YORK, PA  — From February 27-29th, designers from all across the globe will head to the Las Vegas Convention Center for the 60th year of the NKBA Kitchen and Bath Industry Show. However, Designhounds will have an exclusive event to kick off the show on February 26th- The Designhounds Changemakers Conference. 

Taking place in the Chambertin Meeting Space, the concept of the event was created by Designhounds Founder, Veronika Miller, whose aim is to reconnect the Designhounds community to their “why.” Inspired by today’s challenges in the transactional industry and the influence of growing technology, the focus will be the importance of human-centric design.

From 9:00am until 4:00pm, the conference will feature several introspective activities and present special guests, such as the founder of The Bertrand Williams School of Design Visualization, Shannin Williams. Included will be breakfast and mimosas, a sketching workshop, soapbox talks, a creative design challenge and lunch. Also included will be roundtable discussions from the event sponsors: Westlake, Mr. Steam, Grohe, and SKS.

About the Sponsors:

Westlake
Westlake is a manufacturer and global supplier of chemicals, polymers and building products. Weslake blends chemical capabilities with building products. From polyethylene that is used daily in food packaging like bread bags, cheese wrapping and milk cartons, to PVC pipe which is used to deliver clean drinking water or to irrigate fields, Westlake products make a difference in the world. Employing approximately 16,000 people, Westlake operates from locations in North America, Europe and Asia.
 

Mr. Steam
MrSteam is not just about the products it offers; it is about a mission they want to share with people around the world. With over 100 years of making steam shower products, MrSteam lives by, “we feel good when you feel good.”
 

Grohe
GROHE is a global brand for complete bathroom solutions and kitchen fittings. Since 2014, GROHE has been part of the portfolio of LIXIL, a manufacturer of water and housing products. The brand contributes to LIXIL’s Impact Strategy with a resource-saving value chain: from CO2-neutral production, the removal of unnecessary plastic in the product packaging, all the way to water- and energy-saving product technologies such as GROHE Everstream, a water-recirculating shower.
 

Signature Kitchen Suite (SKS)
Signature Kitchen Suite embraces a new generation of forward-thinking cooks, combining their passion for food with their appreciation of innovation. They are called Technicureans. Kept “True to Food” with their appliances, SKS features technology that provides more flexibility to prepare food.

“KBIS is always an inspiring show that we are so excited to be a part of. However, I wanted to create a space for our Designhounds specifically, to go into the show really connected to themselves and why they entered the design world in the first place,” Veronika Miller, CEO of Designhounds and NKBA Global Connect Consultant, says in a press release. “The growth of our industry is dependent on design pros leading the way through innovative projects and visionary design, and perhaps even considering the move away from a transactional to a purpose-driven project approach. When design and creative vision lead the way they establish the value of the designer – clients, profits and growth opportunities will follow this value.”