Roving reporter Michael Springer here with coverage of the 2019 International Builders’ Show (IBS), held in snowy Las Vegas, Nevada. The weather was unusual, but it was still warmer than where many of us were visiting from so no biggie. The 2019 IBS marks the 75th anniversary of this trade show, and this year the show featured more than 1,500 exhibitors sprawled out over 600,000 square feet. Now combined with the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS), every hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center was filled, and the attendee count broke the 100,000 people mark. I wandered as much of the acreage as I could (including the outdoor exhibits), and I encountered cool tools and gear, building materials and fasteners, and everything else that goes into a house. Read More
Festool
Festool Connect 2017 – New Tools From Festool, SawStop, and Shaper Tools
Festool just held Festool Connect 2017, so I traveled to the company’s U.S. headquarters in Lebanon, Indiana just outside Indianapolis to see what it’s all about. The Festool Connect event is mainly set up as a customer appreciation day for both die-hard Festoolies and those curious to learn more about the brand, but there was a decent representation of media folks brought in too. At the event, the spacious warehouse facility had demonstration areas set up for many of their tools to give end users the rare chance to try before they buy. Festool staff manned each station to provide knowledgeable instruction on the tools and to answer questions posed by the enthusiastic crowd. The reconditioned tool sale with discounted items was a big part of the draw too, as Festool products never go on sale otherwise. Read More
