More than 44,000 kitchen and bath industry professionals
previewed the newest trends, designs and products displayed in over 1,000
exhibits at the K/BIS show in Las Vegas in May.
A record-breaking number of attendees from North America and
abroad packed the conference rooms and the aisles in all three expo halls of
the Las Vegas Convention Center from May 7-10 at this year’s Kitchen/Bath
Industry Show (K/BIS). More than 44,000 kitchen and bath industry professionals
previewed the newest trends, designs and products displayed in over 1,000
exhibits by the world’s leading manufacturers.
Owned by the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA)
for more than 40 years, K/BIS has been the premier showcase for the very latest
and greatest in the kitchen and bath industry.
A full array of professionals representing the kitchen and
bath industry visited the show, including dealers, designers, architects,
distributors, and retailers, helping to make this the largest K/BIS yet, and a
full house crowded the show floor to get a preview of this year’s product and
design innovations. Exhibitors included Kohler, BSH (Bosch, Siemens, Thermador,
and Gaggenau), LG Electronics, Sub-Zero-Wolf, Moen, GE Appliances, Viking
Range, Broan-Nutone, Grohe, Dacor, Haier America, and many more well-known
brands in the kitchen and bath industry.
The NKBA/Meredith Design Idea Center (DIC) was again a
standout at this year’s show. The DIC offered attendees the opportunity to
experience new products and designs in fully constructed living environments.Better
Homes and Gardens®, Kitchen and Bath Ideas®, Traditional
Home®, Country Home®, andMidwest
Living®each presented interpretations on “Everyday
Getaways” that created the feeling of vacation at home.
The NKBA Industry Trends Marketplace was another hot spot on
the show floor, featuring green design, outdoor living and kitchen and bath
technology, featuring the NexGen “Market Trends” Home Experience. The NexGen House
highlighted the emerging trend of automation in kitchen and bath design, and
many devices in the house were controlled by software that allows users to
control everything from lighting and temperature to a security system from one
central location.
Another large draw at the show was the New Product Pavilion,
sponsored byK+BB Magazine, where attendees had the
opportunity to view the show’s hottest products and vote for their favorites.
Winners for the best new kitchen and bath products were announced live at theK+BBbooth.
The K/BIS conference offered attendees many educational
opportunities to keep up-to-date on emerging trends in design, business
leadership and technology. This year’s keynote speakers were inspirational, and
included Dr. John C. Maxwell, founder of INJOY Group which helps people reach
their personal and leadership potential; Howard Putnam, former CEO of Southwest
Airlines, who stressed flexibility in business and core values; and Jeff
Taylor, founder and former CEO ofmonster.com, who spoke to attendees about how to combine
innovative vision and strategic action to achieve their goals.
For the first time, the winners of the 2007 Professional
Design Competition winners were announced during the show. Recognizing
excellence in the field of design and talent in designing exceptional spaces
and the true art of the industry, winners were revealed at the NKBA Center
Stage Area during the NKBA Design Competition Luncheon. Walking away with the
top prizes were Anthony Binns, CKD, CBD, winning the Pinnacle of Design Award;
Richard Landon, CMKBD, with the Best Overall Kitchen Award; Peter Harms was
recognized for the Best Overall Bathroom/Powder Room category; and Gerard
Ciccarello, CMKBD, who won the Best Before & After Award.
K/BIS 2008 will be held at McCormick Place in Chicago,
April 11-13. For more information on the show, visitwww.kbis.com.