January 20, 2022

Interior Design Society (IDS) announces the upcoming KBIS VIP Designer Experience taking place at the show Feb, 08-09, 2022, in Orlando. The planned two-day experience will feature a multi-event program in partnership with National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA), including two guided tours to visit leading K&B manufacturers and educational segments with the official tour sponsor Cosentino for added engagement at the brand’s KBIS booth W1411.  

This year’s KBIS will launch the first phase of a larger partnership between these two national trade organizations. Starting with the inaugural IDS National – KBIS VIP Designer Experience;  which features a multi-event program, developed and produced by Serena Martin, director of marketing, Phillips Collection, and Wendy Glaister, Wendy Glaister Interiors, on behalf of IDS National to help members with innovative ways to diversify their design businesses by educating them on how best to dive into the kitchen & bath industry. 

“On behalf of IDS members across the country, we are looking forward to a fruitful partnership with NKBA and KBIS, as a way to bring together our members like never before,” said Jenny Cano, IDS National executive director. “Forging stronger connections and developing bonds that uplift our entire design and trade community.” 

Designed as a way to uplift a struggling design industry by enticing IDS members who have never attended KBIS, IDS National’s “VIP Designer Experience” is offered as a way to deliver expert advice on how to become a kitchen and bath design pro while navigating North America’s largest trade show, providing first time attendees the opportunity to learn from leading K&B experts while participating in an IDS member-guided tour.

Each of the planned half-day tours will consist of a group of 20 designers led by IDS tour host Wendy Glaister, a leading kitchen & bath designer. Attendees will visit a curated list of manufacturers to make personalized introductions and to connect with national kitchen and bath brands. Additionally, each of the participating brands will have the opportunity to connect with guests to deliver a 15 – 20-minute tour of their booth while they educate tour guests on their brand’s features and benefits. 

The tours will include stops at various exhibitor locations as well as the KBIS Next Stage and other programming locations. Exhibitors were invited to self-nominate for consideration by IDS.  Selected exhibitors include:  

• Cosentino
• Zip Water
• Infinity Drain
• Trone
• Vent-A-hood
• Emtek Hardware
• House of Rohl
• Kohler
• Café Appliances
• NKBA   

“I am thrilled to be supporting IDS and NKBA,” said Glaister. “As a member of both organizations, I am so honored to be leading this VIP Designer Experience and kicking off the inaugural launch of their partnership. Working alongside each of their teams has been a seamless process as we have worked together to design an exceptional two-day event experience. We are really intent on delivering a priceless education for designers embarking into all that the K&B Industry has to offer.” 

The full schedule for IDS National’s KBIS VIP Designer Experience includes a two day multi-event program featuring a half-day tour, educational segments and a special welcome address from Suzie Williford, executive vice president of NKBA. Each of the guided tours will enjoy a mid-day break with a lunch & learn from the official tour sponsor Cosentino and will also feature a stop at the NKBA Booth to engage with fellow designers for a special reception where IDS members may update their professional headshot before heading off with complimentary VIP tickets to the KBIS Bash on Feb. 9. 

“While developing this multi-event program with Wendy Glaister, we really wanted to help fellow interior designers that were struggling with delivering a finished product, due to supply chain issues,” said Serena Martin, event producer. “So we began with the idea of bringing designers focused on interiors a first class introduction into the kitchen & bath industry. Starting with the concept of a guided tour of KBIS, we reached out to IDS and NKBA and were overjoyed with each organization’s excitement about our multi-event program and partnership concept, resulting in us pioneering a larger partnership between these two incredible trade organizations and building a curated designer experience like no other.”