Going once, going twice and coming to NHS

Organizers of the National Hardware Show are planning the biggest, permanent, floating trade-show auction to hit the hardware industry.



The three-day Outdoor Supply Auction program during the May 5-7 event in Las Vegas will feature top brands and “trusted National Hardware Show exhibitors,” according to Rich Russo, industry VP for the NHS.



The new program is a two-year-in-the-making partnership between the NHS and RNO Exhibitions, and the first-of-its-kind anywhere trade show event, said RNO’s Vince Webb.



Dealers get the excitement of a no-minimum, no-reserve auction — that means the low bidder wins, period. For exhibitors, a major incentive to participate is the lead generation that the digital auction provides.



“We think of it as Cars.com meets eBay,” Webb told HBSDealer.



Registered attendees will bid on merchandise organized by lot on the show floor — pallet or bulk quantities of everything from outdoor living furniture to barbecues to tools. There’s even an opportunity for booth sales, Webb said.



To participate, show attendees need only sign up, download the NHS mobile app and provide a credit card.



The auction “enables our brand to continue to meet the industry’s need for platforms to grow their business,” Russo said.