special report

Home as Haven
The NextGen 2006 Peace of Mind home will show builders how weather resistant and environmentally friendly construction can be done.

Follow the evolution of the American home. Based on the overwhelming interest in the NextGen 2005 Safe & Sound Home (see HP, Spring 2005, page 24), its producers have committed to returning to the 2006 International Builders’ Show (IBS) with a new showcase home: the Peace of Mind Home.

“Peace of Mind” is a comprehensive theme that will showcase the latest in weather resistant construction methods and better builder choices to deliver home buyers with peace of mind related to safety, energy costs and an environmentally friendly place to call their own, explains Paul Barnett, president of iShow, Bellevue, WA.

The NextGen Home Experience showcases the latest developments in contemporary living, from storm resistant construction to advanced home connectivity, energy efficiency and green friendly lifestyle enhancements.

In 2006, the NextGen Home again will be featured onsite at major trade shows beginning with the International Builders’ Show January 11 to 14, 2006, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL. But this year, two new publicity outlets have been added: a Certified NextGen Planned Community and the new “Your House & Home” nationally syndicated television show launching this fall.

WEEKLY TELEVISIONS SEGMENTS
Beginning this fall, there will be a NextGen Home Experience feature each week on the new “Your House & Home” nationally syndicated TV show. According to iShow, 150-plus stations, including CBS, NBC, ABC and FOX affiliates, have signed up to carry the segments.

Each television segment will be three to four minutes long and will feature the next generation in home improvement, electronics, building systems and other lifestyle products. Barnett says iShow is looking for new innovative products to cover segment sponsors and that sponsorships are now available.

The NextGen Series of Demonstration Homes is produced by iShow, a Bellevue, WA-based leader in creating highly visible national marketing and communications products for the residential construction industry.

Over the past three years, the NextGen Demonstration Home has become a must-see showcase of the latest in building products and systems located at the entrance to the International Builders’ Show. It’s much more than an event. It’s the culmination of a multi-faceted public awareness campaign that consistently ranks high in visitor satisfaction—more than 15,000 IBS attendees toured the NextGen04 home in Las Vegas, NV, and 14,000 visitors checked out the NextGen05 home in Orlando, FL, despite rain.

The NextGen home is more than a product showcase. Its walls enclose some of the best-known brands in building. But its real message is about the power of quality products when installed as part of a carefully planned system.

The lessons of the NextGen home can help builders put these things within reach of the average American family. The NextGen home exemplifies how smart builders can create homes that use very little gas or electricity, provide clean air and water, and are tough enough to withstand some of nature’s worst furies. Their owners will pay less for power, water and perhaps even insurance.

The NextGen home provides all this within a flexible, open floor plan that welcomes visitors and encourages family communication. Opening the dining room, great room, breakfast area and kitchen does more than make the home feel spacious; it makes it easy for the parent cooking dinner to talk with the teenager studying for that math exam. After all, the most important connections in a home are those between the people who live in it.

MEDIA PARTNER
Hurricane Protection magazine is pleased to join the NextGen06 home as a Media Partner. Hurricane Protection and the International Hurricane Protection Association (IHPA) look forward to participating in the 2006 Peace of Mind Demonstration Home at the International Builders’ Show. Together, we plan to lend our expert advice and counsel in all areas of hurricane protection products, supplies and services. For more information on how you can get involved as a sponsor, please contact Kerri Caldwell at (773) 775-9293; or e-mail at kcaldwell@lcclark.com.