For the Homebuilding & Renovating Show 2017 preview and top tips read our article here.

This year, the shows will be held in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Surrey, London, Somerset, Harrogate, and Birmingham. Perfect for researching everything under one roof, Self Builders can find new products, and receive detailed advice from the industry’s leading professionals – no matter what stage the project is at.

The flagship show, at Birmingham’s NEC, takes place from 14-17 April 2016, and for this week’s blog, we’ve looked at why it’s important to prepare yourself before heading off to a Homebuilding & Renovating Show.

Beat the Crowd – Plan Ahead!

Planning to go to an exhibition or show might sound straightforward, but if you want to make the most of each of your days at the show, being thoroughly prepared is really key!

Have a good think about how you are going to get there, and take the time to coordinate your own schedule around the seminars, talks and exhibitors you’d like to visit.

Homebuilding & Renovating, the magazine behind the shows, invite a host of renowned experts in the Self Build industry, and visitors can book consultation meetings with them throughout the course of the day.

The magazine’s Editor-in-Chief, Michael Holmes, is a Self Build and renovation specialist, and he will be joined in Birmingham by design expert Julia Kendell, construction expert Bob Branscombe, renewable energy specialist Tim Pullen and TV’s Self Build expert Charlie Luxton.

The 15-minute one-to-one sessions are snapped up quickly, so arriving at the Advice Centre nice and early has to be a priority to ensure you get a slot.

Get on to the Homebuilding & Renovating Show website beforehand, and have a look at the virtual guide. This offers some great information about the exhibitors attending the show, and where you can find them. Getting to grips with the floor plan is a really useful way of planning out an efficient route for the day.

A personalised map is available from the website a week before the show, so you can plot a time-saving path, and visit relevant exhibitors around the timings of the appointments or seminars you want to go to. Don’t get stuck behind a crowd!

Bring a Team!

If you’re thinking of going to the show over a couple of days, you could spend one day taking in the seminars, and another could be used to meet the exhibitors – learning about products and lead times. Alternatively, if you’re only going for one day, bring a partner, and split up to cover the relevant stands together.

Have a think about what you’re going to bring with you to the show. You might decide to bring lunch, but there are also cafe facilities on site if you’d rather grab a bite to eat on your way around the show.

Regardless of what you decide, bringing a bag with you is definitely a good plan; you’ll want something to carry all of the brochures and business cards you gather! If you find that there are any architects or specialists you’d like to work with, giving them your own details is important for following up after the event.

The Homebuilding & Renovating Shows are busy places, with last year’s Birmingham show bringing in 32,432 visitors over the course of the four days! With this in mind, you may find that the specialists you want to speak to area bit tight for time. If this is the case, preparing your own contact packs to hand out is a great idea.

Create your own résumé, which includes your contact details and some of your project ideas, as this can help potential architects gain an impression of your interests, and the styles you like. Architects can gain a good idea of what you would like to talk about, and handing out these packs can speed up the follow-up process after the show.

Above all, the Homebuilding & Renovating Show is a fantastic opportunity to meet fellow Self Builders and Renovators – so speak to other visitors and listen to what experiences they have had with their projects.

There will be thousands of Self Builders at different stages of their projects, so tap into this valuable resource, and learn from the knowledge of those around you.

It’s a really fun way to meet new and interesting people, so enjoy the day and reap the benefits the Homebuilding & Renovating Show has to offer!

If you’re heading to the Birmingham Show, keep an eye out for AC Architects! We’ll be joining a stand with our friends at SIPS Industries, and will be able to give advice on a range of topics.

If you’re heading to the Scottish shows later on in 2016, Allan will be giving talks as part of the seminar schedule – so stay tuned for more information!