Builders’ show is chance for LV housing industry to shine

Jennifer Shubinski

Friday, Jan. 16, 2004 | 10:54 a.m.

Home builders are expected to descend on Las Vegas on Monday for the International Builders Show, which showcases some of the industry's newest products and trends in the home-building industry.

This year's convention is expected to draw 1,600 exhibitors and at least 90,000 people from 100 countries to Las Vegas for the four-day show.

"Many of the attendees are small home builders," said Donna Reichle, spokeswoman for the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), which produces the show. "Really it's the largest event of its kind and attracts the largest proportion of the home-building industry in the United States."

Along with the crowds headed to Las Vegas, this year's convention is drawing some big names. Former President George Bush will be the keynote speaker at the grand opening ceremonies Monday. Former Michigan Congressman Guy Vander Jagt will emcee part of the program. Other speakers include Jeffrey R. Immelt, chairman and chief executive of General Electric Co. He will be the keynote speaker for the tecHOMExpo, a building industry technical showcase. The Builders Show is a chance for the Las Vegas housing industry, considered one of the strongest in the nation, to shine.

There were 2,831 local new home sales in December, bringing the year-end total to 25,230 recorded new home sales, a year-to-year increase of 2,728 recorded sales, or 12 percent, Home Builders Research Inc. reported.

"It presents an invaluable opportunity for the home building industry to see for themselves what they often read -- or have seen at other trade shows -- about Las Vegas," said Monica Caruso, spokeswoman for the Southern Nevada Home Builders Association. "Las Vegas is the best and (one of the) fastest-growing new housing markets in the country. This is their opportunity to come here and see it and be a part of it."

Highlights of builders' shows are often the extravagant model homes built for the convention as well as the tours of nearby master-planned communities. Two of this year's model homes were built in area neighborhoods, to which thousands of attendees will be bused.

The New American Home 2004, built by local company Merlin Contracting and Developing LLC and co-sponsored by the National Association of Home Builders' National Council of the Housing Industry and BUILDER Magazine, is a loft design, with the majority of the home being constructed of concrete.

The 5,180-square-foot home, in The Lakes near West Sahara Avenue, was designed by Food For Buildings, a Netherlands-based architect.

The Ultimate Family Home, constructed by Pardee Homes of Nevada, was built in Nevada Trails in the southwest Las Vegas Valley. The 5,300-square-foot home was built with family living in mind and features many kid-friendly features such as a secret room, game loft, tree house and some kitchen appliances at a lower level. The home also generates all its own energy with 75 solar panels suspended on a backyard terrace.

The Southern Nevada Home Builders Association is hosting half-day tours of master-planned community Summerlin and the northwest/north central and Spring Mountain Ranch areas of Las Vegas. The tours already have an international audience. The association is working with a large group of Japanese home builders who have expressed interest in touring area neighborhoods and model homes.

"Even though they are going to the convention, they want to get out to the neighborhoods and see what we are doing here," Caruso said. "We are the showcase for the newest and latest products being used in the marketplace."

While conventioneers aren't attending seminars or touring model homes, many will be emptying their wallets in the Strip's casinos, restaurants and shops.

"Casinos love builders that come to Las Vegas," John Piet, senior research analyst at the Las Vegas Convention and Visitor's Authority, said.

The show, a must-attend event for many in the home-building industry, returned to Las Vegas last year after a nine-year hiatus. The convention will surface next year in Orlando, Fla.

Piet said it's not uncommon for conventions to rotate in and out of Las Vegas.

"That's why in our monthly stats you see such great fluctuations," he said. "Shows will leave and shows come back in. We plan and try to get other shows to fill the space."

Last time it was in town, the Builders Show contributed $125.4 million in non-gaming revenue to the local economy and attracted 92,000 attendees, Piet said.

"It's one of the larger conventions in town," he said.

Those crowds have created some growing pains for the popular convention.

The Builders Show has canceled its conventions in New Orleans, originally scheduled for 2013 and 2014, because organizers believe the show has outgrown the city, the Times-Picayune newspaper reported. In response, the New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau sued the National Association of Home Builders to try and force the convention, which would be the largest ever booked in New Orleans, to take place there, the paper reported.

The builders' show also has space problems in Atlanta and has rescheduled the 2007 and 2008 shows for Chicago, the Time-Picayune reported.

Reichle said the show is still scheduled for Atlanta and any possible changes in future shows are not discussed publicly.