KBIS/IBS 2020 recap.

Phire Group attended the 2020 Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) and the NAHB International Builders’ Show (IBS) in Las Vegas, Nevada. Respectively, these events make up the largest kitchen & bath and builders’ trade events in the world.

The shows provide a great opportunity to stay on top of industry trends and to see what cool new products are coming next. Most importantly, we get to reconnect with our various clients, colleagues, and friends in the home products category.

Themes:

Tech fatigue?

During the past several years it seemed every company was touting technology and the “connected home.” From smart locks to the integration of Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, etc.

Based on years past, it was striking to see how few companies carried this message forward. Could it be that it’s simply old news, or is this tied to broader societal fatigue with technology and suspicion of the motives of Google, Apple, etc? Our feeling is that it’s a bit of both. Beyond this, we witnessed less usage of iPads and interactive web features within the booths. This may be tied to the theme of simplification, expanded on below.

Elevation of in-house designers.

Several companies showcased the talent of their in-house designers. Following is an example from Delta.

Less reliance on celebrities/paid influencers.

Conversely, there were almost no celebrities/paid influencers present within the booths, as some brands opted to build up their internal thought leaders instead.

 

Simplification.

Large, succinct messaging. Bold and provocative language. Many brands seem to apply the logic from billboards in creating their booths. Perhaps an acknowledgment that attention is hard to come by, and nearly all attendees are distracted.

Continued use of the color black (and gold) to convey luxury.

Continuing a theme from 2019, many luxury brands use large swaths of the color black and gold accents to convey a high-end, luxury feel.

 

High fashion.

Related to the colors black and gold, high fashion was leveraged to exude a sense of exclusivity.

 

We’re excited to apply these themes to our clients in the home good industry in 2020 and beyond.