The 2012 Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) in Chicago on April 24 - 26, 2012, drew thousands of professionals to Chicago's McCormick Place. The National Kitchen & Bath Association's (NKBA) annual show and conference brought together 550 exhibiting companies with 16,091 industry buyers and specifiers, a 10 percent increase from 2011. There were 32,078 people overall who attended the show.
"KBIS provides the unique opportunity to network and gain critical insights into a changing market, and this year's show had an array of innovative and inspirational products and designs from our exhibitor partners. KBIS 2012 showed that our industry is reinventing itself and utilizing insights from the marketplace to develop new products and designs that change how we interact in both the kitchen and bath," said Jim Scott, managing director of KBIS, in a press release.
One of the top trends recognized at the event was an increased awareness of environmental sustainability. Even though such sustainability has evolved to become standard in the industry, exhibitors are now making it easier than ever to go green. High-efficiency toilets and showerheads are the norm and can easily be installed or retrofitted in any home. Recycling has even become easier, with compactors that can silently crush cans installed right into kitchen cabinet space. Technological advances like motion sensor faucets and lighting have become more sophisticated, helping to save both water and energy. Exhibitors also reclaimed materials used every day, redesigning them with the environment in mind.
Read more about going green at home.
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