Casting Light on CBCON

When our client Caribbean Blinds asked us to sponsor their inaugural trade show, CBCON, we were quick to accept. We are always keen to support our client base in any way we can. We have worked extremely closely with them over recent months perfecting and launching their new website and saw it as a perfect opportunity to show off our ever-growing knowledge of solar shading and to meet other like-minded companies.

Monday 9th March 5:50am

With the COVID-19 situation unfolding in the background I realised this would probably be the last face to face event we attended for a while. Time to hit the road! After a lovely drive enjoying the ‘best in traffic management’ the M25 can offer, we arrived to find the event was well attended despite the growing uncertainty constantly flashing up on my mobile notifications.

After a short introduction from Stuart Dantzic, Caribbean Blinds ’Managing Director, it was straight to the details with an insightful presentation from Kirsty Winter at Insight Data. It was encouraging to hear about the growth in the home improvement sector, especially extensions and garden renovations.

Next up, Jim Wilkinson from Pro Landscaper magazine. Following on from the statistical information Kirsty delivered, Jim was able to provide real-life case studies demonstrating the types of projects homeowners were investing in, and the growth in desire for innovative high-end outdoor living spaces. Finally, Andrew Scott from Purplex Marketing gave a fantastic presentation on the power of a successful brand and how to set up your business for growth. Superb content which very much aligned with our renewed vision and services for 2020.

After a short break, it was back into a Marketing drive back to back presentations from Scott Barton & Max Planck of Unity Online. Covering the basics of SEO and PPC, with some practical examples of application and best practices.

Daniele Scott from Climb Online was next, providing an in-depth overview of social media marketing in the Home Improvement sector. Again, plenty of practical examples and take-aways, regardless of your market and audience.

Following a spot of lunch and networking, Andrew Birch from Somfy gave a short, interesting introduction to the new digital controllers for home technology.

Before Stuart returned to the stage Patrick Dunne from Archant Media spoke to us about the power of print advertising and his belief that ‘print will never die’. We agree. There will always be a place for creatively designed campaigns, printed and finished using innovative materials and processes.

The year ahead for Caribbean Blinds was clearly outlined in the wrap-up session, and we are even more excited about the future of our relationship with them. Well done to Stuart and his team for delivering a positive and successful event.

A superb day, and we are looking forward to CBCON 2021.

The only thing left for us was the return journey… and it’s raining. You can’t have everything!