Business leaders from brands, associations and organizations involved in the kitchen and bath industry from the UK and Europe are invited to join the North American National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) for its inaugural Global Connect Business Summit.
TICKETS: $199/person
includes conference, continental breakfast, lunch and dinner
Reserve Your Seat for the NKBA Global Connect Business Summit
EVENT PROGRAM
Continental Breakfast
Welcome & Opening Remarks
Suzie Williford, Executive Vice President, Industry Relations, & CSO
National Kitchen & Bath Association.
Dawn of a Decade — New Business in a New World
Veronika Miller-Eagleson, CEO, Modenus Media and M2 Consulting
Taking a step back to look at business-as-usual versus business-from-here-on-out with a gentle poke at current political tightrope acts and the many stereotypes we’ve all come to know and abhor on both sides of the pond. In the end, it will be collaboration and mutual understanding that pave the way and a desire for long term, global business relationships that seal the deals.
NKBA Market Outlook
Bill Darcy, CEO, National Kitchen & Bath Association
A deep dive into the U.S. construction market, breaking down new construction and residential remodeling segments — with a focus on the kitchen and bath. Data will show the strength of the residential remodeling market vis à vis new construction. Includes a look at the latest Kitchen & Bath Market Index (KBMI) and how the NKBA is using it to track (quarterly) shifts.
North American Demographic & Geographic Realities
Steve Basten , Senior Manager, John Burns Real Estate Consulting
America is a big place! Its various regions, overlaid by regional demography data, paint a different picture than a homogenous look at the entire country. This presentation demonstrates the differences among various geographies, their demographic make-ups and what that can mean to product design, distribution strategies and pricing programs.
Lunch
North American Lifestyle, Lifestage and Design Trends
Kerrie Kelly, Principal, Kerrie Kelly Design Lab
NKBA design professional, HGTV personality and product developer Kerrie Kelly will share insights on design trends and terms gleaned from the NKBA Design Trends survey, as well as other sources. These insights will help product designers and developers better understand how macro and micro lifestyle and lifestage influences impact product consumption in North America.
Tackling the North American Market
Panel discussion moderated by Veronika Miller-Eagleson, CEO, Modenus Media/M2 Connect
Panelists:
Karen Holden, International Trade Advisor, Department of International Trade
Lee Mercer, EVP of Industry Relations and Business Development, IAPMO Group
Trading internationally sounds like an easy opportunity in a globally networked world, and yet, it’s not. Building codes, regulations and logistics often vary from country to country and government support programs can be complex and difficult to navigate. This panel discussion offers insights into regulation processes and available government programs and is designed to ignite a dialog beyond the limits of this summit.
North American ‘Go-To’ Market — Understanding the Options
Question & Answer discussion hosted by Suzie Williford, National Kitchen & Bath Association
Participant:
Greg Rohl, Former Owner and VP of Sales & Marketing, ROHL LLC
Many come to the American market thinking there is only one way to sell direct to the consumer. This panel will introduce and share a number of options to leverage the vast realities of the distribution and service needs of the marketplace. Participants will discuss pros and cons of utilizing a master distributor, independent sales representatives, multilocation showrooms, direct-to-consumer showrooms and more.
17:30 – 20:30
Drinks & Dinner
PRESENTERS
BILL DARCY
Darcy joined NKBA in 2006 and quickly rose to become CEO. In 2014, he orchestrated a collaboration with the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), thus creating Design & Construction Week (DCW) — the co-located show that joined KBIS and NAHB’s International Builders’ Show. DCW is now one of the world’s largest, most comprehensive trade events, garnering more than 95,000 attendees annually.
Darcy has pioneered several cross-industry initiatives. To stem the severe skilled-labor shortage, he created NKBA’s NextUp program to build awareness and interest in kitchen and bath-related skilled trades. To that end, Darcy also sits on the Operating Committee of the Skilled Labor Fund. He established NKBA’s Thirty Under 30 program identifying future leaders; with the support of the NKBA Board, invested significantly in market research, including the NKBA/John Burns Kitchen & Bath Market Index to gauge industry health; launched a global outreach program; regularly appears on national business news TV and other media, and led the digital transformation of a mobile-first website, positioning NKBA as the industry’s international authority.
SUZIE WILLIFORD
EVP of Industry Relations & CSO, National Kitchen & Bath Association
She has diverse knowledge of all kitchen & bath product categories, as well as the industry’s distribution and supply chain. Her comprehensive knowledge of the association model and governance stems from 10 years of service on the NKBA Board of Directors, including her role as 2009 NKBA President.
Since joining the NKBA in 2012, she oversees the Marketplace (which includes the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show, KBIS, founding partner of Design & Construction Week), Governance and Leadership Communications sectors, where she plays a key role in volunteer communications and relations. She is also responsible for establishing domestic and international industry relationships in order expand the reach of NKBA as a brand in North America and abroad.
STEVE BASTEN
Senior Manager, Building Products, John Burns Real Estate Consulting
Before joining John Burns Real Estate Consulting, Steve worked for Kohler Co. as a product manager, responsible for new product development priorities and scheduling in the North American Faucets Business and, before that, on Kohler’s Corporate Development team as a Mergers & Acquisitions analyst where he was responsible for valuation analysis, deal-flow management, and competitive benchmarking for all of Kohler’s business units.
He has an in depth understanding of the residential construction industry from demand forecasting to design trends and is very passionate about new product development, technology, and market research.
KERRIE KELLY
Principal, Kerrie Kelly Design Lab
Kerrie is a Fellow, Board Member and Foundation Trustee of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID); Houzz Pro Advisory Board Member; and Member of National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA). She is also an avid representative, speaker and on-air talent for Outdoor Living and Livable Design initiatives. Kerrie has authored two books: Home Decor: A Sunset Design Guide with Sunset Books and My Interior Design Kit, with Pearson Professional and Career Education.
VERONIKA MILLER-EAGLESON
CEO, Modenus Media; Brand Consultants CEO, M2 Connect
One of the challenges in her successful design career was the lack of modern, euro-style cabinetry in the US, so she developed a series of sales/marketing collaborations with German manufacturers and added an import component to her thriving design firm.
Shortly after the launch of the new import company, the market crash put an end to new business development, and Veronika downsized to focus on existing clients and used “downtime” to rethink design marketing for a looming digital marketplace. The result of a year of development combined with her in depth knowledge of the design industry from a manufacturing, distribution, design and marketing perspective were Modenus.com, a sourcing platform, and Designhounds, a design influencer network, as well as M2 Connect, a brand consultancy that allows Veronika to gather goal-specific teams of consultants that work directly with brands on marketing, product development and designer/influencer outreach programs.
Veronika herself is a trusted partner to many agencies, manufacturers and trade shows who are looking for real results in terms of brand recognition, engagement and loyalty with leading influencers and specifiers, and for creative ideas and campaigns that help their brands rise above the fray.
GREG ROHL
Former Owner and VP of Sales & Marketing, ROHL LLC.
Prior to joining ROHL LLC, Mr. Rohl was an editor and production assistant at Kasmar Publications, a publisher of both trade and consumer magazines covering kitchen and bath.
KAREN HOLDEN
International Trade Advisor, Department for International Trade
Karen has worked for The Department for International Trade (formerly UKTI) for nearly 20 years assisting businesses in the North West to trade internationally.
With a keen interest in all sectors and especially the Creative Industries, Karen has helped companies gain funding and support to help them make the most of DITs trade missions and major international events.
DIT in conjunction with its delivery partners has support networks and programmes that help companies in all sectors to realise their potential overseas.
Through a range of unique services, including participation at selected industry events, outward missions and providing bespoke market intelligence, DIT can help you crack foreign markets and get to grips quickly with overseas regulations and business practice.
Whether you’re a seasoned exporter or just beginning to expand overseas, talking to DIT is one of the best moves your company can make.
LEE MERCER
EVP of Industry Relations and Business Development, IAPMO Group
Mercer has over 36 years of comprehensive experience in the plumbing product industry with increasing responsibility in product design, research and development, health, safety and product compliance. He possesses a working knowledge of a wide spectrum of manufacturing processes and testing requirements utilized in the manufacture of plumbing and filtration products. He also has a thorough knowledge of federal, state and local plumbing product installation requirements in the United States and Canada and has worked closely with Industry and various Government agencies throughout the development and implementation of both state and federal regulatory initiatives relating to water conservation and lead in drinking water. Prior to joining IAPMO, Mr. Mercer was the Director of Product Compliance with Moen Incorporated, where he finished with 30 years of service.
Mr. Mercer is a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) A112 Standards Committee on Plumbing Materials and Equipment and has also served on numerous plumbing product performance standard committees and task groups with ASME, the American Society of Sanitary Engineers (ASSE), CSA International, NSF International and IAPMO.
Mr. Mercer is a Past President and member of the board of directors for the Plumbing Manufacturers International and had served as chair of the Universal Conformity Assessment and Government Affairs Committees.