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16 | Kitchen & Bath Design News January 2015 Industry Update { Noteworthy developments impacting the kitchen and bath market } NE Hall of Fame Taps Designers Boston, MA — The New England Design Hall of Fame recently inducted seven designers into its fold for 2014. The eighth annual awards induction and gala event took place on November 5, 2014 in the State Room at Sixty State Street in Boston. Seven designers in total were inducted, including (above, l. to r.): Christina Oliver, Susan Stacy, Dinyar Wadia, Rosemary Porto, Treffle LaFleche and Douglas Dick (Jim Gauthier not shown). Rolling Meadows, IL — The 2014 Fa l l Co n f e r e n ce o f Pl u m b i n g M a n u f a c t u r e r s I n t e r n a t i o n a l (PMI), held recently in Rosemont, IL, enjoyed record at tendance, with 138 total attendees and 20 event and exhibition sponsors. A range of conference events and discussions focused on topics such as government afairs, grass-roots advocacy, technical aspects, indus- try trends, the WaterSense program, water-efficient products, sustain- ability, rebate programs and more. One of the key presentations at the conference was an Executive Panel Discussion with six leading industry CEOs who ofered their views on the current state of the plumbing indus- try. Participating in the discussion were: Michael Sipek, CEO, Bradley; Jai Shah, president, Delta Faucet Co.; Chris Baldwin, president, Global Faucets, Kohler; David Lingafelter, president, Moen Inc.; Tim O'Keefe, CEO, Symmons Industries, Inc. and Bill Strang, president, TOTO USA, Inc. During the discussion, the CEOs agreed that aftershocks from the home equity and lending down- turn are still resulting in consumer caution. However, they expressed optimism that innovative plumbing products resulting in water savings and sustainability will increasingly capture the interest of those con- sidering remo deling proje c t s. Droughts occurring primar- ily in southwestern states such as California and Texas are sensitizing consumers to the importance of water conservation and sustainabil- ity. The challenge for the plumbing industry is to help consumers and policymakers connect the dots be- tween conservation and innovative plumbing products, noted the panel. PMI's next conference will be October 26-29, 2015 at the Hotel Contessa in San Antonio, TX. PMI Presents Positive View at Conference Photo: Tara Carvhalo, South Shore Photography