Annual Expo To Bring Networking, Business Opportunities
/By Janee Law
jlaw@longislandergroup.com
Long Island Builders Institute is gearing up to host its 28th Annual L.I. Builders Home, Trade & Remodeling Expo, where vendors will gather at the Huntington Hilton in Melville to offer networking, education and business opportunities to professional subcontractors and residents.
More than 95 vendors plan to set up shop at the 598 Broadhollow Road hotel on March 22 for the free-to-attend and open-to-the-public expo, where professionals qualified in residential remodeling, renting and purchasing will be on scene.
The expo, which will run from 3-8 p.m., is an annual one-stop-shop for home, trade, remodeling and commercial construction, offering builders or customers alike the chance to meet with representatives of the various service exhibitors and discuss what they can offer.
Lois Fricke, operations director, said those who will be attending the expo are “the right people to go to” for a variety of needs, such as when seeking a new home or apartment, a landscaper, or a senior citizen facility.
“Every single thing you need for your home or business” will be under one roof, she added. “These companies have been doing business on Long Island for years, and they are reputable, reliable, belong to this organization and conduct their business by our code of ethics.”
Formed in 1941, LIBI is New York’s largest residential trade organization that works to improve the economy, environment and business opportunities on Long Island.
Mitchell Pally, CEO of Islandia-based LIBI, said the company’s goal is “to ensure people can build homes, apartments, transit-oriented development, mixed-use units on Long Island so that people can live with them at the most efficient way possible.”
Pally continued, “We work with all levels of government to try to make that happen. We want people to enjoy living in their homes because a house isn’t just cement and it’s not appliances, it’s where somebody lives and that’s the most important thing to our members.”
Pally said the company’s original intent for the expo 28 years ago was to give its members, generally contractors, the opportunity to meet with the builders in hopes they would utilize their products and services.
“We have now expanded it to having consumers or residents come in to enable them to meet directly with people who may have goods and services that they’re interested in for either remodeling or other aspects of what people do today on their homes,” Pally said. “Also, many of our builders will take booths to showcase their rental or for sale property so that people can get an idea of what’s available in housing on Long Island.”
With each expo, LIBI has also included a charitable giveaway. Past giveaways have included pet houses donated to various animal shelters, and children’s playhouses donated to various charities, Fricke said.
This year, LIBI will offer a $10,000 remodeling giveaway. The drawing for the giveaway will be held at 7:30 p.m.
It was put together by 10 sponsors: Alure Home Improvements, Cancos Tile & Stone, Cosentino, Huber Engineered Woods, J. Ratto Landscaping Ltd., Liberty Fence, Outstanding Plumbing & Heating, Plesser’s Appliances, Riverhead Building Supply, and Sterling Floor Designs, Ltd.
The prize money can be spent with any of the 10 sponsors in any combination for a large variety of services and products.
Pally said he is hopeful attendance to the expo will increase this year. “We hope people will walk around and we hope people will do business, find out the products and services that are available and do business right then and there.”