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A renewed enthusiasm in the market was refected at this year's Kitchen & Bath Industry Show, which drew large crowds eager to learn about what's new and next. BY ANITA SHAW KBIS Wraps in Vegas he third time was defnitely the charm when it came to Design & Construction Week, the mega-event that incorporates the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show and the International Builders' Show. Held January 19-21, 2016, KBIS and IBS – along with International Window Coverings – food- ed the Las Vegas Convention Center with tens of thousands of attendees and multiple events, educational forums, demon- strations, award ceremonies and networking opportunities. Also held during the week was The International Surfaces Event, made up of SURFACES, StonExpo/Marmomacc Americas and TileExpo. KBIS, owned by the National Kitchen & Bath Association, featured a whirlwind of events, education initiatives and packed exhibition halls. The event drew designers, builders, dealers and suppliers from across the country and around the world. The exhibit foor for KBIS spanned the North and South Halls of the Convention Center, and featured 531 exhibitors. Attendance was estimated to be more than 10 percent ahead of last year, at more than 110,000 attendees total for all of the shows of Design & Construction Week. "We are proud that this year's KBIS was one of the largest in the 50-year history of the show, featuring 128 new and addi- tional exhibitors and an additional 30,000 net sq. ft. of exhibit and programming space," said Brian Pagel, v.p., Kitchen & Bath, Emerald Expositions. "The overwhelming crowds pro- vided insight into the renewed confdence in the construction and design industry." "The packed crowds and positive energy throughout this year's Design & Construction Week are another indication of the residential construction industry's ongoing recovery," agreed NAHB Chairman Ed Brady, a home builder and developer from Bloomington, IL. The National Association of Home Builders hosted the IBS portion of the week, which was located in the Central Hall of the Convention Center. ACTIVITIES ON SITE KBIS opened Tuesday morning with a performance by come- dian and former "Tonight Show" host Jay Leno, followed by a drum show from Rhythm Extreme. The following morn- ing, Shelly Palmer, managing director, Digital Media Group at Landmark Ventures, delivered the State of the Industry Address. Palmer, the NKBA's new 2016 tech advisor, presented "The Smart Kitchen – The Myth vs. Reality." The North Hall was flled with the bustle of exhibitor activ- ity as well as presentations at the NKBA Center Stage. During the three-day event, the area was the site of special presen- tations, including the introduction of and presentations by the 30 Under 30 group, the NKBA U Professional of the Year Award and the Outstanding Media Awards. Danielle Burger, AKBD, took the top honor of NKBA U Professional of the Year. As the grand prize winner, Burger will receive an all-expenses-paid trip for two from Platinum Sponsor Kohler Co. to tour its global headquarters and man- ufacturing facilities in Kohler, WI, as well as a $500 gift card. Runners up Alena Capra, CKD, CBD, Matthew Plaskof and Patricia Davis Brown, CKD, CBD, will also each receive one all-expenses-paid trip to visit the headquarters and manufactur- ing facilities of one of the contest's Gold Sponsors, including Franke Luxury, Rev-A-Shelf and DuPont. Burger was selected by a team of judges, including Kitchen & Bath Design News' editor Janice Costa; Peter Albanese, CKD, CBD of Creative Kitchen & Bath, and Brooke Gabbert of HomeAdvisor. Outstanding members of the media were also honored during KBIS, with Leslie Clagett, founder and editor of KBCulture.com, tapped as the winner. In addition to exhibitors, South Hall was packed with spe- cialty areas, activities and special presentations. Adjacent to the new Outdoor Pavilion was KBISNeXT, a destination for discovering the next ideas, trends and inno- vations in the kitchen and bath industry. The area featured the KBISNeXT Stage, KBISNeXT Bar and the FutureHAUS Bathroom, presented by Virginia Tech. Tuesday afternoon, the KBISNeXT stage was the setting for the Innovative Showroom Award Panel Discussion and Awards Ceremony. Close to 50 kitchen and bath showrooms took part in the competition, and winners were presented by Pagel and Jean-Jacques L'Henaf, v.p. – Design, LIXIL Water Technology Americas, American Standard and DXV. Submissions were segmented into fve categories, for a total of 15 fnalists. Winners in each category were: • Independent Retail Showrooms Locations (1-5 showroom locations) – Small (1,000- 2,500 sq. ft.): Simmer & Soak, Saint Simons Island, GA • Independent Retail Showrooms Locations (1-5 showroom locations) – Medium (2,500 – 5,000 sq. ft.): Guy Gunter Home, Atlanta, GA T Attendess packed the exhibit foor during KBIS 2016 in Las Vegas in January. 62 Kitchen & Bath Design News • March 2016 KBIS 2016