PCBC Highlights Conservation, Security and Tech Innovations

Attendees in the exhibit hall take in the innovations by builder-centric companies.

SAN FRANCISCO— PCBC , the largest annual homebuilding trade show in the Western United States, was held last week at Moscone. It featured a three-day agenda that included an exhibition hall, two full days of educational sessions, a one-day multifamily trends conference track and VIP buyers club. Linda Baysari , senior vice president of PCBC, tells GlobeSt.com: “We are always excited to be back in San Francisco at the Moscone Center. Attendance was strong this year and the sentiment seems very positive and promising. We focused on building new kinds of communities, neighborhoods and homes, and discovering new technologies and products that are driving the future of homebuilding. I think we accomplished this.” The general session keynote speaker was Joshua Cooper Ramo , who explained that everyone can master current international events by leveraging the power of networks. Cooper Ramo is vice chairman and co-CEO of Kissinger Associates and author of Age of the Unthinkable . The PCBC main conference included 45 educational sessions on topics centered within the residential building marketplace. Educational tracks included disruptive marketing, divergent design, land/capital, business imperatives and multifamily trends. The one-day multifamily trends conference track provided analysis and forecasting of the forces shaping for-rent and for-sale multifamily housing including the economy, demographics, design trends and operational costs. One of the sessions was on the topic of online branding, presented by Skylar Schock of Houzz . She explained that people are online 24/7, typically on a mobile device. In fact, Schock said mobile users check their phones a staggering 85 times per day. To say clients are well researched long before they reach out to a prospective professional is an understatement. However, many professionals have not created an online/mobile presence that successfully attracts this type of client, or differentiates their businesses from the numerous competitors online, Schock said. She pointed out that it is important to create micro-moments that play on emotions in order to initiate multi-way conversations. She also said it is essential to use the three elements of online branding to attract the right client–storytelling (write for the client you want), photography (people are connected to faces and consistent visuals are a must) and community engagement (direct engagement builds brands). Baysari recently discussed some of the other highlights of the event in this exclusive . GlobeSt.com: What was the most well-attended program or event? Baysari: There were a few stand-out programs. Chip Conley , head of global hospitality for Airbnb , was a keynote speaker and there were 600 people for his speech, with standing room only attendees. The Vine Conference at the Presidio and the Leader-to-Leader Forum at the St. Regis had 150 CEOs and senior leaders in attendance. GlobeSt.com: What was the general sentiment this year? Baysari: Positive with a watchful eye towards economic indicators both here and abroad. GlobeSt.com: What was some of the buzz? Baysari: We heard a lot more about disruptive innovations like 3D printing, autonomous cars, drones and the sharing economy. These ideas surfaced in numerous programs and keynotes. GlobeSt.com: Did attendance hit the 10,000 mark? How does it compare with recent years? Baysari: We had 9,269 (verified attendance), which is a 4.2% increase over 2015. GlobeSt.com: Did you sell out of exhibit space? Baysari: Yes and we had a waitlist of companies looking for last-minute cancellations so they could exhibit. Attendees of PCBC 2016 included home builders, developers, architects, investors, capital providers, general contractors, trade contractors, interior designers, remodelers, real estate brokers, consultants, product manufacturers, dealers, distributors and other industry stakeholders. Attendees represented the Western United States, Canada, Mexico and approximately 25 additional countries.