175 – Kajsa Krause and Tracey Sawyer: International Hospitality Design

Kajsa Krause and Tracey Sawyer: International Hospitality Design Today in The Lounge, Nick chats Veronika Miller, the founder and CEO of Modenus and Official Media Partner with KBIS. Veronika will discuss her collaboration with KBIS and the line-up of events at KBIS 2018. Then stayed tuned for Nick’s conversation with Kajsa Krause and Tracey Sawyer of Krause Sawyer at the Porcelanosa showroom in NYC. The duo will discuss their partnership, their love of travel, and how they created their niche in the hospitality sector. About Modenus Veronika Miller is the founder and editor inchief of  Modenus, a comprehensive digital resource for design professionals and design enthusiasts. Modenus began in 2009 and added a social media component known as the Blog Tour in 2011. The goal of the Blog Tour is to bring both people and brands together. The following year KBIS approached Modenus to help them connect with the design community, to build a bond and to reach design professionals who were not necessarily engaged in the kitchen and bath industry. After this initial contact Modenus became an official media partner with KBIS. This January will mark their 6th Blog Tour together. The Blog Tour has been hugely successful for Modenus. They have a community of about 250 bloggers who they reach out to for recommendations on what/who is new and interesting. These nominees are then narrowed down and the final blog tour participants are selected. In addition to the Blog Tour, each year Modernus compiles a Top 100 Influencers list, which again, is entirely community driven. Reaching out to the design community provides an endless resource for continued networking and education.                       KBIS and Modenus KBIS 2018 will kick off with a networking event entitled Champagne and Cupcakes on Tuesday, January 9th from 9:30-10:30 am. Hosted by Modenus, this invitation-only event will feature media influencers, designers, and media to celebrate the beginning of KBIS. Healthy cupcakes and a little bit of bubbly will be on the menu to honor their sponsor, Signature Kitchen, a new luxury division of LG, whose mission is focused on living well and living in a healthy way. There will also be giveaways, speakers and an introduction by Brian Pagel, VP of Kitchen and Bath division at Emerald Expositions. There will be many design events, speakers, and educational opportunities at KBIS. Jaime Derringer from Design Milk will be teaming up with Modenus at the lounge cafe, Design milk x Modenus Talk lounge. Mirroring the format at Wanted Design in NY, the lounge cafe will provide a relaxed atmosphere with refreshments, phone charging stations and an opportunity for everyone in the room to talk and share their thoughts. The event will also be streamed on Facebook live. Claire Jefford will also be hosting an event with several design influences that will cover the topics of Technology and How It Relates To Design and Social Media Do’s and Don'ts. This Old House will cover topics on skilled labor global design and working remotely and The Good Home Redux will cover the impact of design on wellness and sustainability. Navigating KBIS For those new to KBIS, the large scale of the show can be overwhelming. Bring comfortable shoes and be prepared to walk. The dress code is business casual, most attendees wear jeans and polo shirts, with a few designers choosing to dress up. It is about one mile between halls. Veronika recommends starting at West Hall, which is the main area that houses the bigger brands and follows a more traditional format. Plan on spending an entire day there. On a separate day, focus on the North and South Halls, where the stage, discovery district, which houses the smaller up and coming brands, the Modenus lounge and an outdoor area with catering can be found. Plan about 15-20min to get to where you are going. On Wednesday,