ALPHARETTA, GA — The 2017 Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS), the destination for kitchen and bath design professionals, is proud to announce a 17-percent increase in qualified attendance and a surge of momentum headed into the 2018 show. Major brands and several new exhibitors have already committed, with net square footage of exhibit space for 2018 up 13-percent year-over-year. New exhibitors include Foster Milano, Peerless Faucet and EuroChef USA, with major brands Jenn Air, Kraus USA, Miele, Samsung and Bertazzoni set to return after an extended absence from the event. KBIS will take place January 9-11, 2018 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando.
“This year’s response to KBIS reaffirms it as our industry’s premiere event,” said National Kitchen & Bath Association VP of Industry Relations Suzie Williford. “Thank you to our NKBA members and the entire kitchen bath industry for making KBIS 2017 a truly ‘can’t miss’ event.”
“Our verified growth confirms what we already knew; KBIS 2017 was one of our most successful kitchen and bath industry shows to date,” said Brian Pagel, SVP, Emerald Expositions. “KBIS 2018 is setting up to be an even bigger and more successful show. I look forward to continuing to see the kitchen and bath industry growth this year, and to returning to Orlando in 2018.”
Highlights from KBIS 2017
NKBA CEO Bill Darcy delivered the 2017 State of the Industry Address, discussing annual design trends and economic research studies taking place in the $134 billion kitchen and bath industry. One NKBA study, “Estimated Market Value for the Kitchen & Bath Remodeling and New Residential Construction Markets,” found that each year homeowners remodel upwards of 10.2 million kitchens -- roughly one in 10 of all households -- and 14.2 million bathrooms, two of the most important rooms in a home.
Serving as one of the most memorable moments of KBIS 2017, The NKBA with KBIS hosted the first public event supporting the This Old House Generation Next philanthropic campaign to encourage and empower young people to join the skilled trades. All proceeds from the campaign went to the mikeroweWORKS Foundation’s Work Ethic Scholarship Program, providing scholarships to people getting trained for skilled jobs in demand. At the event, Mike Rowe of the mikeroweWORKS Foundation accepted a $500,000 check from the charter partners of the This Old House Ventures’ Generation Next initiative.
Also in 2017, the NKBA Presents KBISNeXT Stage sponsored by HomeAdvisor offered thought-provoking and inspiring programming delivered from some of the most well respected names in kitchen and bath design. A highlight of KBIS 2017 was the all new Discovery District, which served as a center for exploring unique and potentially undiscovered brands and products new to KBIS, several of which were honored as Best of KBIS award winners, including The Copper Shower Kit and GEOLUXE.
KBIS will return to Orlando and the Orange County Convention Center January 9-11, 2018. For more information, visit kbis.com and kbispressroom.com.