125,000 Attend 2015 International Builders' Show, Design & Construction Week

Approximately 125,000 housing industry professionals packed the aisles at Design & Construction Week, organizers say. Now in its second year, the co-located mega-event included the National Association of Home Builders' International Builders' Show (IBS), the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show, the International Window Coverings Expo, The International Surface Event and the Las Vegas Market.

Official attendance for IBS was 55,237, which was 8 percent higher than last year's show. More than 1,200 exhibitors filled 478,000 square feet of space with everything from the latest in kitchen and bath design to millwork and marketing services. Overall, Design & Construction Week boasted 3,750 exhibitors and 4.7 million net square feet of exhibit space.

"This has been the best show we have experienced since the economic downturn," said Jerry Konter, chair of the NAHB Convention and Meetings Committee. "You felt a great energy the moment you hit the show floor, as builders and exhibitors continue to benefit from the recovering economy."

On the show floor, exhibitors fielded questions about technologies that didn't even exist five years ago, including smart phone-controlled home automation systems for security, lighting and entertainment that have only been available for high-end custom homes with big price tags.

Attendees crowded the aisles for a show that almost overwhelmed taxis, hotels, and restaurants in what the Las Vegas Conventions and Visitors Authority believe to be a record-setting week for visitation.

"The exhibit halls were packed from end to end and the energy on the show floor was amazing," said newly elected NAHB Chairman Tom Woods, a home builder from Blue Springs, Mo. "Design & Construction Week was truly a unique one-stop shopping extravaganza for all those involved in the residential construction industry, and this mega-event will be a great springboard for housing in the year ahead."

More:
125,000 Attend 2015 International Builders' Show, Design & Construction Week