Andy Bishop from InstallerSHOW. shares his experiences from KBIS:
From the spirited and rousing 8am rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner at the packed opening ceremony, to the huge stands and tens of thousands of visitors, KBIS is undoubtably a big deal. As we know, everything in the U.S. is bigger and this event is no exception – the energy and enthusiasm for KBIS is palpable. The annual event is owned by the National Kitchen & Bath Association of North America (NKBA) who are boasting a healthy attendance of 43,000 visitors across the three-day event.
Visitors are made up primarily of architects, designers and ‘remodelers’, builders and associated industries and KBIS is co-located with The International Builders Show (IBS) which is owned by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). Together they make up Design & Construction Week which in total attracted 124,000 visitors offering great synergy and audience crossover between the events.
KBIS 2025 hosted nearly 700 exhibitors so there was plenty to see from both major international brands (Caesarstone, Kohler, Cosentino amongst many others) and many smaller regional suppliers. Over 270 exhibitors were international, reflecting the importance of the North American market to global KBB manufacturers.
The UK was well represented with a pavilion organised by the Bathroom Manufacturers Association (BMA) which included Grant Westfield, Hidealoo, Whitebirk Sinks, Ellsi and Thomas Crapper.
Hideloo founder Monty Ravencroft commented: “The event has been so busy, and we have had an amazing response to our unique retractable toilet. Interest has come from architects, designers and builders who are looking to optimise smaller spaces. They see great value in creating flexible, multi-functional spaces, additional facilities for multi-generational living and as a solution for providing at home care for the elderly. We’ve also had some fantastic interest from boat and RV designers (motorhomes in English). This is a great event to attend to help understand opportunities in the North American market and to connect with new customers”
Education and business development play a large part of KBIS with several presentation theatres spread across the vast Las Vegas Convention Centre. As well as being the world’s largest KBB market (projected to generate US$235 billion in revenue in 2025) the U.S. KBB sector appears to be extremely well-developed with talks covering a wide range of topics from the NBKA’s Global Connect Team’s programme of talks aimed at international companies wishing to enter the U.S. market, to The State of the Industry theatre which included a full programme of industry lectures. A series of design talks hosted by renowned design editor Cindy Allen, of U.S title Interior Design magazine were of particular interest – unlike the UK market, the North American KBB market is led by interior designers, so these talks were particularly relevant. Speakers included global design legend Lauren Rottet of Rottet Studio, Alison Damonte, Goil Amornvivat of AMMOR Architecture and Bahar Zaeem and Shima Radfar of RZ Interiors (Canada).
Does KBIS represent a useful trip for the UK KBB Sector? The UK exhibitors and visitors I spoke to were all very enthusiastic. Mark Conacher, MD of Senstec USA describes his KBIS experience here:
“As ever, the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) 2025 didn’t fail to deliver. I’ve attended this show a number of times now, and I always walk away with my head full of inspiration and some really interesting connections. Since returning home to Vancouver, I have had a few UK businesses reaching out to me asking about KBIS and the American market. My first piece of advice is always – get KBIS, Orlando, 17-19th February 2026 in your diary. There’s so much to learn from the show and different ways of looking at the industry. Fresh ideas that can help you stand out in your own market. With representatives from the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) attending the InstallerSHOW in June, it’s an ideal opportunity to find out more about KBIS, the NKBA and the Global Connect program.
The 2026 edition of KBIS will take place from 17th – 19th February at the Orange County Convention Centre in Orlando, Florida before returning to Las Vegas in 2027. More at kbis.com
For more information about the NKBA and the North American market contact [email protected]
Photo credits: Emerald/KBIS
