Event connects tech leaders from builders and multifamily companies representing $111 billion in 2021 revenue to innovative vendors after 20 months in suspended animation.
It was a long and hazardous road to the TecHome Builder Summit, August 17-19, but purpose, perseverance, spontaneous creative problem-solving and a spirit of collegial understanding made for an amazing event that will be remembered for a long time and make a big impact on the vendor sponsors and builder/multifamily company guests who broke the ice in Louisville, Kentucky.
This edition of TecHome Builder was originally planned for the week after the Kentucky Derby in 2020, before a nasty little microbe got in the way. The twists and turns went from a reschedule to Orlando in August, and a move to Kansas City in 2020 (all of which never happened), then the week after The Derby in 2021, rescheduled to August and yes!, hurrah!!, at long last!!! actually produced last week.
The event clocked in with 77 sponsor companies and 88 guests, about half of what it was on track to do pre-COVID, but it felt big enough and surprisingly vibrant with over 200 individual participants despite masking requirements from the Kentucky International Convention Center. Maybe it was the market power of the audience? Overall, guests represented companies building more than 200,000 housing units in 2021 and generating $111 billion in annual revenue.
They came after a 20-month TecHome Builder Summit hiatus to refresh on a host of technologies that have advanced and, in many cases, taken off since the onset of COVID. Indoor Air Quality and ventilation were top of the list for many guests, along with next-generation smart home security, the emerging smart/connected kitchen category (as energetically and expertly showcased by GE Appliances), work-from-home and immersive AV gear and more.
Early returns from the post-Summit survey show strong positive impacts on tech posture and action plans among builder and multifamily company guests:
| Statement | AGREE? | ||
| MultiFam | HiVOL | LUX | |
| We'll be working on including more technology in our homes/units as a result of the Summit | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| We'll be working on developing strong upgrade paths for home tech as a result of the Summit | N/A | 100% | 100% |
| We'll be working on including more technology in shared spaces as a result of the Summit | 100% | N/A | N/A |
| We'll be working on including more technology in the operating infrastructure of our properties as a result of the Summit | 100% | N/A | N/A |
| We're in a better position to select specific tech products for our homes as a result of the Summit | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| I received information and advice at the Summit that will help me improve our company's technology strategy | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| We're in a better position to select integrators and other tech subcontractors for our properties as a result of the Summit. | 100% | 100% | 80% |
| I made valuable business contacts with peers at the Summit | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| I was motivated and inspired by my experience at the Summit | 100% | 90% | 100% |
| I am considering switching vendors/integrators/subcontractors as a result of interactions at the Summit | 75% | 80% | 70% |
| I learned more about sponsor products and services at the Summit | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| I established and enhanced relationships with sponsors at the Summit | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| The Summit was a professionally managed and produced event | 100% | 89% | 100% |
Sponsors Survey Feedback:
- Was awesome to be back in front of people and get the joy of selling face-to-face!
- All the builder meetings, with the exception of one, were of exceptional quality.
- First time sponsoring and will be attending more! Jessica was absolutely fantastic! She was always available for questions and concerns and ensured we were happy with the experience.
Guest Survey Feedback:
- Very organized and full schedule with many opportunities to meet new suppliers.
- This was my rookie season. There was a lot to take in but extremely eye-opening! I took away several things I can implement now and others to work towards.
- What a great concept. I will definitely be back and plan to partner with several of the vendors that I visited with at the Summit.
- The event was well planned and executed.
- Another great summit! I'm taking home a few golden nuggets once again.
Summit participants deployed across three tracks of general session content and vendor deep-dive boardroom presentations (HiVOL, LUX and MultiFam), and the program was headlined by BDX CEO, Tim Costello, who explained how to leverage technology to achieve both modest and game-changing levels of differentiation and revenue/market share gain. The Summit also featured the announcement of the inaugural class of TecHome Arc of Achievement honorees.
“Don’t believe all the bad news headlines and cable TV squawking, challenging times can really bring out the best in people. Our AE Ventures team locked arms both before and during the event to creatively solve a number of unexpected problems, but more importantly, we were able to team effectively with participants to make the event work and inspire,” said AE Ventures president, John Galante. “Sky’s the limit for participants and our events if we can keep that spirit and creative spontaneity operating in the less challenging times, we all hope are ahead of us.”
For more info on AE Ventures' future events for innovative builders, multifamily companies and vendors, contact Nancy Franco at [email protected].
Don't miss our next event! Sign up for the TecHome Builder Summit in Seattle, October 5-7, 2021. Get up to speed on the tech you need to meet buyer demand!
