Industry Trends
Marketing Insights
Each year, Wray Ward joins thousands of people from around the globe for Design & Construction Week. This massive event combines the NAHB International Builders’ Show® (IBS), the world’s largest annual light construction show and the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS), North America’s largest trade show dedicated to kitchen and bath design.
While everything we saw, heard and learned in Las Vegas will influence our work for months and possibly years to come, here are eight quick, collective reactions from our team members who were there.
1. Strong attendance
Last week marked another busy, crowded Design & Construction Week. NAHB reported more than 90,000 attendees, reflecting a general sense of optimism within the home and building category to kick off a new decade.
With 15 team members in Las Vegas, Wray Ward experienced the crowds firsthand. We also had the chance to see 14 clients — all exhibitors at the show — in action.
2. Experiential booths
With lots of competition for attention, many exhibitors are getting savvier about how to attract people to their booths and keep them engaged once they arrive. Think powerful display content and eye-catching demos, thoughtful ways of breaking large footprints into smaller sections, relevant how-tos and exciting events.
Brands like Huber Engineered Woods, Cooper Lighting's HALO brand, Moen and Schluter Systems understand that sometimes, people need to experience a product to learn about it. They worked hard to bring their products to life on the floor, whether that meant bringing in running water or allowing visitors to stand on AdvanTech subflooring. Schluter Systems enhanced their frequent, live product demonstrations, including one by Mike Holmes, by allowing guests to compete in a NASCAR simulator (reminiscent of Schluter’s products, known for being quick to install). Sherwin-Williams allowed visitors to spray water on exterior siding displays, demonstrating the benefits of the brand’s non-streaking, self-cleaning paint. We also loved Elkay’s 100-year anniversary “It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” activation, complete with a full-size water feature and a pool with a slide in what may have been the show floor’s largest footprint.
On the flip side, many booths that felt empty likely suffered from their straightforward product displays.
