Navigating K/BIS 2010:

A look at getting better show results

BY PETER SCHOR
contributing writer

There is no doubt that 2010 is a challenging year for all of us in the showroom industry. It is a year that requires more focus and going back to basics of what worked in the past.

The Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (www.kbis.com) April 16-18, 2010 in Chicago is expected to draw about 30,000 people. The show hours are Friday and Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; and Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. This show will have about 500 exhibitors covering around 300,000 square feet of exhibit space. There are only two halls this year.

The much smaller turnout by the luxury bath, plumbing, kitchen and decorative companies at k/bis 2010 has been in the works for many years despite the recession. The truth is that k/bis is not an “all industry event.” The “exclusive” show partners: k/bis, the show educational arm; KBB, show magazine, and Nielsen, the show itself, have made this into a show for the K & B dealers. Yes, the larger pluming/bath and kitchen manufacturers like Kohler, Moen, Delta, TOTO USA, and many others have worked the downline K&B dealers and professional trades deeper than most manufacturers do.

Educational venue

The Opening ceremony, Friday, April 16, 8:15 a.m. – 9:30 a.m., is called “Disregard All Previous Instructions” by Sergio Zyman, author/consultant, who discusses “How today requires a completely new set of rules, competitive factors and unique propositions. Previous practices or instructions are obsolete in today’s marketplace and economy.” This sounds like a good one!

The educational venue operated by nkba at k/bis 2010 has always been held for the K & B dealers excluding the bath/plumbing and decorative hardware dealers and distributors. This year, due to losing dph manufacturers and decreased attendee market share and the exceptional efforts of Ken Rohl, Hall of Famer; Rohl LLC, has sponsored two great programs for product selling showrooms. Thursday, April 15th, 8:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. there is a pre-show seminar called “Decorative Plumbing: A Systems Approach.” This is given by Paul Greenspan who has 25 years of decorative plumbing showroom experience. Friday, April 16, 12:00 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. there is a “Trends and Insights” program given by Robert Tietze from The Portland Group, which owns SPLASH, SPRITZO, and other showroom locations in New England. Saturday, April 17, 12:15 – 1:45 pm, David Kohler, president and coo of Kohler Company, will be giving a “State of the Industry” address called “The Road Ahead for the Industry.” It surely will have some sizzle!

There are some other nkba programs, paid sponsored by manufacturer on subjects who should hold your interest such as green, lighting, air quality, design trends and others that you should check out.
The nkba book store is a great place to find visual books that are exceptional for your showroom. These books help visitors determine the look and products that they desire. The best of k/bis 2010 product showcases is always a fun place to visit to see new products. The new ZOW Pavilion will showcase European products and design trends. The Kitchen and Bath Business TV broadcast from the show floor included interviews with industry leaders and is not on any “real TV” but is intended for promotional press outside of the show. One of two pieces gets video streamed to their website.

Magazines and associations — at K/BIS 2010 — great value

One of the greatest perks of the k/bis convention is that the magazines and free subscriptions are included in the business-to-business category. Most of the magazines are not assigned a booth until the middle of April or at show time. I would go on the k/bis website (www.kbis.com) under “Exhibitor List” and look under “Publications — Business-to- Business” and “Publications – Consumer” Last year I counted 21 magazine booths. If you come to their booth with a typed list of your other showrooms, you can subscribe as a group. The business-to-business magazines are free to anyone attending k/bis that have been pre-qualified. Make sure that you stop by the TMB Publications booth where The Wholesaler, Phc News, and Plumbing Engineer magazines are located! Also, make sure that you register your staff to get The Wholesaler magazine with the monthly showroom columns. Many associations obtain booths the same way as we start getting closer to the show, so check it out.

China manufacturers — update for 2010!

There is a much larger number of manufacturers coming from China this year along with newer American companies importing products from China under American-type names. What I noticed is more Chinese manufacturers adopting more acceptable USA-type names. Look for manufacturers from China that have the “ISO Quality Certification.”

What’s new and hot in bath and kitchen products

Some of my favorite and the hottest new bath/plumbing products at K/BIS 2010 and the reasons why:

• The WOW Toilet (Booth S-4464) www.wowtoilet.com. You remember the Fish N’ Flush toilet tank in 2005. This toilet tank is a specially-designed clear toilet tank for insertion of specialty-sized images, posters, advertisements and marketing messages. This tank will fit almost all toilet bowls and is iapmo Code Approved.

• Novellini Spa (Booth S-2812). www.novellini.com. If this crystal clear free-standing bathtub and the walk shower system doesn’t know your socks off, I will eat a can of Permatex!

• Kimball and Young (Booth # S-4105) www.kimballyoung.com. They specialize in bathroom magnification mirrors and led energy saving diode lights will last 50,000 hours. A must for grooming, make-up, or for the sight challenged. The products are designed for today’s consumer.

• Cascade Faucets/La Torre (Booth S-2614). www.cascade faucets.com. The ECO Cartridge works like what a dual flush is to toilets. With one click, users can save 20%-40% of the water flow/consumption. Leed Certified. The factory is ISO 14001:2004 Green leed Certified. Do your single control faucets have this hot feature?

• Electric Mirror (Booth #143) www.electricmirror.com. The world leader in lcd-mirrored TVs and the inventor and innovator of back-lit mirrored lighting systems. They have been designed for the last 12 years in 5-star hotel bathrooms worldwide. This is a whole new category for bathrooms. A must see!

• Hirsch Glass (Booth # S-3708). www.hirschglasscorp.com. Glass Mosaic tiles in the most vibrant and alive colors I have ever seen. The new Art Glass Panel Vanity Top System features top, sink and faucet package.

• Native Trails (Booth S-3844) www.nativetrails.net. These folks own the category for artisan-crafted sinks and lavatories in copper, antiqued copper and brushed nickel finishes. A must see!

• Quick Drain USA: www.quickdrainusa.com. The winner of the #1 Bath Award at the “Best of k/bis 2009.” The low profile linear shower drain is clean and unintrusive — the outdated round center shower drain is no longer needed. Go on the website and see the various options for different drain locations.

• And of course, don’t forget the Big John Toilet Seat Company (Booth S-3922) www.bigjohntoilet
seat.com. This seat brings stability and comfort to people with larger frames. Specifically designed for big, tall and plus sizes. Bring it on!

Due to the date of the k/bis 2010 Show and a much slower pace in new bath and plumbing products, I will be writing about K/BIS in upcoming articles. Don’t forget to review the New Product Showcase in this next month’s issue.

Peter Schor can be reached at pschor@dynamicresultsinc.com.