The Legacy Award honors manufactured housing professionals whose overall career contributions are certain to create meaningful and lasting industry improvement and excellence
Dennis Hill of Show Ways Unlimited
June 13, 1943 – July 2, 2023
Dennis Hill was the talent behind Show Ways Unlimited and the hundreds of manufactured housing industry trade shows he and his team organized. Hill started with the Atlanta show, which was outside at the farmers market. Based in Roswell, Ga., Hill was good at motivating people and took great joy in seeing a show come together. The goal, Hill said in a 2017 interview with MHInsider, was to “create something durable.” Subsequent Show Ways were held during the course of more than 50 years in Kansas City, Mo., Charlotte, N.C., Atlanta, Louisville, Ky., Tulsa, Okla., New Orleans, La., Tunica, Miss., Omaha, Neb., Nashville, Tenn., and Atlantic City, N.J. The Louisville Show remains the largest gathering of industry professionals each year. It is sponsored by five state associations and boasts the largest collection of model homes displayed indoors anywhere in the United States. During Hill’s decades of putting on shows, he had many people around him, including a 22-member board, to help organize a trade show from earliest planning through working with partners and vendors, to securing space and getting show homes organized and speakers assembled. He said running shows was an experience that got his blood flowing, something akin to a political campaign with all the months of planning that must coalesce into action.
What do you believe are Legacy Award winner Dennis Hill’s greatest achievements?
Despite facing many challenges throughout his years, Dennis considered his greatest achievement completing 50-plus years of producing trade shows for the manufactured housing industry. He did love the industry. He cherished his friendships and relationships built during those years with those in every aspect of the industry. He handled each show from inception, planning, and organization, both before and on-site, all with a small two-person office that started out in the basement of his home. And, of course, his family, dogs, and cats were his BIGGEST achievement!
— Wife Nancy Hill
What are the award winner’s personal skills or character traits that you feel have contributed most to these successes?
Dennis was good at listening, understanding needs, and being respectful even when disagreeing. He had a flexibility in dealing with a variety of people to make sure a show came off without a hitch. He showed a high degree of persistence and a strong work ethic. He was a force to be reckoned with… with a sense of humor.
— Event Planner and Friend Michelle Middleton
Please click on any of the following award categories to learn more about the award and the 2025 award winner.
Advocacy — Influencer — Leadership — Legacy — Visionary
MHInsider is the leader in manufactured housing news and is a product of MHVillage, the top marketplace for manufactured housing.
