Special presentations — all virtual — include the Opening Celebration, the State of the Association/State of the Industry, and Kitchen & Bath Design Competition + Industry Awards.
By Dianne M. Pogoda
KBIS Virtual 2021 starts in less than three weeks, with registration and seating reservations open for the show’s major events and free presentations.
This year, owing to the virtual format, the KBIS expo has been extended to four days (from the usual three): Tuesday, Feb. 9, through Friday, Feb. 12. Show hours Tuesday through Thursday are 10 am to 6 pm; all times are Eastern. On Friday, the expo is open from 10 am to 4:30 pm. During these times, virtual exhibitor booths will be available to visitors, and the KBIS NeXT Stage will be hosting events and panel discussions.
Festivities that are free and open to all attendees actually get started on Monday evening, Feb. 8, from 4 to 5 pm, with an Opening Celebration hosted by NKBA CEO Bill Darcy and EVP & CSO Suzie Williford. Darcy and Williford will check in virtually with viewing parties from around the country, and will explain the show’s key features, learning opportunities and other main events.
On Tuesday starting at 12:30 pm, Darcy will address the membership in his annual State of the Association, detailing the accomplishments of the past year, how the NKBA met the challenges of 2020, programs and initiatives launched and what’s ahead. Immediately following the State of the Association, Darcy will introduce David Kohler, president and CEO of Kohler Co., based in Kohler, Wisc., for his exclusive take on the State of the Industry. Kohler, who is the fourth generation of his family to lead the company since its founding in 1873, will highlight the dramatic ways in which business changed in 2020 owing to the pandemic. Among the shifts, he will discuss new ways of engaging and interacting with the customer and the solutions that have resulted. Of these developments, he’ll project which are the most likely to remain after the current crisis has subsided.
As a leader in plumbing and water management technology, Kohler will also address the heightened focus on health and wellness and how the kitchen and bath industry is uniquely suited to meeting these new and expanded needs. Additionally, he’ll reveal some of Kohler Co.’s. insights into consumer behavior around the new realities of daily living and will talk about the company’s skilled trade initiatives and co-op programs designed to help stem the industry’s ongoing shortage of skilled labor professionals. Following Kohler’s address, he and Darcy will interact for a virtual Q&A session.
One of the highlights of any KBIS is the Design Competition and Industry Awards presentation, which will be held Thursday night at 5 pm. Darcy and Williford will host the evening, in which the Chairman’s Award will be announced, Student Design Competition winners recognized, and the winners of NKBA’s professional Design Competition will be revealed.
The platform promises to be an engaging, high-tech experience and the shows will include guest appearances and surprises. These events are open to all KBIS attendees. Register for access to the expo at kbis.com , and click on the dashboard to view the agenda and “save your seat” for links to the programming.
