From costumes to people on stilts to the cheerleading squad from UNLV, the atmosphere was a festive one for the crowd of attendees and exhibitors who had gathered around the North American Retail Hardware Association’s (NRHA) Village Stage for the official start of the show.

Today’s theme was World of Home Improvement, which celebrated suppliers to the home improvement industry by recognizing and celebrating international exhibitors.

While the NRHA Village Stage stayed busy with a full schedule of speakers, there was plenty going on across the show floor, too, including several specialty areas that drew in plenty of attendees.

The product review and vetting area offered manufacturers a chance to drop off their products to be reviewed by some of the industry’s leading buyers, who provided the manufacturers with feedback about how they might best be able to move these products into the marketplace.