By Charlé-John Cafiero and Maureen Klein -- Our Third Annual Education and Membership Day (EduDay) on Tuesday, October 8, 2024, was an all-day smorgasbord of inspiring events. Starting at 10 am with freshly brewed coffee in hand, there were five (5) CEUs on the table to pick from, as well as a luncheon with a keynote panel, Oktoberfest celebration, and a closing cocktail reception. Attendees could stop in for one or two classes or experience all the learning and networking opportunities available. Each CEU event had 45-60 people in attendance, and over 200 kitchen and bath design professionals and students attended throughout the day.

Many thanks to our Event Sponsors who helped make it all possible: A&D Building, aspire design and home, Cosentino, Dacor, FreePower, Hastings Bath Collection, Miele, SMEG, Poggenpohl, and Wolf, Sub-Zero and Cove.

And thank you also to ALL our Chapter members, Committee members and Board members who volunteered at registration, moderating panels, planning content and executing all the many details that helped make our Third Annual EduDay a huge success!

Below are a few moments captured from that delicious buffet of offerings. Photography by Jeff Siegel

Hmmm, what next, ponders NKBA member Lina Maria Burra of K&B Creations as she studies the booklet of the day's activities. Photo by Jeff Siegel.

A quartet of volunteers, including Rex Aguirre, Molly Jarr, Ashley Bancroft and Ellen Lopez, happily greet visitors as they provide the color entry bracelets to each guest. Photo by Jeff Siegel.

Pamela McNally, panel leader did a great job of involving both the speakers and audience in a lively discussion about AI in Residential Design. Photo by Jeff Siegel.

Dacor showroom was the site of an afternoon panel on Sustainability Through A Technology Lens. Photo by Jeff Siegel.

Panel moderator Tony Monteleone, left, for the Sustainability Through A Technology Lens, gave a terrific opener with his humorous reminiscing about how his 4th grade teacher introduced the topic of conservation (fear), along with a reminder of The Crying Indian image. Here, Joann Arcenal of Crestron takes the mic to answer one of the many questions posed. Photo by Jeff Siegel.

BTW: To see that famous Keep America Beautiful commercial, The Crying Indian, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7OHG7tHrNM

A taste of Oktoberfest was a way to celebrate the season and Miele’s 125th year of innovation. Here our hosts, L to R: Crystal Britt, Connie Wong, Sandra Singh and Fred Frank offer us a Prost toast and an array of hearty appetizers. Photo by Jeff Siegel.