Nearly 75,000 registrants filled the exhibit halls of the Orange County Convention Center as the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) hosted the NAHB International Builders’ Show (IBS), the largest annual light construction show in the world, Feb. 17-19.

IBS and the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) combined for the 13th annual Design & Construction Week (DCW), which drew close to 117,000 registrants for the final show in Orlando.

“This year’s attendees have been excited and engaged — a reflection of the overall industry’s desire to get out there and build,” said Geoff Cassidy, NAHB chief revenue officer. “Orlando has been a great partner for the show, so we’re thrilled to host such a strong final event here.”

“The [exhibit] floor was buzzing, and the vendors really showed out,” said Zeke Keel of Webb Building Essentials in Birmingham, Alabama. “I’ve come to every IBS since 2017, and the vendors keep upping their game every year. There was a large focus on new tech and AI, which tells you where peoples’ interest is. It’s always cool at IBS to see how our industry is changing.” 


Exhibit space for IBS totaled 679,000 net square feet, where 1,650 exhibitors displayed the latest in building products and technology. One of the new features this year was the AI & Tech Studio, which spotlighted cutting-edge tools transforming the home-building industry with hands-on demos and real-world case studies.

In all, DCW featured 2,250 exhibitors occupying 1.15 million square feet of indoor and outdoor exhibits. 

“The turnout, the energy, the buzz in Orlando has been incredible,” said Jessica Bazzi, brand and channel marketing lead for Owens Corning, a 75+ year IBS exhibitor. “We feel it’s one of the best shows we’ve had in years. We launched a new product, which has been exciting to showcase.”


In addition to meeting suppliers and seeing product demos throughout the three-day show, attendees networked with peers and attended any of more than 120 education sessions led by experts on a wide range of industry topics.

Next year, DCW will return to Las Vegas Feb. 2-4, 2027.