Oldcastle - Trade Show

Situation

Oldcastle Architectural, Inc. is a leading supplier of concrete hardscapes, masonry products, bagged rock, soil and mulch, and one of the largest suppliers of architectural products in North America. Committed to providing autonomy to its local companies while leveraging the distribution, high quality product standards and other best practices of a global company, Oldcastle Architectural operates under many brand and company names throughout the country, resulting in limited national brand awareness.

Challenge

Exhibiting in the main hall of the 2007 International Builders' Show, the second largest U.S. trade show, Oldcastle Architectural wanted to maximize its presence to present new products and increase brand awareness. Positioned toward the back of the 1.1 million square foot exhibit space, Oldcastle Architectural first needed to draw people to their booth, and then keep them engaged once there.

c21 Solution

Since Oldcastle Architectural's products are for patios and outdoor living spaces, Oldcastle's booth needed to recreate the retreat feel of the perfect patio setting. As a result, c21 recommended including a built in grill, and to attract traffic, a chef who would demonstrate the versatility of Oldcastle Architectural's products while drawing people in with the aromas of hot-off-the-grill kabobs.

c21 coordinated a partnership with Viking, for a grill, and worked with a local restaurant to provide a chef. We scheduled the chef in shifts preceding lunchtime and at the peak of afternoon snack time. Finally, we helped to coordinate the appearance of Kevin O'Connor, host of the Emmy award-winning show This Old House, who joined the chef in the booth on the trade show's opening day, adding additional momentum to attract attendees.

To help engage potential buyers once they arrived at the booth, c21 developed a comprehensive video displaying the range of Oldcastle Architectural products and companies that visitors saw as they waited for food and to meet a representative. Additionally, the entire booth was constructed of Oldcastle products, ensuring visitors a complete brand experience upon entry.

Results

The cooking demonstrations were an enormous success, with hundreds of show attendees lining up through and around the booth. The line provided Oldcastle representatives with an easy way to initiate a pitch about Oldcastle products. Oldcastle captured the names of more than 950 qualified prospects at the show that will be used in future marketing efforts.