SOMERSET: Bradford Building Supplies has ambitious plans for the Christmas period. Its Trade Deal Day on 14 December at the West Point Arena in Exeter is the launch of an event which, the company says, it plans to run every year.

Bradford Building Supplies tasked all of its 27 branches to fill at least one coach with its account customers for the event. "We want to use the day as a way of thanking our account customers for their business over the past year," said marketing manager Ben White.

"We want to get our trade customers in front of our suppliers. While they are there, we will incentivise them with some cracking deals.

"Every supplier is being asked to give us a deal that we can pass on to our customers. Bradfords is also offering a 5% additional discount for any order placed on the day. Customers then have until the last day in January to call those orders off those prices."

The independent merchant's aim is to get between 1500 and 2500 people to attend on the day. "Each account has the option to request up to three tickets," Mr White explained. "The contribution from each of our 80-plus suppliers and the activities that run throughout the day will help us to fund the event."

here are three main sponsors - Siniat, Bradfords itself, in partnership with kitchen and bathroom distributor, Mark Too and Bosch Power Tools. There are 11 premier stands and a further 70 4x3m stands. There is a restaurant and catering area.

A football and simulator section will be hosted by a professional goal-keeper who will record saves and penalties. There will also be a golf simulator and strong-man tests as well as a massage booth.

Competitions will run throughout the day. A 'hole-in-one' golf game will enable one customer to win a Nissan Novara van.

"We are being joined by the Federation of Master Builders, Builders' Merchants News and CRASH (Construction and Property Industry Charity for the Homeless) as our patron charity," said Mr White.

"We deliberately chose 14 December in order to have an end-of-year celebration. We also wanted to help our customers enter into the New Year knowing that we are there to help them during tough times."

Seminars will also run at the show. The first, from Stonemarket, is about getting ready for spring and how customers can prepare themselves for landscaping projects. The second, from Mark Two, focuses on 'Easy Living'. This is a range which Bradfords offers its trade customers.

"Aimed at the less able, the range ensures that those with disabilities can enjoy the same level of quality, comfort and above all, style," said Mr White. "Just because some people are less able, our customers can recommend a range that has been slightly adapted to suit these needs without scrimping on design. Mark Too will show our customers how they can take that package to market and make good margins by presenting these products to end-user customers in the right way." To-date, over 400 customers have registered to attend the event.

Social media is playing its part. Using Twitter, Bradfords is keeping customers in the loop about the event, answering queries about how they can get involved, how to register and tips about how to get there. The merchant plans to Tweet live on the day.

"We are asking everyone who registers for the event and who is involved with Twitter to let us know. That way, we can be Tweeting them on a regular basis in the lead-up the event. We're keen as a business to get our customers to ask us questions."