This week marks 7 weeks until our trip to the Entertainment Capital of the World for the International Builders’ Show, and we have no lack of exciting updates for you! In this week’s edition of the weekly IBS 2024 countdown, you’ll get to learn more about one specific benefit of attending IBS, a spot that we visit in Las Vegas every time, a fresh look at our newest product release, and another exclusive behind-the-scenes insight into our plans here at UDA Technologies. If you’re interested in steadily increasing revenue in your business in 2024 and longer, you don’t want to miss the opportunities available at IBS in Las Vegas!

What’s in it For You:

One thing that we briefly touched on in Week 8 was one of the greatest advantages of IBS– its ever-expanding source of educational content. According to the official NAHB IBS website, there are a few different types of insightful sessions available taught by experienced professionals. These include:

1. 1. 1. 1. Building Knowledge Sessions. This is the largest education sector at the event. They take place all throughout the show, and each session is about an hour long. They cover the most modern, innovative topics throughout the entire construction industry. There are 9 different tracks with over 120 sessions. The different tracks are:
            
            • • • • Architecture & Design
                  • Building Techniques & Strategies
                  • Business Management
                  • Land Development & Community Design
                  • Project Management
                  • Research & Trends
                  • Sales & Marketing
                  • Custom Building & Remodeling
                  • Multifamily Housing
         2. Learning Labs. Think TED Talks. These are similar experiences– shorter in length, packed with resources, and usually more interactive with the audience.
         3. Game Changers. Game changers are the leading industry innovators, and at IBS you have the opportunity to attend presentations hosted by these individuals. Let them help you revolutionize your business practices!
         4. Super Sessions. Large-scale educational experiences. They’re typically around 2 hours long, but some last longer. They’re more general, and not as closely focused on a particular topic like the Building Knowledge sessions are.
         5. Before the Show Courses. The NAHB offers a number of different certifications depending on your field, and pre-show courses are a great place to attain credits that go toward these certifications. The NAHB offers courses at the Encore Hotel on February 25th and 26th where you can earn NAHB CEUs and continue your education towards AIA and AIBD in some cases. Special tickets outside of the Expo+ Education bundle are required to purchase for these courses.

The education courses are a separate feature, and are not initially included in your expo tickets. Once you are registered, you can log back in and sign up for an education pass upgrade from there. And don’t forget! We still have free tickets (a $225 value!) available. 

Las Vegas Spotlight

The predicted forecast for the week of IBS 2024 is, well, near perfect. Of course this is a predicted forecast, and it could change, but a nearly clear day paired with mid 60s- mid 70s (Fahrenheit) temperatures is ideal weather to get outside and check out the biggest dam hole on Earth!

Did you know that The Grand Canyon peeks its way into Nevada alongside the Hoover Dam at the southernmost point of the state? Thankfully, Las Vegas is also around this southern point. Every year, without fail, someone on our team wants to check it out, so some of us have been to the same spot six times!

Regardless, it’s a breathtaking sight every single time. Pictures do not do it justice. Take “The Dam Tour” either the day before the show, the day after, or if you just want to take a break and spend some time in the great outdoors!

Weekly Feature

As of January 2nd, our Permit Tracking feature is now live! With permit tracking, every permit that you need can be documented alongside the other project management tools in ConstructionOnline. You can note expiration dates, associated contacts, and even create customized permits if you have a specific permit that doesn’t line up perfectly with the ones we’ve already created for you. You can even create a pending permit within ConstructionOnline that’s required for your project and set a custom status– whether it’s requested, needs to be requested, expired, or any other status, and then update accordingly in one swift click!

You are invited to an exclusive live demo at IBS 2024 of our new Permit Tracking feature, and in the meantime, check out our article ConstructionOnline™ 2024 Introduces New Construction Permit Tracking for more details!

Behind the Scenes

At this point in the planning process, meetings revolving around IBS seem to be frequent– often a few per day. One of the meetings we had most recently was about our booth asset placements, and making the final decision on them.

Interestingly enough, the main topic of the meeting wasn’t whether a certain booth design looked better than another, rather it was extremely specific– what position we should place our video board. For context, this video board is not just a TV-screen-sized video. No– it’s comparable to the size of a full billboard. To many, it may seem like this task is pointless when in fact, it may be the most important consideration to make in regards to the booth’s design.

Aside from business, we also have been throwing out ideas and making some plans for our free time in Las Vegas. One of our success coordinators, Cody, already has some of the coolest restaurants in Vegas on his mind. He came across a promotion for the oldest standing steakhouse in Vegas– The Golden Steer, which we have not tried, but looks incredible. Reservations are hard to come by, so it may even be too late now for us to get a reservation!

You don’t want to miss next week’s edition of the IBS countdown from UDA Technologies, where you’ll learn more about your attendee benefits, other exciting product highlights, more unique Vegas spots, and a peek into our preparations as a vendor. To learn more about what's new in 2024 with ConstructionOnline, visit our "New for 2024" page here, and get excited for the 6 week countdown to the largest trade show in North America!

Read our full Countdown to IBS series of blogs here!

Want a recommendation about something specific? Have any questions about Las Vegas, IBS, or anything UDA Technologies related? Drop it in the comments below. We love to hear your feedback!