Kitchen & Bath Business - July/August 2019 - 14

July/August 2019

n k b a

MAKING CONNECTIONS

e just returned from an amazing trip to Napa Valley, where we were
hosted by the gracious team at Signature Kitchen Suite at their
fantastic new Experience & Design Center. This exclusive event
for our Thirty Under 30 current and alumni honorees was designed
to expose them to the great new products and advancements in
technology in the luxury appliance space and - equally important
- how to explain to clients the benefits of selecting such high-end products.
We had a great time networking, learning and building relationships -
"friend-sharing," as SKS general manager Zach Elkin proclaimed - not to
mention so much fun visiting local wineries and dining on scrumptious food,
much of it prepared at the EDC by Chef Nick and his talented staff. SKS,
along with Wilsonart, is a generous sponsor of our 30s program and could
not have been more wonderful hosts.
William Cho, president and CEO of LG North America, welcomed
our group, noting, "This center will provide us the opportunity to serve our
industry partners like you with a unique and active experience."
Read more about this terrific, immersive experience on pages 18-21.
This group of bright, young professionals was energized and engaging, asking questions and absorbing so much.The event is an example of the kind of
perks our Thirty Under 30 initiative affords and the high-caliber individuals
who participate in the program. The enthusiasm of these individuals is contagious, and it's a great harbinger of the future health of our thriving business.
Some of these young professionals are already active in their chapters, have
assumed leadership roles and have begun establishing their reputations as
rising leaders in our industry.
We encourage them, as well as veterans from all quarters of the business, to
mentor the next generation. Offer internships and shadow programs; speak
to students at career days at local colleges, high schools and even middle
schools; get on the radar of guidance counselors to show young people the
great career possibilities available in this industry. We encourage NKBA
member companies to post opportunities on our Jobs portal at nkba.org.
Establishing one connection can make all the difference.
These connections start early. NKBA recently sponsored a pair of contests at a middle school near our northern New Jersey headquarters, aimed
at promoting career pathways in our industry among young students. We

n o t e
hope to develop this pilot program so it may be
rolled out to more schools in coming years. The
two contests encouraged creative thinking to solve
everyday problems in the kitchen. The first was a
robotics competition in which teams designed
Lego robots to complete various tasks, like gripping and placing an item in a sink, turning a stove
knob or flipping a light switch.The second contest
was designing a product for the "Kitchen of the
Future." The aim of both competitions was to
expose these seventh and eighth graders to all the
fields - from design, computers and robotics to
building and craftsmanship - that comprise the
kitchen and bath industry. We were so impressed
with the thinking process and creative execution
- and marketability - of the projects on display.
But back to the 30s: If you know an accomplished young professional born on or after Jan.
21, 1990, who conducts business with the highest
standards of integrity and possesses a passion for
kitchen and bath design, remodeling or sales, as
well as a commitment to driving excellence, we
urge you to nominate this individual for the Thirty
Under 30 class of 2020. Full details are available
at nkba.org/info/initiatives/thirty-under-30.
Self-nominations are welcome, but hurry because
nominations close on Aug. 16.The next class will
be honored at KBIS 2020.
And, speaking of KBIS, it's hard to believe
that registration for next year's show opens on
Aug. 1. We already have a packed exhibition hall,
exceeding the last edition's record numbers. We
anticipate an even bigger show in 2020. KBIS
takes place in fabulous Las Vegas, Jan. 21-23, with
our opening-night gala and Kitchen & Bath Design & Industry Awards on Jan. 20.
Besides the amazing new products being revealed and great networking opportunities, the
outstanding programming through our Voices
from the Industry conference, KBISNeXT Stage
and seminars throughout the show are worth the
trip alone! Be sure to register early to take advantage of member specials and travel discounts. If
you're not already a member of NKBA, there's
no better time to join than now. Visit nkba.org or
kbis.com for all the details.

BILL DARCY
CEO
National Kitchen + Bath
Association

/ JULY-AUG. 2019 / KBBONLINE.COM / The official publication of NKBA (NKBA.org) and KBIS (KBIS.com)

http://www.nkba.org/info/initiatives/thirty-under-30 http://www.nkba.org http://www.kbis.com http://www.nkba.org http://www.KBBONLINE.COM http://www.NKBA.org http://www.KBIS.com

Kitchen & Bath Business - July/August 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Kitchen & Bath Business - July/August 2019