Q & A Episode 34 - Inside the International Builders’ Show 2025: Key Takeaways & Tips
Episode #34 | Q&A with Mark D. Williams | Inside the International Builders’ Show 2025: Key Takeaways & Tips
In this episode of The Curious Builder, Mark Williams breaks down his biggest takeaways from the International Builders’ Show 2025. From the importance of pre-show planning to the power of strong vendor relationships, he shares key lessons to help builders make the most of industry events. Plus, insights into his upcoming projects and The Curious Builder Boot Camp. Don’t miss it!
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About The Curious Builder
The host of the Curious Builder Podcast is Mark D. Williams, the founder of Mark D. Williams Custom Homes Inc. They are an award-winning Twin Cities-based home builder, creating quality custom homes and remodels — one-of-a-kind dream homes of all styles and scopes. Whether you’re looking to reimagine your current space or start fresh with a new construction, we build homes that reflect how you live your everyday life.
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Mark D. Williams 00:04
One of the big takeaways that I had, that I actually used this year, and this was a really a big tip from Morgan Molitor and other veterans of the International builders show, is line up your meetings before you can get there. If you're already there, trying to line up meetings, it gets pretty hard. And so sometimes, if you plan next year, things can be in Orlando and identifying the brands that you want to visit or the people you want to visit ahead of time. Every if you're going to try to do brand creation or content creation or collaborations with these companies, they're going to have all the top people there you Mark, welcome to spirits builder Podcast. I'm Mark Williams, your host. Today is Thursday, and it's our Q and A. And last week I was at the International builder show, and our Thursday episode was basically, what were the tips and tricks? How was I lining up the builder show? And so today, I thought I would do a recap of the builder show. A lot of people listening likely were at the builder show was out in Vegas this year. For those that have not gone before, I'd highly recommend it. You can listen to the last episode of kind of basically a plan of attack. How do you go to the builder show to make it the most effective? In the years past, I've gone without a great plan. And this year, it was really successful, because I had a very detailed itinerary of what I wanted to accomplish. And as I mentioned before on the previous episode, it was all about our upcoming spec home called Misa whose and it was really working with brand partners to figure out which products was going to be a good fit for them and a good fit for us, and then really just to dial in on that relationship. And so it was really great. So I thought maybe what I'd do is I'd walk through what the week looked like. Before we get started, we only have seven days left of registration availability. I think it closes on 310 so March 10, and that is for the curious, builder boot camp. So if you've been following along, I'm a big fan of wellness and health and really combating a lot of stereotypes about builders. I jokingly said, I want to stop the stereotype that builders are fat, lazy, drunk, flannel wearing and hairy. I'm fine if you're flannel wearing and hairy, but the rest of them, let's not make those the stereotype anymore. So there's a ton of people, oddly enough, at IBS, every morning you go down to the gym and it was just jam packed. You couldn't do anything. It was actually kind of annoying. So I'm glad that people are getting out there and encouraging their best, best self through wellness. And so what we're doing is we're going out to Zion National Park in May. You can find all the details on the curious builder.com under retreats, boot camp. And what we've done now is we've actually created an itinerary so you can see what we're doing each day. And we are going to be doing two day workouts. There's no phones. You actually have to check in your phone when you land on the airplane, which I think is going to be a big challenge for a lot of people. A lot of people, myself included. And so there'll be three days without any phones. We do have a videographer coming along for capturing the content that we'll give to everyone when we're done right now, I think we've got 10 or 11 people signed up. We have everyone's headshot and a brief bio. We've got builders from all over the country going I think we've got five or six coming from Minnesota, and we probably expect a few more to sign up here yet this week. So if you're interested in that sort of thing, if you want to network and spend a deeper dive with ownership and talking about life and wellness and running a business and maybe a different format than you're used to, I think that's really what this retreat is all about. It's about getting out into nature. Gonna be doing some long hikes, some runs. I'll be doing two day workouts. There'll be some journaling, quiet time aspects as just having family meals together, really, just kind of taking a time out on your business to work on your business. So again, all those details are on the website. Back to IBS. So I flew out Monday morning. You can actually go a day early. I think you can go Sunday. And there's the expo passes for education. If you haven't done that before, I'd highly recommend it. I did not do that this time. I did it last time, I knew I was gonna have a pretty full itinerary, so I did not you pay a little bit extra, maybe, like 100 bucks more, and you can go to any classes you want. Some people go out just for education. And it's totally worth it. They've got speakers, educators from all over the country that are there, giving talks about business, entrepreneurship, all kinds of things. So they've got all kinds of cool topics. So flew out, had some hotel issues. Ended up it turns out, MGM has four different hotels. I'm not a big Vegas guy, not a big fan of the lights or gambling, but the food is very good in Vegas, I will say that. And there is a lot of hotels. And I feel like every time I go out there, I always recall what I shouldn't have done, but then I wait 10 months to book it for the following year, and then I repeat the same mistake. So anyway, I will not be staying at the MGM Grand again. It is very smoky and did not care for it. The good news is that you can take a tram line into the convention center. So each morning the convention floor opens at nine, and turns out the MGM Grand is at the one end of the stop. So you're the first people on the tram, which is great because you can get a seat, or you can just get in the cars, and really, from about 830 to 930 Good luck getting on if you're not on the first stop. I don't even know how people get there, so in the future years, I'll have to either Uber or pick a hotel close enough to walk. So I'm definitely going to pick a different hotel next time that was. My lessons learned, but the good news is they did upgrade me. I was penthouse suite, but it was pretty nice, other than it smelled like smoke, which was not nice. Monday afternoon, I met up with my friend Nathan Marsala from the bison building group. He's a big watch guy. I love that guy knows more about watches than I know about anything in life, pretty much. So we went to a few of his favorite boutiques and just talked to people about watches. So that's always been kind of a tradition out in Vegas, kind of fun. And I was able to not buy one, thank goodness. And then we went to the contractor coalition meetup. So for those that aren't familiar with that, the contractor coalition, they meet twice a year, Brad Levitt, Nick Schiffer and Tyler, grace and Morgan Molitor put those on I met them three years ago at their first one in Nashville. The nice thing about Vegas is, you kind of know where everyone in the building world is going to be. It's going to be at the International builder show. So they rent out a room, and anyone that's an alumni can go. And so there must have been two, 300 people. It was really cool. I have to say, it was one of the highlights of IBS, mainly because we spend so much time following each other across the country on social media channels. I interview a lot of them on the podcast. Some of them are my ambassadors through the cures builder collectives, and so I get to interact with them pretty regularly. To be in person is always really special. It honestly is starting to feel like the same nostalgia. As you go to high school reunion. Think of your first 10 or 15 or 20 year high school reunion. You go back and people, you're like, Oh man, it's so great to see you, and I felt like everywhere I turned, it was someone I had been in a contractor coalition with, either at Huntington Beach or but I've been in Nashville or Minnesota or Boston, and just it's so great to be with these amazing people and have that shared experience and just to have some nice, deep conversations with a handful of people. So it was really, I don't know, I loved it. It was great. I know everyone had a really good time, and so I really good time. And so really appreciative of the contractor coalition crew, and really a big thanks to Morgan's team at construction to style. They do a lot of the legwork behind the scenes to make that happen. So a huge shout out to them. Tuesday morning was kind of the first day at IBS for me. Take the train in, as we said, Get up early and do a quick workout. Saw a few other curious builder shirts in the gym, which is pretty funny. I saw Mark Cabrera from Pella Northland was there, and so it was kind of fun. And but then my first meeting was really making sure I met up with all our sponsors and brand partners. So I met with Mike Weaver from Emser and Jim, one of their head VPS, and really talked about our collaboration, both from the collective standpoint, they're a big supporter of ours across the country, as well as what can I do to help support them? So having those meaningful conversations before it gets really crowded. And I get to see Mike a lot because he travels a lot, but Jim, one of the other VPS, I don't get to see as much. And so it's really nice to have that kind of that person to person interaction. I think one of the big takeaways that I had that I actually use this year, and this was a really a big tip from Morgan Molitor and other veterans of the of international builders show, is line up your meetings before you even get there. If you're already there, trying to line up meetings, it gets pretty hard. And so sometimes, if you plan next year, things can be in Orlando and identifying the brands that you want to visit, or the people you want to visit ahead of time, every if you're going to try to do brand creation or content creation or collaborations with these companies, they're going to have all their top people there. They'll have their content managers there. They'll have their head marketing people. And is really nice to meet with them in person. Have a face and a name and and then follow up. Get their cards. You give them their cards. But then the week after in the week in the swing weeks, is follow up and have those meaningful discussions. That's really the time to strike. And I love the fact that it's in q1 a lot of these companies are setting their budgets, and hopefully their budgets already set for the entire year in terms of their commitments, and they still have room to work with builders. In my experience, they're still very open and have available funds to either collaborate on projects or, if nothing else, start laying the groundwork for the following year, which sounds crazy, but in some cases, we're already planning 26 in terms of some of the marketing efforts that we're trying to do, and then really understanding what are the goals of these businesses. You
Mark D. Williams 09:03
we're excited to announce that the curious builder collectives are going into three other states. For those not familiar with what the collective is, it lives between what the contractor coalition is and a builder 20 group. What we do in each state is we have a group of 25 to 30 builders that get in a room and you break up into groups of nine. You spend 45 minutes talking about a set topic, whether it's branding, marketing, contracts, whatever that set topic is for that day. And then you talk for 45 minutes. You get up, you mix up the groups, and you do it again, and you're out of there. You'll be out in under three hours. We're going to be going to Phoenix Arizona. Brad Levitt is going to be leading a curious collective in Phoenix, Arizona. We are going to San Antonio. We've got David and Angela Penske from Penske homes, leading a group down there. And we have Brad Robinson and Vince Longo in Atlanta, Georgia, also leading a collective as well as obviously me in Minnesota as well, for our second annual collective. So if you're interested in collaborating with other builders. Cursors. If you really want to dive deep on your business in a person to person relationship, ask a lot of questions. The collectives are for you. We also have in Minnesota interior design collective, as well as the architect collective. Check out the Events page at the cures builder podcast.com, the spectrum that we're doing. I want to do some thermally modified woods. Luna Wood is a company out of Finland or Norway, which is pretty cool. So I stopped by their booth. I talked to Arbor wood, which is out of Duluth, Minnesota, and I stopped by the echo booth to check out their products. There's so many neat products out there. I went and talked to zip and Huber. They've always got a huge stage there, and do a lot of demonstrations. So talk to Chris Cook, and right now we're doing a project where we're going to do our 12 so we have insulated panels to the outside. And really excited to showcase what the zip product can do in our market, especially with it being that thick of the insulation to the outside. And in fact, this home, if I can do the whole home without spray foam, I will. And we're going to work with rockwool on the interior walls and all the sound deadening qualities that it has, as well as the zip external panels. And this house is going to have a great her score, as well as just be really energy efficient. And Pella, we're working with them to not only work on energy efficiency, but also on sound and so one of the things that we don't talk a lot about in terms of wellness is just sound pollution. And so the house that we're building is going to be really, really dead to noise. One thing that's really cool at the builder show is, and we just posted a video. You can check our channels for the Rockwell video we did. They had a sound meter outside rock walls booth, and I want to say it was like 88 or 90 decibels, just the din of people talking in a big auditorium. And then when you walk in their enclosure, it's just a simple U shape, probably 1015, feet deep, 15 feet wide, and 15 back the other way in a U when you get to the inside with no doors, it went all the way down to 35 it was wild, how quiet it was in there. And so you think a triple pane windowed house, you've got all the interior walls full of rock wool, external insulation. I am really excited. I think you can tell people about sound proofing, but I think if you show them and they can feel it, you can literally feel it on your body when that sound has been removed. And so I'm really excited for our miso, who's project, for that home to be that well insulated and that dead to sound. Then one of the things we did at one o'clock, we did a vendor relationship panel on builder trend stage. And Mike Weaver, again, he was leading. He's a big proponent of vendor collaborations. And Mike and I have gotten to know each other really well over the last year. And so I was up there with Tim COVID and Heather from Carson projects, I believe. And it was really cool. Each one of us got to share what is the value of a relationship with vendor partners. That's a lot more than obviously, financial considerations. That's a part of it, but a big part of it is having people you depend on and you trust. And I think it's like any of us, anyone who builds a home on a regular basis for years, if not decades, you have reliable partners. There's a reason why you go to the same cabinet shop, the same trimmer shop, the same painters. They're people that have proven themselves to building is difficult, and it's no different than the people that are applying and building it physically, as well as your vendor partners that are supplying it. Everyone's been a victim of wanting to get something, and you can't get the material. Most of our memory is still pretty singed from COVID, but having strong vendor partners is very critical to either be at the front of the line or at least get the information. I think information is probably the most valuable thing that we have, because if we can educate our clients without them asking, we're staying ahead of the aggression of them being upset at not knowing when they're going to get their materials. And scheduling is scheduling and price or price and scheduling, those are pretty high up there in terms of priorities, and they go hand in hand. And I think one of my favorite lines that Mike and he said this a number of times, but I'm gonna repeat it now, because it's so valuable. And so there was a probably a crowd of maybe 50 to 100 people listening to the four of us give a talk for 45 minutes. And he said that looking around leveraging each other's relationships, leverage is not a negative word. It's a positive word. How can as a force multiplier? How can we out punch our weight? How can we do better with what we already have? We all know people that could help other people, and so a big part of it is asking, and a big part of it is us supplying. So in this case, I'll just use Mike as an example. I know obviously more than three builders that Mike would want to work with. So it's up to me as his friend and someone that believes in his company and believes in his follow through, to recommend MZR tile and Mike to these companies, and it's not a one sided relationship on the other side. So there might be architects or designers or other partners, like a builder trend or like Huber, or whoever that Mike knows and says, You know what, they'd be really good fit for your company. I'll introduce you to them. And his point was, as he went around the room in the audience, he said, everyone in this room knows. Was enough people that all of us could be 10x the size of company we currently are, and all we have to do is help leverage each other's relationships, each other's networks, and ask for help. And that was a really powerful message, something that I really need to do a better job of. And I think that goes to our past clients. One of the difficult parts about being a home builder, especially a luxury home builder is the cost of acquiring a client. We spend a lot of money on marketing, social media, videography, all the things that we do to build a beautiful home. And then somebody decides to build with us, which is great. We build them a beautiful home. It's unlikely we're going to do another project with them. I'm not saying that sometimes you don't get another side project or a remodel or a family member down the road, especially over decades, that you're going to get those. But by and large, it's not like we get repeat clients, like every year we can count on them for a build or a remodel. That's just not likely. And so I think a better way to look at our past clients as home builders is they are our super fans. How do we engage our past clients to be that referral base, and so that's something that I'm actively trying to come up with a sales strategy. And this sounds a little salient, but I need a strategy and kind of a system to do it on a regular basis. It needs to be organic, and it needs to be genuine.
Mark D. Williams 16:17
But asking our clients to recommend us is no different than asking our vendor partners to recommend us. They are Who better than someone who's spent the last year or two years with us to recommend us to somebody else? They can literally say, I've spent two years with Mark and his team. I built a home with them, and I would do it again. And so should you I mean, good luck finding a better recommendation than that. That was just a good reminder that we need to ask and leverage our community that we already have and now that we shouldn't find new people and keep expanding our network, but we already likely have a powerful network, and need to use it better. After IBS was over your feet or your upper hips are dog tired, even if you're in great shape, you're just walking on concrete all day long, it takes its toll on your body. So I was looking forward to sitting down. I went to Pella had a little happy hour. So Minnesota Housing First, and Pella Northland had a spot where he could get together for snacks and drinks. And so it was fun to connect. I mean, there was probably 70 builders and trade partners from Minnesota there, so that was really encouraging to see so many Minnesota builders there. And because housing first serves Minnesota, and they were kind of the leadership on it. That was great. And then later that night, we started this new traditional. There's a Korean fusion restaurant called best friends. You get these Bright Pink Fuchsia hats that are annoying, just like me. And anyway, there was 20 of us that got together for just a nice family style dinner. And so that was really rewarding. Wednesday morning, Melissa Holland, my interior designer on the mise Hoos project from oho interiors. We met first thing at nine when the floor opened and we met with Toto Toilets. We met with Dan and Tracy from briso, and that was awesome. Toto Toilets are so amazing. It's amazing. Most of totos, they do all kinds of different sinks and toilets, but they're really known, obviously, for their days and internationally. They're huge. In the United States, it's only like five out of 100 homes will have a day, which is really shocking. And I love listening to Dan give his analogy on why, why it's so life changing. And he's basically like, if you get mud on your hands, you just take a dry towel and wipe it off. Like, that's not gonna get the mud off. You have to wash your hands with water. And why, in American culture, are we so hesitant to have a bidet and have water clean you? And so it's just so funny as a cultural thing, it is. It just culturally has not caught on for whatever reason. And it makes total sense when he describes it. And so anyway, he's got some pretty funny lines. We're gonna bring him on the podcast sometime this summer or fall, because we're gonna have total toilets and a bidet at our Misa, who's project for sure. Just because it's got a Scandinavian vibe, it really fits the ethos and wellness. It's all part of it. And so anyway, we'll see what we can do to creep up on that 5% at least, in Minnesota culture. And then we met with House of roll. They're a plumbing fixture company, and they've got just an amazing repertoire of designs. And so it looks like we're going to be probably putting house of roll products in our miso. Who's project as well, getting a full tour of their line their tubs. Toto has a really cool tub as well. Dan was laughing like they have bubbles, and they have an astronaut scene where it looks like you float, and he's like, you put Epsom salts in there, and it'll feel like you're weightless on the moon. So anyway, we'll see if that. We'll see if that makes the cut. And then in the afternoon, we met with Rockwell again. As I mentioned, they're going to be in our home, but we're also trying to do with some, some, you know, deeper stuff with them on the podcast, even. So we're kind of feeling out that relationship and understanding what they're looking for and what we can what we can do. So stay tuned on that. And then that evening, I got together with style and structure Danielle and Joe. If you see Joe, you can run up to him and tell him, Hey, I didn't know you were a billionaire, and he'll have to tell you this story. So for those that know Dan, for Joe from style and structure, ask him about his billionaire experience, and he'll tell you the real stuff. So and then Thursday, I flew out. So it's kind of funny, because it goes so fast you meet so many people. And as him. I'm not a big fan of Vegas, just the lights and just the noise and everything. It's a little bit counterculture for what I like, but it is nice to see so many people. But man, when you get home, you see your kids, and it takes a couple days to sort of wind down and you're kind of exhausted. My energy was super low on Friday and even Saturday. It really wasn't until I got a couple of nights in my own bed and I can travel and sleep on the ground or tent and sleep great and have plenty of energy, but there is something about that town that just absolutely zaps your energy. And so it was really good to be home. And I know a lot of people get sick. I remember Tyler Grace has always mentioned for the modern craftsman. He always says every time he goes to Vegas, he gets super sick. I know my buddy Brad Robinson, who's one of our ambassadors down in Atlanta. You know, he's been sick as a dog the last three, four days. He's on a group text with me, and usually every morning, we're sending each other pictures of, you know, running or working out in the gym, trying to encourage each other. And haven't seen him for like, four days. And he's like, dude, I'm just sick as a dog from Vegas. So anyway, speedy recovered to him. So anyway, that's IBS and a recap. Maybe you cared about that, maybe you didn't. If not, stay tuned, because Monday, we've got our next Monday interview with the owner of slash. It's a marketing agency out I think they're out of Louisiana. It's been a couple weeks ago since I interviewed them, and I still got the IBS brain fog. That's gonna be a good one if you like branding and marketing. Thanks again for tuning in to curious builder Podcast. I'm Mark Williams, your host, and we'll catch you next week. Thanks for tuning in the curious builder podcast. If you liked this episode, do us a favor. Share it with three other business owners. The best way that we can spread what we're doing is by word of mouth, and with your help, we can continue to help other curious builders expand their business. Please share it with your friends. Like and review online, and thanks again for tuning in. You.
