How to effectively plan and manage showroom open house events

Showroom open house bashes can reel people into your show-stopping space, but let's face it—they often end up as a massive drain on your team's energy and your wallet.

Our industry has this unique habit of staying under the radar most of the year and then throwing these huge open house extravaganzas inviting large swaths of the local design and building players. These flashy events often turn into a hubbub of vendor chatter, sales rep discussions, and tired showroom consultant’s wistful comments, lightly accented with a sprinkling of designers, builders, and plumbers. I'm not exactly sure how this evolved, but it's high time to put a stop to it.

The foundational question is, do these open houses truly justify the time, effort and money your team invests in them? And more importantly, are they effectively amplifying your brand's story? Maybe time for a rethink? Holding these questions in mind, I would like to propose another way to effectively entertain your target markets and separate your band from your fractured competition.

In our October and November articles we discussed why and how to move outside your showroom and tactilely gain access to your market’s influential designers. With that in place let’s tackle the BIG QUESTION: who's going to buy the product your team sweated over to present, select, and quote? Will it be the designer, the builder, the plumber, or the homeowner? Even with a rock-solid spec showcasing our locally exclusive product lines, the precise buyer is often a bit of a mystery. What’s a showroom to do? Let’s gather all the players in one room and gain some insight while showing off our showroom and its unknown operations capabilities.

To effectively “win” this question and share your brand’s story, we suggest hosting exclusive small group gatherings with market leading designers, respected builders, and top trim-out plumbers. This concept shifts from the large entertainment focus of heaving food, drink and mass-quantities of products at your guests to creating a calm atmosphere where industry elites engage in meaningful conversations amidst your elegant showroom. P.S. When hosting a dinner meeting, steering the gathering to the warehouse for dessert amidst forklifts, PVF products, with rows of neatly stacked inventory serves as a silent but powerful reminder to your guests. No words are necessary; the message is subtly conveyed. It quietly communicates that the substantial support they require is a significant part of your deliverables, no matter who has purchased the products.

These gatherings, with carefully selected participants, emphasize collaboration, build relationships, and the art working together. It's about more than products and projects. These meetings facilitate in-depth discussions. Designers share how they specify products for high-end clientele, builders relate how they evaluate plumbing fixtures for their projects, and plumbers offer insights on installation and maintenance. As the host, you have the opportunity to offer valuable insights into how you actively contribute to the success and smooth operation of these professionals’ jobs. Beneath the surface of these constructive conversations, these skilled professionals are discovering the mutual benefits of collaboration and understanding why directing all purchases through your showroom is advantageous. This isn't just a pitch for your complete business model; it's an open dialogue exploring how each participant stands to gain by working together with your people supporting their every move. Your story will come out in the discussion and shine elegantly in your showroom surrounding.

Organizing monthly, exclusive gatherings is an investment in the future of your showroom. It's all about strategically cultivating a network of professionals who not only value the fixture and operations knowledge you provide but also transforms into your guests into steadfast patrons and advocates for your showroom. This approach works for two reasons. Firstly, it propels your showroom into an important gathering venue for the crème de la crème of the high-end building design industry. Secondly, It transforms your showroom into the ultimate knowledge hub, the Hogwarts of the building design world, where wizards—designers, builders, plumbers, and your showroom team—conjure up collaborative spells to ensure every job goes off without a hitch. In conclusion, exclusive small group meetings redefine your luxury plumbing showroom.

In Conclusion, we feel it’s better to meet with people in a focused, face-to face environment versus opening the doors to many and hope your guests get a glimpse of all the special you do and recall it the next time they are involved with decorative plumbing. These small meetings will transform your business into a hub of expertise. Where professionals connect, collaborate, and appreciate the finer details that set your offerings apart.

Returning to that historically gnawing question, these parties will help shift it from 'who will buy the product from whom' to 'who will buy the product from you.

Next month taking the show outside your world.

If you would like to discuss this further, please reach out to on LinkedIn. Always love to hear and learn from your thoughts. All the best to you in the New Year.