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There is a certain irony in holding the wall and ceiling industry’s largest trade show at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort. The people who spend their careers building interior spaces spent three days inside one of the most deliberately designed interior environments in the country — and, predictably, more than a few of them were looking up at the ceilings instead of at the show floor.
From March 25th to 27th, Panel Rey took part in BUILD24: AWCI’s Convention + Expo, the largest trade show dedicated specifically to our industry. We were there as exhibitors. But more importantly, we were there as members.
The Difference Between Renting a Booth and Belonging
Anyone can buy exhibit space. Write the check, ship the display, staff the booth for three days, go home. It is a legitimate way to market a product, and there is nothing wrong with it.
Membership in the Association of the Wall and Ceiling Industry is a different proposition. AWCI is the body where this industry works out its technical standards, develops its certification and education programs, and advocates on the issues that affect contractors and manufacturers alike. Joining it means accepting a share of responsibility for the health of the trade — not just an opportunity to sell into it.
For Panel Rey, that distinction matters. We manufacture gypsum systems that professionals stake their reputations on. It would be strange to profit from an industry’s standards without participating in the organization that shapes them.
An exhibitor comes to be seen by the industry. A member comes to be part of it. We would rather be both.
Acoustics Took Center Stage
Every edition of a trade show has a dominant theme, and at BUILD24 it was sound. Noise control and acoustic performance ran through the education sessions and across the exhibit floor, reflecting a broader shift in how buildings are being specified: acoustic comfort has moved from an afterthought to a design requirement in offices, schools, healthcare facilities, and multifamily housing alike.
That is a conversation Panel Rey is glad to be part of. Acoustic performance is one of the areas where the difference between an adequate system and a well-engineered one becomes immediately obvious to the people who occupy the space — and where a manufacturer’s technical depth actually shows.
Three Days of Real Conversations
What we value most about an event like this is the quality of the questions. Visitors came to our booth already knowing the industry, and they wanted specifics: how our drywall solutions perform, how they install, where they fit within a system. Those conversations are worth more to us than any volume of casual foot traffic, because they come from people evaluating whether to trust our products on a real project.
We also came away with a clearer picture of where the industry is heading — the innovations being introduced, the problems contractors are trying to solve, and the direction our peers are taking. That perspective is difficult to acquire any other way, and it informs decisions long after the booths come down.
Thank You for Visiting Us
Our thanks to everyone who stopped by, asked about our solutions for the drywall industry, and took the time to talk. Those exchanges are the reason we invest in being present.
Thanks as well to AWCI for organizing an event of this scale and quality. We look forward to seeing you at the next one.
