Kitchen & Bath Design News is the industry's leading business, design and product resource for the kitchen and bath trade.
Issue link: http://kitchenbathdesign.epubxp.com/i/921215
2018 marks the fifth anniversary of Design and Construction Week, a collaborative event featuring KBIS and IBS side by side, this year with expanded floor space, new educational offerings and a host of on-trend products. KBIS Brings Magic to Orlando ORLANDO, FL – Celebrating its fifth year, Design and Construction Week will be in Orlando for the second consecutive time, taking over the sprawling Orange County Convention Center this month. Some 82,000+ design and residential construction professionals, and more than 2,000 exhibitors are expected for the event, which brings together the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show and the International Builders' Show under one roof. KBIS and IBS, hosted by the National Kitchen & Bath Association and the National Association of Home Builders, respectively, is expected to fill nearly 1,000,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space with a wide array of products, demonstrations, live presen- tations and more. Both show floors will be open Tuesday through Thursday, Jan. 9-11, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., occupying the North/South and West Halls of the Convention Center. Once again this year, the two shows have part- nered with CEDIA, trade association for the resi- dential technology industry, to provide the CEDIA Smart Home Pavilion. Located on DCW Highway in the West Hall of the Convention Center, the pavilion will showcase exhibitors who specialize in technology solutions for the home. New to the show in 2018 is the Impact of Design Pavilion, sponsored by ASID. Located in South Hall (Booth S5657), the pavilion will have three days of programming and be focused on "the power of design to positively impact lives." SHOW HIGHLIGHTS The combined KBIS and IBS events continue to offer diverse programming, both on the show floor and off, along with a vast selection of new products, technology, demonstrations and net- working opportunities. Some of this year's highlights include: • The Gatsby Style Opening Party, featuring the NKBA Professional Design Competition & Industry Awards, on Monday, Jan. 8 from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the Rosen Centre. • The Opening Ceremonies, which will take place from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 9, featuring football personality Terry Bradshaw. The following day, the State of the Industry Address will be presented from 9 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. in S201A, and will include a panel discus- sion exploring recent industry research find- ings and trends. The panel will be moderated by Fox Business News anchor Melissa Francis, and panelists include David Kohler, president and CEO of Kohler Co.; Rick Hasselbeck, chief commercial officer of GE Appliances; and Scott Culbreth, senior v.p. and chief fi- nancial officer of American Woodmark Corp. • The Innovative Showroom awards cer- emony and the Best of KBIS product awards held on the KBISNeXT Stage. • The Bash, hosted by the NKBA and held at Mango's Tropical Cafe, on Wednesday, Jan. 10 from 8:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. • The IBS Closing Spike Concert with Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Chicago, on Jan. 11 from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Orange County Convention Center West Concourse – Level IV, Valencia Ballroom. EDUCATIONAL CONFERENCE Once again, the Voices from the Industry Conference will bring together some 80 separate educational sessions, many offering continuing education units (CEUs). The hour-long informa- tional sessions will offer attendees the chance to hear presentations from industry peers on a vari- ety of subjects, and participate in a few interactive labs. All sessions are aligned to one of five new tracks: Growing Your Business, Kitchen & Bath Specialty Training, Design, Management and Customer Service, and follow one of four formats: Information, Innovation/Trend, Interactive Lab or Case Study. Sessions on tap cover a range of topics, including mobile technology, showroom design, marketing strategies for kitchen and bath firms, designing a smart kitchen and using your website for generating leads, among others. A number of new and notable educational additions are planned for 2018, including the opportunity to take the NKBA's Associate Kitchen and Bath Designer (AKBD) or Certified Kitchen and Bath Designer (CKBD) certification exams on site, as well as other courses on Monday, Jan. 8. Another opportunity to learn is through the Exhibitor CEU Program, sponsored by 17 man- ufacturers who will be offering sessions in their booths. Each one-hour session is free, requires no registration and offers 0.1 CEUs. Participants include Amba Products, Chief Architect Software, Faber, Kichler Lighting, Liebherr and Wellborn Cabinet Inc. STAYING BUSY Additional highlights during 2018 KBIS include: • NKBA Presents the KBISNeXT Stage spon- sored by HomeAdvisor Started in 2017, the KBISNeXT Stage re- turns with a variety of programming sched- uled throughout all three days of KBIS. • The Backyard, an extension of the Outdoor Products Area The Backyard is back for a second year, serving as an outdoor space for attendees to relax, grab a bite to eat and discover some of the hottest new products in outdoor living. On Jan. 10, the "Beers for Trade Careers" party will celebrate the 2017 collaboration between the NKBA and This Old House to bring awareness to closing the skilled labor gap. • Design Milk X Modenus Talks Lounge pre- sented by Liebherr Design Milk and Modenus are bringing back a lounge for visitors to connect and talk about topics on social and digital media, design trends, the business of design and sustainable/wellness-focused interiors. • KBtribechat The weekly Twitter chat group, KBtribechat, will have two live meet-ups during the show. ON TAP AT KBDN Kitchen & Bath Design News will be a part of the action at KBIS, displaying new resources and highlighting upcoming initiatives at its booth in West Hall (W1383). Among its 2018 offerings are the 3rd annual Design Awards, The Innovators and a new trend-inspired seminar series. Also on tap at KBDN's booth during KBIS is its new "Meet the Editors" Program, a chance for kitchen and bath designers to chat one-on-one with the magazine's editorial staff. The editors are available to review kitchen and bath projects, hear about the journeys of design professionals for possible publication, as well as provide feedback on how to work toward getting designs published. Editors will be available Jan. 9 - 10 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Each appointment will be approxi- mately 10 - 20 minutes; scheduled appointments are recommended, but walk-ins are also welcome. To make an appointment, please contact editor Janice Costa at janice@solabrands.com. With so many things to see and do, it can be difficult to visit all of the booths to see what's new and on trend. KBDN will be distributing digital newsletters about products on display during the show. The following pages provide a sneak peek of the products to be seen at the 2018 Design and Construction Week. ▪ January 2018 • KitchenBathDesign.com 105 KBIS 2018