Mega Show brings vendors, public together for making those home repairs
Madolin Edwards- The Somerset and Cambria County Chambers of Commerce and Builder Associations will host the annual Mega Show home, garden & business expo March 21-23 at the Galleria Mall in Johnstown.
- The show features vendors, product demonstrations, home improvement ideas, prize drawings and giveaways.
- Organizers credit the Galleria Mall's central location and amenities, such as the food court, with boosting the show's popularity.
JOHNSTOWN — The Somerset County Chamber of Commerce, the Cambria Regional Chamber and Somerset and Cambria County Builders Association are once again joining forces to present the annual Mega Show home, garden & business expo March 21-23, at the Galleria Mall - Johnstown, 500 Galleria Drive.
The show will be held from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. It features vendors of all varieties, product demonstrations, home improvement ideas, prize drawings, giveaways and more. Vendors include remodeling supply businesses, pest control, windows distributors, stone contractors, metals, energy suppliers, gardening and banks.
"We (Somerset County Chamber and Homebuilders) have been doing the Mega Show since 2010, however, we moved to the Galleria in 2022 due to the lack of a large exhibition building in Somerset County," said Ron Aldom, Somerset County Chamber of Commerce's executive director, in an email. "We then partnered with the Cambria County Chamber and Homebuilders to promote an even larger vendor list and attendance."
The variety of booth sites will be promoting businesses for thousands of visitors.
John Rugg, who with his wife, Shannon, owns and is general manager of Laurel Asphalt, Windber, said his company has been participating in the Mega Show for more than 20 years. Laurel Asphalt is a commercial, municipal and residential asphalt paving and maintenance company serving Johnstown, Somerset, Bedford, Windber, Altoona and Ebensburg customers.
"It helps us see a lot of customers there. We are a continuous asphalt maintenance, so we see past customers there and meet future customers," he said. "Having it at the Galleria makes it a two-county show, Cambria and Somerset County, so this is a good middle point. It's worked well."
Move to new location a bonus
Aldom said the growth of the Mega Show since moving to the Galleria has been substantial, both from vendors and shoppers.
"We are officially sold out this year (although we could probably find more space if needed)," he said. "This has become an outstanding platform for local businesses to meet potential customers while highlighting their products and services. We see a large number of Somerset County businesses attending and it’s really because of the amount of sales and leads they get at the show. The fact that many of them attend every year, tells how important this show is to them."
Doug Edwards, contractor sales at SDC Building Center in Somerset, said his business has participated in the show for many years.
"We put on a nice booth to show some of our products, what's out there, what we have," he said. "That opens the door for showing the different products we have. We see people at the store who say they were looking at this product at our booth at the Mega Show and came in to SDC."
SDC, 1123 South Edgewood Ave., is an ACE Hardware Store that provides products for do it yourself projects, construction needs, or outdoor adventures by offering a selection of tools and products, including Milwaukee Tools, Carhartt Products, and Yeti Products.
Edwards said the Galleria location has helped SDC to create interest in people from Johnstown.
"It has opened the doors to outside the county," he said. "The Galleria gets a lot of traffic up there for us and for the shops."
John Rugg said people come to the show year after year.
"We meet and network. Some may not be ready for asphalt now, but down the road in a few years, they may and they'll remember us and come back to see us," he said. "It is also part of the community, too, with the chambers and home builders association; this helps us be part of the community and supporting them."
Aldom said one thing that has grown with the new location is the number of shoppers stopping in.
"Plus, it's free admission," he said. "Leo (Karruli), the Galleria owner, has been wonderful to work with and has provided a lot of services to help make the show a success. One area is the expanded food court, which allows people to shop longer and bring the family. It’s a wonderful show highlighting local businesses and helping them achieve more success."
Doug Edwards invites the public to come check out the show.
"Come out and enjoy the show. There are a lot of good businesses on display with knowledgeable people," he said. "Stop by the booth and say hi."