LAS VEGAS — The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) International Builders’ Show (IBS) saw its largest attendance in 15 years in 2024, with more than 76,000 construction professionals visiting the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) Feb. 27-29.
More than 1,800 companies (500+ more than in 2023) exhibited building products and technology on the IBS show floor in 2024 which, at more than 678,000 net square feet, was 12% larger than its 2023 counterpart.
The NAHB cites three reasons for this growth: increasing optimism from industry professionals, more targeted, topical marketing content on a more consistent basis and organizational enhancements based on a 2023 post-show attendee survey.
Enhanced Organization
In 2024, The NAHB organized the IBS show floor into categories for the first time, including Building Materials, Global Products, and Interior Finishings & Home Living. According to NAHB Chief Revenue Officer Geoff Cassidy, IBS 2024 was divided “to make it easier for attendees to navigate the exhibit floor, save time and find the products and services they were looking for.”
NAHB also added an information counter and more employees to guide attendees on every floor, driving further efficiency. Additionally, they updated the show’s educational programming to reflect increased interest.
“IBS 2023 Education saw unprecedented demand, turning away attendees at the doors of several sessions in every prime-time block,” Cassidy said. “During the 2024 planning process we made several deliberate adjustments to accommodate more attendees and improve their overall upgraded registration experience.”
These changes included adjusting space utilization to expand and add timeslots for education sessions, which allowed NAHB to offer 20% more unique sessions than they did in 2023. They also used historical data and real-time app activity to introduce 20 Encore (repeat) sessions.
“For comparison, we typically have three to six Encores,” Cassidy shared.
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NAHB Member Appreciation
NAHB also introduced a new members-only retreat space with donuts and coffee, happy hours and more in 2024.
“We wanted to recognize the members and their contributions to helping us create a great show year after year… [and] also wanted non-member attendees to be aware of NAHB and the benefits they can receive,” Cassidy said.
Design and Construction Week
The NAHB and the National Kitchen & Bath Association announced that they were extending the co-location of IBS and the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show, dubbed Design and Construction Week (DCW), until 2030, and holding DCW in Las Vegas from 2027 until at least 2030.
“When looking at the projected growth trajectory for DCW along with past performance of the two shows in Las Vegas and other cities… Las Vegas offered the best combination of exhibit/meeting space availability, sleeping room inventory, transportation infrastructure, destination attractiveness and climate,” Cassidy stated.
The next DCW will take place in Las Vegas from Feb. 25-27, 2025.
Reach Geoff Cassidy at gcassidy@nahb.org.
Photo Credit: Oscar Einzig Photography
