ORLANDO, Fla. — Design & Construction Week® is the combination of tens of thousands of home builders with thousands of purveyors of everything it takes to build a home. More specifically, it is a combination of two gargantuan events. In February 2014, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) launched Design & Construction Week in Las Vegas as the International Builders’ Show (IBS) and the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) for the first time. The two shows will remain co-located through at least 2020, and if the obvious success continues, it is likely the two shall never part.
A TRUE PRO’S SHOW
Though most of the IBS exhibits and the KBIS exhibits occupied different halls at the Orange County Convention Center, it is not always easy to keep track of where one is on the show floors as the approximate 80,000 attendees can sweep you along at a rather quick pace.
During the three-day event, building industry professionals from around the globe discovered a variety of products and innovative concepts. It’s quite literally the largest home and garden show on earth, and if you can’t find it there, you probably don’t need it.
Nearly 75 companies in the HVAC industry exhibited at the IBS, and many of them do so regularly.
Richard Foster, president of ZoneFirst, and a zealot for residential zoning systems, spends time educating attending builders at every chance he gets.
“You never know when one of these builders will see the light,” Foster said. “Some of them have already, but it’s amazing to see how few know about the advancing technologies in our HVAC industry. I’ll take every opportunity I can get to talk about zoning technology to enhance comfort and efficiency in the home,” said Foster.
Those in attendance were met with more than 160 education sessions in eight tracks that covered the breadth of the building industry. The IBS exhibits covered more than 569,000 net square feet with more than 1,500 manufacturers and suppliers. Many programs, events, and education sessions provided opportunities for attendees to network with colleagues and have fun at the same time. Headliner attractions included former NFL football great Peyton Manning and 2016 Grammy Award winning country band Little Big Town.
AWARD WINNERS
More than 400 entries in nine categories were received in the 2017 Best of IBS Awards while 28 industry and media judges selected the winners. Panasonic Eco Solutions North America’s Intelli-Balance 100 Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV) was named the Best Energy Efficient Product. The ERV by Panasonic is designed for multifamily dwellings and new airtight homes built to meet energy-efficiency standards. Two DC motors with Smart Flow™ technology ensure optimum cfm output, and a Pick-A-Flow speed selector (50-100 cfm) provides customizable airflow to create balanced, positive, or negative pressure within the home. Its exclusive, built-in ASHRAE 62.2 timing function helps ensure code compliance and a MERV-8 filter is included. Optional MERV-8 and MERV-13 replacements are available.
Publication date: 3/6/2017
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