KBIS 2014 Drew Giant Crowd
Organized by the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA), the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS) welcomed 31,092 professionals to this year’s show in Las Vegas, a nearly 145 percent increase over last year. Part of that success can be attributed to the decision to hold KBIS under the umbrella of Design & Construction Week™ which included the International Builders’ Show (IBS), owned by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), and VISION 2014, the International Window Coverings Expo (IWCE).
This year’s edition attracted 500 exhibitors, including 135 that were new to the show, as well as the return of industry leaders such as Viking, Elkay, MasterBrand Cabinets, Electrolux, and LG Hausys Surfaces. Rounding out the lineup were the 87 KBIS exhibitors known as Loyalty Leaders, who have exhibited consecutively at KBIS for at least the past six years.
“We knew coming into Las Vegas that we were about to experience something ground-breaking, and we weren’t disappointed! The energy on and off the show floor far exceeded our expectations,” remarks John Petrie, NKBA 2014 president. ”The co-location of KBIS and IBS allowed exhibitors and attendees to benefit from insights and product innovations serving the entire residential design & construction industry.”
Emerald Expositions, producers of KBIS, has already booked more exhibit space for KBIS 2015 than was sold in all of 2014. To accommodate the demand from industry leading brands, another 500,000 gross square feet of exhibit space has been added for next year’s event.
“This year’s show saw more top brands, more new products, and more innovation,” notes Brian Pagel, VP/Kitchen & Bath Group at Emerald Expositions. “We’re honored to provide the stage for leading industry brands to connect directly with their targets. Our goal is to continue to amplify and diversify our exhibitor base, making our attendee experience richer and more engaging. As we continue to evaluate our planned footprint for 2015, we look forward to welcoming more brands to the KBIS floor.”
“Our Voices From the Industry program was sold out before the show opened,” says Bill Darcy, the NKBA’s CEO. “We increased our sessions this year to meet demand for our learning offerings, and we are already looking at how we can expand offerings at KBIS 2015.”
Combined attendance under “one pass” was over 82,000 for both shows (KBIS and IBS), with 1,700 exhibitors in more than 650,000 square feet of combined convention floor space.
KBIS 2015 will take place January 20-22 in the Las Vegas Convention Center and will be collocated with the International Builders’ Show (IBS) and VISION 2015 (IWCE) under the banner of Design & Construction Week.
