IBS this year was refreshingly downsized from the behemoth that it had become over the past several years. With attendance in the range of 100,000 a few years ago and enough demand for exhibit space to outstrip the capacity of all but the largest convention centers in the country, this annual conference became a test of endurance for anyone attempting to see everything on display. Even though attendance of about 55,000 this year (roughly the same as last year) was disappointing, vendors and attendees seemed more optimistic than in 2009. This may be due to a certain amount of resignation as well as adjusted expectations. The rapid industry meltdown took most people by surprise last year, leading to sparse attendance and a sense of hopelessness. While we have no indication of what the future has in store, it seems that the industry is hopeful for modest improvement in the coming year.

Less greenwashing

在绿色建筑物的前面，我感觉到建筑行业有些成熟。前几年，供应商互相攀爬，说服每个人都是地球上最绿色的东西。今年，尽管有很多绿色主张，但对我来说，他们似乎有些淡化。我将其归因于对绿色建筑的总体了解以及对行业中该主题的一般成熟度的理解。尽管我们还有很长的路要走，但每年建造者都会了解有关绿色的更多信息，并能够将小麦与制造商主张中的小麦区分开。

Education sessions continued to stress green building. Sessions on prefab green, green remodeling, and green certification were just a few of many. Even seminars that didn’t address anything green in their title or subject matter strayed in that direction, since it is one of the few bright spots in the industry right now. Sarah Susanka, in a press conference, shared one of her typically astute observations that the industry had recently hit the pause button, and was waiting to get started again. After pondering this comment, I believe that we actually have been running on fast-forward for a couple of decades, and while “paused” is a good way to describe our current situation, we shouldn’t plan on getting back to the speed we have become used to.

直到明年

It will be interesting to see how the industry, and this flagship trade show, changes over the next few years. Personally, I like the current size and hope that it doesn’t morph back into the juggernaut it used to be any time soon. Maybe the IBS will even reconsider visiting cities other than Las Vegas and Orlando. It would be nice to visit a real city that is designed for humans to walk around rather than taxi cab nirvana.