The National Kitchen and Bath Association had a monumental year in 2022. It kicked off with the first in-person Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS) event since 2020. And in October, NKBA moved from Hackettstown, New Jersey, to its new headquarters in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania — a move initiated with a bike ride from the old location to the new.

The momentum won't stop this year. 2023 marks the 60th anniversary of the association and the 10th year since KBIS and the International Builders’ Show (IBS) joined forces to create what is now known as Design and Construction Week (DCW)’s NAHB Builders Show.

2022 also marked Bill Darcy’s 10th anniversary as the CEO of NKBA. Since his tenure began, NKBA has benefitted from his proactive, risk-taking nature as he ushered in a new governance structure, new sustainability initiatives, the co-location of KBIS/IBS and several other key NKBA programs.

According to Darcy, the key to launching these changes while increasing NKBA membership retention and revenue growth was “bringing a for-profit business mentality to a non-profit organization.”

Prior to joining NKBA in 2006, Darcy spent most of his career in motorsports holding responsibilities at the Roger Penske owned speedway and in corporate sponsorship for NASCAR. Although the two industries couldn’t be more different at face value, Darcy’s experience in a face-paced, for-profit structure was exactly what NKBA needed.

“I’m sure when I first joined there were questions about what a ‘car guy’ was going to do for the kitchen and bath industry,” he says. “But I believe business is business and if you put passion and energy behind hard work you can succeed at whatever you’re doing.”

Increasing the pace

In 2011, five years into his term at NKBA, Darcy was promoted to Executive Vice President. He would go on to become CEO in 2012.  

“I noticed there was quite a bit of opportunity that was unrealized within the association… so I first identified technology and for-profit mentality as two areas where we could improve,” Darcy notes, adding that focusing on these two initiatives led him to re-think how the association’s governance structure should operate.

“NKBA was functioning as many trade associations still do, with outdated governance structures that limit the ability for staff leadership to be nimble and quickly move the business forward,” he said, pointing out that NKBA’s board of directors had 29 seats. “Anytime you get past 12 people, it’s nearly impossible to make a decision.”

In order to see NKBA evolve in the way it needed to, Darcy knew he had to push for change. “I was by no means a governance expert, but I understood that a disruption was needed to get the energy back into NKBA and allow the visions I had for its growth to work.”  NKBA had several board members who supported this vision and led the charge: John Morgan (2013 Past-President), John Petrie (2014 Past-President, and Mark Kovich, the first to be the chairman in the new governance in 2016, as well as Lorenzo Marquez (2017-2018 chairman).

Heading into the eighth year with the new governance structure, which now includes a nine-member board, Darcy says the shift has been life-changing from an association standpoint. “I am able to be responsible for the things I am supposed to be responsible for, while the board has fiduciary power to oversee and ensure we stay in our lane.”

Darcy says that some of the most influential people in the kitchen and bath industry are on the NKBA board, making it an incredibly impressive group of strategic leaders. “I truly believe the package we have now of working hard and with an innovative vision, all supported by the executive leadership, is why we’ve seen so much success.”

Darcy takes tremendous pride in the NKBA team, which was built and maintained through all the changes.  “With this team and our ‘BeTheBest’ culture,” he says, “We’ve succeeded with over 90 percent retention of our membership that’s growing each year, along with continued growth in revenue.”

No fear of failure

Something else Darcy has brought to NKBA is a love of change and disruption.

“I love change and disruption and very much accept failure,” he says. “I’ve tried to instill in our culture not to be afraid to fail or make mistakes. The only way we are going to get better is by trying something new and taking risks.”

One example of Darcy’s lack of fear to  was when he hired Suzie Williford, now NKBA’s chief strategy officer and executive vice president of industry relations. Williford was a kitchen and bath industry veteran with decades of experience running showrooms. She was also a volunteer member of the NKBA board, which meant hiring her could ruffle some feathers in the sometimes-political association world.

“I was actually just seeking out Suzie’s experience and expertise for advice about NKBA’s governance, but it turned out that she wanted to be a part of what I was doing,” Darcy says, adding that it made perfect sense to hire Williford due to the respect and influence she had in the industry.  “At the time, I told people this would either be the best thing I ever do or the worst, but I’m going to take the risk because it feels like the right thing to do. And it was. Suzie has been an integral part of NKBA’s evolving success over the past several years.”

Moving locations

What better way to celebrate a big anniversary than to move into a new space? In the fall of this year, NKBA moved from its longtime home in Hackettstown, New Jersey, to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

“When we thought about how quickly our world has changed in the last two years, the shift to a work-from-home mentality, the rapid embrace of everything digital and the emphasis on flexible space, I have to say a light bulb went off,” Darcy says. “We looked at our building and recognized that we didn’t need that type of space anymore. I discovered along the way that we needed to change how and where we operated to fit the new paradigm.”

After seeing the changes in NKBA’s operations since the digitization of the world through COVID-19, Darcy decided to sell the association’s old building and move. At the first in-person staff meeting since COVID-19, Darcy proposed the idea to his team. To his surprise, everyone was on board with no hesitation, including NKBA’s then Board Chair, Michael Mahan.

The new location is part of an 11-floor building with other tenants and surrounded by colleges, great restaurants and hotels. The office space, which takes up the entire third floor, has a modern industrial design.

“I wanted to provide a place that people wanted to be in and felt inspired and energized while they are here,” Darcy says, adding that the goal is to host people not only in the building but also in the surrounding city of Bethlehem. Hotel Bethlehem was recently named the Number One Historical Hotel in America by USA Today and Downtown Bethlehem made the top 10 list of best downtowns from USA Today.

“After COVID we needed inspiration and action,” Darcy says. “I want to be in a place that inspires people to connect and spend time both inside and outside of the office in the community.”

KBIS 2023 returns to Las Vegas

Ten years after Darcy and his team succeeded in the hefty undertaking of co-locating  KBIS and IBS, the enormous design industry trade show returns to Las Vegas January 31-February 2, 2023.  This year, however, DCW is expanding to include the Las Vegas Winter Market (LVMKT) and the National Hardware Show (NHS). The co-dated shows enable one registration to get an attendee access to all four industry trade shows.

In 2022, KBIS and IBS in Orlando, Florida, had about 72,000 attendees — a number that stunned them since, as Darcy says, they weren’t sure what to expect since the world was on the heels of dealing with the Omicron variant of COVID-19. Although the numbers were fantastic, attendance was still down compared with pre-pandemic years.

The goal for 2023, Darcy notes, is to be back to pre-COVID numbers. “We’re back, and ready for 2023 to be our biggest event yet.” No doubt, this will also be due to the return in 2023 of popular KBIS programs such as NKBA Voices of the Industry, the KBIS NEXT Stage and NKBA Global Connect.

Inflation and a slight slowdown in demand may affect the kitchen and bath industry in 2023, but NKBA still represents the two most vital rooms in the home. “We are essential and the focus on the home is not going anywhere,” Darcy says. “I anticipate the energy and passion to be evident at KBIS 2023 and we are ready for a record-setting show.”

Many of the bath and kitchen manufacturers exhibiting at this year’s show are looking forward to the event.

“KBIS brings together a network of designers, contractors and professionals, serving as a meaningful way for us to form and maintain connections,” says Jason Keller, marketing manager, kitchen and bath, for Kohler. “Each year we look forward to showcasing our latest products. This year is particularly special as we’ll be celebrating Kohler’s 150th anniversary and will pay homage to our past and look to our continued innovations in the kitchen and bath industry. We don’t take this milestone for granted and pay homage to the trade professionals who helped make this landmark possible.”

Keller adds that Kohler is seeing an increased interest in moody tones, such as the continued popularity of black faucets and darker-toned fixtures in kitchen and bath spaces. Kohler will be hosting panels and events in its booth where tastemakers and industry experts will discuss industry trends and design.

KBIS offers a unique opportunity for attendees to experience new products and innovations firsthand through working demonstrations and the ability to connect with manufacturer teams directly, notes Kevin Campbell, president of Moen.

“Our goal is to have attendees come to our booth and leave feeling energized and inspired by what’s to come in 2023,” he says. “In addition to new styles and innovation to improve how our customers enjoy their kitchens and bathrooms, we’ll have a focus on smart water innovation and solutions that can help homeowners achieve even more customized experiences, and enhanced security and efficiency. Moen is making water work smarter for homeowners by allowing them to specify their smart water ecosystem with the products, features and benefits that matter to them most. This year, we’ll be taking the Moen Smart Water Network even further and we can’t wait to announce what we’ve been working on.”

Campbell adds that Moen will also be sponsoring a BrandTalk in the DMM Talks Lounge at KBIS, featuring insights from Moen Principal Industrial Designer Jessica Birchfield, focused on how firsthand trendspotting and research informs the design of Moen products, including the style inspiration for their latest kitchen faucets. The talk will take place on Feb. 1, at 3 p.m. Additionally, Danielle DeBoe Harper, Moen’s senior creative style manager, also will be participating in a panel focused on “The Rise of Multi-Generational Living” at 4 p.m. on Wednesday in the DMM Talks Lounge as part of the Happy Hour Trend Talks series.

“It should be a perfect opportunity to share insights from our team with show attendees,” Campbell says.

Barbara Kratus Stark, sales and marketing director for Infinity Drain, agrees that KBIS is an important audience for bath and kitchen manufacturers to connect with — from trades to specifiers, showrooms, builders and more.

“We feel like trade shows are back post-COVID!” Stark says. “We really look forward to getting input from the design and trade community about our latest products as well as to learn more about their ongoing challenges, projects, etc. The conversations, ideas, projects, networking all contribute to our business and to their businesses ongoing.

“Infinity Drain continues to support the trades with advances in the engineering that goes ‘under the floor,’” she adds. “We are constantly looking for ways to make it easier for installers to spec the drain from our next day custom program that makes wall-to-wall-flush-against-the-wall(R) possible to universal parts that support multiple waterproofing methods from traditional to modern.”

For more information on the KBIS 2023 line up, visit www.kbis.com.