Downsizing was a good thing at the 28th annual Home Show.

Attendees of the 28th annual Colorado River Building Industry Association Home Show browse some of the event’s home show vendor booths Sunday at Lake Havasu High School gymnasium. Jayne Hanson/News-Herald Photo.

A handful of vendors and the event’s organizer said that using only one auditorium this year — instead of the usual two — resulted in more concentrated foot traffic.

“It went hugely wonderful, absolutely fantastic. It was smaller, but better,” said Home Show organizer Lisa Rose-Theophilus, of the Colorado River Building Industry Association. “All the vendors did such a great job with their booths … I have people asking about next year already.”

“I like it better,” said third-year Home Show vendor and business owner Stephen Kunisch of Havasu Audio/Video. “There (are) more people in one auditorium versus two.”

HAV staffer Steven Hook said 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday was the busiest time during the event. Hook also added there was good turnout Friday.

Kunisch said he has plans of attending next year’s event.

“We loved (the event). We did wonderful,” said Dan Glober of River Valley Window Co. and Segway of Havasu. “It was smaller, but we have such a great (booth) location,” The 11-year Home Show vendor said it “is one of the highlights of the year for sales.”

River Valley Window Co. and Segway always snags the booth space just inside the entrance to the Home Show, Glober said.

Second-year vendor Virginia Chambers, of Arizona Baby Cakes, said there was a constant flow of people past her booth Saturday.

“It was better than last year … there was a lot of interest (in her non-edible gift cakes),” Chambers said.

The event seemed to impress a few first-time vendors as well.

“The people that put (the event) on were excellent,” said Glen Kreuziger of Salt River Solar & Wind, of Surprise. “The asked constantly what they could do to help us … I was impressed.”

Kreuziger said he did not know what to expect with a smaller show because Salt River Solar & Wind usually do much larger-scale trade shows.

“We plan to come back. It has been a very fruitful three days,” Kreuziger said.

“It was a lot better than I thought,” said Mark Fayette of Fayette Air Conditioning and Sheet Metal in Havasu. “It is smaller but there was lot of people.”

This is the first year Fayette set up a vendor booth at the show but has attended the event before.

“There is a possibility that we will come back next year,” Fayette said.

“I like the fact that we have something like this in our community,” said Eden Rudin, owner of Scoops. The first-time Home Show vendor said the event was a success for the local ice cream shop. Along with other first-time vendors, Rudin also anticipates returning for next year’s show.

You may contact the reporter at jhanson@havasunews.com.