Kitchen & Bath Design News is the industry's leading business, design and product resource for the kitchen and bath trade.
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As part of the third annual Design & Construction Week in Las Vegas, this month's KBIS ofers a plethora of hot new products, technology, educational sessions, networking opportunities and more. BY JANICE COSTA KBIS Heats Up Vegas hings are heating up in Las Vegas, as the 2016 Kitchen & Bath Industry Show is set to get underway later this month with program- ming designed to create a compelling sensory experience for kitchen and bath professionals from coast to coast, and beyond. New products, live demonstrations, awards presentations, networking opportunities, education- al sessions and more will be on tap for this year's show – which even has its own app to help navigate the event. Owned by the Hackettstown, NJ-based National Kitchen & Bath Association and produced by Emerald Expositions, KBIS has been the pre- mier event for the kitchen and bath industry for more than half a century. This year, KBIS will once again be co-located with the International Builders' Show as part of the third annual Design & Construction Week, held January 19-22 and encompassing The International Surface event (TISE) and the International Window Coverings Expo (IWCE). SHOW FLOOR According to show ofcials, this year's KBIS will host 500+ kitchen and bath industry brands, including 40 new companies, showcasing the latest products, designs and technology. Spanning two halls of the Las Vegas' Convention Center, the show is designed to be both interactive and inspira- tional, with plenty to do, see, touch, feel and experience. Products on display will encompass a wide array of categories including kitchen and bath cabinetry, countertops, appliances, sinks and faucets, bath fttings and fxtures, outdoor kitchen products, decorative and functional hardware, lighting, accessories, fooring, design software, Universal Design products and more. KBISNeXT will also be returning for 2016, located in the South Hall. Designed to ofer thought-provoking, inspired "on foor" programming, KBISNeXT includes the KBISNeXT Stage and the KBISNeXT Bar, and will be the site for the Best of KBIS Awards, Innovative Showroom Award pro- grams and the newest program – DesignBites – which will highlight new kitchen and bath products in a three-minute, speed-dating-style format. This year, show attendees can also download the 2016 KBIS App to help navigate the show. From information about exhibitors to conference schedules and special events, the Kohler-sponsored app can be used to plan an agenda, get directions, track favorites and more. "Designed for convenience, the KBIS 2016 mobile app puts all of the KBIS show, and all of Design & Construction Week, information in the palm of your hands," said Brian Pagel, v.p. Kitchen & Bath Group, Emerald Expositions. "Through the app, attendees and exhibitors will connect and stay up to date on the latest news from the show." The app can be downloaded at: http://app.kbis.com. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT With its comprehensive Voices of the Industry Conference, comprising 90+ educational sessions covering a wide array of topics, KBIS is designed to facili- tate continuing education. The sessions are taught by a cross section of indus- try professionals, and align with four key learning paths: Design & Inspiration, Focus on the Customer, Business Management and Sales & Marketing. But while educational opportunities abound, KBIS will also be spotlight- ing individual dealers and designers who take advantage of these opportuni- ties to enhance their businesses and professionalism through learning. The NKBA U Professional of the Year Contest, launched at last year's KBIS, will once again be Center Stage in 2016, with the NKBA introducing the four fnalists and announcing the Grand Prize winner at KBIS during a special event, held live from the show foor on Tuesday, January 19. The contest honors NKBA members who have focused on advancing their careers through their participation in NKBA University and other avenues of professional development. Entries are judged based on essays and personal videos. The Grand Prize Winner will receive an all-expenses-paid trip for two from Platinum Sponsor Kohler Co. to tour its headquarters and manu- facturing facilities in Kohler, WI, along with a $500 gift card. Each of the remaining fnalists receive one all-expenses paid trip to visit the headquar- ters and manufacturing facilities of one of the contest's Gold Sponsors, including Franke, Rev-A-Shelf and DuPont. Finalists for this year's contest include Danielle Burger, AKBD, of Kitchen Vitality Design, in Clarendon Hills, IL; Alena Capra, CKD, CBD, of Alena Capra Designs, in Fort Lauderdale, FL; Patricia Davis Brown, CKD, CBD, ASID, NCIDQ, of Patricia Davis Brown Designs, LLC, in Vero Beach, FL, and Matt Plaskof, of Plaskof Construction, in Van Nuys, CA. NKBA University will also be ofering fve new courses at KBIS 2016: The Room Compass, Born to Buy, Recruiting and Hiring for Success, High- Performance Design, Build and Remodel Techniques and Negotiating for Success. All provide CEU credits, and have a separate registration fee from the Voices from the Industry Conference. For those unable to attend KBIS, Kitchen & Bath Design News will be sharing highlights of the show on the KBDN Web site (www.kitchenbath design.com), and via Twitter (@KBDN) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/ kitchenbathdesign). Be sure to visit the KBDN Web site and sign up for the KBDN enewsletters, which will include at-show and post-show coverage and product round ups. On this and the following pages, KBDN showcases a sampling of some of the products that will be on display during this month's KBIS. T Photo: Las Vegas News Bureau January 2016 • KitchenBathDesign.com 91 KBIS 2016