The most successful colleagues I know have an insatiable appetite for learning what’s new and what’s next for the residential construction industry.

Attending the NAHB International Builders' Show (IBS) is one way industry professionals can gain insights into pressing business challenges and secure a competitive edge. The Builders’ Show returns to Las Vegas, Feb. 2-4, 2027.

I’ve attended IBS for decades, and my experience is never the same. The size and scale of the Builders’ Show is unmatched in the residential construction industry. The show features more than 1,700 exhibitors, 120 education sessions and real-world home building showcases with the two official show homes of IBS, The New American Home and the New American Remodel. 

Fellow builder Kim Hefner, COO of Glammeier Homes in Sioux Falls, S.D., first attended the Builders’ Show in 2000 and hasn’t missed one since. Her initial goal was to find new products for her business, but then she kept going because of the high level of energy she found among her peers.

Where else are you going to find tens of thousands of residential builders, remodelers, designers and tradespeople in the same place at the same time?

The following year, Kim returned ready to dive into IBS Education and attended sessions related to business strategies and building techniques. By her third year, everything changed when she started attending NAHB meetings. She learned more from her peers and gained a deeper industry perspective than she did anywhere else. Conversations ranged from creative financing to different jobsite practices and innovations.

As Kim says, you go for the show, but you stay for what you learn and the relationships you make.

My colleague Justin Wood, president an CEO of Fish Construction NW in Portland, Ore., also has attended the Builders’ Show since the early 2000s, largely motivated by the opportunity to learn industry best practices.

Like many attendees, including me, Justin believes meeting like-minded professionals makes attending the show worthwhile year after year. The relationships he has built over that time have evolved into a trusted network of peers he can turn to for advice and ideas.

Justin is drawn back by the opportunity to network at the show, but he also finds tremendous value in exploring new products and services on the show floor and learning from industry experts through IBS Education.

The knowledge acquired by Justin from attending the show has not only benefited his business but helped establish him as an industry leader; he’s now a noted speaker at IBS education sessions and hopes to inspire the next generation of residential construction industry professionals.

Clearly, one trip to the Builders’ Show isn’t enough to experience everything. Beyond robust networking, the show floor offers a chance to discover new products, talk directly with product experts and experience hands-on demonstrations. All these reasons make attending the show a valuable investment.

Registration is open at BuildersShow.com. I hope to see you in Las Vegas!

• October is Careers in Construction Month, raising awareness of the rewarding career opportunities in residential construction and encouraging participation from students, local associations, and industry professionals to inspire the next generation of skilled tradespeople. Activities include outreach to NAHB student chapters, collaborations with organizations like Boys & Girls Clubs to promote career awareness among children, an emphasis on mentoring and professional development for young professionals in the industry, and community service projects. Go here for the toolkit.
• The latest version of the National Green Building Standard (NGBS), the the nation’s premier residential green building standard, is now available. Approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the 2025 NGBS sets the benchmark for sustainable residential construction, renovation, and land development across the country. NGBS easily integrates with local building codes and NGBS Green certification provides independent, third-party verification that a home is designed and built to achieve high performance. Download it here.