Westem Home Center Show

.F ENERALLY favorable reviews

\lgreeted the first annual Western Home Center and Building Materials Show held October 2l-23, at the Anaheim, Ca., convention complex. The industry concensus indicated that the event has potential to become one of the country's major regional shows.

Attendance figures totaled 10,129 for those preregistered, including exhibitors, according to show officials. Final attendance totals were not available at press time. Organizers were widely credited with staging a first class, professional show. More than 500 exhibitors showcased new products and services tailored to the Western market.

The show will be held next year in the same two halls at the Anaheim Convention Center, November 16-18, 1984. John F. Berry, director, trade show division, Vance Publishing Co., the show sponsor, said that "as a result of the tremendous response by both exhibitors and retailers to the first show, we want to be certain that we can accommodate next year's anticipated demand for exhibit space."

Home center retailers gave high scores to the nine business management seminars held during the show, according to William Fishman, seminar director and a columnist for this magazine.

He said 8390 of the attendees who filled out opinion cards rated the seminars as "excellent" or "very good;" l49o indicated "good;" and 390 scored them "fair." No one rated a seminar "poor."

Comments reflected a wide range of special concerns. "This was the first computer seminar I've attended given in plain English! I felt like a participant, not an uneducated observer," said one.

"It was worth tne trip from Alaska." said another.

Designed to be practical, educational workshops, the seminars were conducted by panelists who spend their work day engaged in the business activity under discussion.

Subjects ranged from using minicomputers for management information to strategic planning and merchandising in the western market. Two seminars were devoted specifically to DIY: capturing more DIY business; and teaching do-it-yourself skills to consumers which was chaired by The Merchant Magazine's editorpublisher David Cutler.