Design & Construction Week (DCW), featuring the NAHB International Builders’ Show (IBS) and the NKBA Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS), is only weeks away.
The two shows are co-locating for the 13th time this year at the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) in Orlando, Florida, Feb. 17 to 19. It marks the final year that Orlando will be the host city before IBS moves permanently to Las Vegas.
Combined, IBS and KBIS will blanket the OCCC with exhibits covering 1.2 million net square feet. Attendees will come from all over the country to “explore the latest design trends, breakthrough materials, and high-performance products that combine quality, innovation, and affordability, and leave with insights and solutions that deliver results fast in today’s competitive market.”
While newcomers will be inundated with things to see, show veterans will also get to discover new events, topics, and experiences. Below, Geoff Cassidy, chief revenue officer at the NAHB, shares what to watch for at IBS 2026.
What will be new at IBS 2026 that returning attendees haven’t seen before?
The AI & Tech Studio is a new part of IBS Education. These sessions offer real-world applications and are tailored for residential construction pros. Attendees will experience everything from AI for business, design, sales, and project management to CRMs, estimating software, BIM/3D modeling, virtual tours and more.
This format is different from traditional tech talks. These sessions are all about discovering, doing, comparing, and testing. There will be hands-on demos, builder-led case studies, and interactive presentations to see the tech in action.
There’s no theory or hype here. It’s only practical, proven ways to build a smarter tech stack, streamline operations, and level up your business.
Is there an overall theme or focus of IBS 2026?
Our theme and focus is “All Homes Start Here.” The Builders’ Show is the premier industry show for residential construction. It’s where more than 70,000 industry professionals gather every year to discover the hottest products, learn the latest trends, and connect with other industry professionals and experts. Residential construction professionals can find everything they need to advance their career and their business at IBS. Products, education, connections, suppliers, manufacturers, partners, and more. They can find it all at the Builders’ Show.
Any new elements or experiences on the show floor?
The Construction Performance Zone (the IBS Building Zone when we were in Orlando in 2022) and the Craft Techniques Zone will be in Orlando for the first time. These specialty zones on the show floor have expert-led construction product and technique demos. The Construction Performance Zone focuses on high-performance building, while the Craft Techniques Zone is all about the details that finish a home.
An uncountable number of new products and hundreds of new exhibitors will also be on the show floor.
It’s also the first time an Orlando Builders’ Show will have a segmented show floor, meaning that it is organized or grouped into six distinct product/service categories making it easier for attendees to visit exhibitors and to find and compare the, products/services that interest them the most.
What are the hottest topics in the education sessions this year?
Definitely AI and tech. There is an AI and tech surge throughout the entire show. Everything from the AI & Tech Studio sessions, Building Knowledge Sessions and Centrals programs to specialty zones like the Home Technology Zone, New Product Zone, and Start-Up Zone with new-home technology products and services.
How will the show differ in its Orlando location versus Las Vegas?
The Builders’ Show is an amazing event in Las Vegas and will be an amazing show in Orlando. It’s the same premier show, only in a different city and state. Several IBS Education formats and zones that debuted in Las Vegas at IBS 2023 are in Orlando, for the first time, at IBS 2026.
For builders who haven’t attended IBS in a few years, why is 2026 the year to come back?
It’s our final show in Orlando before it moves permanently to Las Vegas. Especially for industry professionals in the Southeast, it’s the last time the Builders’ Show will essentially be in their backyard.
There will be hundreds of new products and new exhibitors on the show floor. About 70% of the content in our IBS Education sessions is new. There are also two new IBS Education formats for the first time in Orlando: Game Changers and Super Sessions.
For this year’s Game Changers, we paired business experts Kelley Earnhardt Miller, Jon Tanner, and Lee Thomas Miller with industry professionals like Alaina Money-Garman and Gene Myers to explore the latest techniques, strategies, and approaches to the building industry. It’s the best way to experience the best of both the business and the building world.
Super Sessions is another first-time IBS Education format in Orlando. We turned four of our top sessions into super-sized education experiences. Attendees discover some of the most popular annual industry trends in home sales and marketing, customer experience, and attainable housing. They also hear the economic and housing forecast from top economists Robert Dietz, Danielle Hale, and Ali Wolf.
