LATEST statistics released by CFJ’s external marketing company reveal the level of engagement at the CFJ Online Flooring Expo which took place on Thursday 1 July.

The event was billed as a first-of-its-kind and was inspired by the fact that the pandemic had driven people online and away from long-established exhibitions.

Before the pandemic, contractors have several choices when it comes to visiting events and training events such as the Surface Design Show, the Harrogate Flooring Show and Clerkenwell Design Week.

According to the expo figures, 1,474 people registered for the event of which 811 logged in on the day. The average time these visitors spent at the expo was two hours and 26 minutes. Overall, 1,506 comments were made via the chat feature and the main stage saw 620 visitors.

Contractors, retailers, distributors, architects, developers, FMs, and housing associations were able to come and go freely throughout the afternoon and evening without leaving their workspace, and a key feature of the event was that it was easily accessible using desktop, laptop, tablet or mobile.

Those who visited the main stage stayed on average for about 31 minutes and left 148 chat comments overall.

‘The expo proved that despite – or maybe because of – the pandemic and the seemingly endless lockdown, people still have a desire to meet up, talk to each other and, where possible, watch demonstrations and hear about product launches,’ says Stuart Bourne, managing director of Kick-Start Publishing and sales director of CFJ.

‘I was incredibly impressed at how many people embraced this innovation and invested in it. The feedback we’ve received has been largely positive, and those who’ve been critical have been constructively so. That means we can only get stronger going forward, and we look forward to offering an even better online expo next year.’

‘Wow! The expo was absolutely brilliant,’ said visitor, Stuart Blackett. ‘I was watching the guys doing their bit and showing the industry is still very much alive. Very refreshing to see hard workers installing to perfection.’

Steven lauded the presentations in light of minor technical difficulties and said he’d spoken to other attendees who very much agreed. ‘The adverts were brilliant showing different companies and suppliers who are in their own niche markets.

‘I’ve had a look at some products and even bought some myself. I don’t usually leave reviews, but I wanted to ensure the guys know they did an amazing job and I’m very much looking forward to attending again next year.’

Nicola Bowling from Ammonite Flooring said it was ‘great to see some of the demonstrations, then hop into visiting any manufacturers we were interested in’.

‘There was a problem with the sound, but this is a new concept. I’d welcome the same next year as Harrogate is too far from us for a personal visit. Well done and thank you.’

‘It was great viewing, apart from being interrupted by someone for an hour,’ said Darrin Marsh of Saffron Walden Specialists. ‘I tuned in for specific events but found myself watching other things that were compulsive viewing too. This was a great initiative after the past 18 months we’ve all endured.’

Dale Wilson, UK operations manager at Floor Centre said after the initial technical difficulties, he found the event to be very informative. ‘I connected with a few suppliers and made some new contacts. My favourite stand would have to be Ultrafloor; they were the most interactive.’