Kitchen & Bath Business - January 2018 - 49

SPECIAL SECTION
Voices from the Industry
One of the many benefits of attending KBIS is to gain some knowledge during
your visit. The 2018 Voices from the Industry (VFTI) conference gives you the
opportunity to add to your repertoire of industry intelligence. There are five
tracks from which to choose: Growing Your Business, Kitchen & Bath Specialty
Training, Design, Management and Customer Service. Some of the sessions offer
interactive labs for those of you who want a more hands-on learning experience.
The VFTI sessions will take place in the Orange County Convention Center's
South Hall meeting rooms throughout all three days of KBIS 2018. Here are five
of our favorites for you to consider.

5 WAYS MOBILE TECHNOLOGY HAS
CHANGED ONLINE MARKETING FOR
KITCHEN & BATH BUSINESSES

TODD BAIRSTOW, CO-FOUNDER AND PRINCIPAL
FOR KEYWORD CONNECTS
Tuesday, Jan. 9, 9:00 - 10:00 a.m., Room: S230B
Grow Your Business Track, 0.1 NKBA CEU/1.00 NAHB CE Hour/ 1.0 NARI CEU

Mobile usage among homeowners is accelerating at a frantic pace! Whereas a couple of years ago homeowners were leery of mobile technology,
they are now embracing mobile to contact service providers in full force.
Advertising on mobile phones is generating immediate phone calls from
interested homeowners - even for five-figure replacements and renovations.Texting homeowners to increase conversion rates and sales appointment confirmations is proving to be an extremely effective tactic. In fact,
homeowners are going to read a text within two minutes of sending it more
than 90 percent of the time. In this session, you will learn five ways online
marketing has changed with the advance of mobile technology and how
kitchen and bath remodelers can capitalize on them.

LEVERAGING ARTISAN WORK
IN YOUR DESIGNS

LAUREN LEVANT, PRINCIPAL DESIGNER,
LAUREN LEVANT INTERIOR
Tuesday, Jan. 9, 10:30 - 11:30 a.m., Room: S230D
Design Track, 0.1 NKBA CEU/1.00 NAHB CE Hour/1.0 NARI CEU

Harnessing the creative power of craftspeople can create a show-stopping
project. With the public's enthusiasm for artisan culture and its increasing
appetite for the unique and handcrafted, integrating specialty work into
interior design projects is gaining in popularity. Lauren Levant has been at
the vanguard of this trend and will offer examples, advice and walkthroughs
of how to successfully integrate unique components into a project design.
Through a competition-style format, attendees will walk away from the
session having honed their ability to spot and develop opportunities to
bring truly unique pieces to their clients' homes.
THIS CLASS IS A GREAT CHOICE FOR DESIGNERS WHO WANT TO:
â
Develop a distinctive portfolio
â
Enhance their creative process working with a variety of specialty fields

â
Start working in product design

â
Add compelling points of interest

to press releases and competition
submissions

â
Infuse their work with local flavor

DESIGNING A HEALTHY HOME AND WE DON'T MEAN EMOTIONALLY
ADAM GIBSON, CMKBD, PRESIDENT OF ADAM
GIBSON DESIGN
Tuesday, Jan. 9, 3:00 - 4:00 p.m., Room S310G
Kitchen & Bath Specialty Training, 0.1 NKBA CEU/1.00 NAHB CE Hour/1.0
NARI CEU

Like that new carpet smell? You're probably breathing volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which may be carcinogenic. Carpets that contain nylon
and olefin fibers are the worst offenders. Cabinets are second to flooring
in guilt for providing VOCs; MDF and particle board are the worst offenders. Dryer and exhaust duct runs should be rigid, not flex, which causes
too much friction to be efficient. Use a humidistat-controlled exhaust fan
near showers. Provide natural light via tubular skylights wherever possible.
Creatively employ LED lighting on stairs. Use creative framing so doors
can be widened later at little cost and grab bars can be installed retroactively.
Gibson will discuss these any many other techniques in his session.

KNOCK THE SOCKS OFF CLIENTS:
RENDERING AND PRESENTATION
TECHNIQUES

JOHN MORGAN, OWNER, MORGAN PINNACLE, LLC
Wednesday, Jan. 10, 1:30 - 2:30 p.m., Room S310F
Design Track, 0.1 NKBA CEU/1.00 NAHB CE Hour/1.0 NARI CEU

Whether it's pencil to paper or stylus to smart device, we as designers create
brilliant virtual reality every day - spaces that are creatively constructed to
enhance the futures of our clients but do not yet exist. Then we must find
the perfect method to immerse our client so accurately and thoroughly in
our creative construct that they are inspired to act and move it from virtual
to actual reality. Morgan's session will focus on tools, techniques and best
practices to inspire your clients though rendering and presentation - from
pencil to actual virtual reality.

MENTOR, MANAGER, COACH:
UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENT
ROLES YOU PLAY AS A LEADER

BRITTNEY HOPKINS, NATIONAL SHOWROOM
TRAINER FOR FERGUSON
Thursday, Jan. 11, 9:00 - 10:00 a.m., Room S310F
Management Track; 0.1 NKBA CEU/1.00 NAHB CE Hour/1.0 NARI CEU

Whether you are a manager or leader within your organization,did you know
the greatest responsibility you have is not the P&L, it's to develop your associates? Wouldn't it be awesome to know which proverbial hat to wear and
when so your team has the best chance at being successful? It's imperative
to know the differences in each role and how to frame conversations based
on the needs of each associate and your business. We will discuss what it
means to be a mentor, a manager and a coach. We'll also talk though a few
steps to make manager or coaching conversations more effective. This course
will make you think differently on how you approach fierce conversations,
improving your skills as a leader and adding hours back into your week.

Kitchen & Bath Business - January 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Kitchen & Bath Business - January 2018