Supporting showcase of luxury lodges

Let’s be honest, who wouldn’t love to own a luxury lodge nestling in one of Great Britain’s many beautiful landscapes? We know we certainly would! And we’d had the benefit of seeing some of these jaw-droppingly gorgeous homes close-up thanks to our partnership with one of the country’s leading suppliers of residential park homes and luxury lodges, Omar Park & Leisure Homes.

The company is based in Brandon, Suffolk, with a second manufacturing facility in Hull, and has been trading since 1965. Omar attracts a wide variety of customers from across the UK as well as overseas – from individuals looking for a holiday or retirement home to commercial park owners wanting premium quality homes for their sites.

Omar’s Marketing Coordinator Jo Lees talked to us about what makes their products so popular and how important it is to make the right impact at the all-important outdoor shows.

Growth in popularity

Lodges and residential park homes have been on the go for a number of decades but in recent years, the sector has seen a spurt in growth. There are all sorts of reasons for this, including developments in the quality of design and construction; and the leisure and financial benefits they can bring with long-term savings on holiday costs and the option of renting out the home to other holiday-makers. An increasing number of Brits are now interested in ‘staycations’ rather than shelling out on properties abroad, especially as UK holiday parks have become much more sophisticated and can rival those found in Europe.

Jo said: “Buying a lodge or park home is a big decision and customers can rely on us to give them support and advice throughout the process. One thing they can always be confident of is that the quality of design and construction with our homes is second to none.”

Omar offers an extensive range to suit all tastes and budgets, and can even design your own bespoke home, giving you exactly what you require. “At Omar we ensure the highest possible standards and pay close attention to detail throughout the build of your home, ensuring a quality final finish,” Jo added. “We really do focus on delivering the very best customer service at all times.”

Outdoor show extravaganzas

Naturally, many customers would prefer to see a selection of homes before signing on the dotted line, and this is possible both at Omar’s showground in Brandon, Suffolk, at various holiday parks, and at some of the country’s annual shows.

And this is where VFM makes an appearance! We first worked together in 2018 at the prestigious annual Caravan Extravaganza, held at The Lawns, in Cottingham, East Yorkshire, when Omar needed a last-minute marquee supplier and we were able to step up to the plate.

Jo said: “We came across VFM online and it was such a lucky find! They were able to provide exactly what we needed quickly and efficiently, and we have been very impressed with their service and the quality of their marquees. These shows are run on extremely tight logistical schedules, so it’s important that all participants can work to a strict project plan and timeline. Any suppliers working with us must be completely reliable, trustworthy, organised and timely – there’s no room for error. VFM tick all these boxes, their professionalism is simply outstanding.”

A premium quality match

From our perspective at VFM, we understand it’s imperative that our products fit with the premium quality of the goods or services our client is offering their customers. A standard marquee really wouldn’t do, and that’s why ours are always in pristine condition. Chrysta Newman, VFM Co-director, said: “We supported Omar at The World of Park & Leisure Homes Show at Ardingly, West Sussex and their stand looked absolutely stunning. The homes could probably sell themselves as they are just superb, but the work the team put into landscaping their whole stand area makes it so attractive.

“The marquee has to match this top quality look and feel. At this event we used a curved roof rather than the standard pitched roof, the whole stand looked so lovely.”

Omar arrange the interior of their marquee so there is a private area for one-to-one conversations, a comfy seating area, and room for visitors to browse information stands.

Jo added: “It’s not just a marquee, it forms part of our overall marketing strategy and therefore it needs to match our standards for quality in order for us to provide the whole customer experience that we are aiming for.”

For the other big event that we support Omar with, The World of Park & Leisure Homes Show held in Stoneleigh, Warwickshire, we suggested Omar try glass panels across the front of their marquee, to further lighten and brighten the interior, and this has proved really effective.

A team effort

Despite our best efforts, on rare occasions things do conspire to throw a spanner in the works! Our big truck unfortunately suffered a breakdown two miles away from the Ardingly showground, and it took some quick-thinking from Tony to ensure those all-important marquee assembly deadlines were not missed.

Tony explained: “We used our small truck to ferry a few bits of the load back and forth to the show until the recovery service arrived and was able to tow the big truck to the ground, where we could finish unloading.

“The Omar and VFM teams worked really well together to make sure everything went like clockwork despite the potential disruption.”

Chrysta added: “We do pride ourselves on good communications with clients and their on-site teams, and we see ourselves as an extension of their brand. We try to be innovative too, contributing new ideas on how they can engage visitors to the shows and attract them to the stand.

“Omar Homes are an inspirational company and a real pleasure to work with. We’re looking forward to supporting them at many more shows to come.”

For more information about Omar Park & Leisure Homes, visit www.omar.co.uk

If you are attending an event and would like to speak to Village Farm Marquees about how we can help, please get in touch via info@villagefarmmarquees.co.uk or (01262) 468160.