Despite the slowing economy, remodelers remain hungry for professional education, networking, and opportunities to learn about great products. With new challenges and higher competition in the remodeling market, savvy remodelers flocked to the Remodeling Show in Baltimore last September to refill their toolbox with information and resources to help them manage the market downturn.

The Remodeling Show generated bright futures for exhibitors looking ahead to 2009. Total attendance was up from the 2007 event, when it was held in Las Vegas. Many exhibitors and attendees alike said the Show “exceeded expectations” this year. Remodelers had plenty to keep them busy with more than 295 companies filling 86,700 square feet of exhibit space with new products, services, and business opportunities.

Visitors to the NAHB Remodelers booth on the show floor heard expert presentations on different aspects of remodeling, learned about remodelers council membership, gathered information on education opportunities, and played virtual golf.

The booth's activities and creative design ― with its classroom seating, visuals, information kiosks, networking lounge and electronic golf game ― were responsible for winning the show's award for "Most Innovative Booth."

For the booth presentations, NAHB Remodelers members and others from NAHB discussed best business practices, business planning for profit, choosing the right client, green remodeling techniques and products, and Sed de Saber™-Construction Edition, the easy-to-use, take-home learning tool created by the Home Builders Institute to improve job site communication, construction quality and safety by teaching English to Spanish-speaking workers. Attendees also had a chance to view a montage of national news clips presented on a DVD presentation between speaking sessions. One booth attendee was quoted as saying “there is always something going on over here; you all really draw in the crowds.”

Various arms of the NAHB family were also on-site to inform attendees. The Home Builders Institute provided a plethora of information and enticed attendees by offering a chance to win a great tool set. The University of Housing and NAHB Education Marketing were also drawing in current and prospective members with a chance to win a GPS system while providing great information on all the education classes offered through NAHB. Also providing some fantastic tools was the HBA of Maryland, the NAHB 20 Clubs, and IBS Marketing. And new this year, we were pleased to have two members of the American Occupational Therapy Association presenting information on the CAPS program and how occupational therapists work with remodelers for a collaborative and cohesive approach.

Whether remodelers were looking for new products in the exhibit hall or new business practices in the education programs, the Remodeling Show provided the resources to meet the growing industry needs. The Remodeling Show and DeckExpo will co-locate in 2009 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Ind. Exhibits will be held October 28-30, 2009. The conference will begin October 27 and run through October 30, 2009.

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