Nearly 70,000 home building professionals from around the globe filled the exhibit halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center as the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) hosted the NAHB International Builders’ Show (IBS), the largest annual light-construction show in the world, Jan. 31-Feb. 2.
IBS exhibit space totaled more than 600,000 net square feet, where more than 1,300 exhibitors displayed the latest in building products and technology.
This year also marked the 10th anniversary of Design & Construction Week (DCW), the co-location of IBS and the National Kitchen & Bath Association’s (NKBA’s) Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS). DCW drew nearly 110,000 attendees and nearly 2,000 exhibitors occupying more than one million square feet of indoor and outdoor exhibits.
“This year’s exceptional turnout is a clear indication of the strength of the industry and its optimism about the future,” says Geoff Cassidy, NAHB senior vice president of exhibitions and meetings. “Attendees took advantage of unique networking opportunities and education sessions that delivered insight and practical guidance to grow their businesses.”
“We feel that IBS is definitely back,” says Jennifer Bower, director of Customer Experience at CertainTeed, a longtime IBS exhibitor. “The foot traffic was amazing and provided the best platform for us to highlight our new products and brand.”
IBS attendees also attended any of more than 100 education sessions led by experts on a wide range of industry topics.
“I’ve been to more than 20 International Builders’ Shows and this was definitely one of the best,” says Joel Barkman, president and CEO of Golden Rule Builders in Catlett, Va. “The exhibits were certainly impressive, but what my team and I always find most beneficial are the [education] sessions. There were so many dynamic topics they covered this year – it was extremely valuable for us as a company. We’re already looking forward to coming back next year.”
Next year, DCW will return to Las Vegas Feb. 27-29.
