SFPA Deputy Director, Eric Gee, and SFPA Communications Manager, Julia Milrod, represented Southern Pine at the International Builders’ Show (IBS) which took place in Las Vegas on January 21-23, 2020. IBS is the largest annual light construction show in the world and attracts tens of thousands of attendees.
SFPA’s presence at the event is part of the Think Wood booth, at which other associations representing various species of U.S. softwoods also have a presence. Other associations present in the Think Wood booth were: Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association (NeLMA), Western Red Cedar Lumber Association (WRCLA), Western Wood Preservers Institute (WWPI), and Western Wood Products Association (WWPA). Having multiple associations based at one booth proved to be mutually beneficial by increasing the physical size of our presence on the show floor and attracting more visitors. On Tuesday and Wednesday, NeLMA hosted a well-advertised meet and greet at the booth with Chase, Ashley, and Ryan from the popular DIY Network show, Maine Cabin Masters, which drew crowds to the booth both days. Although the meet and greet was hosted by NeLMA, SFPA and the other associations benefited from the increased foot traffic, as visitors would wander the booth while they waited their turn or make their rounds afterward.
Apart from a few specific questions, visitors to the SFPA desk were most interested in learning about what SFPA does as well as our publications. Pressure-Treated Southern Pine, Southern Pine Use Guide, Southern Pine Headers and Beams, our handy pocket Span Cards and few other choice publications were distributed to visitors, many of whom were happy to learn that PDFs of our complete publication library are also available for free download on SouthernPine.com.
Overall, the show was extremely successful. SFPA will once again be present in the Think Wood booth at IBS 2021 in Orlando, Florida.