According to the NAHB, the attendance at this year’s IBS show was approximately 55,000 builders, remodelers and other members of the home building industry.

Yes, the attendance was down from last year. Yes there were less vendors than in the past, and the hallways were more sparse than past shows. Yet, most manufacturers I spoke with seemed optimistic about 2010.

I’m feeling re-energized and bit optimistic myself. One of the reasons is that the smart manufacturers are releasing some innovative products – still, in this economy.

We’ll be posting video interviews we shot at the show throughout the week. Couldn’t attend? Hopefully the short videos will give you a taste of the some of the innovation occurring in our industry in spite of the economy.