KBB

KBB

News: 

KBIS 2019 Draws Record Attendance  

March 1, 2019

The 2019 Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) welcomed designers, builders, technology integrators, dealers and kitchen and bath showroom professionals — and even a little bit of snow — along with more than 600 exhibitors to the Las Vegas Convention Center from Feb. 19-21. Early estimates indicate an increase of 30 percent attendance over 2018; the sixth consecutive year of attendee growth. Floor space increased, expanding to more than one million net square feet between KBIS and the co-located International Builders Show (IBS), which together make up Design & Construction Week. More than 400,000 net square feet of show floor space has already been secured for KBIS 2020, returning to Las Vegas Jan. 21-23, 2020.

“KBIS 2019 was a banner year for us; the energy was palpable between the exhibitors and the attendees,” said Brian Pagel, senior vice president of Emerald Expositions. “New products were being introduced by virtually every exhibitor, and the numerous programs, panels and events drew standing-room-only crowds. With registrations up 30 percent over last year, the number of total participants at Design and Construction Week likely exceeded more than 100,000 industry professionals between both events.” 

“As the owners of KBIS and as an all-industry association, we are committed to producing a show that provides something of value for everyone,” said Suzie Williford, executive vice president of industry relations and chief strategy officer, National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA). “The kitchen and bath industry remains strong. Our most recent NKBA research study expects growth to continue through 2020, so it is imperative that we provide not only a showcase for innovative products but professional development and networking opportunities. Our community of manufacturers, design professionals, technology integrators, showrooms and builders now have the momentum to carry them through the year.”

KBISNeXT Stage
Sponsored by HomeAdvisor, programming included 18 panels on a variety of topics including: color trends, women in design, the new modern luxury, innovations in sustainability, wellness and living in place and the integration of design and technology. Panel sponsors included JSG Oceana, Control4, Hansgrohe and Kohler.

The return of the popular DesignBites presentations, where 10 brands are offered three minutes to impress an audience of industry media and design VIPs, drew a standing-room-only crowd. Participating brands included:

  • Control4
  • Franke
  • Infinity Drain
  • LG
  • MAT Inter
  • Native Trails
  • Titus Group
  • THOR Kitchen
  • Samsung
  • Signature Kitchen Suite

KBIS Uncorked
Hosted and sponsored by Signature Kitchen Suite (SKS), this invitation-only event replaced the Champagne & Cupcakes event from years prior. This networking and cocktail hour at KBIS celebrated the industry’s most influential voices; invitees included top kitchen and bath social influencers, media and other VIPs who gathered in the SKS Booth on day one of the show.

Best of KBIS Awards
The Best of KBIS Awards, sponsored again by Meredith Publishing magazine brands (Beautiful Kitchens & Baths, Traditional Home, and Dream Kitchens & Baths) yielded more than 120 entries. The judging committee personally visited 50 finalists, selecting the final winners for each category:

  • Best of Show: Blade 3D Printed Faucet, DXV by American Standard
  • Kitchen Gold: Signature Kitchen Suite 48-inch Dual-Fuel Pro Range with Built-in Sous Vide, SKS
  • Kitchen Silver: HydroTap by Zip Water: Culligan International Co.
  • Bath Gold: Flotation Tub With ZERO DIMENSION, TOTO
  • Bath Silver: PowderRain, Hansgrohe
  • Smart Home Technology: Flo by Moen, Moen Inc.
  • Outdoor Living: Kalamazoo Arcadia Series Outdoor Kitchen Cabinet, Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet
  • Impact Award: FOTILE Sink Dishwasher, Ningbo Fotile Overseas Kitchen Appliance co., Ltd. DBA Fotile

CLICK HERE for a gallery of the winners.

KBIS Best Booth Awards
The best overall booth award went to Samsung. Other winners included:

  • GE Appliances, a Haier Company – Best Booth Large
  • SHKL – Best Booth Medium
  • Woodworks by Ted Todd – Best Booth Small
  • Sicis North America – Best Booth Large Honorable Mention
  • Cutler – Best Booth Medium Honorable Mention
  • Hammerton – Best Booth Small Honorable Mention

Showcase for Living in Place – Living in Place Institute
The Showcase for Living In Place brought attention and information to the importance of making all homes accessible, comfortable and safe, regardless of the occupant’s current or future needs or age. A total of 15 presentations were centered on care for veterans, fall prevention in the home and technology for safer living in place. The Living in Place Institute also featured a product showcase featuring Monogram, TOTO, Rev-A-Shelf, Cosentino, Viega and Control4.

Control4 was the title sponsor of the Living in Place Recognized Product Tour around the show floor.

Salon by KBIS
New this year was the Salon by KBIS, a tented exhibition area located outside of South Hall. The boutique-style space featured exclusive design-forward brands curated by Modenus Media and Design Milk. Along with exhibiting brands, the Salon included the DMMTalks Lounge, KBIS THINK and the Lightovation Pavilion and Lounge, which featured programming with experts in illumination, resources from the American Lighting Association, plus an interactive virtual reality experience.

#DMMTalks Lounge sponsors included; title and wine bar sponsor SKS and session sponsors Kohler, House of Rohl, Ann Sacks, Control4, CEDIA (The Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association), Tarkett, Stikwood, Mio Systems and Minted.

NKBA Next UP and This Old House Generation Next
The NKBA, at KBIS, collaborated once again with the This Old House team, kicking off the 2019 Generation Next philanthropic campaign to encourage and empower young people to join the skilled trades. A panel discussion on Skilled Labor, moderated by Richard Trethewey, led into a Cheers for Trade Careers cocktail and raffle in support of the Skilled Labor Fund.

KBIS 2020 will return to Las Vegas Jan. 21-23, 2020.