K/BIS held in Chicago

Chicago The Kitchen and Bath Industry Show was held at the McCormick Place Convention Center.

This year’s conference focused on a number of key trends. Of course, “green” new products were featured, including an educational session hosted by interior designer Patti Weaver, titled “Green Products: just what resources are out there.” Home & Garden Television’s Candice Olson hosted a “Design and Inspiration Session” at the show, while a “Business and Leadership” session was lead by inspirational speaker Nikki Nemerouf. Show education sessions also included a color and design forecast and a “technology and trends” session.

In its 2007 study of kitchen and bath trends, the Home Improvement Research Institute notes that kitchen and bath consumers can be a finicky -- but valuable -- bunch.

“Kitchen and bath buyers shop around, more than for several other product categories,” the study notes. It’s also a more pro-oriented category than others, with 69 percent of consumers reporting hiring a pro to install kitchen countertops, 53 percent for bathroom vanity tops and 44 percent for kitchen sinks.

In this most-recent HIRI study, toilet seats had the highest purchase incidence in the category, bought by 69 percent of kitchen and bath remodeling buyers. Additionally, “Replacing a broken or worn-out product is the top-ranking reason for buying six of the 11 items studied.”

On April 10, members of the National Kitchen and Bath Association participated in a number of pre-show breakout sessions. On the show floor, representatives from all the major kitchen and bath manufacturers constructed elaborate booths, notably Kohler, Delta Faucet, Viking, Haier and Electrolux. K/BIS ran through April 13 -- view the upcoming issue of Home Channel News for additional coverage.