Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/1304584
NAHB D UE TO HEALTH and safety concerns and ongoing travel restrictions stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) regretfully announce that the 8th annual Design & Construction Week (DCW) featuring NAHB's International Builders' Show(IBS) and NKBA's Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) will no longer be an on-site event. Instead, the two groups are planning a robust, all-virtual event. Desig n & Constr uction Week wa s schedu led to take place on Feb. 9–11, 2021, at the Orange County Convent ion Cent er i n Orla ndo, F lor ida . T he new all-virtual DCW 2021 will still take place the week of Feb. 8 with extended programming. "Out of an abundance of caution and concern for the safety of our exhibitors, attendees and the thousands of onsite workers who support the premier event of the residential construction industry, we feel the only prudent course is to make this year's show a virtual event," said NAHB Chairman Chuck Fowke, a custom homebuilder from Tampa, Florida. "We have plenty of great virtual educational programs, innovative products, services and workshops on tap, and we are very excited about the 2021 show. It's an oppor- tunity to set a precedent for the industry by producing a dynamic virtual trade show, and we look forward to a very successful Design & Construction Week." "This difficult decision comes following months of lengthy conversations with NAHB and Emerald," said Bill Darcy, CEO of the NKBA. "The safety and well-be- ing of our attendees, partners, exhibitors, site workers and staff has always been our top priority. As we now cross the 16-weeks-out mark, it was time to transition to 100% focus on a virtual event. An all-virtual Design & Construction Week will be a different experience, but with it comes new opportunities to reach an even larger audience that would not have been able to participate on-site, for any number of reasons, including ongoing travel restrictions. We pledge to transform KBIS into a n exceptiona l show experience for ever yone. A nd we will be back live—bigger and stronger—for DCW 2022." Registration for the virtual DCW event is free for a ll NKBA and NA HB members and, as with the in-person shows, attendees will have access to KBIS and IBS exhibitors and programming. The new virtual format will allow participants to see the latest product launches and cutting-edge housing and design innova- tions, hear from the top leaders in the industry, and take part in online education courses, from wherever they are in the world. n IBS 2021 DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION WEEK WILL BE AN ALL-VIRTUAL EVENT. FEB. 9–11, ORLANDO, FLORIDA THE EVENT IS FREE FOR ALL MEMBERS. 9 0 | BOSTON.BUILDERARCHITECT.COM Builder+Architect GREATER BOSTON, CAPE COD AND THE ISLANDS