Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
The International Home + Housewares Show sold out late last month – 10 weeks before its doors open on March 10, according to International Housewares Association (IHA), which owns and operates the four-day trade exhibition in Chicago.
IHA president & CEO Phil Brandl said: “The high demand to be a part of our world-class marketplace continues for our IHA member suppliers. We look forward to bringing the industry together at this premier global housewares industry event.”
The Show will host more than 2,100 exhibitors from around the world, including 400 new companies exhibiting for the first time. It is organised into five expos: Dine + Décor, Discover Design, Wired + Well, Clean + Contain and International Sourcing Expo.
Among the first-time companies and well-known suppliers returning after an absence are:
*Dine + Décor Expo: Blue Q; Casafina Enterprises; Design Design; Design for Cook; DM Merchandising; Fiskars Brands Inc.; GelPro/Bon Home; Guzzini; Poo-Pourri (a division of S2 Synergy); Promeco; Regal Ware; SiennaWerks; Van Berkel USA; Vetrerie Riunite; and Wegter Consumenten.
*Discover Design Expo: Alldock USA; Corkcicle; FIFTYEIGHT; Kvell; Peepers by Peeperspecs; Ritzenhoff; Sovaro Coolers; and Suck UK.
*Wired + Well Expo: Bibo Barmaid; Double Insight; J. Miller Beauty Designs; JMATEK North America; Karcher North America; Pilgrim Collection; Sabichi Homewares and Taurus Group.
*Clean + Contain Expo: FBA International; Goverre; Tot Tutors; Cuki Cofresco; and Primetime Petz.
This year the Show will feature a new pre-Show event. Buyers and news media will have an opportunity to view products and exhibitors before the Show opens on Saturday (March 10) at the new Trending Today Preview. This will feature up to 60 exhibitors highlighting the on trend category of hydration
The 2018 Show will continue its emphasis on the smart home and connected products. The IHA Smart Home Pavilion has been expanded to more than 25 exhibitors, and the smart home is the focus of several educational seminars. For example, on Sunday (March 11) Mike Wolf, the founder and curator of the Smart Kitchen Summit, will moderate a panel of tech experts and suppliers during the keynote session entitled ‘The Future Kitchen: Building Smart, New and Sustainable Business Models’. Several sessions in the Innovation Theater will explore the growing importance of smart and connected products in the home too.
Meanwhile, the IHA is helping to encourage the next generation of housewares suppliers by extending its Experience Day programme for college students to two days: Sunday and Monday.
Some 150 to 200 students are expected to participate. They will walk the Show floor, hear presentations from ceos, and take part in lunch roundtables with members of IHA’s Young Professionals Advisory Council. Last year, about 70 students from colleges nationwide participated in the inaugural Experience Day on Monday at the Show.
Other Show highlights include the New Exhibitor Preview, with 90 first-time exhibitors opening at 8 am on Saturday morning before the Show opens; the Hall of Global Innovation featuring the Show’s special exhibits, including Pantone ColorWatch, IHA Global Innovation Awards (gia) and the IHA Student Design Competition, celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2018; the Innovation Theater, with 21 presentations exploring issues including the smart home, consumer shopping preferences, branding and global marketing; and the standing-room-only educational seminars led by IHA’s colour expert Leatrice Eiseman and lifestyle guru Tom Mirabile.
In addition, a newly introduced ‘Power Hour’ from 5.30-6:30pm on Saturday through to Monday will offer exhibitors and buyers an opportunity to extend their meetings for an additional hour after the show closes at 5:30pm. Appointments for ‘Power Hour’ are encouraged.
To register for to attend the Show, visit www.housewares.org.
