May 15, 2018

NKBA’s highly successful Voices from the Industry Conference is seeking kitchen and bath industry experts to share their knowledge and experiences at the next Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS), to be held Feb. 19-21 in Las Vegas.

For the first time at KBIS 2019, NKBA will offer a special VFTI session directed specifically at students enrolled in training programs for careers in the kitchen and bath industry. This may be conducted as an interactive lab or presentation-style. NKBA is soliciting themes and instructors for this session, which should be introductory in nature, touching on areas of interest to aspiring professionals. The same deadlines apply as for the general VFTI sessions. Students will have access to this special course at no charge.

It’s a great opportunity to get your brand in front of the industry leaders of tomorrow!

The conference will again feature 80 sessions on industry-relevant topics. Presentation methods may vary, including:

• Case Studies: Delivering research conducted on specific situations of relevance to our industry, showing a relationship between two or more independent factors.
• Informational: Knowledge presented by an industry expert.
• Innovation/Trend: Breakthrough approaches and solutions within the kitchen and bath industry.
• Research: Any other form of study that leads to new findings in the field.
• Interactive Lab: Engage attendees with a hands-on learning experience. This concept, which made its debut at KBIS 2017, has been very popular among show attendees and received high ratings on evaluations. The main goal of the Interactive Labs is to engage attendees with a hands-on learning experience. For example, you might want your attendees to work with building materials, colors, samples, or something completely new and innovative. 

VFTI represents an opportunity to share your expertise on topics of interest to the industry, catering to a wide array of professionals, from designers, architects, craftspeople and remodelers to manufacturers, retailers, sales reps, educators and business executives. Being a VFTI speaker builds your industry credibility and provides invaluable exposure for you, your company and brand to an engaged audience, and it’s also a great way to give back to the industry at large.

Submissions will be accepted between March 17 and May 24, but you can reference the session requirements and submission guidelines below now. All applicants selected to present will be notified by June 18, 2018, and will be scheduled to speak at KBIS 2019, Feb. 19-21 in Las Vegas.

                     CONFERENCE POLICIES:

• Individuals submitting a proposal must be currently employed within the kitchen and bath industry, or a student pursuing education to further their career in the kitchen and bath industry.
• Individuals may submit a maximum of two proposals with different topics.
• Professional audio or video recording of sessions is not permitted.
• Voices from the Industry conference speakers will receive a complimentary VIP registration package which includes a show floor pass, VFTI Full Conference pass, entry to the Opening Keynote, a pass to the Design Competition Awards & Opening Party and a Bash ticket, all valued at over $400. You may have a co-presenter, however, only one complimentary pass package will be issued. The co-presenter must be listed on your submission form for their name to be listed as a speaker.
• Voices from the Industry conference speakers will not receive reimbursement for travel expenses or any additional compensation.
• Speakers are responsible for bringing their own laptops, flash drives, and handouts, as well as connection cords.
• Distribution of materials:
  • The speaker may not actively promote the sale of any such items during the presentation. NO SALE OF ACTUAL BOOKS, DVDS OR AUDIO TAPES SHALL BE PERMITTED BY SPEAKERS AT THE SITE.
  • Please be assured that you are most welcome to mention your name, bio, website, social handles, etc. As part of the presentation. Additionally, you are more than welcome to have literature (flyers, brochures, handouts, cards, etc.) in the back of the room for attendees to take.
  • Promoting brand specific products or the sale of products is prohibited.
    
    SELECTION CRITERIA

• The NKBA will evaluate all proposals on key elements including:
  • Content relevance
  • Practical applications
  • Delivery methods
  • Variety of speakers
• No more than two submissions will be selected from employees from the same company.
  
          CONTENT REQUIREMENTS

• Proposals will only be accepted through the online submission form.
• Please review the requirements carefully and refer to the Submission Planning Worksheet to assist you with your proposal.
  • All sessions must be for informational purposes only.
  • All submissions must fall under one of these topic areas:
    • Grow Your Business
    • Kitchen & Bath Specialty Training
    • Design
    • Management
    • Customer Service
  • All submission topics must include a title, description, presentation goals and delivery methods. NKBA reserves the right to edit the title and description for length and content.
  • Choose the target audience(s) from the provided list.
  • The presentation must total 60 minutes; please fit in time for Q & A.
  • A strong proposal will indicate how the attendee will be able to apply your presentation goals back on the job.
    
    CEU CREDIT
  • If your session is chosen, it will be automatically approved for 0.1 NKBA CEU credit. Approval applies to KBIS 2019 only. It cannot be transferred to another venue or presentation date.
  • You must make every effort to meet the NKBA standards for a CEU-worthy session; you must provide at least 3 topics and your session must total 60 minutes.
  • Please remember to allow for 10-15 minutes of Q & A time.
  • Discover the advantage of having 0.1 CEU credit assigned to your session.

Please email all questions and inquiries to VFTI@nkba.org.