The 2026 IBS Education* lineup is full of expertise, sharp minds and actionable strategies. With 120+ to choose from, you can sharpen skills, spark ideas and fuel better building at the NAHB International Builders’ Show® (IBS). Among this year’s standout voices is someone who has spent a lifetime in the field, the office, the trenches and the evolving heart of the industry: Jim Schneider of Schneider Construction LLC, Cape Charles, Virginia.
Meet Jim Schneider
Jim’s story begins as a kid, when he climbed into the truck with his dad at 5:30 AM, headed to the jobsite with a donut or buttered hard roll as his breakfast. His father said he “needed the help,” but Jim later realized it was really time together, carved out between long days and a contractor’s hustle. Those early mornings turned into weekend work, school-break jobs and, eventually, a revelation: while he once swore he was “too smart” to end up a contractor, his real passion was the simple, profound magic of creating homes.
Decades later, Jim has earned five NAHB designations, built a respected design-build firm and grown a career rooted in curiosity, craftsmanship and continuous learning. And this February, he’s bringing that depth of experience to the Builders’ Show.
Jim’s IBS Education Session
Maximizing Trade & Supplier Relationships in a Tough Market
In today’s unforgiving market, trade partner performance is the quiet engine that determines whether your business runs smoothly or sputters. Jim teams up with another seasoned builder to go straight into the strategies, agreements, communication habits and jobsite-tested tools that actually work in the real world.
You’ll leave his session with practical ways to:
- Lower costs without eroding relationships.
- Improve accountability with trades and suppliers.
- Strengthen partnerships so your projects rise to the top of their priority list.
- Create clearer scopes, processes and expectations that cut delays and boost quality.
- Use negotiation and communication tools that increase loyalty and make you the builder everyone wants to work with.
If you’ve ever felt like your build schedule is held together by hope and duct tape, this session is ready to hand you a sturdier toolkit.
What Attendees Can Expect to Learn from Jim
Jim promises both tactical and strategic takeaways, all centered on one theme: building and strengthening trade contractor relationships. Because in a market this tight, the team around you determines how far you can go.
Jim’s Take on IBS 2026
Hear what Jim thinks about the Builders’ Show.
What he’s most looking forward to:
Reconnecting with industry pros he doesn’t get to see locally. For Jim, IBS is the rare trifecta of networking, education and product discovery that keeps builders sharp year after year.
His advice for first timers:
Come with a plan. The show is enormous, layered, and fast-moving. Use BuildersShow.com and the IBS App to build your agenda, so you’re navigating with purpose instead of wandering in the wilderness of 1,700+ exhibitors.
Best place to be at IBS:
The IBS Education sessions. In an industry where structured professional development is rare, Jim treats IBS as an annual recharge for his brain and business.
Most interesting trend for 2026:
Anything that advances building science, from how homes are constructed to how they perform long after move-in day.
Where the industry is headed in the next five years:
AI and home technology will continue to reshape construction processes and the way companies operate.
Biggest challenge right now:
Skilled labor. For every five people who leave the industry, only 1.5 enter. Jim believes the solution begins with cultural change — normalizing trade careers so kids don’t see them as “less than” a college path.
See Jim Live at IBS 2026
Jim’s session is one of 120+ education sessions to sharpen skills, accelerate business growth and prepare you for the future of home building. If you want to learn from leaders who live the work every day, his session is a can’t-miss.
Register today for IBS 2026 to build your custom agenda and get ready for three days of ideas, tools and the people shaping what’s new and what’s next in the industry.
*IBS Education requires an IBS Expo+Education registration.