Seven topics this week, one that is pure fun, others more serious, so let’s dive right in.

1. Manufactured Housing: Endangered Species or Phoenix Rising?

If you listen to the likes of consultant Chuck Shinn or academic Dr. David Funk, you would think Manufactured Housing is poised for a potentially bright future.  In fact, as one manufacturing source said in Tunica this past week, “The future is so bright, we need shades.”  On the other hand, there are those who see reports like the IBIS study we reported last week in our Daily Business News blog that puts the manufactured home ‘dealer’ (retailer) on the endangered species list.  Which is it?

We will have a compelling article next week by Paul Bradley, one of our Featured Writers, who will tackle part of this subject of the IBIS study.  Other new April Issue Featured Articles will deal with elements of this subject as well.

 

2. The early numbers are in from the 2011 Tunica Manufactured Housing Show.  Some 1083 attendees joined hundreds of exhibitors for the largest indoor/outdoor event of its kind.

The attendees came from Retailers, Builder/Developers, Community Owner/Managers, Installers and other vendors/suppliers representing 444 companies.  When you include exhibitors, the Industry total at Tunica Show would be 2001 manufactured housing professionals representing 638 companies!

 

 

 

Sources from factories gave us a range of results from so-so at the Show to very encouraged by the orders taken and expected.  The mood of attendees was often upbeat.  I personally met with individuals with 40-50+ years experience, such as retailer and manufactured home community owner Dick Moore – who just keeps on truckin’ – to newcomers to our Industry.  I spoke with individuals from both coasts, border states on the North and South and many states in between!  We will have more post-Tunica Show info in the days ahead, including photos and videos.

Hats off to Dennis Hill and the South Central Manufactured Housing Show Committee for a well attended event.

 

3. MHARR and MHI members and leaders were present in Tunica.  We will watch for news and views from them, and of course we will keep you posted.

 

 

4. The Pennsylvania Manufactured Housing Association (PMHA) will be having their HOMExpo 2011 at the York Center in York PA.  This promises to be the largest event of its kind in the Mid-Atlantic and North Eastern states.

5. Speaking of events during this busy Show season, The Super Symposium held in Albany, New York unofficially had 148 attended and 3 model homes with a number of exhibitors and well received speakers.  This was a land lease community oriented function, but other industry segments were represented as well.  Sources at the event touted Nancy Greer and her colleagues’ work in pulling off this well received meeting.  More on this event in the days ahead.

 

 

 

6. The news from Oklahoma is that they expect the best attendance and record numbers of exhibitors for the 2011 Great Southwest Home Show at the QuikTrip Center in Tulsa.  This is billed as the world’s largest indoor manufactured home show in the United States.  Early registration and attendance patterns at Louisville and Tunica suggest this could be a very popular event.  Doug Gorman, Deanna Fields and Don Miner all call the Public Days of GSWHS ‘the home show with homes in it.’  The Public Days website is live and can be seen at:
www.greatsouthwesthomeshow.com or http://tulsahomeshow.net.

 

 

7. There will be some tweaks to our MHMSM.com format next week with our new April Featured Articles, too.  Your feedback, as always, is welcome and appreciated as we do this all for Factory Built Home Industry professionals like you.  Download or read our current articles now that you enjoyed, want to share or haven’t had the chance to benefit from yet.

What is clear so far from the Louisville and Tunica Manufactured Housing Shows is that attendance tends to attract much larger numbers than other association sponsored events.  The strong attendance at Louisville and even larger numbers at Tunica provide good reasons for optimism for similar results for the PMHA’s 2011 HOMExpo in York PA and the MHAO’s 2011 Great Southwest Home Show in Tulsa OK.  We will have more Tunica Show wrap up information and photos soon, so stay tuned.

We started this blog post with the question, is manufactured housing a Phoenix rising out of the ashes?  Or is it an endangered species?  The answer, my friends and colleagues, is in your hands and mine.  Please see the INspirations Blog post today for additional insights.

We are scheduled to present in Tulsa and Vegas in the last week of April, we hope that you will pick the event that fits your needs the best, and attend.  These are great opportunities to not only see the latest in new homes, products and services, but also to network and learn how to grow your business in these challenging times.  Please feel free to stop in and say hello at our booth. # #