
February 3, 2025
STEVENS POINT – Believe it or not, spring is around the corner and, for many, that means starting home renovation projects.
There’s no better place to see the latest trends in home renovations, improvement, repairs or upgrades than at the 2025 Home Renovation Expo, set for Feb. 22 at the Artist & Fare Building in Plover.
Organizers said this free-to-the-public event brings together homeowners, home improvement professionals and a local lender – creating a one-stop shop of sorts.
It provides home improvement professionals an opportunity to increase their business and connect with local homeowners and homeowners who have renovation plans but aren’t sure where to start, Holly Carter, one of the owners of NextHome Priority (a sponsor of the expo), said.
“It’s also a great place for people looking to get into home ownership who have questions or are just curious to come,” she said. “Simplicity Credit Union, who is co-sponsoring the show with NextHome Priority, will also be there to answer questions for people about lending.”
Annual event gains traction each year
This is the third year the expo is being held, and Carter said it has grown each year.
She said the more NextHome Priority has sponsored the show, the more they learn.

“Last year, we had 20-25 vendors participate, and I think we had a little more than 250 people attend,” Carter said. “The numbers seem to grow a little each year. But we also learn a little each year of doing it.”
For example, Carter said last year, organizers held the event on Sunday instead of its usual Saturday slot.
“We learned Sunday probably wasn’t the best, so we’ve moved it back to Saturday this year,” she said. “It’s kind of been trial and error to figure out when people are most available and also what time of year they’re starting to think about doing home renovations. March is always busy with spring break, so we decided on the end of February this time.”
Though she isn’t sure how far people have traveled to attend the expo, Carter said the event casts a wide net for vendors.
“We don’t ask where people who attend have come from,” she said. “But the vendors come from all over, even as far as Appleton (and the Northeast Wisconsin area).”
Part of that, Carter said, might have to do with the expo’s vendor fees.
“Our vendor fees are really low – we only charge $250 for a booth,” she said. “Some have told us how cheap it is compared to expos in other areas. So, the return on investment for them is great compared to some of the other expos they’ve (participated in).”
Carter also said organizing and co-sponsoring the event is not about making money.
“We don’t do this to make money,” she said. “For us, it’s about offering a service and an event to the community for them to have one place to go to gather information as they prepare for spring renovations.”
Economic impact
Because the event is only one day and within driving distance for most people attending or participating, Carter said there is not likely an economic impact for hotels or other lodging establishments.
But there are some local businesses she said may see an uptick in their sales the day of the show.
“Where we have the expo there is a coffee shop, so they get some traffic from the expo,” she said. “There’s also a brewery in the building that serves lunch, and they get business from the expo, as well.”

Carter said the event’s proximity to local businesses may benefit the expo as well.
“It’s actually kind of nice because there may be people at those places who didn’t know the expo was going on, but they were at one of those two places and get pulled into the expo from that,” she said, “and vice versa with people attending the home show who may not have known there was a coffee shop or brewery but they’re grabbing something from one of those places before or after coming to the show.”
Of course, Carter said vendors who rent a booth at the expo are bound to get some business from their participation.
And she said they certainly get plenty of exposure prior to the show through advertising.
“As the organizer and one of the sponsors, we not only started the expo in 2017, but we run everything,” she said. “We get the vendors, co-sponsors, develop the floor plan, handle the advertising and do everything else connected with it. We promote the vendors on our Facebook page and in ads and boosts on (social media)… We have outdoor signage and the radio ads mention the type of businesses that will be there.”
Vendor space, Carter said, is still available.
Home improvement contractors interested in having a table/booth at the expo, she said, can get more information on NextPriority’s Facebook page and following the links provided.
The 2025 Home Renovation Expo will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the main lobby area of the Artist & Fare Building, 1800 Plover Road in Plover.