IBS Education: Building Your Best Business

One of the best reasons to attend the Builders' Show is to learn about the latest ideas and trends from leading experts. IBS Education, always an attendee favorite, raises the bar for the residential construction industry every year. The 2024 lineup includes sessions on the latest building technologies, innovative business strategies, forecasts and data, design trends and more.

There is educational programming for every learning style, all offered at different times and locations to meet the needs of every attendee. Missed that session everyone’s talking about? No problem. As many as 20 of the most in-demand sessions repeat, so you get another chance.

Uncover highlights and trends and discover new content from IBS 2024 when you watch recorded IBS Education sessions on demand. Access to the Education On-Demand Library is available to paid IBS 2024 Expo+Education registrants.

Soak up all the knowledge IBS Education has to offer, so you can build your best business. Learn more at buildersshow.com/education-info. 

Super Sessions

IBS Super Sessions deliver the Show’s most anticipated educational experiences. This super-sized format debuted at the 2023 Builders’ Show with rave attendee reviews. The Outlook, The Blueprint and The Rally will all be back, and we’re adding two brand-new sessions for 2024: The Experience and The Launch.

Don’t miss these wildly popular sessions where you can learn about industry forecasts, exciting design trends, the latest innovations and cutting-edge sales techniques from the best in the business. Each action-packed exchange features dynamic speakers, video highlights and audience participation.

Game Changers

Game Changers are experts and influencers from both inside and outside our industry who will change your perspective and invite you to take a hard look at how you’re doing things. They will challenge you and give you tangible ideas to improve your business.

One of those Game Changers speakers will be Chuck Todd, NBC News’ political director. Influencers and competitors praise him as “a tireless reporter” with “an encyclopedic knowledge of politics” and the ability to “break down barriers and get people off of their talking points.” Todd’s up-to-the-minute poll analysis and insightful commentary have made him one of the most sought-after voices in American political coverage.

Be sure to check buildersshow.com/game-changers over the coming weeks to learn who the other Game Changers speakers will be.

Building Knowledge Sessions

The Building Knowledge Sessions are the mainstays of IBS Education. These 60-minute sessions cover the home building industry’s most important topics. IBS attendees can take advantage of more than 100 sessions in nine tracks: Architecture & Design, Building Techniques & Strategies, Business Management, Land Development & Community Design, Project Management, Research & Trends, Sales & Marketing, Custom Building & Remodeling, and Multifamily Housing.

More than 225 industry experts will be leading the Building Knowledge Sessions, including:

• Rachel Brown, Rachel Brown Homes
• Bruce Case, Case Design/Remodeling
• Tim Costello, Built4F
• Andrés Duany, DPZ CoDesign
• Timothy Faller, Remodelers Advantage
• Tyler Grace, TRG Home Concepts/ Modern Craftsman Podcast
• Brian Juedes, Taylor Morrison
• Gene Myers, Thrive Home Builders
• Craig Neal, Nest Homes
• Donald Ruthroff, Design Story Spaces
• Bassam Salem, AtlasRTX
• Nick Schiffer, NS Builders
• Jeff Shore, Shore Consulting
• Deana Vidal, John Burns Real Estate Consulting
• Ali Wolf, Zonda 

Learning Labs

Among the most dynamic educational opportunities at IBS are the Learning Labs—fast-paced sessions with exciting presentation formats, such as lightning rounds and TED Talk-style presentations. They make extensive use of interactive technology and audience participation.

Learning Labs come in four formats:

Punch List

Fast and furious is how the new products, trends and ideas come at you as speakers share new examples every few minutes.

4/12 Pitch

Four speakers take turns sharing their perspectives on a topic for 12 minutes each.

Two-Story Talk 

Two speakers offer their takes on a distinct approach to a problem or way of looking at an issue.

Jam(b) Sessions

Expect the unexpected in these informal, interactive sessions, which feature live demonstrations, free-flowing town halls, lively debates and one-on-one interviews with industry leaders.

All four Learning Lab formats feature renowned industry experts sharing their expertise, best practices and insider tips. The cutting-edge topics include everything from sustainable building practices to design trends, emerging technologies, marketing strategies and more. Learning Labs are exciting, fun, action-packed and full of information you can use now.

The Super Sessions, Game Changers, Learning Labs and Building Knowledge Sessions are available to all attendees who have an Expo+Education Pass.

Preshow Learning

IBS attendees can make more of their Builders’ Show experience by registering for pre-show learning opportunities that will take place on Feb. 25-26. NAHB will offer 15 pre-show courses at the Encore Hotel. These official NAHB courses, sponsored by Lowe’s for Pros, enable participants to earn NAHB CEUs with a deep dive into industry topics. Attendees have eight course options on Sunday, Feb. 25, and seven on Monday, Feb. 26.

There is also a pre-show building science symposium, a symposium on residential remodeling and Pro Builder and Pro Remodeler’s U40 Leadership Summit. Each of these all-day events will take place Feb. 26. 

More details about each of the 15 NAHB education courses, as well as the two pre-show symposiums and the U40 Leadership Summit, can be found at buildersshow.com/pre-show-education. Pre-show learning requires a separate registration fee.