Alison Cork to appear at the Show
London, 9th February 2009 – EDF Energy Ideal Home Show 2009 is delighted to announce that Alison Cork and ‘Bargain Hunter Live’ will be at the Show to offer visitors bargain hunting tips and invaluable advice. Alison Cork is a respected TV presenter on shows such as ‘60 Minute Makeover’ and ‘Don’t Move, Improve!’ In addition, Alison regularly writes for The Daily Telegraph and Evening Standard.
‘Bargain Hunter Live’ is the culmination of Alison’s years of trawling the UK’s back streets and warehouses in search of the best quality products at unbeatable prices. Prices for all of the ‘Bargain Hunter Live’ products will be exclusive to the show, unavailable elsewhere and up to 75% less than you would pay on the high street. Kitchens, bathrooms, beds, dining tables, sofas, shutters and accessories are just some of the many products that will be on show.
The EDF Energy Ideal Home Show 2009 will run from 20th March – 13th April 2009 at Earls Court London. Opening hours will be from 11am – 9pm Monday to Friday and 10 am - 6 pm Saturday and Sunday. Tickets will cost £14 on weekdays and £16 on weekends. A reduced ticket price of £5 will be available for visitors who come to the show after 5pm.
Bargain Hunter Live will be located on the first floor at the 2009 Show. Alison will also be on hand to offer great bargain hunter tips. She advises, “Be prepared to abandon the traditional high street in favour of ‘off piste’ locations with lower overheads. The high street carries fixed overheads in terms of rent and rates, and you can often find the same product at 20 – 30% less, just by virtue of it being sold in a location with less passing traffic.”
In addition, ProblemSolved.co.uk will be working with the Ideal Home Show 2009 to help visitors to the new www.idealhomeshow.co.uk find a tradesman. Linking people with 60,000 trades people from the best possible sources – public and professional recommendation, and the UK’s leading bodies. They say you are only as good as your last job and Problemsolved.co.uk is putting that to the test by asking their users to write reviews and post them on the site.
So cut out that middle man and head straight to EDF Energy Ideal Home Show for some great bargains.
The Ideal Home Show is world’s largest home interest event celebrates its 101st anniversary in 2009. It takes place from 20th March – 13th April 2009 at Earls Court London. The Show is renowned as the home of great ideas and has seen the launch of many home innovations such as the microwave, the fridge and the vacuum cleaner. The tradition of launching brand new ideas and products to the public is maintained through the Show’s annual Innovation Nation awards, which showcase the work of emerging talent from Britain’s top design schools and now encourage amateur entries from the public.
Source: Nylon Communications Limited
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EDF Energy Ideal Home Show 2009 Celebrates 10 Years of the Concept Products Competition
Supporting and Showcasing the Best in Young Home Product Design Talent
London, 3rd February 2008 – The EDF Energy Ideal Home Show 2009, the home of great ideas, celebrates 10 years of inspiring creativity with the Concept Products Competition. Once again, this innovative venture returns to give young professional designers the opportunity to showcase their ideas in an arena that attracts attention from the design industry.
This year, Karoline Newman, who brought Concept Products to the Show 10 years ago, has shortlisted 25 designs that reflect the key themes of the 2009 Show. Karoline is a long- tanding cultivator of young design talent and the EDF Energy Ideal Home Show is delighted to have her support for the 2009 Show. This year’s Concept Products revolve around making the best use of space and finding practical solutions to saving energy.
All 25 designs will be showcased in the “Innovation Nation” area of the Show. Examples of the shortlisted products include, “I rest my case” by Alexandra Parker-Brown which is a small suitcase reminiscent of a Chesterfield sofa that can also become a footstool and the Radiator by Sam Sheard which illustrates how to use energy efficiently. Radiators are decorated with colourful farm animal designs in thermochromatic ink. When the radiator is turned off (cold) the graphics are displayed, but when the radiator is turned on (hot) the graphics start to disappear, a reminder to the user of the energy that they are using and the impact it might ultimately have.
New for this year, Concept Products has been integrated into the curriculum of two universities, Plymouth and De Montfort, via briefs given to students during their design courses. Students were asked to come up with design ideas for Space Saving and Sustainable Living. The best of these designs will be showcased alongside the other short listed concept products. Visitors to the EDF Energy Ideal Home Show 2009 will be able to vote for their favourite design either at the Show or via the show website and the overall winner will receive a prize of £2,000. In a new development for 2009, a panel of experts selected from across the design industry will also review the designs and give constructive feedback to help the designers’ progress with their products.
Many previous winners have gone on to have commercial success. For example, Oliver Blackwell, first spotted at the 2007 Show, set up his own chartered industrial design company working with clients such as B&Q. Gillian Westley who showcased her design at the 2008 Show has since worked with the kitchen utensils design company, Joseph Joseph on their forthcoming 2009 design collection.
But alongside these ‘professionally’ designed products the Show will also facilitate an amateur competition in which any member of the public can enter their own design ideas, with the chance of them being made into a real mock-up to be displayed and also voted on at the Show and on the website. Overall, the objective is to demonstrate the creativity which abounds in this “Innovation Nation” and to continue the show’s long heritage of being THE showcase for domestic innovation.
The EDF Energy Ideal Home Show 2009 will run from 20th March – 13th April 2009 at Earls Court London. New for 2009, opening hours will be from 11am – 9pm on weekdays and 10am – 6pm at the weekend. To keep in line with the money saving objectives of the show, ticket prices will stay the same for the third year running, costing £14 on weekdays and £16 on weekends. For locals and commuters who want to make the most of the extended evening programming and events, a reduced ticket price of £5 will be available after 5pm on any day of the week.
For further information, visit www.idealhomeshow.co.uk where additional details on the show can be found as well as archives on the 100 years of home making innovations. The new EDF Energy Ideal Home Show website launches in December 2008 and will mark the beginning of a year round source of product ideas to complement the annual show.
The Ideal Home Show, the world’s largest home interest event celebrates its 101st anniversary in 2009. It takes place from 20th March – 13th April 2009 at Earls Court London. The Show is renowned as the home of great ideas and has seen the launch of many home innovations such as the microwave, the fridge and the vacuum cleaner. The tradition of launching brand new ideas and products to the public is maintained through the Show’s annual Innovation Nation awards, which showcase the work of emerging talent from Britain’s top design schools and now encourage amateur entries from the public.
dmg world media is an international exhibition and publishing company, which produces more than 300 market-leading consumer shows, trade exhibitions and fairs each year.
The company also publishes more than 65 related magazines, newspapers directories and market reports. dmg world media employs more than 800 people and maintains a worldwide presence through more than 30 offices around the world in Canada, the United States, Brazil, the United Kingdom, France, the Middle East, Australia and New Zealand. dmg world media is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Daily Mail and General Trust plc (DMGT), one of the largest and most successful media companies in the United Kingdom.
The combination of EDF Energy and British Energy forms one of the UK’s largest energy companies. The combined business is the UK’s largest producer of electricity. With a current installed capacity of around 16.5GW, we produce almost one-quarter of the nation’s electricity from our nuclear, coal and gas power stations, as well as combined heat and power plants and wind farms. We provide power to a quarter of the UK’s population via our electricity distribution networks in London, the South East and the East of England and supply gas and electricity to over 5.5 million business and residential customers.
Through our climate and social commitments we have launched the biggest environmental and social packages of any UK energy company. The company is also a key player in national infrastructure projects including management of private electricity networks serving four London airports and the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, the country’s first major new railway in 100 years.
EDF Energy and British Energy together employ nearly 20,000 people at locations across the UK. The combined companies are part of EDF Group, one of Europe’s largest power companies. EDF is the official energy utilities partner and sustainability partner of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
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London, 3rd February 2008 – The EDF Energy Ideal Home Show 2009, the home of great ideas, celebrates 10 years of inspiring creativity with the Concept Products Competition. Once again, this innovative venture returns to give young professional designers the opportunity to showcase their ideas in an arena that attracts attention from the design industry.
This year, Karoline Newman, who brought Concept Products to the Show 10 years ago, has shortlisted 25 designs that reflect the key themes of the 2009 Show. Karoline is a long- tanding cultivator of young design talent and the EDF Energy Ideal Home Show is delighted to have her support for the 2009 Show. This year’s Concept Products revolve around making the best use of space and finding practical solutions to saving energy.
All 25 designs will be showcased in the “Innovation Nation” area of the Show. Examples of the shortlisted products include, “I rest my case” by Alexandra Parker-Brown which is a small suitcase reminiscent of a Chesterfield sofa that can also become a footstool and the Radiator by Sam Sheard which illustrates how to use energy efficiently. Radiators are decorated with colourful farm animal designs in thermochromatic ink. When the radiator is turned off (cold) the graphics are displayed, but when the radiator is turned on (hot) the graphics start to disappear, a reminder to the user of the energy that they are using and the impact it might ultimately have.
New for this year, Concept Products has been integrated into the curriculum of two universities, Plymouth and De Montfort, via briefs given to students during their design courses. Students were asked to come up with design ideas for Space Saving and Sustainable Living. The best of these designs will be showcased alongside the other short listed concept products. Visitors to the EDF Energy Ideal Home Show 2009 will be able to vote for their favourite design either at the Show or via the show website and the overall winner will receive a prize of £2,000. In a new development for 2009, a panel of experts selected from across the design industry will also review the designs and give constructive feedback to help the designers’ progress with their products.
Many previous winners have gone on to have commercial success. For example, Oliver Blackwell, first spotted at the 2007 Show, set up his own chartered industrial design company working with clients such as B&Q. Gillian Westley who showcased her design at the 2008 Show has since worked with the kitchen utensils design company, Joseph Joseph on their forthcoming 2009 design collection.
But alongside these ‘professionally’ designed products the Show will also facilitate an amateur competition in which any member of the public can enter their own design ideas, with the chance of them being made into a real mock-up to be displayed and also voted on at the Show and on the website. Overall, the objective is to demonstrate the creativity which abounds in this “Innovation Nation” and to continue the show’s long heritage of being THE showcase for domestic innovation.
The EDF Energy Ideal Home Show 2009 will run from 20th March – 13th April 2009 at Earls Court London. New for 2009, opening hours will be from 11am – 9pm on weekdays and 10am – 6pm at the weekend. To keep in line with the money saving objectives of the show, ticket prices will stay the same for the third year running, costing £14 on weekdays and £16 on weekends. For locals and commuters who want to make the most of the extended evening programming and events, a reduced ticket price of £5 will be available after 5pm on any day of the week.
For further information, visit www.idealhomeshow.co.uk where additional details on the show can be found as well as archives on the 100 years of home making innovations. The new EDF Energy Ideal Home Show website launches in December 2008 and will mark the beginning of a year round source of product ideas to complement the annual show.
The Ideal Home Show, the world’s largest home interest event celebrates its 101st anniversary in 2009. It takes place from 20th March – 13th April 2009 at Earls Court London. The Show is renowned as the home of great ideas and has seen the launch of many home innovations such as the microwave, the fridge and the vacuum cleaner. The tradition of launching brand new ideas and products to the public is maintained through the Show’s annual Innovation Nation awards, which showcase the work of emerging talent from Britain’s top design schools and now encourage amateur entries from the public.
dmg world media is an international exhibition and publishing company, which produces more than 300 market-leading consumer shows, trade exhibitions and fairs each year.
The company also publishes more than 65 related magazines, newspapers directories and market reports. dmg world media employs more than 800 people and maintains a worldwide presence through more than 30 offices around the world in Canada, the United States, Brazil, the United Kingdom, France, the Middle East, Australia and New Zealand. dmg world media is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Daily Mail and General Trust plc (DMGT), one of the largest and most successful media companies in the United Kingdom.
The combination of EDF Energy and British Energy forms one of the UK’s largest energy companies. The combined business is the UK’s largest producer of electricity. With a current installed capacity of around 16.5GW, we produce almost one-quarter of the nation’s electricity from our nuclear, coal and gas power stations, as well as combined heat and power plants and wind farms. We provide power to a quarter of the UK’s population via our electricity distribution networks in London, the South East and the East of England and supply gas and electricity to over 5.5 million business and residential customers.
Through our climate and social commitments we have launched the biggest environmental and social packages of any UK energy company. The company is also a key player in national infrastructure projects including management of private electricity networks serving four London airports and the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, the country’s first major new railway in 100 years.
EDF Energy and British Energy together employ nearly 20,000 people at locations across the UK. The combined companies are part of EDF Group, one of Europe’s largest power companies. EDF is the official energy utilities partner and sustainability partner of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
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Bahco Bypass Loppers PG-20-E - Product Review
I must admit that I have had this pair of loppers in question for review now for the best part of a year but it does take a while, I believe, with tools to test them properly. That I have now done.
Bypass loppers of compact design to prune in difficult-to-reach places, available in two sizes. Oval steel tube handles with comfortable plastic grip and shock absorbing plastic buffers for added comfort in use. The smaller cutting head is ideal for pruning ornamental shrubs and rose bushes. Unlike for the professional range of loppers there are no spare parts available for this one.
The PG-20-E bypass loppers which I have had for review is the smaller of the two sizes and has a cutting capacity of a maximum of 30mm. This is, in my view, all academic though and depends on the hardness of the wood. I would not like to try it or any for that matter on dead prunus branches of that diameter, for instance. I have done dead branches of up to about 20mm with those loppers and I found it hard going. Not that the loppers would have broken, maybe. I just found it physically hard and would, in such cases, rather resort to a saw.
Those bypass loppers could be, and I do that at times, for they are very light and handy to carry, referred to as “secateurs on steroids”.
The specifications, so to speak are for the PG-20-E that of a cutting diameter 30 max, with a length of 440mm and a weight 665 grams. As I have said, they are very light.
Now if someone could design a carrying holster for it, of some sort, this would be an ideal too for any Countryside Ranger and such like to take out on a patrol, especially a foot patrol, in order to remove branches and such that may encroach on a footpath, a bridleway, or such.
This is, as all of Bahco's tools, a professional tool at a reasonable price and anyone in their right mind, especially a professional, I should think, would rather invest in quality tools than to buy cheap and find them broken in a few hours or days of use.
© M Smith (Veshengro), January 2009
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BHETA VOTES IN FAVOUR OF COLLABORATION WITH BJGF
British Home Enhancement Trade Association and British Jewellery, Giftware & Finishing Federation join forces to create one powerful ‘super federation’
In a unique, forward thinking and commercially intuitive step, the British Home Enhancement Trade Association (BHETA) and the British Jewellery, Giftware & Finishing Federation (BJGF Federation) have announced their intention to create one powerful ‘super federation’.
This followed a resoundingly positive 95% vote in favour of the collaboration from BHETA members, which closed yesterday at a special briefing meeting hosted by the two organisations at BHETA’s current headquarters in Northampton.
The new super federation will bring together two of the most powerful trade associations in the United Kingdom and will provide the jewellery, gift, home enhancement and finishing industries with a united and substantial lobbying voice, stronger representation at the highest levels of government, and an upgraded membership offer.
The new entity will see the executive team at BHETA’s Northampton offices relocate to the BJGF Federation’s headquarters at Federation House in Birmingham. This merging of facilities will significantly control administrative costs and leave greater resources to invest in widening and deepening the membership services.
As David French, chief executive officer at BHETA, said, “With 2008 proving to be one of the most testing economic environments in the 50 years since our Association was formed, this initiative will create a strong and resilient super federation that will represent all our industries powerfully and decisively into the next decade and beyond. Whilst many other companies and organisations are facing down-sizing or even closure, we are making this move from a position of strength and we’ll continue to operate with a well funded financial base. This new super federation will allow each sector association within it to retain its own voice and control its own destiny, but allow us, as a group, to fund a more comprehensive range of benefits and services to all our members.”
David Metcalfe, vice president of the BJGF Federation, said, “This forward thinking initiative will bring critical mass to two trade associations that already have a formidable track record at effectively representing their members. This is a genuine and unique collaboration that will bring about greater control of costs and additional funds to invest in the super federation – ensuring that we provide a premium membership services and powerful representation at local, national and European government levels.”
The new super federation will be renamed in order to clarify its role as an umbrella trade organisation, and details of its future branding and strategy will be announced shortly.
Both associations have committed to ‘openness and transparency’ and in a thoroughly modern agreement will sign a commercial ‘pre-nup‘ which ring fences and protects the assets and interests of both associations for the first two years of the new union.
by Vanessa Fortnam, The Press Office Ltd
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In a unique, forward thinking and commercially intuitive step, the British Home Enhancement Trade Association (BHETA) and the British Jewellery, Giftware & Finishing Federation (BJGF Federation) have announced their intention to create one powerful ‘super federation’.
This followed a resoundingly positive 95% vote in favour of the collaboration from BHETA members, which closed yesterday at a special briefing meeting hosted by the two organisations at BHETA’s current headquarters in Northampton.
The new super federation will bring together two of the most powerful trade associations in the United Kingdom and will provide the jewellery, gift, home enhancement and finishing industries with a united and substantial lobbying voice, stronger representation at the highest levels of government, and an upgraded membership offer.
The new entity will see the executive team at BHETA’s Northampton offices relocate to the BJGF Federation’s headquarters at Federation House in Birmingham. This merging of facilities will significantly control administrative costs and leave greater resources to invest in widening and deepening the membership services.
As David French, chief executive officer at BHETA, said, “With 2008 proving to be one of the most testing economic environments in the 50 years since our Association was formed, this initiative will create a strong and resilient super federation that will represent all our industries powerfully and decisively into the next decade and beyond. Whilst many other companies and organisations are facing down-sizing or even closure, we are making this move from a position of strength and we’ll continue to operate with a well funded financial base. This new super federation will allow each sector association within it to retain its own voice and control its own destiny, but allow us, as a group, to fund a more comprehensive range of benefits and services to all our members.”
David Metcalfe, vice president of the BJGF Federation, said, “This forward thinking initiative will bring critical mass to two trade associations that already have a formidable track record at effectively representing their members. This is a genuine and unique collaboration that will bring about greater control of costs and additional funds to invest in the super federation – ensuring that we provide a premium membership services and powerful representation at local, national and European government levels.”
The new super federation will be renamed in order to clarify its role as an umbrella trade organisation, and details of its future branding and strategy will be announced shortly.
Both associations have committed to ‘openness and transparency’ and in a thoroughly modern agreement will sign a commercial ‘pre-nup‘ which ring fences and protects the assets and interests of both associations for the first two years of the new union.
by Vanessa Fortnam, The Press Office Ltd
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LONDON MULTI-TRADE SHOW GETS FULL INDUSTRY SUPPORT
The industry’s leading trade associations and wholesale groups have renewed their support and participation in the London multi-trade show that now consists of Totally Tools, Totally DIY and the recently launched Totally Secure.
The changes proposed for the 2009 shows by organiser Brintex have won the approval of long-term show supporters, the British Home Enhancement Trade Association (BHETA), Decco, the Federation of British Hand Tool Manufacturers, Home Hardware Southwest, MICA Hardware and Toolbank who have all confirmed they will be exhibiting next January. In addition, the British Hardware Federation (BHF), which has had its own stand at the show for the past two years, has confirmed it will be back in 2009.
This year, many members and customers of the various organisations will be offered assistance with travel and refreshment costs, to help promote a visit to the show in January.
This activity, alongside a revamped floor plan which puts new products literally centre stage, the provision of free personalised invitation tickets for exhibitors to use, and a fresh approach to the idea of staging a ‘multi-trade’ show, with the introduction of Totally Secure has met with approval.
Paul Woolley, commercial director of the BHF Group, said, “With over 2,000 hardware members we see the show as a great opportunity to meet up with existing members and recruit for new ones! We’ll be offering new members a 25% discount on membership fees if they sign up at the show.
“In addition, our team from BHF Direct will be on the look out for new lines and products to offer our members – the show provides us with a great opportunity to get direct feedback on new products and our own services. We can cover a lot of ground in three days at the show!”
Simon Bicknell, sales director of Toolbank, whose support was important to the successful launch of Totally Tools four years ago, commented: “Totally Tools continues to be an important part of our marketing programme and we welcome the initiatives being made by Brintex to add energy and impetus to the show.
“The show is a great platform to update customers on our latest initiatives and plans. We look forward to meeting potential new accounts and spending time with many existing customers and are pleased to confirm Toolbank's participation in Totally Tools 2009.”
New exhibitors to sign up for the 2009 to date include Aisin Europe, AP Lifting Gear, GT 85, Isotronic Mezger, RKW Leisure, RCD and Tarax Technology. In addition, Brother UK, Saint Gobain Abrasives and Spectra Tool Company are returning to the show after a break last year and DK Tools and Tool Connection are both back at the show having doubled the size of their stands.
“More than ever, retail buyers have to be proactive in their search to find new products to sell on to their customers. Our multi-trade show will be a great sourcing platform for buyers – and should help to stimulate interest and retail sales, which the whole market needs,” said show director James Murray. “Now is the time to proactively sell and to get out and see what companies have to offer!”
This year, to mark the show’s 15th year, a high-level industry conference, addressing the key issues of DIY and home retailing, will take place on the morning of Monday, 19 January. Details of the conference theme and speakers are to be announced shortly.
Current exhibitors for Totally Tools include Abingdon King Dick, Arrow Fastener, Evolution Power Tools, Exakt Precision Tools, KS Tools KWB Tools / Ringwood Agencies, Ledco, Monument Tools, Nilfisk Alto, Northern Wholesale, Rolson Tools, SMC and Valley Industries.
In Totally DIY confirmed exhibitors include Agralan, Bulk Hardware, Centurion Europe, Coo-Var, Crown Paints, Draper Tools, Euro Showers, Everbuild Building Products, Fair & Square, Feed ‘n’ Leave, Gorilla Glue, Group 55, IBP Conex, Initial Monogram, King Cole, Liberon, London & Lancashire Rubber, Mueller Primaflow, Oracstar, Polyvine, Procter Brothers, RB UK, Route 1 Group, Sealey Power Products, STV International, Sycamore UK, Tembe DIY, Tor Coatings, Trollul and Unger Germany.
New show Totally Secure has attracted bookings from Yale Security Products, part of the Assa Abloy Group, Borg Locks, Codringtons, Davenport Burgess, Guardian Lock & Engineering, Henry Squire & Sons, Keyprint, M.A.C Solutions, Master Lock, Sentry Safes, Sterling Locks and Total Product Sales, with more names waiting to be confirmed.
Totally Tools, Totally DIY and Totally Secure will take place 18-20 January 2009 at Earls Court in London.
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The changes proposed for the 2009 shows by organiser Brintex have won the approval of long-term show supporters, the British Home Enhancement Trade Association (BHETA), Decco, the Federation of British Hand Tool Manufacturers, Home Hardware Southwest, MICA Hardware and Toolbank who have all confirmed they will be exhibiting next January. In addition, the British Hardware Federation (BHF), which has had its own stand at the show for the past two years, has confirmed it will be back in 2009.
This year, many members and customers of the various organisations will be offered assistance with travel and refreshment costs, to help promote a visit to the show in January.
This activity, alongside a revamped floor plan which puts new products literally centre stage, the provision of free personalised invitation tickets for exhibitors to use, and a fresh approach to the idea of staging a ‘multi-trade’ show, with the introduction of Totally Secure has met with approval.
Paul Woolley, commercial director of the BHF Group, said, “With over 2,000 hardware members we see the show as a great opportunity to meet up with existing members and recruit for new ones! We’ll be offering new members a 25% discount on membership fees if they sign up at the show.
“In addition, our team from BHF Direct will be on the look out for new lines and products to offer our members – the show provides us with a great opportunity to get direct feedback on new products and our own services. We can cover a lot of ground in three days at the show!”
Simon Bicknell, sales director of Toolbank, whose support was important to the successful launch of Totally Tools four years ago, commented: “Totally Tools continues to be an important part of our marketing programme and we welcome the initiatives being made by Brintex to add energy and impetus to the show.
“The show is a great platform to update customers on our latest initiatives and plans. We look forward to meeting potential new accounts and spending time with many existing customers and are pleased to confirm Toolbank's participation in Totally Tools 2009.”
New exhibitors to sign up for the 2009 to date include Aisin Europe, AP Lifting Gear, GT 85, Isotronic Mezger, RKW Leisure, RCD and Tarax Technology. In addition, Brother UK, Saint Gobain Abrasives and Spectra Tool Company are returning to the show after a break last year and DK Tools and Tool Connection are both back at the show having doubled the size of their stands.
“More than ever, retail buyers have to be proactive in their search to find new products to sell on to their customers. Our multi-trade show will be a great sourcing platform for buyers – and should help to stimulate interest and retail sales, which the whole market needs,” said show director James Murray. “Now is the time to proactively sell and to get out and see what companies have to offer!”
This year, to mark the show’s 15th year, a high-level industry conference, addressing the key issues of DIY and home retailing, will take place on the morning of Monday, 19 January. Details of the conference theme and speakers are to be announced shortly.
Current exhibitors for Totally Tools include Abingdon King Dick, Arrow Fastener, Evolution Power Tools, Exakt Precision Tools, KS Tools KWB Tools / Ringwood Agencies, Ledco, Monument Tools, Nilfisk Alto, Northern Wholesale, Rolson Tools, SMC and Valley Industries.
In Totally DIY confirmed exhibitors include Agralan, Bulk Hardware, Centurion Europe, Coo-Var, Crown Paints, Draper Tools, Euro Showers, Everbuild Building Products, Fair & Square, Feed ‘n’ Leave, Gorilla Glue, Group 55, IBP Conex, Initial Monogram, King Cole, Liberon, London & Lancashire Rubber, Mueller Primaflow, Oracstar, Polyvine, Procter Brothers, RB UK, Route 1 Group, Sealey Power Products, STV International, Sycamore UK, Tembe DIY, Tor Coatings, Trollul and Unger Germany.
New show Totally Secure has attracted bookings from Yale Security Products, part of the Assa Abloy Group, Borg Locks, Codringtons, Davenport Burgess, Guardian Lock & Engineering, Henry Squire & Sons, Keyprint, M.A.C Solutions, Master Lock, Sentry Safes, Sterling Locks and Total Product Sales, with more names waiting to be confirmed.
Totally Tools, Totally DIY and Totally Secure will take place 18-20 January 2009 at Earls Court in London.
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QVC – SHOWING VIEWERS WHAT’S NEW
The QVC team will be attending this year’s multi-trade show at Earls Court with one aim – to find new products for its regular one hour, Sunday morning programme dedicated to DIY products.
QVC buyer for DIY and garden, Chris Gardner, will be at the show with QVC presenter Julian Ballantyne, to find as many new products as possible to show their viewers.
“We thought that our viewers would be interested to see how we track down new products and also see footage of our existing vendors at the show,” explained Chris Gardner.
Exhibitors across all three shows have been challenged to put forward their best new ideas for consideration but have been warned to take into account that they will have to be confident their product can demonstrate enough points of difference or new features to sustain eight to ten minutes of air time as well as offering value against the high street and other routes to market!
Chris explains, “We offer our customers products that have a point of difference, a story or USP and where we can demonstrate the benefits of purchase.”
The team at QVC says that their buying decisions are driven by the individual product and value against the marketplace and not on brand recognition.
One company which has benefited from being spotted by QVC is C Enterprise UK Ltd, which created the POWER8 workshop – a full cordless ‘Workshop in One’ that comes in its own armoured carry case. Chris Elsworthy, the product’s inventor will be exhibiting at the 2009 show.
He comments, “The POWER8 workshop has already benefited from airtime on QVC Germany, where it went down really well, and will have its first airing in the UK and in the US in the next couple of weeks.
“Our problem was keeping the description and product demo to within eight minutes! But working with QVC has been a good lesson in how to really focus on selling a product quickly and easily.”
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QVC buyer for DIY and garden, Chris Gardner, will be at the show with QVC presenter Julian Ballantyne, to find as many new products as possible to show their viewers.
“We thought that our viewers would be interested to see how we track down new products and also see footage of our existing vendors at the show,” explained Chris Gardner.
Exhibitors across all three shows have been challenged to put forward their best new ideas for consideration but have been warned to take into account that they will have to be confident their product can demonstrate enough points of difference or new features to sustain eight to ten minutes of air time as well as offering value against the high street and other routes to market!
Chris explains, “We offer our customers products that have a point of difference, a story or USP and where we can demonstrate the benefits of purchase.”
The team at QVC says that their buying decisions are driven by the individual product and value against the marketplace and not on brand recognition.
One company which has benefited from being spotted by QVC is C Enterprise UK Ltd, which created the POWER8 workshop – a full cordless ‘Workshop in One’ that comes in its own armoured carry case. Chris Elsworthy, the product’s inventor will be exhibiting at the 2009 show.
He comments, “The POWER8 workshop has already benefited from airtime on QVC Germany, where it went down really well, and will have its first airing in the UK and in the US in the next couple of weeks.
“Our problem was keeping the description and product demo to within eight minutes! But working with QVC has been a good lesson in how to really focus on selling a product quickly and easily.”
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Bulldog Ratchet Pruning Shears BD31303 – Product Review
20mm cutting diameter ratchet pruning shears
Review by Michael Smith
I have to say that this is the first of those kinds of pruning shears that I ever really have had an opportunity to use and review.
Other manufacturers and vendors for some reason have been more than reluctant, to say the least, to part with one of those for a proper and thorough product review and I leave the reader to draw his or her own conclusions as to the why and wherefore of this.
Bulldog's representatives on IOG Saltex 2008 were more than happy to supply me with one of those and so far I must say that I am quite impressed with this tool.
It took a little while for me to get the proper hang of it as to the best way of using it but once that had been mastered it is just a great piece of kit.
The maximum cutting size, in my opinion, should not be exceeded when cutting hardwoods, whether green or not, such as apply, plum, oak, etc. While it may work alright with slightly larger branch diameters, I must say that I would not recommend doing it.
Once the “trick” of properly using the ratchet is mastered this pair of pruners cuts through quite thick branches without any real effort. Small pruning is best done with the topmost tip of the pruners as it is then just the single snip. This is very good for dead heading of roses and also general small pruning rather than using the cutting jaws further down that then still employs the ratchet, making the cutting process a little slower.
On larger material the ratchet makes cutting virtually effortless and I recently used it to cut back a Willow (Salix) and in this instance cutting material with diameters of 35mm and such without any problems. It must be considered thought that green willow is a rather soft wood.
I also used it to prune some apple trees and in that case I restricted myself to about the maximum given diameter for this pair of pruners and there as well very little effort and strength was needed for the cutting.
From what I have seen so far as to the performance and reliability I can, I think, very much recommend this model of Bulldog's pruners without any hesitation.
Once again another piece of kit that is of fine quality at a very reasonable price.
© M Smith (Veshengro), October 2008
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Review by Michael Smith
I have to say that this is the first of those kinds of pruning shears that I ever really have had an opportunity to use and review.
Other manufacturers and vendors for some reason have been more than reluctant, to say the least, to part with one of those for a proper and thorough product review and I leave the reader to draw his or her own conclusions as to the why and wherefore of this.
Bulldog's representatives on IOG Saltex 2008 were more than happy to supply me with one of those and so far I must say that I am quite impressed with this tool.
It took a little while for me to get the proper hang of it as to the best way of using it but once that had been mastered it is just a great piece of kit.
The maximum cutting size, in my opinion, should not be exceeded when cutting hardwoods, whether green or not, such as apply, plum, oak, etc. While it may work alright with slightly larger branch diameters, I must say that I would not recommend doing it.
Once the “trick” of properly using the ratchet is mastered this pair of pruners cuts through quite thick branches without any real effort. Small pruning is best done with the topmost tip of the pruners as it is then just the single snip. This is very good for dead heading of roses and also general small pruning rather than using the cutting jaws further down that then still employs the ratchet, making the cutting process a little slower.
On larger material the ratchet makes cutting virtually effortless and I recently used it to cut back a Willow (Salix) and in this instance cutting material with diameters of 35mm and such without any problems. It must be considered thought that green willow is a rather soft wood.
I also used it to prune some apple trees and in that case I restricted myself to about the maximum given diameter for this pair of pruners and there as well very little effort and strength was needed for the cutting.
From what I have seen so far as to the performance and reliability I can, I think, very much recommend this model of Bulldog's pruners without any hesitation.
Once again another piece of kit that is of fine quality at a very reasonable price.
© M Smith (Veshengro), October 2008
<>
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