New TBX show will focus on issues facing builders in designing, installing and selling home technology.

Builders are usually most comfortable with what they have been trained with traditional tools and framing techniques. But just as homebuilding materials constantly change, so do the features and options that builders must provide to stay current and competitive, and to meet consumer demand.

That is perhaps most true in the home technology arena, where new products and services are released at a pace that no builder can be expected to maintain. Still, to be considered a top builder in your local or national markets, you've got to be able to provide the latest and the greatest options in your home, especially in consumer electronics. And you need to take advantage of information technology products and services that can help you be more efficient, and less costly, in the construction process.

Toward those ends, a new conference in 2005 will help builders, designers and architects learn about important products and trends in the home technology arena. It will also cover information technology products that will help them run their back office and field operations more efficiently.

The TecHome Builder Conference & Expo (TBX) will be held at the Phoenix Civic Plaza. The show will feature suppliers and integrators of home technology and IT solutions as exhibitors, and attract homebuilders, architects, remodelers and allied trades as attendees. Over 100 exhibitors and 1,500 attendees are projected for the inaugural event. TBX conferences will run May 18-20. The exposition will run May 19-20.

TBX is being produced by EH Events & Education, the trade show unit of EH Publishing, Inc., which publishes TecHome Builder. Plans for the event are well under way, and 40 seminars, two keynotes, a "boot camp" session and dozens of manufacturer training sessions are being targeted for the TBX conference program.

EH is planning a three track program covering:

• TecHomes & Communities - This track is about incorporating technology in new homes and communities to increase sales and profits.
• Tech Sales & Marketing Solutions - This track covers using information technology to sell and market new homes effectively.
• Tech Management Solutions - This track provides advice on how to use information technology to increase field and back-office productivity.

"The TecHome Builder Conference & Expo will help builders, remodelers, and architects keep pace with the rapid rate of change in technology to ensure they maximize their opportunities and wisely implement systems for improvement," says John Galante, vice president of EH Events & Education and publisher of TecHome Builder, which will sponsor the event and serve as one of its most important promotional tools. "The time is right for a focused event like this. EH's expertise in the market via TecHome Builder magazine and its track record of successful tradeshow launch and development make it the perfect organizer for TBX."

Reservations are now being taken for priority exhibit space selection reservations. To submit an application for a space selection number, contact John Galante at 703-352-9211, or jgalante@ehpub.com.

For more information on the event, contact Nancy Franco at EH Publishing, 508-663-1500 Ext. 234 or nfranco@ehpub.com, or visit www.tbxweb.com.