Hardware show moves to Orlando

After four consecutive years in Las Vegas, the National Hardware Show is taking a one-year hiatus and moving to Florida where it will fill 50 acres of the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando May 8 to 10. The sprawling show will feature more than 3,500 suppliers, thousands of new products and a few new additions.

The move to the East Coast will change the mix of the crowd attending the 2007 show. Pre-registration figures show retailer attendance up 151% from the Southeast and 43% from the Mid-Atlantic. “The move to Orlando makes it easier for new and additional retailers from the East Coast to come to the show, make productive use of their time away from their stores and source new products,” said Rob Cappiello, industry vp for the National Hardware Show.

In addition to a new venue, the Hardware Show will also have a new section. The new Homewares Show will feature products from a broad range of categories including decorative lighting, small appliances and household cleaners. The separate area will cover 100,000-square-feet and give mass merchants who attend the show like Wal-Mart and Bed Bath & Beyond a place to browse.

The show will also feature the typically massive Lawn and Garden Show and separate areas for Gourmet Housewares, the Global Hardware Expo and sections that showcase plumbing and electrical products. Another first this year will be Sears taking part in the Open-to-Buy-Days, a feature that allows retailers to have one-on-one meetings with manufacturers. Other retailers taking part this year include True Value and Do-It-Best.

But show attendees shouldn’t get too accustomed to the tropical feel of Florida. The show will return to Las Vegas from May 6 to 8 in 2008 and May 5 to 7 in 2009.