Build It Live 2017: Best Bits
Walking through the main doors to Maidstone Exhibition Hall you are hit by a buzz of noise and excitement, with well over 6000 visitors filling the halls. The gangways bustle with people vying for the latest and greatest ideas for their home building projects from industry giants alongside new start up think tanks – welcome to Build It Live Kent!
Now in its 5th year, Build It Live kicks off a host of 2017 self-build exhibitions with a bang. Gartec had prime position in the main hall, with a constant flow of visitors asking about our home lifts and having a go with our fantastic lift design tool, building a 3D lift tailored with their favourite optional extras from carpets to chrome bits. We also had floor mats to stand on, helping to visualise the size with many of our visitors surprised by the small cupboard sized footprint.
Stand Stunners
There were, of course, some stunning stands with huge design work put in – our favourite was the Arctic Cabins stand on G25, whose BBQ huts felt almost like a sauna complete with wooden benches, and included a cheeky fondue surprise!
The Naked House stand – which brought together exhibitors demonstrating products being installed within a house – was also fantastic, with many visitors saying how useful it was to see how to plan the products into their self-build project.
Professional P.O.V.
The seminar hall was filled with the air of excitement before each talk, with the on-trend topics including sustainability and value improvement drawing huge crowds, as well as important planning, design and project management sessions throughout the day. Visitors mentioned how useful the self-build step by step guide talk was to double check lists and get a feel for work involved on new projects.
We stopped in quickly in an ‘Ask the Expert’ area, with key influencers giving real advice to home owners with some brilliant and bizarre plans. In depth knowledge was a definite requirement, and the experts really knew their stuff.
Our Home Lift staff got to hear some fantastic ideas for futureproofed home building over the 2 days, and some very happy visitors who were pleasantly surprised to hear our lifts were often less than £20,000 – well within budget!
Overall the exhibition proved a great success – it brought together professionals, homebuilders with plans, and those looking for fresh inspiration for future projects, with something for everyone. Next year’s show is already being planned, so get your tickets early for some fantastic home build inspiration.
With a host of other shows happening throughout the rest of 2017, make sure you don’t miss an inspiring talk, dramatic display or keynote seminar. Keep an eye out for our Gartec experts at the Home Building & Renovating Show in March and July.