Starting four decades ago, Evergreen Exhibitions gave itself the goal to connect clients and home improvement businesses under one roof. This idea eventually became the Victoria Spring Home Show.
This year, the annual event celebrated its 39th anniversary at Saanich’s Pearkes Recreation Centre between Feb. 22 to 24.
In an interview with Saanich News, Evergreen Exhibitions president Darcy Hope described the exhibition as a one-stop shop where people could find everything they needed for their next home project in a convenient location.
“You don’t have to visit multiple storefronts or have people come to your home,” said Hope. “Not everybody is comfortable having people they don't know come to their home to do a quote or an estimate.”
Offering a low-pressure and stress-free environment, for providers and visitors, Hope called the event a win-win for everyone involved.
He added that the in-person event also offered an experience the digital world simply can’t replicate.
“There's a lot of tools and information out there, but at the end of the day, especially with home improvement, people need to talk to somebody and see stuff in person,” said Hope. “You're not gonna buy countertops or kitchen cabinets online generally without having an estimate, talking to people, looking at samples, and feeling the different products.”
With an estimated 10,000 visitors over the three-day event and 120 exhibitors, Hope called this year “a really good turnout.”
“We've probably got some of the best variety of exhibitors we've had in a long time and attendance is still really strong,” he said. “We've got a packed house with the best variety that we've had in a number of years.
“There's pretty much anything and everything you could possibly think of.”
Among this year’s exhibitors was Dave Byers, owner of One of a Kind Creative Woodcrafting, who presented his show-stopping sleeping barrel to the public for the first time.
“It's basically one of our biggest saunas with a pullout table, a king-size bed, an air conditioner, a wood stove, and a fridge unit in a barrel,” said Byers.
Byers, who produces an average of 150 barrels a year, also presented the public with his company's portfolio.
“I come up with all these crazy ideas and the boys make them,” said Byers, who doubles as the company’s chief visionary officer. “We do anything round, bent or curved [including] cedar hot tubs, barrel saunas, sleeping barrels, and cold plunge tubs.”
For more information about the Victoria Spring Home Show, visit homeshowtime.com.
