Jennifer Nogueira marketing executive at Upofloor said: ‘There were not enough attendees. There was traffic going by but we were not run off our feet.’
UK Floorcovering Exhibitions’ show organiser David Wildman reported that 800 visitors had attended the event, up from 670 the year before.
Mr Wildman added that the majority of exhibitors had re-booked for next year’s event on February 4,5 and 6, which is also to be held at the Hammersmith Novotel.