The KBIS 2027 Planner
The show at a glance
- Dates
- February 2–4, 2027 (Tue–Thu)
- Venue
- Las Vegas Convention Center, 3150 Paradise Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89109
- Show hours
- 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Co-located with
- IBS — one badge gets you both floors (Design & Construction Week)
- Scale
- 600+ exhibiting brands
- Registration
- Open now at kbis.com
Official 2027 pass pricing is published on the kbis.com attendee pricing page. Registration is open now — or read our cost-to-attend breakdown.
Your month-by-month plan
KBIS 2026 ran February 17–19. KBIS 2027 runs February 2–4 — two weeks earlier. Everything moves forward with it, so January is the run-up, not the planning window.
- September – October
Register and lock travel
Registration is open now on kbis.com. NKBA members may qualify for reduced or free registration during the September window — check kbis.com for current terms. Book hotels the same week you register; Las Vegas rates climb as the show approaches.
- November
Decide who you actually need to meet
Three days is roughly 21 floor hours. A serious list is 12–20 target companies, not 100. Rank them by whether a conversation could realistically change your next 12 months.
- December
Request meetings before the calendar fills
The people worth meeting are booked by mid-January. A short, specific note in December outperforms a great one in late January.
- January
Confirm, route and prepare
Re-confirm every meeting the week before. Build your floor route so back-to-back meetings are not on opposite ends of the hall. Decide what you are asking each person for.
- February 2–4
Work the plan, capture everything
Capture notes within an hour of each conversation, not at the end of the day. Names and context blur fast on a show floor.
- The week after
Follow up while you are still a face
This is where most show ROI is lost. Every conversation gets a follow-up inside five business days, referencing something specific you discussed.
The booth-planning grid
Copy this into a spreadsheet or print it. The columns exist because each one stops a specific mistake: Why stops collecting booths you will never follow up on, and The ask stops the pleasant conversation that goes nowhere.
| Company | Booth | Priority | Why this one | The ask | Day / time | Followed up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Example Cabinetry Co. | S1234 | A | Expanding their dealer network in the West | 15 min with whoever owns dealer recruitment | Tue 10:30 | ☐ |
| …add your own rows | ||||||
Priority A/B/C, not 1–20. You will re-sort this list three times before February and ranked tiers survive that; numbered lists do not.
Checklists
Before the show
- Registration confirmed, badge saved to your phone
- Flights and hotel booked
- Target company list built and ranked
- Meeting requests sent (December)
- Meetings re-confirmed (January)
- Floor route mapped against your meeting times
- One specific ask written down per meeting
- Note-capture method decided (phone, CRM, paper — any, as long as it is one)
- Business cards or a digital equivalent that actually works offline
- Comfortable shoes — three days is a lot of concrete
The week after
- Every conversation logged with company, person, and what was discussed
- Follow-ups sent inside five business days
- Contacts added to your CRM with a source tag so you can measure the show later
- Samples and literature sorted — keep what maps to a real decision
- Notes on what to do differently next year, written while it is fresh
- A single number decided now: what would make KBIS 2028 worth repeating?
Most of the return on a trade show is decided here, not on the floor.
Want the editable version?
Everything above is free to use right here. If you want an editable copy of the planning grid and checklists, tell us where to send it.
We will also send you our cabinet exhibitor shortlist — which brands in the directory are worth a cabinet business’s three days — once the official KBIS 2027 exhibitor list is published. We are a fourth-time KBIS exhibitor, so we read that list every year anyway.
Five fields. No call required. We will not share your details.
KBIS 2027 questions
When is KBIS 2027?
KBIS 2027 runs February 2–4, 2027 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Use this planner for the timeline, booth-planning grid, and checklists against those three days. Official registration is open now on kbis.com, which also handles exhibitor packages.
How much do KBIS 2027 tickets cost?
Registration is open now and official 2027 ticket pricing is published on kbis.com's attendee pricing page — this planner links the source and does not invent rates. Pair official pricing with the year hub Free Pass path if you want a CabinetBoost strategy session around the show, then keep this page on timeline and meetings.
Do I need a separate badge for IBS?
KBIS and the NAHB International Builders’ Show run as Design & Construction Week in Las Vegas. Badge rules publish with organizer registration — follow kbis.com and IBS guidance rather than inventing cross-badge policy on this planner page.
How many exhibitors are at KBIS?
Exhibitor counts vary by year and publish with the official directory on kbis.com. Use this planner to shortlist meetings and capture CRM follow-ups; find CabinetBoost at Booth SL8191 on the year hub.
How far ahead should I plan KBIS 2027?
Start now that registration is open — it opened in September — and lock housing and meetings well before February. The month-by-month plan and booth-planning grid on this page are built for that runway. Request the editable CRM copy if your team needs a shared sheet.
Can I get an editable copy of the KBIS planner?
Yes — use the on-page grid and checklists free, then request the editable CRM copy when you want it emailed. Five fields, no call required. Pair that sheet with the year hub for Free Pass context and Booth SL8191.
Going to KBIS to grow the business, not just to walk the floor?
We are a fourth-time KBIS exhibitor and we market cabinet businesses for a living. Use this planner for the grid, then book a strategy session or take the free audit — Booth SL8191 on the year hub.