Industry News

New book by the KickCharge® Creative president and leading authority on disruptive marketing for service businesses provides invaluable blueprint for driving growth with branding

Dan Antonelli, creative director and president of KickCharge® Creative and a pioneer in disruptive branding for the home service industry, shares critical insights that help small service business owners grow in his new best-selling book, “Branded Not Blanded: KickCharge™ Your Home Service Brand.”

Antonelli has created more than 2,000 brand designs in his career, establishing him as the leading authority on successful branding for service companies. “Branded Not Blanded,” available now for pre-order on the Amazon website, leverages his experience to offer business owners a blueprint for creating a killer home service brand.

“This book is the ultimate guide to creative branding that helps businesses stand out from the competition, attract the right clients and employees, and win the hearts and minds of their ideal customers,” Antonelli said. “Complacency and weak branding — or ‘blanding’ — hold back so many home service companies. But recognizing weak branding is an opportunity to change the direction of your company and improve your culture. There are many weak brands in the service industry, and it’s easy to leverage that for your own success. All you have to do is build a better brand.”

With real case studies and success stories as well as actionable insights for home service business owners, “Branded Not Blanded” is a valuable resource for small service business owners. Antonelli presents his comprehensive knowledge in accessible language and easily digestible chapters that readers can apply to their own business.

In the book, Antonelli guides readers through essential topics such as:

• Brand Basics: The basics of what branding means for home service companies, and how it’s relevant to their success.
• What Is Brand Disruption?: When it comes to branding, disruption means looking at what everyone else is doing and finding a way to be unique and different.
• Branding and the Home Consumer: Your branding needs to speak to skeptical consumers and make potential customers feel something positive about your company.
• Leveraging Your Brand to Win on the Streets: Your vehicles are perhaps the single most important part of your brand efforts — and one of the most cost-effective.
• Launching Your New Brand: Introducing your new brand to the world effectively requires careful planning and implementation.

“Many owners of home service businesses say they can’t afford to invest in branding, but the truth is they can’t afford not to,” Antonelli said. “Companies with effective brands spend less on marketing than complacent, bland brands. It takes less work to get people excited about a company with a compelling, brand story and a strong, memorable visual brand identity. With this book, business owners can learn what branding truly is, why it matters in our industry, and how they can successfully implement a dynamic brand strategy that will drive revenue, support a positive workplace culture and power growth.”

To pre-order Dan Antonelli’s “Branded Not Blanded,” visit  https://www.amazon.com/Branded-Not-Blanded-KickChargeTM-Service-ebook/dp/B0BBL1CCJ9.

For more information about KickCharge® Creative, visit  https://www.kickcharge.com.

Las Vegas, NV, January 31 – February 2, 2023 

The National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) today opened registration for the 2023 Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS). The annual event, owned by the NKBA and produced by Emerald Expositions, is the largest North American trade expo and networking opportunity for kitchen and bath industry professionals.

“KBIS 2022 staged one of the largest shows globally to serve the industry in the last two years. We are looking forward to building off the success from last year’s show,” said Suzie Williford, NKBA EVP & CSO. “The 2023 show will continue this momentum and be even bigger. KBIS is not only a place for friends and colleagues to catch up, but also a chance for new brands to come to the forefront and grow in the North American market.”

Design & Construction Week® Stronger Than Ever

Design & Construction Week (DCW) continues to be a must-attend event for anyone involved in the design and construction industries.

Founding partners NKBA and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) will continue their co-location of KBIS and NAHB’s International Builders’ Show® (IBS) in 2023. DCW 2023 not only marks the 10^th anniversary of the co-location of the KBIS and IBS shows, but the NKBA will be kicking off its 60^th Anniversary as well.

The two shows plan over 985,000 net square feet of exhibit space featuring over 1,300 exhibitors, and nearly 90,000 design and construction professionals are expected to attend.

In addition, the National Hardware Show (NHS) has agreed to show at the Las Vegas Convention Center during Design & Construction Week, giving KBIS, IBS and NHS attendees the opportunity to explore additional products and opportunities to grow their business.

KBIS – Bigger and Better!

The KBIS 2023 show will include over 420,000 net square feet of exhibits and feature more than 400- exhibitors, including industry-leading brands like Beko, Caesarsatone, Cambria, Cosentino, Delta Faucet, ELKAY, Electrolux, GE Appliances, House of Rohl, KOHLER, Miele, Moen, nobilia, Samsung, Signature Kitchen Suite, TOTO and Wilsonart.

Additionally, more than 60 new exhibitors such as TEMPUR+SEALY, SAIENS Inc. and INOXA S.R.L will showcase their latest product launches and innovations. More than 85 global brands from Germany, Italy, United Kingdom, Turkey, Spain, China, Mexico and Poland will also be present with unique products not typically found at the event.

“Las Vegas has always proved to be a great host city for KBIS with exceptional attendance turnout in past years, and we are excited to be back,” said Jason McGraw, CAE, CTS, Group Vice President, KBIS and CEDIA Expo, Emerald. “KBIS 2023 is slated to be one of the most impactful events for the industry, filled with the latest innovative products, key trends and educational programming.”

Show Highlights

The 2023 KBIS show will feature diverse programming designed to showcase the latest design trends and topics in kitchen and bath. The NKBA| KBIS Next Stage will feature the industry’s latest trends and insights by leading kitchen and bath experts in a series of engaging panel discussions. Stage favorites Design Bites, Best of KBIS Awards and NKBA’s 30s Choice Awards will return highlighting innovative products at the Show.

More not-to-miss show destinations include the ever-popular Design Milk X Modenus Talks Lounge, Kickstarter Zone, Global Connect Pavilion, German Pavilion, ICFF Pavilion, the DCW Outdoor Living Pavilion and the new Home Technology Pavilion.

The NKBA kicks off KBIS 2023 with its all-new and much anticipated NKBA Kitchen & Bath Design + Industry Awards on Monday, January 31. In addition, show attendees can register to attend nearly 80  educational sessions and workshops as part of the NKBA Voices from the Industry (VFTI). conference.

Register Early and Save

“With the show returning to Las Vegas, there will be high demand for KBIS events and education sessions, so make your plans to participate now,” said McGraw. “We recommend attendees register early and take advantage of discount registration and hotel rates.” 

KBIS registration is here, and NKBA members can sign up for free during the month of September.

Expo Only

• September: FREE registration for NKBA members, $50 for non-members;
• Oct. 1- Dec. 10: Early Bird Rates — $50 for NKBA members, $100 for non-members;
• Dec. 11-Feb. 7: Advance Rates — $100 for NKBA members, $175 for non-members;
• Feb. 8-10: Onsite Rates — $150 for NKBA members, $225 for non-members.

Expo + VFTI Conference

• Expo and 3-day VFTI pass (access to all sessions/workshops plus on-demand program): $350 for NKBA members, $525 for non-members.

Pricing and package details for KBIS and the NKBA VFTI conference are available now. Once attendees register for KBIS, they also can buy tickets to featured events such as NKBA’s Design and Industry Awards, The BASH and Shark Matchmaking.

Registration for KBIS also allows attendees access to the show floors of the NAHB International Builders’ Show® (IBS) and the National Hardware Show (NHS).

Hands-On Training Designed to Develop a Highly Competitive Workforce

Interplay Learning, the leading provider of online and VR training for the essential skilled trades, announced today the expansion and upgrade of its commercial HVAC catalog, enabling commercial HVAC firms and mechanical contractors to reduce training costs and accelerate ramp-up times for their apprentices and technicians.

Interplay’s expert-led commercial HVAC courses and hands-on 3D simulations help technicians rapidly develop and retain on-the-job skills by providing unlimited practice in a risk-free environment. Five courses have already been added to the commercial HVAC catalog with nine more coming over the next few months, including a highly anticipated Custom Air Handling Unit Preventive & Service Maintenance course where users can apply fundamental concepts they have learned by conducting various air handler maintenance checks using a virtual air handler unit in a simulation.

This newly expanded catalog also includes scenarios for Centrifugal Pump Repair, Packaged Refrigeration Unit Troubleshooting and Walk-In Freezer Troubleshooting as well as safety courses like Ladder and Fall Safety, Fire Prevention and Safety, and more — providing a one-stop-shop for technicians to retain the critical knowledge necessary to do their job correctly, and safely.

Interplay’s revolutionary learning approach equips apprentices and technicians with the knowledge they need to problem-solve efficiently, leading to better and faster service calls. They can dive into everything from foundational applied sciences through instructional video courses to more advanced concepts like diagnosing five reasons why a chiller would have loss of flow from a evaporator or condenser in 3D simulation training environments. By applying the science behind how people learn best, Interplay equips learners with both the knowledge and cognitive skills they need to solve problems in the moment.

“Interplay’s on-demand, simulation-based training is significantly more engaging and effective than traditional classroom training,” said Dan Clapper, HVAC Market Director at Interplay Learning. “Our customers tell us frequently that this is training their techs will actually use, and the business impact of that cannot be overstated.”

Interplay makes it easy for companies to administer and manage their training through one simple platform, providing them with the resources they need to train and upskill a strong performing team. Commercial HVAC team managers have the ability to assign courses based on individual learners’ needs and create career paths to help their apprentices and technicians become more well-rounded in the field.

For more information, visit www.interplaylearning.com.

Nebrasky collected supplies from employees and customers during July and August

Nebrasky Plumbing, Heating & Cooling has donated 50 backpacks and countless school supplies to the Backpacks for Hope program in partnership with the Boys & Girls Club. The school supplies were donated from Nebrasky employees and customers. The Boys & Girls Club will distribute all items to children in need throughout Northern Orange & Sullivan counties.

The backpacks were stuffed with a variety of school supplies, including:

• Pens/pencils
• Erasers
• Markers
• Crayons
• Composition notebooks
• Glue/Glue Sticks
• Children’s scissors
• Lined notebook paper
• Spiral notebooks
• Notepads
• 3 Ring binders
• Folders

“Giving back to the community is an important part of our mission, and all of our employees participate,” said Paul Nebrasky. “We are proud to know that we can help 50 students return to school with dignity, and that we can provide them with some of the tools they need to be successful throughout the school year.”