DPHA Webinars: Post-KBIS Design Trend Review.

Wednesday, February 24, 2021
2 pm est

February is going to be a very busy month in the DPH world! KBIS is going all virtual and will be held February 9-12. Kohler, hansgrohe and other companies are having their own digital events to launch new products as well. We are very excited to see what everyone has to offer and what design trends are coming down the pipeline.

Join designer Garrison Hullinger, designer and wellness expert Jamie Gold and industry veteran Janice Costa of KB Designers Network as we dig into what we can expect to see in design for 2021 and beyond.

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DPHA Broke the Internet: New Lavatory Faucets Manual!

Last week we launched our revamped Lavatory Faucets education manual, only for our server to crash and the manual was inaccessible for three days! Now that the site is back up and running, please make sure you check out the new manual. You'll need to log in for access - please reach out to staff if you need your login information.

Our updated Kitchen Faucets manual will be released later this month, and the cutoff to have your images included is next Friday, February 12th. Adorning the Door is coming up next month, followed by Accessories. Please email staff if you would like to take advantage of these great opportunities!

CHECK OUT THE NEW MANUAL

An Editorial on Editorial. By Tom Cohn, Connections Executive Editor.

Last week’s Connections caused quite a stir. Several of DPHA’s members were offended by the Jeffrey Valles’ Thoughts from a Fellow article. Jeffrey ruffled more than a few feathers and there are times when opinion pieces can cause those types of reactions. We regret that the piece was perceived as an attack on independent representatives and mean-spirited. As I read the piece, Jeffrey’s observation is that COVID is changing how training is presented and that trend is likely to continue in the future with more manufacturers likely to conduct training in-house via video. Those observations were more than obscured by Jeffrey’s opinion of who is more qualified to provide training.

The reaction to last week’s Thoughts column raises a larger question. Should DPHA allow opinion pieces? Should there have been additional filtration of the piece that would have made it less offensive? In 20-20 hindsight, perhaps. Jeffrey’s columns appear because he takes the time to write them. His columns are the most popular and well-read pieces in Connections. The opportunity provided to Jeffrey is available to every DPHA member. You have an open forum to express your thoughts, opinions and expertise via Connections. We welcome all comers.

Opinion pieces are just that, opinions. Should they be mean-spirited? Absolutely not. If occasionally – once in the past 350 issues of Connections ¬– a piece offends, let’s use that to start a more meaningful conversation. If you disagree with something that appears in Connections, please tell us why. If you have an alternative solution, please share it.

We want to grow and improve. That’s how we educate. That’s how we connect and that’s how we elevate. We welcome your opinions.

Join DPHA on September 16th for the Next Wednesday Webinar: DPH and the Internet - Part 2.

Our discussion about the Internet on August 5th was so successful that we will be continuing it in September! We will drive deeper into the challenges with selling against Amazon and other large online retailers and what our dealers and manufacturers can do about it. We will also discuss reps roles in growing ecommerce, and will talk about showrooms entering the ecommerce market. Join Noah Taft of California Faucets, Daniel Chinitz of Creative Bath Sales, Adam Waller of DDI System and John Parks of Parks Decorative Hardware and Plumbing for this riveting discussion!

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The Updated Outlook for Kitchen and Bath from NKBA

The optimistic prediction at the start of the year, like most everything else that has occurred in 2020, took a dramatic about face when sheltering in place orders were issued in the middle of March. Word from DPHA showrooms is that they are busy, some having record months since COVID began. The National Kitchen & Bath Association publishes an industry outlook each year, and recently updated its outlook to account for the impact of COVID-19. The updated study found the following according to a recent article in Kitchen & Bath Business.

• 11% of planned kitchen and bath remodeling projects as of mid-April were cancelled or postponed because of the virus
• Spending on kitchens fell 25%, master bath dropped 18% and second baths dipped 14%
• Spending on medium and larger K&B renovation projects is expected to drop by 22%, while spending on smaller projects is expected to fall by 14%
• Projects that continued saw reliance on designers at 25% compared to 38% before COVID-19
• Homeowners who continued with their projects during the pandemic opted for lower priced products and were more likely to use DYI labor

Primary reasons why projects were scrapped or postponed was fewer resources, fear of strangers entering their homes, limited access to industry professionals, decline in income, fear of job loss and showroom closures. Financial concerns were cited by 25% of homeowners that delayed or cancelled their projects.

Nearly 33% of Americans reported that they have changed the way they view their kitchens and baths as a result of COVID-19, focusing on health and safety, quality, function and design. For Americans working from home, 38% have changed the way they think about their kitchens and baths and 19% of those working from home reported wanting to renovate their kitchen or bath.

The report is free to NKBA members. Call 800-843-6522 to order 2020 Kitchen & Bath Market Outlook: Q1 Update. The full article can be found here.

Don't Miss Professional Development Training at DPHA CONNECT 2020.

Offered each year at the DPHA Annual Conference, the Professional Development Training is an opportunity for your sales consultants to learn from some of the best trainers in the country. This year we are bringing the program to DPHA CONNECT, giving even more members access to great training!

Your customer needs your empathetic ear and a willingness to meet them in their own comfort zone now more than ever. Customer service expert Teresa Allen will share an interactive virtual program that will enable you to grow sales through common sense service encounters. Explore how to navigate through conflicts and ask the right questions to become more than an order taker. Learn how to build confidence and generate referrals by taking a genuine interest in your customer’s life and the unique challenges they are facing in today’s anything but normal world! This will be a Zoom Meeting with a limited attendee list and video will be required.

LEARN MORE AND REGISTER

In Case You Missed It: The 19th Annual DPHA Conference is Going Virtual!

DPHA is taking the 19th Annual Conference and Product Showcase VIRTUAL! While we are saddened that we will not be able to gather in-person this year, we are excited to be able to launch DPHA CONNECT 2020. Held during our original conference dates of October 22nd + 23rd, DPHA CONNECT will allow our membership to still obtain all the benefits offered at our in-person events but from the safety of your own home or office.

The best part - there is no travel required this year! With a registration cost of $135 and no travel fees, this is the year for your whole team to get involved. A swag bag with some goodies will be sent to the first 250 registrants, so don't delay! If you are registering five or more people from the same company, please reach out to staff.

New Member Spotlight: Meet Kalco Lighting

For 40 years, Kalco Lighting has been crafting and designing lighting for residential, commercial and contract projects. The brand’s vast collection of pendants, sconces, chandeliers, flush mounts and exterior fixtures each convey a spark of livability by effortlessly fusing together timeless styles, authentic materials, artisan craftsmanship and a human approach to technology. The two brands under the Kalco design umbrella; Kalco Lighting and Allegri Crystal as well as their collection called The Hollywood Reporter Home, each showcase Kalco’s unique ability to create functional, differentiated and artistic lighting for audiences seeking products whose designs transcend time. In Kalco’s quest to deliver a superior experience to its clients, the brand offers a large inventory of standard collections, design modification capabilities to existing designs, and custom lighting capabilities to fulfill any design vision.

EXPLORE KALCO

EXPLORE ALLEGRI

CONTACT KALCO 

The 19th Annual DPHA Conference and Product Showcase is Going VIRTUAL: Introducing DPHA Connect 2020

2020 sure has been one for the books! We were hopeful we would be able to gather in New Orleans by the time fall came around, but as we get closer that just doesn’t seem to be the case. So, in true 2020 fashion, we pivot! This year the DPHA Conference + Product Showcase is going virtual! We know you been honing your online meeting skills, and now you can put them to good use. DPHA CONNECT 2020 will offer the networking, product highlights, education the DPHA family has grown to expect from our annual conference. 

DPHA has partnered with a global leader in virtual conference platforms to host a 2-day event you won’t want to miss. Below is just a taste of what DPHA CONNECT 2020 will have to offer:

• An online, interactive exhibitor showcase with all of your favorite manufacturers
• Live-streamed, industry specific keynote presentations
• An exclusive + interactive Professional Development Training opportunity for you and/or your staff
• A North American Designer Panel to help sharpen your skills on their current needs for industry growth
• Membership Roundtables to dive deep into 2020 business practices
• Virtual Coffee Chats and Cocktail Mixers with your DPHA peers
• And a LIVE 2020 DPHA Awards Presentation to highlight our top Products + Professionals of the year

DPHA CONNECT will offer the chance to bring us together safely to support, lift and build our businesses into the future. This format allows us a way to cherish the partnerships, relationships and support that was offered through this turbulent year and the ability to celebrate the survival and beginning of the better business strategies found in all of us. And the biggest perk, there is no need for travel for DPHA CONNECT 2020! Feel free to join us in your board shorts, house slippers or flip flops. Just remember to keep it business on top, we will be watching!

Join us! Where else could you possibly have to be?!

New Member Spotlight: Warmup Inc.

Warmup is a UK based manufacturing Plc, creating innovative smart controls and underfloor heating solutions. Warmup has sold more than 2 million systems in over 70 countries worldwide. Warmup, founded more than 25 years ago, is a knowledge and research driven business, making proprietary, world-leading products. Warmup Inc, the North American arm of Warmup Plc, is based in Danbury, CT. Warmup Inc. is an active member of local and national building associations. With a field sales presence across North America, we actively support our partners in promoting and installing our heating products for comfort, primary heating and snow melting purposes.

Learn More about Underfloor Heating

Q2 2020 New Members

The second quarter of 2020 is likely one we will all remember thanks to COVID-19. In spite of the craziness going on in the world right now, we are happy to welcome several new members to the DPHA family! We will be starting a New Member Spotlight feature going back to the beginning of the year, so stay tuned!

Manufacturers:
Delaney Group/Bravura Hardware

Donn Bland

Design By Intent by DecoTeak

Eric Gelman

Future Classics

Hendrick Van Der Merwe

Warmup Inc.

Regis Verliefde

Reps:
Adream Decor

Dan Fingerhut

Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Arkansas

Professionals:
therohlmodel

Greg Rohl

Dealers:
Coburn Supply Company (Welcome Back!)

Patrick Maloney

Texas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Alabama

Mountain Fixture

David Gieck

Wyoming

July 8 DPHA Weekly Wednesday Webinar.

It has been almost two months since our first dealer panel. Most DPHA showrooms had been closed for over a month, and the future was unknown. A lot has changed between May 13th and now! Every state in the US is in the process of opening, which looks different for each of today’s panelists. We had been using the term post-COVID, but at this point it’s clear that we won’t be getting past this for quite some time. Join Trish Klein of Willis Klein, Bill Feinberg of Allied Kitchen & Bath and Jonas Weiner of Best Plumbing Tile & Stone as we discuss what showrooms look like in the COVID world.

If you have questions you want to pose to the panel, topics you would love to see us cover, or are interested in participating in a panel, email us! Missed a DPHA Webinar? Our #DPHAWeeklyWednesdayWebinars can be found on the members' only side of our website here.

REGISTER NOW!

Be a Part of the DPHA Product of the Year Awards!

Has a new product been launched over the last year that deserves some recognition? Wether it is for its innovation or design, our past Products of the Year really stand out from the crowd.

The Product of the Year Awards are a great opportunity to showcase new products, especially this year when opportunities have been few and far between! The awards will be presented at the DPHA conference in October, and will be featured in Kitchen & Bath Design News, as well as other publications. Nominees and winners will be showcased to DPHA members and the A&D Community alike!

This year we have expanded our categories! Product of the Year categories include Accessories, Furniture, Cabinet Hardware, Door Hardware, Plumbing Fixtures, Water Delivery and Technology. You can see past winners here.

NOMINATE NOW!

Happy Birthday USA.

This is the Independence Day issue of Connections. Tomorrow, July 4, is the day we celebrate the noble experiment that has led to the greatest democracy in the history of the world. Let’s take our time machine back to the Colonial era where a group of educated, successful ideologues decided that they wanted to have a larger say in how they lived, were governed and taxed. Thomas Paine’s best-selling Common Sense argued that an island could not rule a continent. Many colonial intellectuals believed their right to self-determination was manifest from a higher authority. And given the outcome, perhaps there is more truth to that sentiment than many would like to admit.

“The republican experiment launched so boldly by the revolutionary generation in America encountered entrenched opposition in the two centuries that followed, but it thoroughly vanquished the monarchial dynasties of the nineteenth century and then the totalitarian despotism of the twentieth, just as Jefferson predicted it would,” wrote Joseph J. Ellis in his Pulitzer-Prize winning book, Founding Brothers. In 2020, the United States is the oldest enduring republic in the history of the world, with a set of political institutions and traditions that have stood the test of time.

When we look back on the revolutionary era, it’s hard to imagine how our founding brothers believed that they could defeat the most powerful military in the world and win. How could they imagine that creating a republican form of government based on the principle of popular sovereignty could succeed when it had never done so previously for any sustainable period of time or attempt to oversee a landmass as large as the 13 original colonies?

Brilliant, principled men with a dream met in Philadelphia in June and July 1776 to debate breaking ties with their motherland and declaring independence. John Adams, who was very much the COO of the American Revolution, convinced Thomas Jefferson to draft a formal statement to justify their actions. Jefferson was up to the challenge. On July 2, 1776, the Continental Congress voted affirmatively to become independent. Two days later, the Congress formerly adopted Jefferson’s declaration. For the past 244 years, Americans have celebrated this remarkable event. As we barbecue, enjoy the summer weather with family and watch fireworks, let’s take a moment to reflect and marvel at the unfathomable accomplishment that resulted from our founding father’s vision. We enjoy the great fortune and opportunity – despite all of our problems and current day political climate – to live in the greatest republic in the history of mankind. Enjoy our independence and freedom.

Manufacturers are Back for July 1st #DPHAWeeklyWednesdayWebinar.

Next week we will have a fresh set of manufacturers on our panel. Join Patrick Weidl of Thermasol, Anthony Hajjar of Jaclo and Melanie Busch of Berenson as we address the changes they are seeing in the industry. Have questions you want to pose to the panel? Email them to kymberly@dpha.net!

We still need panelists for our next DEALER and DESIGNER panels! Please email Kymberly with suggestions and interest!

REGISTER NOW!

Don't Lose your Members Only Status, Renew by July 1!

When COVID-19 hit, DPHA leadership decided to extend membership benefits for an additional 3 months. We simply were not comfortable asking for dues when many of you were having to quickly shift your business models and protocols at light speed. We hope that you have enjoyed the benefits of what DPHA has to offer and used your member benefits while working remotely or simply looking for that industry connection.

Since the beginning of 2020, DPHA has:

• Added new Vendor partnerships
• Added new National and Independent Dealer Members
• Created a content rich and relevant Weekly Webinar series
• Increased participation for our Recognition Program
• Strengthened our relationships with the A+D communities nationally

We wouldn’t be where we are today without the support of our DPHA family, and we hope you will choose to stay with us. While we experienced ups and downs, we went through it together and offered community, education and transparency when we all needed it the most.

We hope that you will continue to be part of DPHA, but it has come time to mention your member benefits will expire on July 1. We would love to see you stay on with us.  Should you need us to prorate your payments, just email staff and we will get that set up! We are here to help and support you, but because we are a not-for-profit association, DPHA simply cannot operate without your financial support.

RENEW NOW!

Conference Registration is Now Open!

We are excited to announce that we are opening registration to the 19th Annual DPHA Conference + Product Showcase in New Orleans! Our conference will be the first face-to-face opportunity for our industry to safely gather in months. Sure, conference will look a little bit different this year, but we promise to provide content that addresses the new business climate and keeps DPHA members ahead of the curve. We miss our ability to Connect, Educate and Elevate business with one another and we hope to see you there!

REGISTER NOW!

DPHA Panel Discussion: Industry Round Table

DPHA is unique in that it connects the three segments of our industry: Manufacturers, Showrooms and Representatives. Join us for this Industry Round Table as we ask Steven Weinberg of California Faucets, Kate Brady of General Plumbing and Heather Kolos of Milestone Distributors some tough questions. It will be very interesting to see how the perspectives vary per industry segment! Have questions you want to pose to the panel? Email them to kymberly@dpha.net!

We still need panelists for our next DEALER and DESIGNER panels! Please email Kymberly with suggestions and interest!

A Homage to Kitchen Klutzes

This Saturday, June 13, is National Kitchen Klutzes Day. It’s a celebration dedicated to everyone who has ever been a klutz in the kitchen. Saturday, we embrace home cooks who may have dropped a dish, cut a finger or burned a creation beyond recognition. June 13 is your day. It’s a day to acknowledge that you may not be the next Julia Child or Bobby Flay. It's a day to remind you that it's okay to be clumsy in the kitchen. And don’t worry, you are not alone. 15% of Americans agree that they are “not very good when it comes to cooking, often messing things up or having other mishaps.”

Celebrate the day by being your klutziest in the kitchen and embrace your inner klutz. Spend some time reviewing safety techniques or curate your kitchen drawers and eliminate those items whose functional purpose you have no clue about. Visit the Burnt Food Museum to find kindred spirits. Go to www.foodnetwork.com and watch an episode or two of Worst Cooks in America.

Want to know the best way to celebrate National Kitchen Klutzes Day? Order takeout.

#DPHAWeeklyWednesdayWebinar : Reps Take the Stage

Next week the Reps take the hot seat! Join DPHA award winning reps Traci D’Antoni, Cynthia Carter, Mary Labowitz, Yana Haralanova, Joan Patters and Debby Stehr as we discuss business in this new post-COVID world. We will talk about the changing roles of reps, the shift to virtual trainings, and many other hot topics. We will be joined by Have questions you want to post to the panel? Email them to kymberly@dpha.net!

REGISTER NOW!