Derek Miller’s 2024 Letter to the Houseware Industry

With just over four weeks before the opening of The Inspired Home Show, we are truly excited about the industry’s focus shifting to Chicago. More than 1,700 exhibitors from 40 countries and more than 30,000 attendees from over 125 countries are slated to participate.  The total number of exhibitors and exhibition space will exceed that of last year, and we continue to assign additional companies every day.

Importantly, over 200 companies will exhibit at the Show for the very first time, and over 150 companies will return to the Show after a brief absence.  A few notable names of those returning include:

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Housewares Ready to Drive Growth in 2024

Continued pressure on consumer spending remains the biggest challenge

After almost four tumultuous years that included a pandemic, supply chain chaos, dramatic lifestyle shifts and strains on consumer spending, the home and housewares industry finds itself forever changed but ready to drive growth in 2024 and beyond. Amid continued pressures on consumer spending, many housewares executives have been investing heavily in ways to meet changing customer needs, collaborate with retail partners and make their operations even more flexible and efficient.

“2024 will be incredibly important to our industry as many brands focus on getting their inventory levels, supply chain and resources in the right place,” says Steve Greenspon, CEO of Honey-Can-Do International LLC.

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IHA Accepting Proposals For The Inspired Home Show Education Sessions

Inspiration Theater, Inventors Revue Sessions Explore Critical Issues, Bringing Products to Market

The International Housewares Association (IHA) is accepting topic proposals for education sessions during The Inspired Home Show 2024, IHA’s Global Home + Housewares Market. Retailers, trend forecasters and marketers, intellectual property attorneys and designers, along with experts in branding, packaging, smart home and other crucial business topics, are invited to submit proposals for presentations in the Inspiration Theater and the Inventors Revue at the 2024 Show. Deadline for submissions is Nov. 22.

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William C. McHenry Elected to IHA Board Of Directors

William C. McHenry, president and CEO of Widgeteer, Inc., has been elected to the board of directors of the International Housewares Association (IHA), the full-service trade association for the housewares industry. His three-year term begins October 1, 2023 and ends Sept. 30, 2026.

Also elected were new board officers:

  • Chairman – Neal Asbury, president & CEO, The Legacy Companies
  • Vice Chairman/Chairman Elect – Paul Cosaro, CEO, Picnic Time Family of Brands
  • Treasurer – Michael Otterman, president & CEO, Lodge Cast Iron

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Bed Bath & Beyond/Overstock CEO Jonathan Johnson at Chief Housewares Executive SuperSession (CHESS)

Bed Bath & Beyond/Overstock CEO Jonathan Johnson will meet with a conference of housewares executives for the first time since relaunching the homegoods retailer in August when he appears during the keynote session at the International Housewares Association’s 2023 Chief Housewares Executive SuperSession (CHESS) Oct. 3 & 4 in Rosemont, Ill.

Overstock acquired the Bed Bath & Beyond brand after BBB filed for bankruptcy earlier this year and rebranded under the Bed Bath & Beyond name in August. In this special “fireside chat” presentation, Johnson will outline the relaunch of Bed Bath & Beyond and his plans for expansion in home and housewares. Attendees will be able to direct questions to Johnson about the new Bed Bath & Beyond and the company’s expanding home-centric transformation. HomePage News Editor-in-Chief and CHESS facilitator Peter Giannetti will moderate the discussion with Johnson.

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2023 IBC Global Forum Offers Educational Sessions on International Sales Issues

Veteran housewares executives looking to grow their global sales and suppliers new to the international arena will benefit alike from the 2023 IBC Global Forum, Oct. 3-4 in Rosemont, Illinois. The annual meeting of the International Business Council provides a platform for attendees to learn from key retailers, key distributors and industry-savvy specialists discussing relevant export topics and providing education on market entry, global product development and marketing strategies.

Overviews by key housewares buyers and distributors covering Canada, China, Eastern Africa, India, Ireland, LATAM, Spain & Portugal, and the United Kingdom along with sessions on opportunities in key markets around the world fill the agenda of the two-day meeting.  

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Housewares Charity Foundation Supports Maui Wildfire Relief

HCF to Match Dollar-For-Dollar Donations from Housewares Industry

To help support the people of Maui after the recent wildfire tragedy, the Housewares Charity Foundation (HCF) has established a fund for donations and will match contributions dollar-for-dollar up to $100,000 in total. Donations will go to support the Maui Strong Fund and Team Rubicon Disaster Relief.

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The Inspired Home Show: Three-Day Event in 2024

International Housewares Association Announces Exciting Changes to The Inspired Home Show 2024

The Inspired Home Show 2024, to be held next March in Chicago, will undergo several changes to Show length and layout, the International Housewares Association announced today. After carefully considering feedback received from two industry-wide surveys and four special committees made up of both exhibitors and retailers, the IHA Board of Directors has decided to reduce the overall length and optimize the Show layout to create the most vibrant, productive and efficient trade show experience possible for the industry.

The Show will now open on Sunday, March 17 and close on Tuesday, March 19.  The majority of exhibitors and retailers indicated on recent surveys and in discussions that three full days at the Show is sufficient with business being more concentrated over that timeframe, said Derek Miller, IHA president & CEO.

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