Home, Garden and Leisure show will be bigger and better
By Alejandra Pulido-Guzman - Lethbridge Herald on March 5, 2025.
Herald photo by Alejandra Pulido-Guzman
Vice president of Meibel Consulting Ltd. Marc Belisle showcases the new additions to this year's Home, Garden and Leisure Show during a presentation for media last week at BILD Lethbridge.LETHBRIDGE HERALDapulido@lethbridgeherald.com
The highly anticipated 2025 Home, Garden and Leisure Show is just around the corner, returning March 13-15 at the Agri-food Hub and Trade Centre with even more to offer.
This year’s event is once again a partnership between the Building Industry & Land Development Association (BILD) Lethbridge Region and Meibel Consulting Ltd.
Bridget Mearns, Executive Officer of BILD Lethbridge Region, says she is very proud of how the show has evolved within a single year.
“We have taken a year off after COVID and we re-started in a big way in a new building,” she says. “This is our second year in the new building, we took what we learned and the excitement of the community to build an even better show this year.”
She says that she has seen the trade show evolve over the decades and recognizes how important it is for community businesses.
Having the show in the Agri-food Hub and Trade Centre has made a significant difference, says Mearns.
“We have the space; it is all in one place. In the past, in the old facility, it was blocked in different sections but in this building, you have the whole show in front of you.”
Marc Belisle, vice-president of Meibel Consulting and co-producer of the Southern Alberta Home, Garden and Leisure Show, adds that by having the entire space available, they are able to bring even more into the show this year.
“We listened to our exhibitors, we listened to our community, we listened to our sponsors,” says Belisle. “So, last year we had a little bit of a food shortage in the showroom floor, because our focus is on the Home, Garden and Leisure, but we are solving that problem.
To do that, they’re adding a food court alley to keep people in the building, engaged and able to talk business while enjoying food from local vendors.
“Second, the hustle and bustle of the showroom floor is busy, it’s loud,” Belisle points out. “So, to have the B2B Lounge will allow people to leave the busy area and talk about business without having to talk over other people.”
Belisle adds that the lounge will be a great place for that, since this year the show is going to be even louder with some extra entertainment added to it.
“We always like to add just a little more to each show to engage some excitement for people to be able to come and enjoy some industry expert advice from people that have been doing this for many years.”
Mearns says the lounge is not only an opportunity for businesses to meet with clients, but also a great place for businesses to come together and chat and learn from each other.
Two of those industry experts are Janet Melrose and Sheryl Normandeau, who are gardening experts and will be doing a live presentation, a meet and greet and book signing.
Those in attendance will also have the opportunity to meet special guest Shaun Umscheid, also known as the “What? No Way! guy,” whose combined social media following amounts to over 8.8 million across Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
“And we are really excited for this year to have that awesome HALO helicopter in the showroom floor,” says Belisle. “It’s pretty cool. Anytime you can add spectacle to the showroom floor it makes everyone happy.”
Another attraction that will be showcased once again is the “Who BILDs it Best” live building competition. Mearns says they are bringing it back because there’s a shortage of skilled workers in the industry, and this is an opportunity to encourage young people who have already shown an interest in trades to showcase their skills in a place where they can have some fun and stretch their boundaries in a live and fun way.
“This is our opportunity to give back as an industry and offer a chance to showcase what they can do and hopefully this would spark a desire to continue on with their trade journey,” says Mearns.
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