The Inspired Home Show 2021 Cancelled
As state restrictions prohibiting large gatherings remain in effect for the foreseeable future, and government travel restrictions continue to significantly impede domestic and international travel, the International Housewares Association’s Board of Directors have made the difficult but necessary decision that The Inspired Home Show 2021, scheduled to take place Aug. 7-10, 2021 at McCormick Place in Chicago, cannot proceed as planned.
“Over the last year, we have been closely watching the status of large events from a health and public safety perspective, and have consistently sought feedback from our industry about how travel restrictions and mass gathering bans have impacted their normal operations,” says Derek Miller, IHA president. “With the health and safety of our exhibitors and attendees top of mind, we realized that it is infeasible for The Inspired Home Show to proceed in August of 2021.”
If there was one universal lesson from 2020, it was the importance of being adaptable. This was, after all, the year when a pandemic quickly took over the world – complete with retail and manufacturing shutdowns, combined with unprecedented demand for housewares and home goods. As housewares executives reflect on the past year and outline their goals for 2021, there’s consensus that even the best-laid plans need to be ready to change.
Without question, 2020 will be remembered as an unprecedented year that brought both challenges and opportunities. The pandemic forced people out of public spaces and into their homes, which certainly took some getting used to. But this challenge quickly presented an opportunity for our industry, with consumer spending on housewares products increasing dramatically.
