Home shows fading away

Putting in new kitchen cabinets or redoing the bathroom floor may not be a homeowner's first spending priority with President Bush's economic stimulus check.

Area home improvement vendors are feeling the effects of a dicey economy and what some industry insiders are calling a saturation of such shows in the suburban Chicago market.

Organizers pulled the plug on two separate Lake County home improvement shows citing poor participation from exhibitors and a struggling economy.

The GLMV Chamber of Commerce's annual home show set for March 28-30 at Libertyville High School and the Ryan Group's show set for April 5-6 at the College of Lake County were canceled within a week.

That's because the dealers backed out after doing poorly at two other home improvement shows held recently at the Libertyville Sports Complex and the Lincolnshire Marriott Resort, said Dennis Carroll, president of the Ryan Group of Lake Zurich.

"They both did terrible this year," Carroll said. "Sales are very poor. We didn't like doing it, but we want to present a full show to the public."

Ordinarily such shows may have anywhere from 100 to 150 exhibitors selling everything and the kitchen sink.

"We only had a third of the building filled," Carroll said. "Our company only wants to present quality events."

Home improvement shows throughout the Chicago suburbs are being canceled, said John Neron, one of the owners of The Home Show based in Yorkville, which is organizing a show at the new Lake County Fairgrounds next spring.

"In all frankness, the whole industry is suffering," he said. "There is a major shakeout in the construction industry, which is having ripple effects."

Neron said Chicago area consumers seem to be more wary of the credit industry crunch and are being careful with their money. Contractors, too, are finding cheaper prices to exhibit, hurting show participation.

The bottom line may be too much competition with 37 home improvement shows annually in the Chicago area, Neron said.

Neron said he hopes this is the beginning of an industry shakedown.

"I'm hoping some of them do (fall off) because it's insane," he said. "These past two years have been unique because of the quantity of shows. I think it's going to take another three to five years to shake out the marketplace."

Carroll said his group will focus on perhaps changing dates, venues or facilities for future home improvement events.

"It doesn't mean that shows are dead up in Lake County," he said. "We're going take a different approach."