No-fluff ROI plan
Feb 17–19
Orlando
If you are a residential builder, remodeler, or trade company, NAHB’s International Builders’ Show is not “a trade show.”
It’s a compressed 3-day window to find margin-saving products, pressure-test your systems against what the best operators are doing, and lock vendor relationships you can cash in on for the next 12 months.
Access your BPA →
The quick overview
If you try to “see everything,” you will see nothing. Pick 3 outcomes and build the agenda backwards.
Your builder ROI plan: pick 3 outcomes, then build the agenda backwards
- Find products or subs that cut labor hours, warranty exposure, or cycle time
- Build a short list of “spec standards” upgrades with real pricing and lead times
- Walk KBIS + IBS for design/finish trends you can monetize in options
- Capture content: 10 photos + 5 short videos for your next 60 days of marketing
- Sit in 2–3 sessions that sharpen estimating, scheduling, production, or customer comms
- Bring home one SOP change you can implement the week you return
What to do before you fly: the “Don’t waste Orlando” checklist
- Download the official app and build a hit list
The NAHB/IBS Mobile App lets you browse exhibitors, education, schedules, safety info, and interactive maps.
Log-in uses your registrant ID + last name (password is your last name and case-sensitive). - Shortlist exhibitors by problem, not by aisle
Use the exhibitor list to build targets before you arrive. Rule of thumb for a small-to-medium operator: 25 targets max.
- Print a floor strategy (West vs. North/South vs. Outdoor)
IBS publishes 2026 floor plans plus a campus map. The plans summarize what lives where:
- West Hall: building materials + global products, plus zones like Start-Up and New Product Zone
- North/South Halls: business services, interior finishings, outdoor living, tools/systems/safety, and more
- Outdoor exhibits: includes the ProBuilder Show Village and IBS Oasis
Key IBS 2026 links (bookmark these)
These are the only links most builders actually need on-site. Save them now and stop hunting in your email later.
https://www.buildersshow.com/fees-and-deadlines
https://www.buildersshow.com/ibs-mobile-app
https://www.buildersshow.com/ibs-attendee-hub
https://www.buildersshow.com/2026-floor-plans
https://www.buildersshow.com/Search/ExhibitorList.aspx
https://www.buildersshow.com/Search/Exhibitors.aspx
https://www.buildersshow.com/education-info
https://www.buildersshow.com/Search/EducationEvents.aspx
https://www.buildersshow.com/zones-and-pavilions
https://www.buildersshow.com/new-product-zone
https://www.buildersshow.com/hotel-and-travel
https://www.buildersshow.com/hotel-alert
https://kbis.com/attendee/register/
https://www.buildersshow.com/future-show-dates
IBS is only expensive if you wander. Go in with three outcomes, a short exhibitor hit list, and a floor plan strategy.
Come home with vendor quotes, lead times, and one SOP change you can implement immediately.
