Community misses Kiwanis Home and Rec Show
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For the first time in over three decades, there was no Kiwanis Home and Rec Show in Tillsonburg this spring.
Local businesses and members of the community are feeling the impacts of such a loss.
“It was the best show around,” said Connie Foreman, manager with Backyard Watercreations Inc., a participant in the annual event since the beginning, 34 years ago. “Woodstock and Simcoe - they only have small facilities so they wouldn’t draw the people that Tillsonburg’s show would draw.”
Foreman said the Home and Rec Show was an important event for many companies in Tillsonburg and surrounding area.
“I think it will impact us, not having it,” said Foreman. “Some people at the show still didn’t know we were around because we’re not on the main street.”
Other local businesses who have been a long-time participants of the event are also dealing with its loss, but are unsure of the what the impacts, if any, will be on product or service sales this year.
“I don’t know if it’s going to really necessarily hurt our business in particular,” said Gerrard Stubbe, general manager and co-owner of Stubbe’s Furniture in Tillsonburg. “We’re well known enough in the community that I don’t think it was a major sales-driver.
“But as for some other businesses, that may have been the only way that they would be able to connect with the public or show what they have to offer,” he added. “I think it’s a big loss for the town.”
Trevor Swance, general manager of Courtland Professional Property Management, a landscaping/property maintenance, carpentry and snow removal company, had a similar view.
“I don’t anticipate it hurting us necessarily. I do anticipate perhaps not seeing regular customers that we’re used to seeing at the Home and Rec Show,” said Swance. “That was the biggest value for us – was reconnecting.”
Rob Pinnoy, co-owner of Royal Glass & Mirror Tillsonburg said his company shouldn’t feel an impact because they weren’t going to participate in the Kiwanis Home and Rec Show this year.
“We were in it for 25 years so we thought we’d give it a rest,” said Pinnoy.
“Over the past few years, what we have found is it’s (the show was) more about visiting and talking to potential customers than it was actually getting any type of leads.”
While many companies are opting not to participate in similar shows in other cities around the region, to maintain their exposure in the community and a competitive edge, some companies are choosing to increase the amount of advertising and are using other methods such as outdoor signage, community events and the Internet to advertise their product or service.
“We decided to put more into our web marketing,” said Swance. “We took funds, generally allocated for the Home and Rec Show and put it towards the web.”
Foreman agreed with a similar approach. “We’re trying to improve our website and Straffordville Public School is having a fundraiser - they’re holding a home and rec show on April 27 and we’re participating in that.”
Ron Bates, former chair of the Kiwanis Home and Rec Show said he the annual springtime event will be missed.
“Over the years I’ve talked to various vendors, and they’ve always said that they enjoy the show and they came back because it was worth their while – they either got direct business or indirect business from it,” said Bates.
“Vendors are going to get through the year alright without having the show, but they’re certainly going to miss it.”
The annual Home and Rec Show noted Bates, was not just for local businesses, but was an enjoyable event for the entire community and families alike.
“It gave people something to do, say on a cold wet weekend or an afternoon or evening out – it was a family show,” said Bates. “And if they were looking at putting in new windows or doors or getting some landscaping done, this was a good venue for them to come down and look at various vendors.”
The event raised approximately $50,000 every year, which was given back to the community by supporting local children’s activities and organizations such as sponsoring the children’s hospital and camp Tanner north of Woodstock.
“When we started 34 years ago, we had no idea it was going to develop into what it was,” said Bates. “We’ll never come across another project - a totally different project, that will raise that amount of funds in that period of time.”
Bates said perhaps down the road, in a few years time, the Kiwanis may come up with something else to replace the annual event, or even possibly revive the Home and Rec show if the club finds an appropriate venue.
“It was good for the whole community,” Bates concluded.