2019 Builders' Show Draws Largest Crowd in 10 Years

More than 67,000 home building professionals from around the world filled the exhibit halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center as NAHB hosted the 75th anniversary of the International Builders’ Show (IBS) Feb. 19-21.

IBS and the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) once again combined for the annual Design & Construction Week® (DCW), which drew a total of more than 100,000 attendees.

“As the International Builders’ Show celebrates 75 years, it remains the premier event for the housing industry,” said Geoff Cassidy, NAHB senior vice president of exhibitions and meetings. “With the largest attendance in 10 years, we’re proving once again that IBS is the only place to experience such a diverse collection of innovative products, education sessions and networking opportunities all in one place.”

Exhibit space for IBS also expanded from last year’s 583,000 square feet to more than 608,000 square feet, where nearly 1,500 exhibitors displayed the latest in building products and technology.

In all, DCW featured more than 2,000 exhibitors occupying more than one million square feet of indoor and outdoor spaces. Many of the exhibitors noted the increased foot traffic this year.

“The experience during the three days of the show has been great. It’s been very busy and a lot of fun  interacting with so many builders, contractors and other vendors,” said Blake R. Edwards, a senior product marketing manager for Lennox. “We’re getting a lot of good insights from those who came here, and we’re also giving them a lot of valuable feedback in return.”

In addition to meeting suppliers and seeing product demos throughout the three-day show, attendees networked with peers and attended any of more than 130 education sessions led by experts on a wide range of industry topics.

“Everywhere you go at IBS, there’s something to see, something to learn,” said Brandon Hines, owner of Hines Homes in Maumelle, Ark. “The show floor was very impressive, and honestly, a little overwhelming at first because there’s just so many interesting products to learn about and people to meet. But for me, the most beneficial part [of IBS] has been the education sessions. We’re focused on growing and improving our business, and each session we attended provided us specific ideas on how we can achieve that.”

Next year, IBS and Design & Construction Week will return to Las Vegas, Jan. 21-23, 2020.