The 2000 Kitchen/Bath Industry Show in Chicago attracted 40,565 attendees. More than 650 exhibitors participated with 3,700 booths, according to a spokeswoman for Miller Freeman, producer of the show. The 1999 show drew more than 37,000 attendees to visit more than 3,600 booths.

A few weeks prior to the show, held April 7-9 in Chicago, Miller Freeman's Building Group submitted a proposal regarding trade show consolidation to the partners of the North American Expo: the American Supply Association, the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors - National Association, and the Canadian Institute of Plumbing and Heating.

Inge Calderon, executive vice president of ASA, said that further discussions would be held between the parties. "We remain hopeful that some sort of solution can be reached so that we can give the industry what it is asking for," she told Supply House Times.

Todd Davis, vice president of the Building Group at Miller Freeman, declined to comment.

Negotiations may be complicated by a potential change in ownership of K/BIS. Earlier this year Miller Freeman was reported to be looking for a buyer for its share of K/BIS (Supply House Times, March 2000).