Kate Stallings to speak at 2027 NAHB International Builders' Show

Kate Stallings, founder of Kate Creative Media, will present a session on luxury kitchen marketing at the 2027 NAHB International Builders' Show in Las Vegas. The talk will focus on how showroom sales are increasingly decided online before a homeowner ever visits in person, as AI reshapes customer discovery.

Why it matters: - Luxury kitchen and bath brands are losing the first part of the sale to digital research before a shopper reaches a showroom. - Stallings' session is aimed at helping dealers, designers, remodelers and luxury home brands turn online visibility into showroom visits and closed sales. - The topic also speaks to a broader shift in search behavior as AI tools influence how consumers discover and evaluate businesses.

What happened: - Kate Stallings, founder and owner of Kate Creative Media LLC, was selected to speak in person at the 2027 NAHB International Builders' Show. - The session is titled "The 'Invisible' Showroom: Marketing the High-End, Functional Luxury Kitchen to the 2027 Consumer." - IBS 2027 will run Feb. 2-4, 2027, at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas. - The NAHB International Builders' Show is one of the largest annual events in the residential construction industry.

The details: - Stallings' presentation will focus on a shift she has tracked for nearly a decade working with contractors, remodelers, design-build firms and kitchen and bath professionals nationwide. - Stallings said high-end buyers often make up their minds about a brand before entering a showroom, if they visit one at all. - The session will cover practical marketing strategies for kitchen and bath dealers, cabinetry and appliance showrooms, designers, remodelers and luxury home brands. - Stallings will also address how artificial intelligence is changing customer discovery. - Consumers are using AI-powered platforms alongside traditional search engines to research products, companies and professionals. - Businesses now need digital presence that can build authority and trust, not just rank in search results. - Stallings said the showroom used to be where the sale happened, but now it is often where the sale gets confirmed. - Stallings said a showroom's digital presence must do the selling work first, or the physical space may never get the chance to close the deal. - Stallings said the goal is to reach consumers whether they ever set foot inside the showroom or not.

Between the lines: - The selection shows how home-improvement marketing is moving from a store-first model to a search-first model. - The AI search angle suggests that companies now have to optimize for recommendation engines as well as traditional search rankings. - Stallings' repeated speaking roles in kitchen, bath and energy-related industries point to growing demand for guidance on digital strategy across technical trades.

What's next: - Stallings will deliver the session during IBS 2027 in Las Vegas. - The presentation is expected to translate digital marketing trends into tactics that showroom-based businesses can use in 2027 and beyond. - Kate Creative Media will continue promoting its work with contractors, remodelers, design-build firms and other growth-focused businesses nationwide.

The bottom line: - The luxury kitchen sale is increasingly happening online first, and IBS 2027 will spotlight how showrooms can adapt.