Plumbing Africa January 2019 | Page 17

EVENTS AND EXHIBITIONS 15 WHS Summit raises the bar While Wholesale Housing Supplies (WHS) has done numerous trade shows over the years, this year, for the first time, it was decided to bring all areas of the business together for one large and very popular summit. Saffer, Stability, WHD, Promax, and DPI came together for three days, giving customers plenty of opportunity to visit the show and benefit from the specials on offer. “This gave us the opportunity to spend some quality time with our customers and thank them for their business and support over the past year … Overall, we could not have been happier with the support from our suppliers, the attendance from the customers, and the overall success of the three-day event,” says Galliver. “We called the event the WHS Summit, as it was more than just a trade show. It was also an opportunity to network and build relationships with our customers and our suppliers,” explains marketing director, Shelley Galliver. With this in mind, the summit also included a Secondz Direct store, selling off older stock to customers; a supplier cocktail evening where the company’s top suppliers were rewarded; a customer golf day on the Friday; and a customer appreciation dinner. The WHS summit included a customer golf day. Galliver adds that from a company perspective, the event was incredibly hard work, but everyone pulled together as a team and, “There was great team spirit and comradery over the three days.” The popularity of the event has Galliver very enthused for future versions of the event, with the plan being to make it an annual cornerstone of the company’s approach. When asked what the highlight of the event was, she said, “I would have to say just all the positive feedback we received from suppliers and customers, and the excitement that the event created. It was also the first time that we really introduced the wider business of WHS to everybody, who is so used to working with only one or some of the divisions.” PA www.plumbingafrica.co.za Fun was had at the Secondz Direct store where older stock was sold to customers. A wide range of products were on sale at knock-down prices. January 2019 Volume 25 I Number 1