Howard Lauds DCW ‘Success Story’

NAHB CEO Jerry Howard speaks to association executives at the Washington meeting.

Planning for Design & Construction Week (DCW), NAHB’s successful expansion of the International Builders’ Show, is well underway as the NAHB Exhibits and Meetings team plans for the fifth annual event in Orlando Jan. 9-11, 2018.

NAHB CEO Jerry Howard spoke at the Exhibition and Convention Executives Forum in Washington, D.C. on May 31 about “the amazing success story” of a newly revitalized annual meeting and exhibition that launched in the wake of the Great Recession. He also noted how co-locating with the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) and its KBIS show have benefited both associations’ bottom lines and resulted in expanded education and exhibits targeted to the 50,000-plus builders, remodelers and other industry professionals who attended.

Howard was joined by NKBA CEO Bill Darcy for a spirited give-and-take discussion on the success of DCW, as well as lessons learned as the two giant shows worked on the intricacies of co-locating.

“As the housing industry continues to recover and grow stronger, NAHB and NKBA will have to work hard to make sure DCW evolves to meet the needs and expectations of industry professionals,” Howard told the association executives.

“Design and Construction Week worked, in part, because NAHB and NKBA invested the time and human resources to meet face to face and build as a team,” he said.

Registration for the 2018 Show opens Aug. 1.