The first weekend of February may be blustery for some, but the only flurries attendees of the Lancaster 2024 Buying Show will need to worry about will be on the show floor. Paint & Decorating Retailer caught up with Lancaster director of marketing Mike Dube, for the pre-show details so you can plan for your trip to Orlando.
Before the buying starts, Lancaster is hosting an educational seminar led by Scott Wright, executive director of advanced education programs for the North American Hardware and Paint Association (NHPA). Wright will present and lead a roundtable discussion on best practices for merchandising and inventory management on Friday, February 2 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Read more from Wright and his insights on Page 24 of the winter edition of Lancaster’s Sundry Scene magazine here.
Following the education, attendees will have a chance to explore Early Bird Specials for the first two hours and will wrap up Friday with a working reception on the show floor.
On Saturday, the activity will start bright and early.
“We welcome attendees to join the Lancaster team and exhibitors to fuel up with breakfast before a busy day on the show floor,” Dube says. “Later, we’ll enjoy lunch outdoors on the lawn, in the Florida sun.”
Show Floor Opportunities
In addition to the value of being able to meet with vendors face to face and reconnect with industry friends, the show floor will be home to exclusive deals and chances to take home prizes. Attendees can earn cash spiffs and hotel and flight reimbursements based on purchases made at the show.
Along with the prizes and spiffs, there will be plenty of opportunities to take advantage of deals from trusted vendors and explore new and improved products.
“It’s too early to talk specific deals, but this year’s show will be first class,” Dube says. “There are rumors of several new products being introduced by a brush company that loves red and is named after a city in Ohio. A tool company from the Bronx may just be selling a Lancaster exclusive 4-foot assortment at 50% off throughout event. We also hear that Rust-Oleum may even kick off their Krud Kutter Pro line at this year’s event. While some say Sashco will feature a new lineup of assortments to freshen up your store and there will be ‘no bull’ in the Preval booth as they introduce a new line of ladder and ladder stabilizer bumpers.”
Lancaster is also welcoming the following vendors to the 2024 event.
- THE PaintLine, Booth 101
- Midstate Plastics, Booth 408
- CUTEK®, Booth 102
- Crocodile Cloth, Booth 409
- Crawford’s Putty, Booth 217
- Novalis Flooring, Booth 611
- Pretty Boy Products, Booth 112
- Texture Tek, Booth 608
- Valspar Paint, Booth 601
- NHPA, Booth 219
Behind the Scenes
After the Show
The event after the event is always a highlight of every Lancaster Buying Show. This year’s show takes place at the Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld, and attendees will have access to a comprehensive experience.
“For our closing event, we will travel across the street to SeaWorld for dinner and a private Orca Encounter show,” Dube says. “At the after party at the Wild Arctic® plaza, there will be a live DJ and Lancaster customers will have exclusive access to the Ice Breaker™ roller coaster along with the beluga whale, leopard seal and walrus exhibits.”
Dube says it’s always special for the Lancaster team to be able to host their customers and vendors for a fun-filled experience, and he also wants retailers to understand the value that comes from networking with like-minded attendees.
“Many independent dealers don’t get the opportunity to have much industry contact outside of their own community,” he says. “The Lancaster Buying Show gives them the opportunity to meet and exchange ideas with fellow retailers, learn about new products and get selling tips direct from the manufacturers, purchase at a discount for the spring season and—most of all—be spoiled by their favorite paint sundry distributor.”
The Lancaster 2024 Buying Show takes place Feb. 2-3 in Orlando. Learn more and register for the event at lancasterco.com. Retailers who aren’t yet customers of Lancaster can sign up on the Lancaster eStore by clicking Partner Benefits.
