KBIS Early Report

As your loyal self-appointed representatives to the world of major appliances, guardians of truth** and defender of the chivalrous code of appliance righteousness, we are pleased to report that we have visited each and every one of the nearly 100 appliance booths at the 2005 Kitchen and Bath Show.  We were in the realm of the "whelmed", neither over nor under.  
As we await the delivery of our Box O' Press Kits, here are our early observations:

• Induction Cooking is back with product launches by Wolf, Viking, Kenmore, Kenyon, Gaggenau, joining last year's entries Diva De Provence, Wind Crest, and Kuppersbusch.  Lemmings have much to learn from the Appliance industry.
• Technical Brilliance from a PR department?:  The Maytag press kit was provided to reporters on a flash memory stick.  Could this be the first "Best of Show" for press kit storage technology?  We were actually a little emotional.  We would have hugged her, but we're a little foggy on Magtag's policy on the matter.
• Press Perks:  Speaking for press everywhere, attempts to skew our reporting is embarrassingly weak.  Dacor is once again well ahead of the pack with the gift of a high quality frying pan to each reporter.  Honorable mention goes to Whirlpool with Dove Bars in the press room.  Viking held an intimate cocktail party at the Bellagio for what looked like 1200 of their closest friends.
• Comedian Howie Mandel and crew shot a segment for the Tonight Show to broadcast the week of May 16.
• Martial Law Declared:  The "no photography" rule was most rigidly enforced by Miele, Whirlpool, Viking, and Electrolux (who kept uniformed guards on hand).  Only Viking included the press in these restrictions. 
• We received several reports of a roving band of 10 to 12 Korean engineers, snooping on competitors en masse, being ejected from booths only to sneak back in for continued snooping.  Samsung complained that they had been struck as well.  As there were no North Korean exhibitors we are unsure of their identity.
• Triple Secret Probation:  Many exhibitors were surprised and not in a good way when they discovered, after spending thousands of $$ to attend, that their booths were in small meeting rooms in the 9000 block, disconnected from the 2 main halls, and to visit required attendees to exit a main hall through doors marked "Emergency Exit Only".  Here's how you missed them:
  • Down this hall behind the "Toto" toilet booth
  • Through this door marked "Emergency Exit Only"
  • Across this Lobby 
  • Down this hall
  • Into this or several other small rooms
  • A "Seppuku" booth, not shown, was set up in Booth 9201 on day 3, and we understand traffic was brisk.

We are curious if any non-Seppuku Exhibitors will ask for a rebate.

New Brands Showing:

• Antonio Miguel:  with a most excellent ornate metal decoration and forming technology for hoods
• Ariston:  Large full line Italian brand enters market.
• Delaubrac:  Commercial-type French ranges for the home
• DeLonghi:  Italy made pro-like ranges with a famous name and a low price
• Evo:  Griddle-style outside grilling with a Sputnik-like design lost in the 9000 block of the show 
• Fagor:  Large Spanish cooking appliance maker joins the party
• Fulgor:  Large Italian cooking appliance maker, likely to join ALMO distribution.
• Foster:  High-end Italian pro-styled cooking and creative design lost in the 9000 block of the show.
• Grand Hall:  Pro style ranges and cooktops from Asia aiming higher than NexRange.
• Grimm:  Forced outside air heatless clothes drying.
• Meneghetti:  Elan's supplier hoping to supply others
• Metal Guild / Handcrafted Metal:  Hoods made of Copper
• MLD:  Faux masonry custom hoods
• Pando:  Spanish hoods
• San Yang Pai:  Taiwanese hoods
• Simeco:  Turkish cooktops
• Stone Age Design:  I have no recollection of what this is.
• Swift:  Canadian cooktops and hoods lost in the 9000 block of the show.
• TMIO:  Internet and phone activated built-in ovens from a well funded or free spending start-up.
• Twin Eagles:  BBQ maker finally comes to KBIS
• Yongkang Puneng:  Chinese hood maker
• Zhongshan Vantage:  Chinese hood maker

**Excluding those unfortunate instances, some which are now industry lore, when we have inadvertently mangled the truth.