K/BIS 2008 Lives Up to Reputation as World's Biggest Kitchen/Bath Fair

Besides being the largest American city to be literally on the shore of Lake Michigan, Chicago and its McCormick Place Convention Center this year was also home for three days to the K/BIS (Kitchen/Bath Industry Show) 2008, running from April 11 to 13 as the world's largest dedicated trade fair for kitchen and bathroom products, services and trades.

K/BIS, organized by the NKBA (National Kitchen & Bath Association) annually, is undoubtedly a key trade event for the kitchen and bath industries worldwide. Notable for not only being a showcase for the latest, trendsetting products and technologies, K/BIS is also a valuable opportunity for industry professionals, tradesmen, businesspeople etc. to stay updated by taking part in the series of conferences and roundtable discussions.

The 27th K/BIS covered 1.5 million square feet of exhibition area in McCormick Place and solicited more than 900 registered exhibitors. "Setting the tone" for local and international kitchen and bath suppliers, professional designers, architects, decision-makers, sales representatives, distributors and retailers, the show attracted a total of over 40,000 visitors.

Timothy Captain, spokesperson for NKBA, said "This was the first year that the show expanded into all three halls of McCormick Place, and there was a record number of registered attendees and more members of the press covering K/BIS than ever," reflecting the show's significant influence.

Enormous Product Range

Living up to its reputation as the world's largest trade fair of its kind, K/BIS 2008 and its 900 exhibitors displayed virtually everything related to kitchen and bathroom, including cabinets, cupboards, ovens, kitchen remodeling items and hardware, household electronics, baths, faucets, SPA wares, bathroom fittings, toilets, basins, ceramics, tiles and so on.

GE, a world-class firm that is also a household name in home appliances stateside, debuted its newly developed GE Monogram Professional dual-fuel range-top series. Being a top-of-the-line product, this range features maximum power of up to 126,000 BTUs (British thermal units), dual-fuel capability with two fully-functional self-clean ovens as well as a caterer's oven that accommodates three 18-by-26-inch sheet pans. With a six-element oven, true convection function for European cooking, this range-top appliance was a true show-stopper at K/BIS.

Counted on for delivering innovative yet classic kitchen and bath products, K/BIS saw U.S.-headquartered Twin-Star International Inc. unveil its Pasadena Home Theater System, a multifunctional unit that includes the ClassicFlame Electric Fireplace. The home-theater-plus-fireplace is made of high-quality hardwoods and wood veneers and features two video cabinets with adjustable shelves and wire management channels, providing ample storage for users' home theater devices. Besides, the product, finished in Brown Espresso, is not only of heirloom-quality but also green, with the electric fireplace being 100% energy efficient without any carbon dioxide emission or fumes.

Superior Trash Compactor

In tune to the overwhelming green tone at K/BIS, Broan.Com, North America's largest producer of residential ventilation products, promoted the Broan Elite XE Trash Compactor, featuring a superior compaction ratio of 6-to-1 relative to competing models, effectively doing its part to lighten load on local landfills. Integrated with Microban(r) antimicrobial protection, this trash compactor is equipped to reduce growth of odor- and stain-causing bacteria with its automatic odor control disc.

Besides being dominated with green products, K/BIS 2008 continued, as last year, showing a series of health and wellness appliances, including indoor air filters; ventilation systems; air purification systems; water filtration and purification systems; hygienic stainless steel appliances; sinks, faucets and countertops with eco-friendly and hygienic sealants.

The New Product Pavilion, as usual, took the breath away from visitors looking for cutting-edge creativity, a feature that often generates excellent business opportunities with the novelty factor. Although a large number of innovative products were showcased, only two were honored as winners: Lance Larkin's Brew Express was picked as the Best Kitchen Product; while DesignerRod.Com's Designer Rods was named the Best Bath Product.

The Brew Express coffeemaker is a wall-inset or wall-integrated coffeemaker that not only saves counter space but can be color-customized to suit any interior decor, as well as being directly hooked to a hot water supply. The Designer Rods enable end users and decorators to fully explore imagination to liven up bathrooms with these hollow rods. Of shatter resistant, optically clear plastic, Design Rods can be filled with anything decorative as shells, marble or colored glass to allow users to indulge their fancies.

Educational Opportunities

The NKBA also hosted a series of roundtable discussion and conferences at K/BIS 2008, inviting industry professionals to address the newest product trends and concepts for kitchen and bath-related trades, with the events adding educational value to the show.

In the Technology & Trends Session, Dominick Tringali, president of Dominick Tringali Architects, a full-service architectural firm specializing in housing and commercial design, pointed out the growing trends to integrate architectural and kitchen designs, mentioning that archways and higher ceilings can make kitchens look larger and more comfortable, and the proper use of windows to brighten kitchens with natural light.

Jonas Carnemark, a Certified Remodeler (CR) and Certified Kitchen Designer (CKD), talked, at the NKBA Special Focus Event, about sustainable approaches to kitchen and bath designs, suggesting industry insiders to make themselves more competitive through implementing sustainability and environmentally-sensitive design and construction.

CENS, a leading export-oriented media in Taiwan, also set trends sort to speak at K/BIS 2008 by being the only professional of its kind from the island, circulating its publications, including Hardware, Fasteners and Bathroom Fittings. Backed by years of experience and solid reputation, CENS attracted an influx of interested foreign buyers to its booth and magazines, succeeding in introducing Taiwan-based suppliers to global buyers of kitchen and bath products and services.

Celebrating its 28th anniversary in 2009, K/BIS will be held, not in the Windy City, but the Atlanta Georgia World Congress Center from April 30 to May 3.