Cont'd on page 12
In 2014, the Winnipeg Free Press earned the Best Marketing
Solution for an Advertising Client award at the International
News Media Association (INMA) World Conference in San
Francisco. At the time, surveys showed 92 per cent of visitors
to the Parade of Homes cited the magazine as their main
source of information about the event, and most brought a
copy along on their home tours.
When the first 40-page issue appeared ahead of the three-day
Showcase of New Homes in February 1998, it was possible to
buy a brand-new Qualico home for under $100,000, although
the median price for a bungalow show home was $135,000.
There were only a handful of stories, but they
touched on themes that would become regular
features of the magazine. A survey of 200
condominium owners in Winnipeg found that a
maintenance-free lifestyle was among the main
attractions for buyers, the vast majority of whom
were over the age of 50. And readers were urged
to check out the latest trends in technology, decor
and design in show homes.
ROYALWOOD — PHOTO COURTESY OF NATIVE PLANT SOLUTIONS
FALL 1999
Parade of Homes Spring 2018 7
