Attendance at the Mid-Atlantic Hardscaping Trade Show (MAHTS), held Feb. 11-12 at the Atlantic City, N.J. Convention Center, was up 50 percent this year.
Moreover, sponsorship was up more than 30 percent and the number of show exhibitors increased by 35 percent.
“MAHTS 2014 was evidence that the hardscaping and landscaping industries are ready to ‘Keep Moving Forward,’” said Paul Cimini, director of contractor business development at EP Henry. “Attendance, sponsorship and exhibitors were at the highest since before the recession. Attendees came ready to learn and prove that these industries can adapt to a new economy and a new kind of customer.”
Presented for its 14th year by EP Henry, the show offered construction and business skills training, industry certification and arena and classroom education. The theme of this year’s show was Keep Moving Forward to help industry professionals think ahead and introduce new ideas for them move the entire industry forward.
Cimini said that though customers are, once again, ready to put more money into their homes, their tastes are changing and evolving and as more hardscaping options become available, homeowners no longer want to be like their neighbors. They’re looking for unique ways to express themselves and their personalities through the home and yard.
To that end, EP Henry introduced the Future of Hardscaping symposium to bring hardscaping professionals together with new systems and products to be applied and mastered. In addition, The Future of Hardscaping featured an arena with live construction of a next generation outdoor oasis from design to completion over the two-day symposium.
“It’s always a pleasure to come to MAHTS to see the new innovative products that EP Henry is coming out with,” said Alden Zove, of Cedar Run Landscapes in North Wales, Pa. “We get to give input on the new products and it’s great to talk with the EP Henry staff and their technicians about what is new and exciting that we’ll be able to offer to our customers.”
