Kitchen and bath showrooms have long been all about the show. But in a world of smart phones, HD TVs, tech-savvy consumers and virtual realities, a good part of that show will increasingly be taking place on the screen of a computer, phone or TV.Indeed, technology is likely to dramatically impact the size, design and use of kitchen and bath showrooms over the next five years. At the same time, showrooms are expected to be smaller, with more environmentally friendly products and flexible, interactive displays.Thats according to a new survey conducted by the Research Institute for Cooking Kitchen Intelligence (RICKI) on behalf of Kitchen Bath Design News, which polled 382 kitchen and bath dealers to determine how showrooms are used, what marketing tools and activities best generate business and whats in store for the future of kitchen and bath showrooms.Smaller SpacesAccording to the survey, the median square footage for kitchen and bath showrooms is 2,400 square feet, with one in six saying their showroom is 5,000 square feet or larger. One in six said they will be expanding their showroom in the coming year.However, among those planning to open a showroom in the next 12 months who dont currently have one, that number drops to a median of only 1,400 square feet, supporting the idea that showrooms of the future will likely be smaller than they are today. Even many dealers who are currently expanding their showrooms expressed the belief that, in the future, showrooms will likely focus on greater efficiencies rather than increased square footage.One survey respondent has taken the trend toward downsizing even further, noting, We changed from a full-scale showroom to a mobile showroom, where we take samples to the customer. This keeps overhead costs down, and those savings can be passed on to our customers, who have become price conscious but still want top quality products.While the economy is certainly factoring into this evolution to smaller showrooms, many dealers agree that technology is also a key factor in the downsizing trend.As one respondent says, I believe demands for physical showroom space will decrease as virtual showrooms increase. I now showcase samples as opposed to the full kitchen displays that were used in the past. Smaller vignettes are more flexible and easier to change to keep the space looking fresh.Another dealer agrees I think showrooms are going to be concentrating on fewer products and utilizing Web sites more to show other products available.Youre going to see smaller showrooms with more technology and less emphasis on brands as consumers continue to increase their purchases on the Internet, points out yet another dealer.But, its not just about technology its also about convenience. As one dealer states, I see closing the large showrooms and moving toward opening small showrooms in several locations to make sure companies are at a convenient reach to the market.I see technology playing a larger role in the showroom than it has in the past, mainly with presentations and samples for clients, adds another dealer, while a third believes that the showroom will become far more automateda virtual showroom, to some extent.Already, many dealers are seeing more tablets, video conferencing and technology in both sales and design and, in the future, one believes, Customers will do a video walk thru of their homes via computer.