The Kitchen & Bath Business (KBB) Product Awards honor manufacturers for superior products that fulfill the following criteria: meeting market need, technological advancement, aesthetic merit and innovation. If you are a manufacturer that has unveiled a new kitchen or bath product between April 5, 2023 and July 5, 2024, that has not been previously entered, you’re eligible to enter the 2024 KBB Product Awards. It is an independently judged awards program recognizing superior products, and it is optional to participate.
In addition to the Kitchen and Bath Products of the Year awards, we expect additional product-specific awards in the following categories:*
- Air Quality (examples include, but are not limited to, ventilation, purifiers, fans)
- Bath Accessories (examples include, but are not limited to, towel bars, mirrors, soap dispensers)
- Bath Faucets (includes tub fillers)
- Bath Sinks
- Bath Storage & Furniture (examples include, but are not limited to, vanities, shelving, seating, medicine cabinets)
- Cooking Appliances
- Countertops
- Decorative Hardware
- Dishwashing
- Flooring & Flooring Components
- Functional Hardware
- Kitchen Accessories
- Kitchen Faucets
- Kitchen Sinks
- Kitchen Cabinetry
- Laundry Products (examples include, but are not limited to appliances, storage, plumbing fixtures)
- Lighting (examples include but are not limited to, task, smart, recessed, decorative)
- Outdoor Offerings (examples include but are not limited to furniture, appliances, storage, showers, lighting, shading, heat, ventilation)
- Refrigeration
- Shower Components & Systems (examples include, but are not limited to, showerheads, benches, drains, steam, saunas)
- Smart Innovations (examples include, but are not limited to, connected fixtures, lighting, appliances, shading)
- Sustainable Offerings
- Toilets
- Tubs
- Wallcoverings
- Water Quality
- Wellness Products
*The judges have the final say on the category awards and will reserve the right to assign products to specific award categories at their discretion. One winner will be named in each category, and certain categories may not be awarded due to limited or insufficient entries. Decisions by judges are final.
This page is to familiarize yourself with the rules of the competition prior to submitting your entry.
ELIGIBILITY. METHOD TO ENTER, SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
The KBB Products Awards (the “Contest’’) is only open to legal residents of the continental U.S. and Canada, who are in the age of majority for their region at the time of participation and are over the age of 18. Employees of Emerald, advertising and promotion agencies, suppliers, (collectively the “Sponsor”), and immediate family members are not eligible to participate in the Contest. The Contest is subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. The Contest is void where prohibited.
START AND END DATES
The KBB Product Awards will open at 8:00 a.m. EST on April 5, 2024, and will end July 5, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. EST (the "Entry Deadline"). All entries must be received by the Entry Deadline.
HOW TO ENTER
To enter the Contest, the Participant must follow the following rules.
1. The early-bird competition fee is $375 per entry/product through May 3, 2024. After that, through July 5, the pricing will increase to $525 per entry/product. Each product must have its own entry form. No refunds of entry fees will be issued.
2. Products must have been unveiled to the market between April 5, 2023 and July 5, 2024. Products that have been submitted to past competitions will not be considered unless there has been a significant update, to be determined at the sole discretion of the judges.
3. All questions on the entry form must be answered fully to help judges better understand the product and how it is innovative. Failure to fill in required fields or to submit incorrect information may result in disqualification.
4. Entrants may submit forms for as many different products as they like, one category per product.
5. All decisions made by KBB are final.
6. Professional-quality, high-resolution photography (under 5MB please) must be submitted with each completed entry form. At least two color images of each product must be submitted, and five are permitted. Multiple views (other angles) and technical information/specification sheets are encouraged. You can upload .JPG .PNG .GIF files only. Each photo must be 300 DPI in resolution, and each image must be under 5 MB. By submitting photography, You are granting KBB the right to publish it free of charge. Any photographer’s fees/usage rights are the responsibility of the submitter.
7. By submitting photography, You (a) represent and warrant that You own the exclusive rights and/or have obtained all necessary third-party consents to submit such images for consideration, (b) grant Sponsor and its designees, licensees or affiliates a fully paid, worldwide license to use, distribute, display, reproduce, publish, republish and create derivative works of the entry in any media now or hereafter known, including but not limited to, print or digital publication in KBB magazine at no further cost and with no additional approval and (c) agree to indemnify, defend and hold harmless Sponsor and its partners, affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising agencies, agents and their employees, officers, directors, and representatives from any and all third-party claims arising from the entry and use of any such images submitted in connection with the competition.
CONDITIONS TO ENTRY
By participating in this Contest, You:
· agree to be fully and unconditionally bound by these Rules;
· represent and warrant that You meet the eligibility requirements;
· represent and warrant that Your entry is an original work of authorship, and does not violate any third-party proprietary or intellectual property rights; and
· agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Sponsor, its subsidiary and affiliated companies, and all their respective officers, directors, agents and employees from and against all third-party claims, demands, liabilities, judgments, causes of action, suits, and all expenses and costs incidental thereto including reasonable attorneys' fees based upon or arising out of Your negligence or willful misconduct.
If Your entry infringes upon any third-party rights, You will be disqualified at the sole discretion of Sponsor.
DESCRIPTION AND VALUE OF THE PRIZE; ODDS OF WINNING.
Potential winners will be awarded in the following categories: Air Quality, Bath Accessories, Bath Faucets, Bath Sinks, Bath Storage & Furniture, Cooking Appliances, Countertops, Decorative Hardware, Dishwashing, Flooring & Flooring Components, Functional Hardware, Kitchen Accessories, Kitchen Faucets, Kitchen Sinks, Kitchen Cabinetry, Laundry Products, Lighting, Outdoor Offerings, Refrigeration, Shower Components & Systems, Smart Innovations, Sustainable Offerings, Toilets, Tubs, Wallcoverings, Water Quality, and Wellness Products
The winners will be announced and featured in the September/October 2024 issue of KBB magazine and on kbbonline.com once the September/October issue has mailed. We will also feature an online gallery that will include ALL product submissions, as long as the photography guidelines are followed. All product submissions will be considered by KBB editors for future placement and/or promotion in the magazine, online or on social channels. There are no monetary prizes.
No cash or other prize substitution shall be permitted except at Sponsor’s discretion. The prize is non-transferable. Acceptance of prize constitutes permission for Sponsor to use Winner’s name, likeness, and entry for purposes of advertising and trade without further compensation, unless prohibited by law.
JUDGING INFORMATION AND CRITERIA
Entries will be judged after the Contest is officially closed by a panel of industry professionals chosen by KBB and Sponsor. Products must have been introduced for regular production (no prototypes) in the last 12 months before the Contest opens. Entrants may only submit a single product with each entry, not a line of products. Judges will base their decisions on such criteria as innovation, aesthetics, function and technical advancements, which will be ranked on a scale from 1 to 5.
NOTIFICATION OF WINNER(S)
The winners will be announced and featured in the September/October 2024 issue of KBB magazine and on kbbonline.com once the September/October issue has mailed. We will also feature an online gallery that will include ALL product submissions, as long as the photography guidelines are followed. All product submissions will be considered by KBB editors for future placement and/or promotion in the magazine, online or on social channels. Receipt by Winner(s) of the prize offered in this Contest is conditioned upon compliance with any and all federal, state, and local laws and regulations.
WINNER’S OBLIGATIONS
Each Winner grants (and agrees to confirm said grant in writing upon the request of Sponsor) to Sponsor, and those acting pursuant to Sponsor’s direction or control, the right to print, publish, broadcast and use, worldwide in any media now known or hereafter developed, including but not limited to the Internet, at any time or times, Winner's name, portrait, picture, voice, likeness and biographical information for advertising, trade and promotional purposes without additional consideration and without notice, review or approval.
Further, Winner will be required to complete, sign, and return an Affidavit of Eligibility, a Liability Release, a Publicity Release (where lawful), and provide evidence of identity and age with a valid state or federally issued identification (i.e. driver’s license or passport), all within fourteen (14) days of prize notification. If said documents are not returned timely, or if prize or prize notification is returned as non-deliverable, or if such Winner is found not to have complied with these Official Rules, declines the prize for any reason, or is ineligible for any reason, the prize will be forfeited and may be awarded, at Sponsor’s sole discretion, to an alternate Winner.
RELEASE
By participating, You release and agree to hold harmless Sponsor, its parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, advertising and promotion agencies and all of their respective directors, officers, employees, representatives and agents from any and all liability for any claims, injury, loss or damage of any kind to persons (including, without limitation, death) or property, arising directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from or in connection with the acceptance, possession, use or misuse of any prize, participation in this Contest, or any Contest-related activity. NOTWITHSTANDING THE FOREGOING, IN THE EVENT THAT THE PRECEDING RELEASE IS DETERMINED BY A COURT OF COMPETENT JURISDICTION TO BE INVALID OR VOID FOR ANY REASON, THE PARTICIPANT AGREES THAT, BY ENTERING THE CONTEST, (I) ANY CLAIMS, JUDGMENTS AND AWARDS SHALL BE LIMITED TO ACTUAL OUT-OF-POCKET COSTS INCURRED, BUT IN NO EVENT ATTORNEYS’ FEES; AND (II) UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL ANY PARTICIPANT BE PERMITTED TO OBTAIN ANY AWARD FOR, AND PARTICIPANT HEREBY WAIVES ALL RIGHTS TO CLAIM, ANY OTHER DAMAGES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PUNITIVE, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES.
PRIVACY POLICY
All entry information collected in connection with the Contest shall be accessible by Sponsor. Such information may be used by Sponsor and its partners to contact each entrant directly with marketing or other information. By participating in the Contest, You hereby consent to such use. Subject to the foregoing, all other uses of entrant information will be in accordance with the Emerald X’s Privacy Policy in effect as of the date of entry. The privacy policy may be revised from time to time at Emerald’s sole discretion.
GOVERNING LAW
By entering, You agree that all issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Contest Official Rules, or the rights and obligations of participants and Sponsor in connection with the Contest, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the substantive laws of the State of California without regard to its conflicts of law provisions. All participants hereby consent to the jurisdiction and venue of the federal or state courts located in Orange County, California.
RIGHT TO CANCEL OR SUSPEND CONTEST
If for any reason the Contest is not capable of running as planned due to causes beyond the control of Sponsor that corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of this Contest, Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to disqualify any participant(s) who tamper with the entry process, and/or to cancel, terminate, modify, or suspend the Contest. If Sponsor elects to cancel or terminate the Contest, Sponsor will not retain any rights in the submitted photographs and will return the entry fees.
SPONSOR
Emerald X, LLC, 100 Broadway, Floor 14, New York, NY 10005.