In fact, they’re here, and they’re getting married, having kids and buying homes (not necessarily in that order). We now have three demographic cohorts active in the housing market – Baby Boomers (ages 52 to 70 in 2016), Gen X (ages 36 to 51) and Millennials (ages 19 to 35).

That equals a cornucopia of potential for anyone selling home-related goods and services – if they can determine what Millennials want, and what they can afford.

That’s what Pardee Homes, Builder magazine, Bassenian Lagoni Architects, and interior designer Bobby Berk collaborated to find out, with the help of their market research partner, Ketchum Global Research & Analytics.

Their work resulted in a demonstration-home project called The Responsive Home, recently built in Henderson, Nevada, and shown during the January Builders Show. Don’t let the price tags of these homes scare you, look at the ideas. Other builders throughout the country undoubtedly will use ideas and inspiration from this project. It’s a major step in understanding a group that will eventually boast over 81 million people (see Millennial Report).

New Chairman, New Ideas

You may or may not already know Gene Butler. He and his wife, Mary Blake-Butler, bought The Firebird in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 1988. He will become the new chairman of the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association at the Expo in New Orleans in March. 

Butler – and many others – have noticed that, while 60 to 70 percent of potential homebuyers surveyed usually say they would love to have a fireplace in their home, the actual percentage that end up with one is now about 50 percent. 

“We don’t have the kind of resources needed to fund a national marketing campaign,” he says, “but if we could develop a message that would resonate with consumers, and the creative content, then everybody could use it. We now have so much social media and Internet marketing going on, we could just let manufacturers and retailers run with it.”

Butler plans to refine and move forward with that idea (see Meet Gene Butler).

BBQ Goes Global

Many aspects of American culture have been exported to countries around the world. Most notable would be Music and Movies (have you ever heard Brad Pitt speaking Japanese?). Now, that great Southern Cuisine, exemplified by Barbecue, is being accepted throughout the world. 

“Five years ago, few people in the UK had heard of pulled pork,” according to an article in The Guardian newspaper. “Today, barbecue restaurants are springing up all over, and London now has at least 65 southern restaurants and barbecue joints.”

The list of other countries embracing barbecue is too long to recount. Little wonder that companies such as Weber, Saber, Bull and Big Green Egg are bringing their products to customers around the world (see Exporting Barbecue).

HPBExpo in New Orleans

The Expo is from March 17-19; education is from March 16-18. This is the perfect combination of business and pleasure – take care of business during the day, then enjoy great food, great music and great atmosphere in the most unique city in the country.