Visitors to the first day of this year’s Guernsey Press Home & Lifestyle Show could not fail to be impressed by what was on offer, reports Joel de Woolfson. Pictures by Peter Frankland. MORE than 80 companies showed off their products yesterday as the Guernsey Press Home & Lifestyle Show 2007 got under way.

A select crowd of invited guests saw a performance by students from the Blondel Earl Dance and Theatre Arts Centre and heard speeches from organiser Suzanne Pontin and special celebrity guest David Dickinson.

‘I’m sure the exhibition is going to be a real bobby-dazzler and there are going to be some things that are as cheap as chips,’ said the Bargain Hunt presenter.

‘It’s a great privilege to be here.’

The David Ferguson and Sir John Loveridge halls at Beau Sejour, along with the Concourse, were packed with stalls displaying products including luxury spas, massage chairs, properties and vehicle technology.

One of the companies displaying its gadgets was Island Electrics, which was demonstrating the latest low-energy LED lighting.

‘The idea is that all the lighting we have here can replace the lighting people have in their homes, but with hugely reduced energy consumption,’ said manager Paul Nobes.

The stand featured an array of multi-coloured lights in different shapes and sizes.

Mr Nobes said the entire display used less power than one normal 100-watt bulb.

‘If you have your whole property

illuminated with LEDs, it will be cost-effective in three to five years,’ he said.

Prices range from £35 to about £180 for household lights and £40 to £600 for commercial.

‘We haven’t gone into the marketplace yet to sell, but the amount of sales and enquiries to date made us realise we had to do something like this exhibition,’ he said.

‘We have been an electrical firm for 34 years but we saw the way the environment is going and knew it was something we should get involved with. We think it’s the way to go now because the world is changing.’

Mrs Pontin, of CMA Event Management, said the show had got bigger every year since its debut in 2003.’What people will see at the fifth Home & Lifestyle Show is how it has grown and developed into the Channel Islands version of the Ideal Home Exhibition,’ she said.

‘We have over 80 exhibitors from Guernsey, Jersey, the UK, Ireland and France bringing to the show a huge range of products to suit everyone’s home and lifestyle.

‘I know the enormous effort that companies have put into building their stands and the high standard this year is evident for all to see.’

The theme of this year’s event is Your Home, Your Lifestyle, Your Exhibition and Mrs Pontin said it offered something for everyone.

Commerce and Employment minister Stuart Falla attended the launch and said he was impressed by the commitment shown by businesses.

‘This show offers an opportunity for people to showcase their business,’ he said.

‘They can also get to a much broader client base than normal. Companies such as Cable & Wireless are in the market all the time, but it’s the little businesses that will really benefit from the show.’

Many companies made the journey to the island with heavy equipment, but all said it was worth the expense.

Jersey-based adventuring company Trek Plus was so impressed by last

year’s exhibition in Jersey that it booked a place for this year’s event in Guernsey there and then.

‘We are a family-run business and have come over to promote our new website,’ said owner Nick Pitman.

‘We already have a lot of customers from Guernsey who come over to see us and we hope to get more while we are here.

‘It’s quite expensive to come over, but we think it will be well worth it.’

A popular stall with show visitors was Tony Barlow’s Oakdale, which displayed a range of massage chairs and adjustable beds.

‘We’ve been doing the show since it started,’ he said.

‘It’s a great opportunity to expand our market and to give the people of Guernsey innovative products without having to go to the UK.’

The Shropshire-based company imports its chairs from Japanese company Family Inada.’It is the world leader when it comes to massage chairs,’ he said.

‘These are medical products that people will use very regularly. There is no better way to relax.’

Chairs range from £2,500 to £6,000 for the most sophisticated.

Wave Telecom once again had the biggest stall with its 25ft house.

‘We always have the biggest area and biggest stand,’ said marketing communications officer Sarah Le Fievre.

‘The exhibition is always fantastic for us. Last time we signed someone to Wave every 10 minutes.’

The company was promoting all its products including the new Super 3G and MyZone services.

Bailiff Geoffrey Rowland was another guest at the launch of the exhibition and said it seemed to get better every time.

‘The exhibitors have upped their game and there is something to interest everyone,’ he said.

‘I have been impressed by the professionalism and quality of the exhibitions. I think the show offers businesses the potential to expose their products to a much wider audience and people visiting will find there are many businesses that they did not know even existed.’

n The Guernsey Press Home & Lifestyle Show is open today from 12pm until 9pm, tomorrow from 10am-9pm and Sunday from 10am-6pm. Entrance costs £3 for adults and £1 for children aged over five.