Jim Sexton at IBS http://blogs.scrippsnetworks.com/hgtvpro/weblog_jim/ Jim Sexton, Site Director for HGTVPro.com 2006-01-11T12:41:04-05:00 Trend spotting http://blogs.scrippsnetworks.com/hgtvpro/weblog_jim/archive/2006/01/1230_at_ibs.html IBS is a great place to spot trends. Here are a few so far today:

-- I like a clean, well organized garage. Is that a guy thing? At Whirlpool they've developed a very cool garage organization system. First you mount a couple of unobtrusive racks on the wall, and with that simple beginng you can hang everything from cabinets to tool holders. I have several neighbors whose garages are so full of gear they can't pull their cars in. The trend I see here is that most American use their garage to store the junk they can't quite get rid of. Whirlpool is smart to tap into this large market.

]]> jsexton 2006-01-11T12:41:04-05:00 Hot products this morning http://blogs.scrippsnetworks.com/hgtvpro/weblog_jim/archive/2006/01/more_from_today.html This show is gigantic. It would take a week to see every both. Here are some highlights for me so far:

-- At Viking they are moving the kitchen completely outdoors. Certainly this trend has been going on for years. But Viking is taking it to another level-- with outdoor ovens and even infrared grills. These grills are sharp, using electricity to quickly sear meats.

]]> jsexton 2006-01-11T12:14:19-05:00 Must Have Products for 2006 http://blogs.scrippsnetworks.com/hgtvpro/weblog_jim/archive/2006/01/must_have_produ_1.html As part of our coverage of IBS we're thinking a lot about the best products of the year. The products you really need to do a great job and impress your customers. Check out our cool new package called Must Have Products for 2006. These are the products we think you need to give a close look to stay in front of the crowd.

]]> jsexton 2006-01-07T13:28:27-05:00 Preparing for the International Builder's Show http://blogs.scrippsnetworks.com/hgtvpro/weblog_jim/archive/2006/01/preparing_for_t.html At HGTVpro we've been VERY busy getting ready for IBS, the Super Bowl of trade shows. Pro is now one-year old and in recent months we've put a lot of thought into focusing the site on the three areas most important to builders and contractors. Those three areas are News, Best Practices and Products.

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