The Kitchen & Bath Industry Show at McCormick Place, Chicago, April 14 through 18 brings opportunities to earn CEU credit by learning about new technology serving the composite panel and decorative surfaces industries. New last year, KBIS will again offer 30-minute presentations held on the show floor at exhibitors' booths. Attending two sessions provides 0.1 CEUs. No preregistration is required, and seminars are free. View the complete program schedule for information about Friday, Saturday and Sunday presentations and booth numbers. 

Seminars that are especially relevant to the composite panel and decorative surfaces industries include:  KraftMaid 20-20 Enhancements for 2010 presented by Paul Anater, Alex Oliver and Eric Schimpelpfenig; Auto Decoration/Countertop Module from 20-20 Technologies presented by Mort Block; Creating Custom Cabinets with Chief Architect presented by Jason Troye; and Designing with AutoKitchen presented by Sara Ziadech.

20-20 Technologies offers a single integrated software platform for industry-wide use from showroom to factory floor is tailored specifically to the interior design business and employed across all environments, desktop and web. Several 20-20 Technologies presentations (see topics below) will discuss how cabinet, closet and casegoods manufacturers; residential and healthcare furniture makers and distributors; and countertop fabricators can use Version 9 in residential and commercial design as well as manufacturing markets. 

KraftMaid, which employs the new 20-20 Technologies software, is set to run KBIS CEU seminars (see topics below) on both 20-20 Version 9 and Google SketchUp. According to KraftMaid, improvements in Version 9 allow for more options by presenting photo-realistic renderings of kitchen designs, including enhanced door, rail and valance styles as well as more dimensional textures and colors.

Also at KBIS is Chief Architect software with its Creating Custom Cabinets presentation for CEU credit. According to Tequisha Erk, sales and marketing coordinator for Chief Architect, attendees will learn how to use the software to design a variety of custom cabinets for drawer banks, shelving and openings; create and manage personal catalogs; and merge multiple cabinets to create and reuse entire kitchen layouts. Erk notes that the CEU seminar will also touch on blocking as well as kitchen islands.

Topics from 20-20 Technologies:

• What’s new in 20-20 Design V9
• How to Design Closets with 20-20 Design V9
• Designing and Promoting on the WEB
• What’s new in 20-20 Design V9
• NKBA CEU Training
• Learn how 20-20/Cadsoft partnership will benefit your business
• Creating your Virtual Showroom

KraftMaid topics:

• New Traditionalism modeled in SketchUp
• KBIS Design Idea Center—Case Study
• 20-20 Change Finish/Change Style
• Going Green with Google SketchUp™
• American Gothic to Modern in SketchUp
• SketchUp LayOut for Kitchen Plans
• 20-20 High Caliber Visuals for 2010
• Free Google Apps for Kitchen Designers