Two forward-looking missions have collided, to the benefit and delight of some of our industry’s most powerful and progressive brands.

The National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA), which owns the Kitchen and Bath Industry (KBIS) show, has been making the kitchens-and-closets world just a little bit smaller with their “Global Connect” initiative. Its mission is to introduce European suppliers of kitchen systems, components, hardware, lighting and design to the North American market by, first, offering a featured pavilion at the KBIS fair to present these suppliers to attendees, and second, curating a stable of consultants ready to share their practical knowledge of how things work in Europe, from distribution to sustainability to marketing. 

Full disclosure: I’m on the squad as a sustainability messaging expert helping connect suppliers to designers and consumers. 

SICAM, the perpetually sold-out boutique materials and supply fair held in Pordenone, Italy, every October, has become arguably the most influential exhibition for leading kitchen and closet designers. It’s held in Europe but it has become a truly global event for cutting-edge furniture inspiration. This year visitors from 113 countries attended. Sadly, the show sees very few people from the North American side of the pond. 

More disclosure: I’ve been covering this show for different magazines for more than a dozen years and can count the number of North Americans I see each year on one hand; in some years, none at all. This underwhelming participation has been perplexing to the owners of the event, the incredibly gracious Giobbi family, for as long as I’ve known them. 

This year, for the first time, North Americans finally numbered over 40, because the NKBA conspired with SICAM to organize and host a VIP tour of North American kitchen and closets movers and shakers. 

I was asked by the NKBA and SICAM, along with closets industry guru Eric Marshall, to invite key companies for this event. The final roster included Carina and John Cordero from Atlantic Cabinets; Jason Artus of Dovetail Sales; Chris Tutuska and David Moser of Funder/Genesis Products; John Morgan of Indigo Strategic Holdings; Domenic Marcolongo and Tiffany Rankin of Las Vegas Closet Design; Brenda Radziwon and Angie and Chris Lefeber of Quest Engineering; Tim Trittin of Revive Home Brands; Kristi Bauer and Lori Leininger of Sauder Building Products; Derreck and Lisa Holland of The Closet Doctor; and, Lori and Eric Marshall of the Closet Training Institute. NKBA President and CEO Blll Darcy was also part of the group. 

I’ve been writing about SICAM in these pages for years, pointing out why it has become a “can’t-miss” event for the world’s top kitchens and closets producers. Now, hear it from our VIP partners in their own words. If you’re curious about the discoveries these market leaders found most interesting, read on! 

Networking in Europe
Christ Tutuska, Operations & Product director at Genesis Products, owner of TFL producer Funder America, is already in touch with much of what’s going on in the world of materials. Genesis works with all types of substrates, laminates and finishes, even powder coated wood, but Tutuska says there are still things to learn, and SICAM is a great place to do it.

“When you see some of your suppliers on the other side of the pond, they’re like, ‘Oh, hey, there you are.’ It elevates how they perceive you; you’re now more of a market leader,” Tutuska said. “There’s a lot more focus there on PET 3DL and 2DL as a more sustainable alternative to PVC. I think the U.S. is about five years behind on that, but it’s coming, and we plan to be ready for it.”

Tutuska said SICAM was a great place to network and catch up on existing relationships while also starting some new ones. “It was a really productive trip for us. We’ll be coming back, with a team.,” he added.

Finding new sources
Sauder Building Products’ Senior Product Manager Lori Leininger appreciated the tour format that helped get right to the point of finding new sources for Sauder’s planned product updates. 

“I really appreciated that they knew who we were and why we were there,” Leininger said. “They delivered presentations that you might not get when you’re just walking up to have a chat.” She also noted that booths emphasized products, not “shiny distraction.”

She said that what she saw will likely increase the chance of Sauder considering European sources instead of looking to Asia for updates to the Sauder product line.

While Sauder already buys edgebanding from MKT, Leininger appreciated seeing what the company was showing to the global design community at SICAM. 

“Seeing (suppliers) – and their competitors – in this context helps us do a better job of thinking outside of the box,” Leininger said.

Charting trends
Jason Artus, founding partner at Dovetail Sales, says he liked the small but well organized format of the show and tour, helping him focus on trends.

“The trend of reeded, coved, and slatted doors and panels, already popular in the U.S., was prevalent, underscoring that it’s here to stay,” he said. “The textures add depth and a refined character to cabinetry that resonates with many design professionals and clients.”

He also was impressed by innovative black aluminum door profiles from exhibitors like Alluminia, offering a sleek, industrial look perfect fit for modern designs. He also highlighted advances in LED lighting.

Artus said SICAM broadened his understanding of internationa design influences while reinforcing emerging trends he sees in the U.S. He plans to make SICAM a “must-attend” event in the future.

Europe takes the lead
Tim Trittin, VP of Sales for Revive Home Brands, a company that sells luxury kitchens, says he is always looking for niche items that are innovative, high quality, new to the market. He highlighted new solvent-free finishes and large format textured and reeded panels.

“The American luxury market struggles with the acceptance of alternative materials if they don’t have a lux real look and feel,” he said. “Many of the products I saw there were very high quality. I think our customers would love them.”

He sees Europe as a leader in innovation and design. “It’s my opinion that Europe is many years ahead of us relative to design and product development,” he said. “As a business that needs to be market leader in both of those arenas, it’s essential that we’re looking to Europe.”

Pricing and quality
Quest Engineering supplies European-inspired kitchens for multifamily housing using lots of high-design TFL from suppliers like Arauco, complemented by European decorative hardware. CEO Chris Lefeber said the company has been using the Gola hidden door- and drawer-handle system from Italian hardware supplier Scilm, to create the sleek, minimalist aesthetic multifamily developers prefer. 

“Gola is usually offered in extruded aluminum, which we love but it presents a challenge in that it can price us out or a project,” Lefeber said. “At SICAM the company was showing an ABS version of Gola, which costs less, is more sustainable, and is actually easier to install. I know this sounds nerdy, but we were excited about this; it’s going to help us with pricing without sacrificing the quality we’re known for.”

Lefeber also noted the new metal accessories he saw for closets and kitchens, and profile-wrapped mouldings for wall cladding. 

Brenda Radziwon is Quest’s director of Sales and Marketing, and also is very involved in the designing the company’s multifamily solutions. She said she was inspired by new discoveries.

“I was impressed by the integrated lighting systems from Elektra GmbH, and the interior storage solutions from Cap. We also discovered a vendor by the name of Lamello that manufactures various panel joint hardware for TFL products. 

Lighting is game changer
John Cordero, owner of Atlantic Cabinets, is passionate about delivering high-quality bespoke kitchens, baths and closets. He echoes the excitement about lighting. 

“The European approach to integrating lighting into cabinetry is, I think, going to be a game changer,” he said. “And organizational inserts are something my customers have been asking for. Now I have a world of them to offer.” He said he appreciated the show format with venders “really focused on showing off their latest products, straight to the point.”

New thinking
Eric Marshall of The Closet Training Institute is no stranger to SICAM. His first visit last year was part of what sparked this whole project. 

“We felt that seeing Italian designed products would bring about new thinking on the part of the buyers, to affect the path of design and manufacturing in woodworking,” he said. He highlighted poplar plywood boards at Alfa Wood, with vibrant colors and geometric shapes, and door handles at Verum. 

Emphasis on products
Carolina Giobbi, SICAM PR and Communications manager, says the event has “taken on a life of its own as an important source of inspiration and resources for the top kitchen designers in Europe and the world.” 

She is the daughter of SICAM founder Carlo Giobbi, and she emphasizes the event focuses on exhibitors’ products, not their booths.

“This is because it’s a working show. Business gets done here,” she said. “But we also strive to make it pleasant, even fun, with free food and drink piazzas in every single hall. 

“This helps keep visitors on the show floor and focused on discovering partners that will give them the advantages they need to lead in their markets, no matter where they’re located.”

She said NKBA is a perfect partner for SICAM. 

“Our exhibitors love the North American market, of course,” she said. “And leading companies in the U.S. and Canada look to Europe to stay ahead of trends. Everything they need, they can find here.”

Bill Darcy, president and CEO of the NKBA, echoed those sentiments.

“Our strategic alliance partnership with SICAM is a strong example of how we are collectively working to build business relationships as well as to elevate awareness of opportunities for growth in the kitchen and bath industry, globally,” according to Darcy.

SICAM will be hosted in the NKBA Global Connect Kiosk and Lounge area at KBIS 2025 in Las Vegas, Feb. 25-27.

As part of the SICAM tour, participants visited more than 35 companies.