KBIS Moves from Real to Virtual for 2021

WASHINGTON – The Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS) – along with 60,000+ attendees — won’t be heading to Orlando next February.

Citing health/safety concerns and ongoing international travel complications, KBIS and its companion event, the International Builders Show (IBS), announced the conversion from an in-person trade show to an online event.

“This difficult decision comes following months of lengthy conversations with the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and (show producer) Emerald,” said Bill Darcy, CEO of the National Kitchen and Bath Association. “The safety and well-being of our attendees, partners, exhibitors, site workers and staff has always been our top priority. As we now cross the 16-weeks-out mark, it was time to transition to 100% focus on a virtual event.”

What comes next is still a work-in-progress from the NKBA, the NAHB and San Juan Capistrano, Calif.-based Emerald. Details on the online event’s schedule of exhibition and education are yet to be announced, although details are tentatively scheduled to be posted on KBIS and IBS websites this week.

The status of attendees and exhibitors – and their paid-in fees — is clear, however.

For attendees, the transition is simple. Current KBIS registrants will automatically have their registration transferred to the virtual event with the same access they had for the in-person event.

KBIS will process a refund for the difference between the applicable in-person registration fee and the virtual registration fee (which still isn’t determined). Refunds of the difference in-person/online fees will be issued within 60 days to the card that was originally used to pay for your registration.

If you would like to cancel your registration, you’ll need to hurry. KBIS will need a written request sent to kbis@experient-inc.com by Nov. 7 and a refund will be issued to the card that was originally used to pay for your registration within 60 days of receipt of your request. After Nov. 7, refund requests will not be honored.

Exhibitors also need to hustle to get a full refund of payment. They’ll also need to submit a written request by Nov. 7 – this time, to Emerald Exhibitions – or the money will be rolled over to pay for space at the next in-person KBIS.

Exhibitors can stay in the game for the 2021 virtual event and use money already paid in for the now-cancelled physical show. Or, they can opt to get a credit against costs for the next in-person KBIS.

Right now, the next full, walk-the-aisles KBIS is set for Feb. 8-10, 2022, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando.

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