KBIS 2024 Recap

The Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) marked its most successful show in its 60-year history, bringing together a record number of kitchen and bath design professionals. The show was held February 27-29, 2024 in Las Vegas and was part of Design & Construction Week (DCW), the co-location of KBIS and The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)’s International Builders’ Show (IBS), which also reached record-breaking attendance.

“We’re incredibly proud of the growth and success of KBIS, continuing to offer tremendous value to the
thousands of designers, architects, dealers, showroom professionals, builders, remodelers, and more in
the kitchen and bath industry,” said Bill Darcy, Global President & CEO of NKBA | KBIS. “We’re pleased
with the feedback from exhibitors that 2024 was a remarkable show filled with learning, networking, and business opportunities, and we look forward to building on this momentum in the year ahead.”

KBIS 2024 by-the-Numbers

117,000 DCW registered visitors;

• Over 41,500 KBIS registered visitors;
• Over 670 Exhibitors - a 30% increase from 2023;
• Over 260 New Exhibitors - a 40% increase from 2023;
• More than 200 International Exhibitors - a 35% increase from 2023; and

Next year, KBIS and DCW will be held February 25 – 27, 2025, in Las Vegas at the Las Vegas
Convention Center.

This year, KBIS, owned by NKBA | KBIS and produced by Emerald Expositions, had  record-breaking numbers of exhibitors showcase and attendees visit its 60th anniversary show. The show was held February 27-29, 2024 in Las Vegas and was part of Design & Construction Week (DCW), the co-location of KBIS and The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)’s International Builders’ Show (IBS), which also had record-breaking attendance.

“I am amazed at how much this show continues to grow, not just in sheer numbers but also in depth of influence and impact,” Darcy said. “The level of innovation brands bring to the show floor, from smart technology integration to sustainable manufacturing and beautiful design, is unparalleled. The push  or brands to create sustainable, beautiful and innovative  products  can be felt throughout every hall of KBIS.”

“We experienced strong registration growth compared to previous years and we are up 40% in seeing new exhibitors on display for 2024,” said Jason McGraw, Group Vice President, Emerald Expositions. “This year, we had over 260 new exhibitors at KBIS, a 40% increase compared to last year, and over 117,000 registered visitors showed up to Design & Construction Week to see the best the industry has to offer.”

The number of exhibitors at KBIS 2024 was the largest the trade show had ever seen in its 60 years in the industry. Attendees also showed up in great numbers: over 41,500 KBIS registered visitors attentively interacted with exhibitors, creating a vibrant atmosphere on the trade show floor at the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC).

While showgoers inspected, experienced, felt and even smelled offerings from brands, noteworthy trends emerged or were affirmed for the industry as a whole, including sustainability, wellness, personalization and smart technology.

KBIS highlights included NEXTStage, which hosted industry giants, design legends, and rising stars for audiences and KBIS’ introduction of the LUXURY Lounge at the 2024 show, creating a space to explore the definition of luxury, especially as it relates to the kitchen and bath industry. KBIS also saw substantial growth from exhibiting brands outside of North America through the Global Connect Program. In addition, KBIS 2024 also featured the Best Booth Awards, the Best of KBIS Awards sponsored by LUXE Interiors & Design, DesignBites and the KBIS Kickstarter Zone Awards.

State of the association

Darcy gave an inspiring State of the Association (SOA) address to members yesterday during KBIS 2024 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. He also announced the extension of the Design & Construction Week co-location agreement between NKBA | KBIS and NAHB through 2030. 

Darcy talked about the impact KBIS  has had on the kitchen and bath industry. “This year, we are celebrating the 60th anniversary of KBIS. That’s six decades of a kitchen and bath show that only keeps getting bigger and more successful since the first show debuted in 1964 in Philadelphia where we had 24 exhibitors and 250 attendees,” said Darcy. “I’d say we’ve come a long way, considering we now have nearly 700 exhibitors that span almost 500,000 square feet of exhibit hall space.”

Key takeaways from his speech about the health of the kitchen and bath industry included: 

Darcy set the tone of SOA, stating, “Despite a tough 2023 with inflation, shaky consumer sentiment and an uncertain economy, our association had one of its most successful years. I’m happy to report that NKBA’s financials are the strongest that they have ever been, giving us the ability to weather any challenges in the coming years and maintain a strong balance sheet. And I’m proud to note  we have no debt and our financial reserves balance of $36 million dollars will enable us to fund the association’s operating expenditures for over two years without securing revenue.”

Forecasting 2024 kitchen and bath spend to be $173 billion, a modest year-over-year decline of three percent yet still above pre-pandemic levels, suggesting that the industry is fundamentally strong.

• Noting that the number of existing homes for sale is beginning to increase in anticipation of the 2024 buying season, spurring interest by both buyers and sellers to remodel.
• Pointing out that homeowners are still sitting on record levels of home equity that they can tap into once rates stabilize
• Indicating that deferred remodeling projects will fuel demand in the coming years and that the number of homes in prime remodeling years will grow by 2.2 million by 2027, reaching a total of 24 million homes.

Key takeaways from his speech also included the following highlights about the association. 

• Pointing out segments of NKBA | KBIS that saw growth in 2023: 
  • Membership dues revenue increased 9 percent  
  • Member retention remained high at 92 percent
  • New membership revenue growth was nearly 50 percent, with much of that coming from our new online sign up at NKBA.org 
  • Total KBIS revenue grew an additional 26 percent
• Noting that the association continued to achieve its annual goal of investing at least 70 percent of expenses in member programs, averaging above  that for the last 10 years
• Indicating the continued growth in international awareness of NKBA | KBIS has resulted in the expansion of the NKBA | KBIS Global Connect program, with an impressive 100  percent increase in members in 2023
• Showcasing the over 50 in-person across the country as well as the myriad virtual events in 2023, including the Sustainability Summit, Outdoor Kitchen Summit, and Bath Trends Summit

Lastly, he noted several new initiatives for NKBA | KBIS, including:

• The new partnership with Material Bank, which allows members to use their Member IDs to gain easy access to the powerful search and sampling platform  
• The  first-ever NKBA | KBIS Design Council, which features four well known designers and influencers who will help boost awareness of the association in the architectural and design community. 

“Despite a tough 2023 with inflation, shaky consumer sentiment and an uncertain economy, our association had one of its most successful years,” Darcy added. “I’m happy to report that NKBA’s financials are the strongest that they have ever been, giving us the ability to weather any challenges in the coming years and maintain a strong balance sheet.”