What KBIS 2025 Taught Us About the State of Trade Shows

Recently, a dozen of my colleagues and I attended the 2025 Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS) in Las Vegas on behalf of several of our clients. One thing was obvious. The show was packed.

Which got me thinking. Are trade shows making a resurgence in a more virtual, post-pandemic world? And if so, what’s behind it?

For as long as trade shows have been around, people have been asking the same question: Are they worth it? Given the expense, travel and months of planning, is the ROI there?

It’s a highly specific question, and the answer certainly varies by company. But overall, trade show attendance numbers indicate companies are diving back into these full-immersion, in-person events faster than anticipated.

Just a few years ago, PwC forecasted it would take until at least 2027 before the US B2B trade show market would return to pre-pandemic levels. According to their latest forecast, the trade show market should reach that milestone this year.I can’t explain the resurgence. Maybe companies missed the human touch of these events. Maybe it was a reflexive move. Maybe in a world in which so much business, sales and communications are happening virtually, there’s a renewed appreciation for being face-to-face.

Some companies we work with report attending because everyone in their industry and many of the people they want to meet and forge deeper relationships with are there (customers, prospects, dealers, distributors, the media, even job applicants). These big events are unique in that there’s a concentration of so many aspects that influence a business compressed into one place at a time.

Companies also show up because trade shows are a great place to gather intelligence on the industry, on what competitors are doing, and on emerging trends that could have an impact on their business.

Regardless of the reasons, what I can say, after observing last week’s spectacle, is that trade shows are evolving.

Based on our clients’ work and what I saw with other companies at the show, exhibitors were more focused than they’ve been in years past. Booth designs were more streamlined and less sprawling.

The same could be said for events and panel discussions. There was less carnival barking and more in-person content focused on the needs of specific audiences.

A mix of live and virtual experiences is here to stay

Most companies are also leaning into a hybrid experience. The in-person and virtual realms are intersecting. Companies are using digital platforms for pre-event engagement and follow-ups, while maintaining a strong presence on the showroom floor. If you visited a booth this year, there’s a strong chance someone from the company you visited:

1.) Knew you’d be attending the show

2.) Probably had a good idea what you were interested in

3.) Noted your attendance, and

4.) Put you into their database

Moreso, they probably know a fair amount about the specific things in which you were interested.

Events and seminars were also tailored for people attending the show, and those not. For instance, with our client Moen, we held a number of events, including a media dinner, to give reporters a chance to talk more casually with executives and thought leaders about the brand and its newest offerings.

We also had two of the company’s designers participate in a popular design podcast, recorded live in a fishbowl booth at the show that will be aired following KBIS. These at-the-show and available virtual events have been growing in recent years and were especially popular this year.

The economy was the elephant in the room

The housing market is tough right now. Interest rates are still relatively high – at least compared to recent years. The number of houses available is at a near-term low. Which means prices around the country are pushing upward. Add to that a high level of economic and geopolitical uncertainty, and inflation ticking up again, and you have an unfavorable climate for anyone who’s in the market to purchase a home or trying to find the budget to fix up their existing home.

I heard a group of contractors talking outside the booth of a cabinet manufacturer about the increasing cost of supplies and how that was having an impact on demand and how they scoped projects. There was also a well-attended seminar on how to better market your company in these times of economic uncertainty. Clearly, the industry is a bit bearish on the outlook for the next year. And that was before the latest round of tariffs went into effect. If prices edge higher and supplies become more scarce, the industry could be in for a severe shock.

But here’s the paradox

When times become challenging, the need for high-impact marketing becomes even greater. Which may be why this year’s KBIS was so well attended. Trade shows offer a concentrated opportunity to generate leads, secure deals and stay top-of-mind with customers. Rather than being an expendable luxury, trade shows can be, for many companies, an essential tool for maintaining momentum in a challenging market.

Pull back or double down?

As soon as a trade show is over, companies often start planning for the next year’s event. Which means the decision about whether to attend next year’s show, or how much to invest in it, happens before you can fully understand the impact of the show you’ve just attended. But you still have a decision to make.

So how do you make it? How do you assess, even before all the results are in, what to do about next year’s show?

There’s no magic formula. Each business, industry and trade show is unique to the company thinking about whether to attend or how much to invest. But there are some general guidelines you can follow to make an informed decision.

5 reasons trade shows may be a good investment for your company

1.) The quality of the show

Is the trade show well attended? Does it attract a large enough audience to be meaningful? Also, what’s the quality of that audience? Are the people who attend casual onlookers, or are they the influencers and decision-makers? If it’s more of the latter, it may be a worthwhile show.

Also, what kind of support does the show provide besides providing a space on the exhibit floor? Does it help you with promotion in any way? Provide lists that are beneficial? Include your company in their promotional materials? Offer packages that expand your reach? In other words, how hard is the show working on your organization’s behalf to provide opportunities before, during and after the show?

2.) Your past experience with the show

Be honest with yourself. How does a show that you’ve perhaps been attending for years stack up in terms of ROI against other marketing efforts you conduct throughout the year? Does the show provide something your other marketing efforts don’t? Or would the money you spend on the tradeshow deliver better results if it were funneled into a higher performing marketing channel (digital, email, content, thought leadership, etc.)? If you’re not already assessing trade shows with these kinds of comparative metrics, you should be.

3.) You need to make a big splash

Done well, having a presence at a trade show can provide a company that’s entering a new market or trying to introduce itself to potential customers with an opportunity to gain awareness and accentuate its differentiation in a crowded industry.

4.) Face-to-face selling and product demos are critical to your business

If you’re in a business that relies heavily on person-to-person sales, and the show is well attended by the very people you want more face time with, attending the show might be a good idea – especially if you create opportunities beyond booth visits to spend more quality time with the people with whom you’re looking to forge personal relationships.

5.) You have the budget and follow-up systems in place

Trade shows are a major expense. So, if you’re going to attend and you don’t have a plan beyond entertaining people who happen to wander into your booth, don’t bother. You’ll want to make sure, at a minimum, you have an ample budget to cover the cost of the trade show without robbing other marketing efforts that may be providing a stronger ROI.

You’ll also want to ensure you have a plan to maximize your investment by tracking and nurturing the leads you should be cultivating before, during and after the show. Trade shows don’t live in isolation. They can provide long-lasting continuity in how you interact with potential customers.

4 reasons to skip trade shows

1.) The audience doesn’t match your target market

Are the people you want to reach  attending the show? Or might you just attract a lot of interest from those who don’t have the inclination or power to move your business ahead? If your main audience is contractors and builders, for instance, but most of the people attending a show you’re considering are homeowners, it might make sense to stay home.

2.) Your product or service sells better through digital channels

Is the type of product or service you sell easy to experience and buy in a digital format? Do customers really need to see you or your products and services in person to appreciate them? If not, you may be better off doubling down on digital channels that you can track with greater precision.

3.) The cost is high, and other marketing channels have a better track record

Even if you could extract some value from a trade show, would you extract more if you used your trade show budget elsewhere? Do trade shows present a law of diminishing return for your business?

4.) Your company doesn’t have the team or resources to execute follow-ups properly

If you can barely afford the exhibit space, staff the booth appropriately, prep for the show and conduct the necessary follow-up, maybe it’s not the right vehicle for you.

Final thought

Deciding whether to attend trade shows, which ones to attend, and how much to invest in them is an art form unto itself. Add to it that no two years are the same, and it can make the decision even more difficult. If this year is any indication, trade shows are gaining in popularity. But the pandemic has also altered how trade shows operate. If you’re struggling, or if you’ve got the formula locked in, we’d love to hear from you.