Home builder and kitchen and bath shows combine for first time

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Models in rain hats, coats and boots handed out rubber ducks to promote CertainTeed’s Smartbatt fiberglass insulation, which regulates moisture in walls. (Lauren Beale / Los Angeles Times)

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Among home improvement and design celebrities on hand was contractor Mike Holmes, who hosted “Holmes on Homes” and “Holmes Inspection.” (Lauren Beale / Los Angeles Times)

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Among hands-on exhibits were those demonstrating no-touch kitchen faucets. (Lauren Beale / Los Angeles Times)

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Jill Waage of Better Homes and Gardens speaks at a seminar on home design trends. (Lauren Beale / Los Angeles Times)

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Exhibitors from around the world touted their product lines -- some of which were slightly lost in translation. TNC Sanitary Wares Co. manufacturers towel bars and holders. (Lauren Beale / Los Angeles Times)

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Attendees waiting for a seminar to start at the Design Studio could try their hand at Legos. (Lauren Beale / Los Angeles Times)

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Conventioneers had a lot of space to cover. One National Assn. of Home Builders staffer put 13 miles on his pedometer in a day. (Lauren Beale / Los Angeles Times)

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One toilet demonstration seemed a little too realistic. (Lauren Beale / Los Angeles Times)

By Lauren Beale

Feb. 8, 2014 7 AM PT

Women wearing yellow raincoats and boots, a guy in a shark costume and several home improvement celebrities were among sightings this week at the Las Vegas Convention Center as more than 75,000 hardy home builders, interior designers and others navigated 650,000 square feet of exhibit space.

For the first year, the International Builders’ Show and the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show located under one roof with some 1,700 exhibitors from around the world displaying wares that included new products, appliances and building materials.

One National Assn. of Home Builders staffer wore a pedometer and clocked 13 miles in a single day.

Schwag items emblazoned with brand names were everywhere -- thermal coffee mugs, hammers, lunchboxes, stuffed ponies, rulers, rubber duckies, pens, reusable shopping bags and first-aid kits.

The Feb. 4-6 event, dubbed Design & Construction Week 2014, also offered more than 100 educational sessions on such subjects as what home buyers want, multi-family housing and design trends.

As with any first-time herculean effort, there were a few glitches to keep things interesting. Among them: A door checker at the KBIS part of the show floor initially declined to admit some press members because she was unfamiliar with the Design & Construction Week credential and did not realize it was the overall name of the show. One exhibitor asked that no photographs be taken at its display. A large exhibit by a major manufacturer had no written materials or zip drive available, telling those with inquiries to go to its website. Attendees had to navigate the showrooms and educational sessions by referencing two separate catalogues, one for IBS and another for KBIS.

But perhaps the biggest faux pas of the show was part of a toilet demonstration. The realistic looking “bulk waste” left little to the imagination and may have discouraged some from partaking in the free samples of chocolate offered nearby.

All in all, the mega-show worked. Onward to next year and the second annual Design & Construction Week.

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