APRIL 2022 RETAILOBSERVER.COM
9
T
he Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS),
owned by the National Kitchen and Bath
Association wrapped up its first in-person
show in two years. The combined strengths of the
NKBA and the National Association of Home
Builders (NAHB), continuing their nine-year
partnership to produce Design and Construction
Week® (DCW), brought forth the first and one of
the largest in-person events since the beginning
of the pandemic. Together, the connected shows
featured 1,200 exhibitors, occupying 750,000 net
square feet of exhibit space. 70,000 energized
attendees, representing all areas of the new
construction and residential remodeling industries
covered the Orange County Convention Center,
February 8-10, 2022.
The blended KBIS and International Builders'
Show (IBS) floor experience continues to foster
increased crossover traffic as custom builders,
remodelers and project builders discover new
product options with KBIS exhibitors and vice
versa. This success is a testament to the dedication
of the industry and the shared vision of these
associations.
"There is no question our industry is alive and
well," said Suzie Williford, executive vice president,
industry relations and chief strategy officer, NKBA.
"The numbers tell the story. We were so pleased
to welcome 70,000 attendees, including guests
from Germany, the UK, Spain, Italy and more. After
two long years, it was pure joy to meet people in
person and get down to business with a little fun
thrown in. Design and Construction Week is a
leading indicator of industry strength and clearly
confirms the value of in-person events."
KBIS, owned by the NKBA and produced by
Emerald Expositions, is the largest North American
trade show for the kitchen and bath industry. KBIS
2022 featured 375 exhibitors – 85 of whom were
first-timers. The ratio of attendees to exhibitors was
up 9% over 2020, the last and one of the strongest
in-person KBIS events pre-pandemic. Of the KBIS
attendees, 48% were brand new to the show.
"There is no question DCW surpassed all of our
expectations," said Jason McGraw, group vice
president and show director for KBIS. "We knew
we had put everything in place to create a safe
event. We knew the exhibitors committed to the
DESIGN &
CONSTRUCTION
WEEK
70,000 DESIG N AN D CONSTR UCTION ATTE N DE ES VISIT 1,200
EXH I B ITORS COVE R I NG 750,0000 N ET SQ FT OF EXH I B IT SPACE
STAGES ONE OF THE LARGEST
SHOWS TO SERVE THE INDUSTRY
GLOBALLY IN 2 YEARS
