KBIS 2021 Shelves Online Exhibit Hall
HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. – Organizers of the Kitchen and Bath industry Show (KBIS) pulled the plug on this year’s online trade-show floor – at least for now.
A representative from KBIS show producer Emerald cited “unresolvable technical difficulties” in announcing the postponement of exhibits during the virtual industry event running through tomorrow.
“After a deep dive into the exact sequence of events and consequences that occurred, we have learned that these are unresolvable technical difficulties,” stated Brian Pagel, Emerald executive vice president, in a statement. “The servers that house the platform are down, requiring that we make the difficult decision to close access to the exhibitor booths.”
The statement from the event’s owner, the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA), stated that “the situation evolved rapidly, and rectifying the challenges at-hand proved more complex than anticipated.”
The virtual exhibit hall for the International Builders Show (IBS), held concurrently with KBIS and also produced by Emerald, won’t be open, either.
Other activities at KBIS, including educational sessions and other programming, were unaffected and will continue through Friday.
“It is important to the NKBA to provide timely, relevant content on topics of vital industry interest for our attendees,” said Suzie Williford, NKBA executive vice president and chief strategy officer. “The NKBA Voices From the Industry conference and Design + Industry Awards event, as well as the KBIS NeXT Stage and Pavilions programming, will continue as scheduled, but will move to NKBA.org. Updated communication with event reminders and links will be sent to all attendees.”
KBIS and IBS planned their 2021 joint meet – called Design and Construction Week – as an in-person event in Orlando slated for Feb. 9-12. Last October, the event moved online as KBIS Virtual and IBSx.
The statement announcing the exhibit-hall closures noted that NKBA and KBIS are “investigating alternative solutions that may allow the exhibitor experience and booth activations to be relaunched.” No timeline was announced for any future plans.
“Looking forward, we remain committed to exhaust all efforts to ensure a successful future experience,” noted Emerald’s Pagel. “We understand the gravity of the situation for our exhibitors and attendees, as the KBIS platform is critical to accelerate their business for the year.”
“The kitchen and bath and design and construction industries are healthy and vibrant, despite all the challenges of 2020/2021,” WIlliford added. “Businesses are still strong and we look forward to celebrating together in Orlando, Fla., in February 2022.”
KBIS 2022 is set for Feb. 8-10 next year at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando.
