NKBA is collaborating with German companies to host this highly anticipated program.
By Dianne M. Pogoda
NKBA is getting ready to say “Guten Tag” as it brings 21 members on an elite international experience in Frankfurt, Germany.
The second International Buyers Tour will take place Sept. 19 to 24, concurrently with the Küchenmeile A30 Haus Fair, also known as the German Haus Fair. This tour, developed by NKBA and some of its German kitchen manufacturer members, provides North American kitchen and bath dealers, designers and showrooms interested in expanding their lines to include German products with an opportunity to foster sales and distribution relationships with German vendors. The German Haus Tour is sponsored by nobilia, Bora and Hettich, and will make stops at design and showroom districts including Area 30, Gut Böckel, Kitchen Center Loehne, House4Kitchen and Architekturwerkstatt.
What is the German Küchenmeile A30 Haus Fair?
The A30 Küchenmeile eV marketing association represents two-thirds of total sales in the German kitchen furniture industry. Its event, the German Küchenmeile A30 Haus Fair, which takes place along the Küchenmeile, or “kitchen mile” where there are many kitchen product vendors and manufacturers, brings guests together with exhibitors, providing an opportunity to learn about their newest innovations, concepts and products. Designers and buyers will have the chance to attend product demonstrations, learn about global trends and ask questions about cabinetry (the term used in Europe for “kitchen furniture”), kitchen appliances, sinks and accessories.
Among the 27 participating manufacturers are NKBA members Bauformat, Hettich, Miele and nobilia, and NKBA Global Connect members Ballerina Kitchen, Hacker Kitchen and Schüller.
Itinerary for the Second International Buyers Tour
The excursion starts on Sept. 19 at the Frankfurt airport, where attendees will meet for breakfast after arriving in Germany. Following this, attendees will take a motorcoach to northwest Germany. Here, they’ll enjoy a tour of a historic German castle, where they will be lodging, followed by a welcome dinner in the castle’s dungeon dining room.
On Sept. 20, guests will head to Bora for a showroom tour and lunch, followed by a nobilia showroom and factory tour, dinner and after-party. On Sept. 21, guests will join Hettich for a showroom tour, followed by visits to Area 30, Architekturwerkstatt and Gut Böckel, and a special dinner hosted by NKBA and VDM, a German kitchen trade association. Sept. 22 provides guests with some free time to explore additional participating German manufacturers’ factories and showrooms, as well as optional visits (travel included) to House4Kitchen and Kitchen Center Loehne. On Sept. 23, attendees will return to Frankfurt, stopping first at a traditional restaurant along the scenic drive for a farewell lunch. Departures from Frankfurt are scheduled for Sept. 24, the final day of the tour.
Applications to attend a future International Buyers Tour will be available early in 2024.
