30 in 30 - Episode 6 - The Flooring Show Harrogate

This episode of The UK Flooring Podcast is all about The Flooring Show at Harrogate, and why turning up without a plan could mean missing the best opportunities in the room. Tom talks through why trade shows are more than just a day out or a catch-up with familiar faces. With the right approach, they can help flooring businesses build better supplier relationships, discover new products, meet useful people, and come away with ideas that genuinely improve the business. The episode also introduces the new Flooring Forum, a live conversation area at The Flooring Show designed to bring together some of the most interesting voices in the industry. Rather than boring lectures or polished sales pitches, the aim is to create proper conversations around the subjects that matter: cash flow, AI, marketing, pricing, product innovation, competition, and where the flooring market is heading next. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: Why you should never attend a trade show without a basic plan How to decide who you want to meet before you arrive Why booking appointments with suppliers can make the day far more valuable How The Flooring Show can help you strengthen your industry network Why knowing the right people can help your business move further, faster What the Flooring Forum is, and why it is being introduced at Harrogate The kind of conversations Tom wants to bring to the stage Why the best industry discussions should be honest, useful and far from boring How listeners can suggest topics, guests and questions for the live forum Memorable Quote: “If you want to get something out of a trade show, don’t just turn up and wander around. Go with a plan.” Speaker Information: Tom Cockerill is the co-host of The UK Flooring Podcast and co-founder of Cockerill & Co. Through the podcast, live events and business consultancy, Tom works with flooring retailers, installers and business owners to improve their marketing, systems, sales, pricing and profitability.