Cover Article

NAHB's International Builders Show: The Place YOU Need to Be!
by Teri Scharosch, Editor, Builders Magazine

      Nowhere else on earth will today’s industry professional find more to benefit their building business during these challenging times than at the acclaimed “International Builders Show,” produced by the National Association of Home Builders from January 19-22, 2010.
   With building professionals converging in Las Vegas for the final year of a two-year run, the 2010 IBS promises to be the most important investment anyone involved in building and construction can make as they confront the challenges of building in today’s unique environment—it will definitely be “the place you need to be!”
Designed to inform
   The International Builders Show is arguably the largest construction trade show and exposition in the United States, and despite the current industry downturn, IBS still represents the best opportunity for builders nationwide to obtain all of the tools they’ll need for success.  Housed at the Las Vegas Convention Center, IBS will once again feature in excess of 1,000 exhibitors displaying the latest in new products and new product technologies, more than 175 educational offerings focusing on current industry issues and trends, and more than 75,000 other industry professionals. 
   Exemplifying the spirit of our industry during these challenging times, the IBS will provide attendees with new ideas for success and new enthusiasm for facing the futrure.  “What I’ve gotten from IBS over the years has been invaluable,” says Pam Parenti, President of the Builders Association of Northern Nevada.  “The wealth of information available at one location, coupled with the opportunity to discuss industry problems and solutions with peers is well worth the cost of registration.”
What’s hot…and what’s not
   If you’re looking a model for innovation in energy and resource efficiency, then visit The New American Home 2010 during IBS in Las Vegas.  If you’re looking for the hottest trends in outdoor living, then visit the New American Home 2010.  What about the latest, most up-to-date building technology and techniques?  The New American Home 2010.
   Equal parts laboratory, educational tool and product showcase, the New American Home 2010 is a 6,000 square foot desert-contemporary home modeling space efficiency in residential design.  The architects, KTGY Group of Irvine, California, have also incorporated many Universal Design features into the home.  Some of the building technologies being used in the 2010 home are so new they have drawn extra scrutiny from the Las Vegas Building Department.  For example, building inspectors had not seen the energy-efficient Apex block wall system, made from recycled polystyrene and cement.  The Cupolex structural flooring system, currently in use in Europe, was also new to the inspectors.  Green building technology is a prominent feature in the 2010 New American Home, and includes the use of low VOC paints, stains and sealants, borate based cellulose insulation, no CFC, HCFC, or halon-based HVAC refrigerants, weather controlled irrigation systems, and a rainwater collection system.  It incorporates elements such as builders’ best practices, energy efficiency, indoor-air quality, safety, and convenience—and its located just 10 minutes from the Las Vegas Convention Center.  The New American Home 2010 will be open for free guided tours during IBS 2010 exhibit hours.
Education is at the forefront—with columnist Dave Barry leading off!
   It’s been said that everything’s been done before, by someone, somewhere.  The educational opportunities at IBS offer attendees the chance to learn from those who have already done what we seek to do.  With more than 175 educational programs and seminars during the course of IBS, attendees will learn the latest in consumer preference, in design practices, in sales techniques, and in regulatory challenges.
   World-famous columnist Dave Barry, well-known for his humorous takes on life in general, is the Keynote speaker during the Grand Opening Ceremonies on Tuesday, January 19th.  For 25 years, Barry’s work appeared via syndication in more than 500 newspapers across the United States and abroad.  A sentence in Dave’s “official” biography which reads, “In 1988 he won the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary.  Many people are still trying to figure out how this happened” is indicative of Barry’s tongue-in-cheek humor.
   A special daily featured speakers program will allow attendees to learn from some of the nation’s top business leaders, including renowned Eco-businessman James Canton, notable professional speaker Dan Heath, and a panel of industry experts, moderated by Tim Sullivan and featuring Arthur Falcone, Laurence Pelosi, and Steve Hilton, who will discuss how successful industry professionals are making adjustments—large and small—to survive the current economic challenges.
Exhibit Hall mania
   With exhibitors and new products ranging from A to Z (“Aareas Interactive, Inc. to Zurn Industries”), attendees at 2010 IBS will have a hard time deciding where to go first.  Covering nearly 1 million square feet of exhibit space, it’s a good thing the Exhibit Halls will be open for four full days!  IBS provides an extraordinary to see what science and building technology will bring to our industry’s future, and only at IBS will you be able to find it all under one roof.  A website planning tool—My Show Planner—will assist attendees as they determine what exhibitors they don’t want to miss, what seminars they are planning to attend, and what’s going on that they must take advantage of.

(For more information on how to register for IBS, contact the BANN office at 775-329-4611, or visit the interactive website at www.buildersshow.com.  Members of NAHB-affiliated local associations receive substantial registration discounts.  First time attendees to the International Builders Show can experience full registration privileges for just $100—ask how!)