Top Takeaways:

  • Eight sessions including two interactive workshops are focused on the building and remodeling study area;
    Earn CEUs;
    One pass grants access to all days of learning on-site and on-demand courses after the show.

 By Dianne M. Pogoda

 

Great designs can only become reality with a thorough knowledge of building fundamentals. As kitchen and bath designers are increasingly called upon to execute structural changes or incorporate more complex elements into spaces, their expertise in building practices becomes ever-more critical.

In the “Building/Remodeling” learning track at the Voices From The Industry Conference (VFTI) at KBIS, you can enhance these skills with eight dedicated sessions.

VFTI, sponsored by Floor & Decor and Angi, takes place during KBIS 2023, Jan. 31 to Feb. 1 in Las Vegas. This perennially popular conference features nearly 80 sessions in six learning tracks, running each day of KBIS on site at the newly renovated Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC). Many sessions will also be available on-demand after the show, starting Feb. 3, and all qualify for CEU credits.

Building/Remodeling classes discuss:

  • The best ways to partner with builders, taught by Gary Gray of Harrell Design + Build;
  • Functional trends — incorporating elevators, lighting and soundproofing for home offices, safe rooms and ADUs — impacting the luxury remodeling and custom home market, taught by Jennifer Hutton of Grau Building Co.;
  • Slope-to-drain waterproofing, with Dean Moilanen of Nobel Co.;
  • Designing and selling with 3D software, with Scott Harris of Chief Architect;
  • Shower safety, with Christopher Hackett of Classic Marble (Showers) Ltd.;
  • Custom cabinetry trends and techniques from lead cabinetmaker Owen Madden of Rowan Woodwork.

Workshops, which are 1 ½ hours each, include an exploration of how to encourage your clients to donate useable kitchen products and get your contractor on board, to help save the planet and save your clients a few bucks, taught by recycling pro David Berens; and a primer on what to expect for remodeling in 2023 and beyond, taught by Mischa Fisher, chief economist for Angi and an economics instructor at Northwestern University.

One VFTI pass grants access to all sessions, live on-site and on-demand, as well as entry to and shuttles among all five Design & Construction Week trade shows running concurrently throughout the city. Besides KBIS and the International Builders Show, the National Hardware Show takes place at LVCC; the Surfaces show is at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, and the Las Vegas Market happens at the World Market Center.

Online, NKBA members pay $600 for access to the DCW shows and all VFTI sessions, on-site and on-demand. Non-members pay $825. Onsite, from Jan. 29 through Feb. 2, members are $700 and non-members are $925. Additional rates and discounts apply for press, students, faculty and non-exhibiting manufacturers and suppliers, so visit KBIS.com for more details.

For more general information about VFTI, click here.