UPDATED August 25, 2026
Is attending a trade show worth the time and investment?
For residential construction professionals, the answer can come down to what you want to accomplish. The right trade show can help you find new products, make valuable connections, learn from industry experts, spot emerging trends and find solutions that can improve your business.
That’s exactly what you’ll find at the NAHB International Builders’ Show® (IBS), the premier event for the residential construction industry.
Here are 10 ways attending a trade show like IBS can benefit your business.
1. Expand Your Professional Network
Trade show networking can connect you with the people who can help move your business forward.
At the Builders’ Show, 75,000+ residential construction professionals come together in one place. You can meet builders, remodelers, designers, contractors, suppliers, manufacturers and other industry professionals who understand the challenges and opportunities you face.
Those conversations can lead to new ideas, business partnerships, referrals, vendor relationships and solutions to problems you’re trying to solve.
2. Get the Latest Industry Insights
A trade show can give you a fast, comprehensive look at where your industry is headed.
Instead of researching trends one at a time, you can see them unfolding across the show floor, in education sessions and through conversations with other professionals.
At IBS, you can learn about the trends, technologies, products and business strategies shaping residential construction, all in one place.
3. Build Stronger Business Relationships
The best business relationships are built through real conversations.
Trade shows give you an opportunity to spend time with current customers, suppliers, partners and industry contacts outside the usual email or video call.
At the Builders’ Show, you can reconnect with people you already know, meet new contacts and put faces to the names you interact with throughout the year.
And sometimes, a five-minute conversation on the show floor can turn into a relationship that lasts for years.
4. Have Face-to-Face Conversations
Some business conversations are simply better in person.
Trade shows bring prospects, customers, suppliers and industry experts together in one place, making it easier to have meaningful conversations without scheduling weeks of meetings.
Whether you’re talking through a product solution with a supplier, discussing a potential partnership or sharing ideas with another builder, face-to-face interaction can help you build trust and get answers faster.
5. See What Your Competition is Doing
Knowing what’s happening across your industry can help you make smarter business decisions.
A trade show gives you a front-row view of the products, technologies, services and ideas influencing your market.
At IBS, you can explore the show floor, attend education sessions and talk with other professionals to see what’s gaining traction in residential construction.
That insight can help you identify opportunities, anticipate changes and determine where your business needs to keep up or get ahead.
6. Find Products & Solutions for Your Business
Looking for a better product, technology or solution? Start where the industry launches what’s next.
One of the biggest benefits of attending a trade show is the ability to compare products and solutions in one place.
At the Builders’ Show, you can explore thousands of products and services for residential construction, from building materials and tools to technology, software, appliances and business solutions.
Instead of searching dozens of websites, you can see what’s available, ask questions and talk directly with the people behind the products.
7. Strengthen Your Supplier Relationships
Your suppliers can be valuable business partners.
Trade shows give you time to reconnect with existing suppliers, learn about their latest offerings and have conversations you may not have time for during the normal workweek.
At IBS, you can meet with current suppliers on the show floor, discover what’s new from companies you already work with and build relationships with new potential suppliers.
8. Discover New & Emerging Products
See what’s new before it becomes what everyone is talking about.
Trade shows are where industries showcase new and emerging products and technologies, making them an efficient way to discover what’s coming next.
At the Builders’ Show, you can explore new products and technologies designed specifically for residential construction and get a firsthand look at innovations that could improve how you design, build, remodel, sell or run your business.
9. See Products in Action
A product description can tell you what something does. A live demonstration can show you why it matters.
Seeing a product in action can help you understand how it works, how it compares with other options and whether it could solve a real problem for your business.
At IBS, live demonstrations and interactive experiences give you opportunities to see products and technologies beyond the brochure or website.
You can watch demonstrations, ask questions and get a better sense of how a product could work in the real world.
10. Stay Ahead of Industry Trends
The more you know about what’s coming next, the better prepared your business can be.
Residential construction is constantly changing. New technologies, products, regulations, consumer expectations and business practices can create both challenges and opportunities.
Attending a trade show like the Builders’ Show can help you stay informed without spending months trying to piece together what’s happening across the industry.
With education, exhibitors, product launches, demonstrations and conversations with industry professionals all happening in one place, IBS gives you a powerful way to see what’s happening now and what may be coming next.
Why Attend the International Builders’ Show?
For residential construction professionals, the Builders’ Show brings the industry together in one place.
You can discover new products and technologies, learn from industry experts, explore emerging trends, connect with peers and suppliers, see live demonstrations and find ideas you can take back to your business.
And with new education content, new speakers and perspectives, the AI & Tech Studio making its debut in Las Vegas and Spotlight Sessions bringing big ideas and industry voices to the stage, IBS 2027 gives you even more ways to learn what’s next.
IBS 2027 is Feb 2–4 in Las Vegas, the new permanent home of the Builders’ Show.
If your goal is to make better connections, discover better solutions and stay ahead of what’s next in residential construction, IBS is an experience worth putting on your calendar.
Registration opens Sept 1.