Dear folks at Surfaces,

I know Surfaces 2009 is nine months away, but it’s never too early to start thinking about next year. In fact, you probably started thinking about next year the day you all returned to the office that first week in February.

This is the most important show in the industry, bar none. It’s important to you (hey, $40 million is a lot of cabbage), to the publications (we all generate a significant portion of our revenue stream by virtue of the show), the manufacturers that exhibit (they could never get that exposure elsewhere) and, most importantly, the retailers who choose to do the right thing for their business and attend.

While every exhibitor I spoke to was pleased with the quality of attendee, we all know the numbers were down. Big deal. As long as the exhibitors are happy, the show maintains its viability. My only fear is that if attendance continues to decline, the exhibitors will consider alternate means of exposing their latest and greatest. (See Shaw, Mohawk, Armstrong, Wilsonart, Pergo). And that’s the point of this letter.

A couple of years ago, I was talking to you guys, and you were concerned about the competition. You mentioned Coverings and that new home furnishings show in Vegas. But the only flooring for sale within those buildings is area rugs. And the only flooring at Coverings is tile and stone.

So here’s the deal. Your competition comes from two angles: the Shaw and Mohawk regionals, and the buying groups. And maybe, to a lesser degree, the distributor groups.

Let’s talk about Shaw and Mohawk first. You know how they’ve gone from carpet mills to full-line flooring suppliers. Truth be told, their hard surface offerings improve by the day. Not only that, but they are now making their presence felt at the high end. They are telling their retail customers they don’t need to go anywhere else for their flooring. They are a one-stop shop, so to speak. And they are making believers out of many.

It’s no different in the land of buying groups. Whether it be Carpet One, Flooring America, Abbey, CarpetsPlus, etc., the theme is the same at every convention. “Buy more core.” In fact, they discourage their members from going to Surfaces. “We have everything you need, and you get rebates!”

So that’s what you are up against. Sure, the economy stinks, but I don’t think that’s the biggest issue. Like everything else in this world, the landscape is constantly changing, and there’s new competition to consider.

What to do? If I had all the answers I’d be consulting for a living. But for starters, a marketing plan has to target those who used to attend religiously but may have taken a pass in recent years. Why? Is it the regionals? If so, you must convey how differentiating their stores through a more diverse product mix is the answer— products they will only be exposed to at Surfaces. Find retailers who have done just that, and tell the story. Better yet, tell us and we will tell the story.

Why else should they attend? Education, education, education. You do a great job with the program, and do an even greater job in your marketing. Problem is those who need it most are those who don’t want to pay for it.

Coverings’ program is free. It’s a value-add. While I don’t know if you can do that, what about making a deal with some establishments in Vegas where you can somehow rebate some of the cost in the form of food, cocktails, anything!
The buying group members are more tricky. They are led to believe their best buys are through the group. But if two members of the same buying group within the same geographic area are not supplementing their core products, what differentiates them from each other?

The other thing to capitalize on is the green movement. I suggested this last year and I’ll do it again. Have a green pavilion. And market the heck out of it. Make it THE destination for retailers to see all the environmentally friendly products on the market. Heck, you may even entice Shaw to show their Epic Hardwood, Armstrong to exhibit their Bio-Based Tile and Mohawk their corn-based Sorona carpet. It could be 10 x 10 booths or simple displays directing attendees to the main booths on the show floor.

OK. Time to get off my soapbox. I want this show to be as successful as much as you do. If there’s anything I can do to help, you know where to find me.