NewsBath and Kitchen Pro

Showroom Of The Year Competition

Hank Darlington, showroom guru, consultant and columnist, is spearheading a contest with Supply House Times that will honor outstanding showrooms. Two showrooms will be selected: one 2,500 sq. ft. or larger, the other less than 2,500 sq. ft.

Hank Darlington, showroom guru, consultant and columnist, is spearheading a contest with Supply House Times that will honor outstanding showrooms. Two showrooms will be selected: one 2,500 sq. ft. or larger, the other less than 2,500 sq. ft.

Here are a few rules and criteria:

A company may self nominate or an industry peer may do the nominating.
Only plumbing wholesaler showrooms will be considered.
If a wholesaler has multiple showrooms, they may nominate more than one – but each one must have a separate entry form and backup material.
A minimum of 4 pictures (one of exterior and three of the interior) must be submitted. More pictures are acceptable.
You’re welcome to submit any auxiliary information in the form of CDs, brochures, handouts, direct mailers, advertising copy and description of promotions you’ve used.

The winners will be recognized in Darlington's column with pictures in the October 2008 issue of Supply House Times and also will receive an attractive plaque.

Judging will take into consideration the following:

Well built-out and displayed showroom
Outstanding business practices
Customer service
Human resource practices
Community involvement
Industry support
Showroom training programs
Showroom marketing programs
Unique and different customer service ideas
Merchandising of showroom products
Treating the showroom as a profit center
Innovative presentation of products within the showroom
Diversity of products and services

The award will recognize all facets of the showroom operation, including but not limited to: its location; the exterior of the facility including signage; the building, landscaping and parking areas; and the interior of the building, including lighting, display build-out, uniqueness of displays and layout.

The contest is open only to plumbing wholesaler showrooms. The entry deadline is August 15, 2008.

Please submit your entry and images via our ftp site:

Go to http://upload.bnpmedia.com.
For Publication Name, use the drop-down menu and select Plumbing Group.
Use the “Browse” button to select the file to upload (one file at a time). Tip: “Zip” your files together for easy upload.
Enter your name or company name.
Enter an e-mail address and/or phone number so we can contact you if there is a problem with the file(s).

Please mark: Attn: Pat Lenius for Supply House Times AND PLEASE INCLUDE THE FILE NAMES OF THE IMAGES POSTED.

Questions can be directed to Pat Lenius, Managing Editor of Supply House Times, at leniusp@bnpmedia.com or 630-694-4335.

Or mail a CD of electronic images to Pat Lenius, Supply House Times, 1050 IL Rte. 83, Suite 200, Bensenville, IL 60106. Images should be at least 300 dpi, saved as jpg, tif or eps, and at least 4 inches wide.