A Wee Chat With Nick Noble, Event Director at Future

The opportunity to engage a Scottish audience is one that our clients have identified and been benefiting from for decades. And to make the most of that opportunity, shows should tailor their offer to take full advantage of regional nuances, as this can have a big impact on the success of an event.

One of our clients who knows this well is Nick Noble, Event Director at Future, who has led the Homebuilding & Renovating Show for 30 years. They currently run in 7 locations including at the SEC, having first partnered with us in 2004.

We caught up for a wee chat to get Nick’s top tips for regionalising a show.

Make sure you know your audience inside out.

Knowing your audience is one of the most important parts of making an event relevant.

Our audience is demanding. They want the best for their homes and so our mission is to bring them the very latest products and services and give them the very latest advice to help them fulfill their dreams.

Make it your mission to understand their motivations, and deliver on them.

Ensure regional relevance or risk losing out.

It’s important to cater to the audience in each location. From our point of view, each region can have very specific needs around the type of renovations and new build homes that are permitted in the locality.

Content can also be very different due to Scottish rules and regulations around planning. What is permitted in a property can vary from those in our English based shows, so it’s absolutely crucial we get that right. Otherwise, it’s just not relevant to the audience.

Using local suppliers and contacts should be top of your mind.

Tapping into local contacts and suppliers is key. While some of our exhibitors are national brands, we have a large number of local suppliers who focus purely on the local area.

This local connection can quite often be the part that seals the deal for customer and exhibitor alike.

Lean on the venue to help create local relationships and get the word out.

The SEC is known by everyone in Scotland and this instantly gives confidence in the professionalism of the event and a location that is known by all.

The team at the SEC has helped us to promote the event in and around Glasgow, and attract a wider audience by enabling us to form partnerships with local businesses.

The marketing support to reach that audience is also invaluable. Promoting the event via emails to its database, display advertising, PPC campaign, social campaign and out of house media all help massively to get the word out, and of course that support is very well received by exhibitors.

Treat the show as a launch platform for local partners to strengthen relationships.

Self-builders are avid users of new products and technology and many a product has used our show as a way to test demand before going mainstream. Heat Pumps, Heat Recovery, Underfloor Heating, Skirting radiators, Solar Thermal, Solar PV and Battery, Biomass Boilers to name just a few.

The Homebuilding & Renovating Show is an excellent example of the success that can be achieved by tailoring an event offering to meet the needs and wants of the local audience.

Our team is always on hand to help, regularly connecting clients with our little black book of contacts at the City Council and Scottish Government for content generation and support. We retain a local PR agency (Frame) who help navigate local and national press, and we have created affiliate marketing channels with the likes of the NHS to help drive awareness and sales.

It’s our job to help organisers maximise the opportunity presented by a Scottish audience, and our mission to help them reach that audience in a way that maximises the value of their event.