Time for Education at SEN Fall 2017 Conference

Leaves are changing color, football is on television, and people are making Thanksgiving travel plans.  What time of year is it?  It is most definitely Fall, but for the team at Lang’s Kitchen & Bath it is also conference season.  At the top of our list of yearly conference plans is the SEN Design Group’s semi-annual kitchen and bath conference.  These twice annual conferences allow members and vendor partners to meet and learn about the latest innovations in kitchen and bath products and materials.  They also offer excellent training to promote the best business practices among members.

The SEN Design Group is the nation’s first and largest kitchen and bath buying group, offering business development and education opportunities to members.  One of the pillars of SEN education programs are the semi-annual conferences, which afford team members from Lang’s an opportunity to find out about the latest design trends, gain product knowledge directly from vendor partners, meet with industry colleagues to share experiences, and participate in workshops and roundtables.

Every conference brings us new insights and product information, and here are a few highlights from the Fall 2017 conference held October 10-13 in Tucson, AZ.

1.       Cabinetry is a centerpiece of any kitchen remodel or bath design.  Brian Mayer from Bellmont Cabinetry discussed options including contemporary design, the new Vero line of handleless cabinets, and their flyover wall cabinets available up to 72 inches wide.

2.       Cabinet product education continued at the vendor display with new distressed bath vanity styles from Medallion Cabinetry.

3.       Cabinet lines don’t end inside the home, as evidenced by the outdoor kitchen cabinets displayed at the conference from Sommo di Lusso by Atlantis Cabinets.

4.       Beautiful tile styles featured heavily at the vendor displays, giving us plenty of design inspiration.  These included new options from Crossville Tile (below left) and the latest neutrals from Dekton (below right).

5.       Craft Art told us about wood countertops and their application to any space in the home, and displayed some of the latest finishes in the vendor display area.

6.       The Galley Workstation is so much more than a kitchen sink, as we learned during a presentation from Galley.  It turns your average sink into a versatile food preparation, cooking, serving, entertaining, and clean up area.

7.       Storage is key in a kitchen design, and specialized storage to meet the needs of the individual home is even better.  The wine racks displayed by Kessick Wine Cellars gave us great ideas for designing a wine cellar or incorporating wine storage into a kitchen remodel.

8.       Undercabinet lighting and ample electrical outlets are both important details to include in a design, but even better is a lighted power strip from Task Lighting that brings these two elements together. 

9.       In an amazing finish to the Fall 2017 SEN Design Group Conference, Robb Best gave a talk on business practices, promoting the concept that you must always consider client needs first and over compensate if issues arise.  This talk was sponsored by Medallion Cabinetry, Design Craft, and Yorktowne Cabinetry.

10.   Finally, in a business characterized by small, local operations, the conference is a rare opportunity to meet with our industry colleagues and share experiences and ideas.

These insights and more will help inspire our kitchen designs and bath designs and enhance our business practices over the coming year.   Contact us to find out more about these and other great products we offer!