As many other industry shows have
experienced a decline in exhibitors and attendance in recent years, the
National Kitchen & Bath Association reports a growing number of
misconceptions concerning the upcoming 2009 Kitchen/Bath Industry Show &
Conference (K/BIS). In response, NKBA and show producer Nielsen Business Media
decided to clear any confusion regarding attendance and exhibitors at this
year’s show: “False impressions have begun to spread about an equally steep
reduction in numbers for K/BIS 2009. This is simply untrue,” the organizations
report.
“Are there some exhibitors that have
pulled out of K/BIS 2009? Yes,” announced NKBA CEO
Don
Sciolaro, “but contrary to recent misconceptions, the vast majority
of the large exhibitors will be exhibiting at K/BIS again this year.” He
announced that such large exhibitors include Whirlpool, Kohler, LG, Moen, TOTO,
MasterBrand, Armstrong, GE, Delta, Gerber, TurboChef, Merillat, Viking,
Panasonic, Vent-a-Hood, Sears, Dacor, and Rohl, in addition to many others.
(NKBA invites potential attendees to view the complete exhibitor list at
KBIS.com/show/exhibitor-list.)
Brian
Pagel, vice president of the Kitchen and Bath Group for Nielsen
Business Media, says that this year’s K/BIS, May 1-3 at the Georgia World Congress
Center in Atlanta, will “be as vibrant as ever,” with 700 exhibitors and
co-exhibitors showing their products across 400,000 square feet of exhibit
space.
This year
features the most celebrity speakers ever seen at the show, including “Extreme
Makeover: Home Edition”’s
Paul DiMeo, “This Old House”’s
Rich Tretheway,
Carole Fruehauf and
John Gidding of HGTV’s “Designed to Sell,”
Aida
Mollenkamp of Food Network’s “Ask Aida,” “The Young & the
Restless’”
Steve Ford (son of President Gerald Ford), and
presidential candidate
Mike Huckabee.
Others included in the lineup of business speakers, are
economist
Terry Savage and
Green to
Gold author
Andrew Winston, as well as
Harry Gianetti, former vice president of Thermador, BSH,
Mills Pride, and Elica.
“K/BIS 2009 is
very much alive and well — the show will once again bring together hundreds of
exhibitors with tens of thousands of attendees,” said 2009 NKBA President
Suzie Williford. “Between the show floor and the
conference’s wide range of business and celebrity speakers, K/BIS 2009 is going
to be one of the most valuable and exciting shows ever.”
For more
information about the show, visit
www.kbis.com.
