LAS VEGAS - The Kitchen & Bath Industry joins with the Builders Show as the two co-locate for the first time in Las Vegas.

More than 1,500 exhibitors and 700,000 square feet of exhibition space are expected to draw more than 80,000 visitors by the time the show ends Feb. 6. 

The synergies seem to be working, with cabinetry, component and hardware exhibitors at the Kitchen & Bath Industry area of the show a natural complement to the construction-oriented wood products - doors, windows, flooring and lumber - in the International Builders Show section. IBS has about 450,000 square feet of the total sow, which is reasonable given how large the exhibits are, some with nearly complete demo homes, in that side of the show.

A highlight of the International Builders Show is the New American Home, the official show home constructed each year. It is intended to showcase major design and construction trends. This year’s home, a 6,700-square-foot design, was built in the foothills of Henderson, NV, outside Las Vegas.

The merger of the shows was announced early in 2013, when the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) and National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) agreed to co-locate the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) with the International Builders’ Show (IBS) in Las Vegas under the banner of “Design and Construction Week.”  

The two organizations have already committed to a repeat: KBIS 2015 will be in the North Hall at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, again co-locating with the International Builders’ Show, and adding the International Window Coverings Expo. The event will run January 20-22, 2015.