Kbdn

• For the first time the CKD/CBD Design Exam will be given on April 9 from 12 noon to 6 p.m. A CKD/CBD Review Prep Course will be given prior to that on April 8 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• The invitation-only NKBA Board of Director’s Gala & Cocktail Reception on April 10 from 6:30 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. at Union Station will feature the announcement of the 2008 NKBA Design Competition Pinnacle Award winner and the 2008 Hall of Fame inductees, including Eliot Sefrin, editorial director and publisher of Kitchen & Bath Design News and KitchenBathDesign.com (see related story).
• Sponsored by Kitchen & Bath Design News and produced in conjunction with DWJ Television, the 2008 Satellite Media Tour is scheduled to film live from the show floor on April 11 (see related story). It’s designed to provide exhibitors with product exposure to thousands of potential kitchen and bath consumers via key media outlets throughout the U.S. Product messages will be delivered via satellite – and via radio and online podcasts – to morning and midday shows in the top 200 U.S. markets by KBDN’s editor, Janice Anne Costa.
• Christine Todd Whitman will be this year’s K/BIS Opening Keynote speaker. Whitman – current administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and former New Jersey governor – will take the stage in the Arie Crown Theater in McCormick Place’s Lakeside Center at 8:00 a.m. on April 11. She’ll address attendees regarding sustainability and the effects it has on the kitchen and bath industry in a global community.
• On April 11 from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., Jonas Carnemark, CR, CKD, will lead the NKBA Special Focus Event called Implementing Sustainability. He’ll provide an in-depth look at what companies across the country are doing to incorporate eco-friendly design and construction.
• At the Dealers’ Breakfast on April 12 from 8:30 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. Thompson C. Price, CKD, CBD, CR, KBDN Business Strategies columnist and NKBA Hall of Fame inductee, will lead a detailed discussion geared toward helping dealers make changes in their business practices and maintain profit.
• The NKBA Annual Business Luncheon, on April 12 from 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m., will provide an opportunity for NKBA leaders to present the “State of the Association” to NKBA members. This is especially important in light of Mike Kelly’s recent departure. The meeting will also include a special presentation by Doug Lipp who will discuss how to “think globally to sell locally.”
• Christine Corelli will discuss customer service and how designers can make tomorrow’s customer theirs at the Designers’ Breakfast on April 13 from 8:30 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.
• For the 2008 KBIS, Merillat (Booth S4690) will be hosting the 2008 Design Showcase in partnership with Woman’s Day Special Interest Publications and Home. The displays, designed by Ingrid Leess, feature Merillat Masterpiece and Merilat Classic cabinetry in a concept kitchen with a combination drop zone/mud room and a luxe bath retreat.
• And the NKBA/Meredith Corp.’s Design Idea Center (DIC) will return for its third year. Dubbed “Your Kitchen and Bath, Your Way: Designs for Every Lifestyle and Life Stage,” the DIC (Booth S2048) will showcase eco-friendly design ideas, aging-in-place options, integrated technology applications and organization and storage solutions. It’ll be open during show hours.

On Friday, April 11 and Saturday, April 12 the show floor will be open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Sunday, April 13 the floor will be open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Each day of the show the Lakeside Center will be open at 9 a.m. Don’t forget to stop by the Kitchen & Bath Design News booth (S2449). See you there!

For more details, trends, news and product coverage from K/BIS 2008, go to the Live Events, Top Headlines and Project Spotlight sections and the Kitchen & Bath Confidential blog, which will feature analysis, podcasts and a daily review of events by KitchenBathDesign.com’s editor, Barbara Capella Loehr. Visit the Product Gallery to view plenty of K/BIS products. Be sure to check out the 3/08 and 4/08 issues of Kitchen & Bath Design News for additional show coverage, and don’t forget to stop by the KBDN booth (S2449) during the event.