Badge registration for The Inspired Home Show 2025 is open, the International Housewares Association (IHA) announced.
Retail attendees, manufacturers’ representatives, news media and other trade guest classifications can register for a Show badge at TheInspiredHomeShow.com/register. The Inspired Home Show 2025 is set for March 2-4 at Chicago’s McCormick Place. It will be the 125th housewares industry show held since 1939.
Special events and celebrations marking the milestone are being planned and will be announced in the next few months, according to IHA. Last year, the Show introduced a newly configured layout using the North/South building complex and running over three full days. The Show will open on Sunday, March 2, and close on Tuesday, March 4, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. each day. A power hour from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Sunday and Monday of the Show will allow buyers and exhibitors to complete meetings in progress and set additional appointments.
In addition to the thousands of new products from each housewares category on display, the Inspired Home Show 2025 will introduce several new categories to create distinct destinations for buyers. In partnership with the National Candle Association, the Show will feature a Candle Pavilion including large and small suppliers. The McCormick South Building will debut a Pet Pavilion in cooperation with the American Pet Products Association, with a focus on higher-end giftable products. As previously announced, the Inspired Home Show is adding a Travel Gear + Luggage Expo, bringing together a curated collection of travel goods suppliers anchored by notable brands, including Bugatti, Dejuno, Olympia Luggage, Travelers Club Luggage and Travelon. The travel goods expo will be positioned in the McCormick South at the top of the escalators leading into the hall from the Level 1 registration area.
An expanded “Debut” section, an incubator program dedicated to new and emerging companies with newly released products, will give 24 companies the opportunity to showcase their brands and products to the industry.
Returning to the Show will be displays, events and additional product discovery opportunities.
New Product Inspiration
- The New Exhibitor Gallery in the North and South Hall cafés will feature product displays showcasing new exhibitors, complete with signage identifying the company name and booth number.
- New Product Showcases in the Buyers Clubs in the North and South Halls present new products at their respective expos. Buyers and news media will be able to scan products of interest and receive a printout for booth follow-ups.
- The IHA Global Innovation Awards (gia) for Product Design Excellence are highlighted in a display in the Hall of Global Innovation in the Grand Concourse Lobby. Seventy finalists in 14 categories are featured. The IHA gia program is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2025.
- First Look for Media is an exclusive search in Connect 365, the Show’s online directory, for news media to find new products from Show exhibitors ahead of the Show.
- The Global Design Points/Country Pavilion program features design-driven products from around the world.
New Perspectives Through Education
- The Inspiration Theater will offer educational sessions each Show day in S101a, adjacent to the Keynote sessions in S102, both on Level 1 of the South Building.
- The Inventors Revue will hold “Pitch to the Pros” sessions in its location on the South Hall exhibit floor.
New Connections Through Networking
- Free lunch for buyers and news media in the cafés in the North and South Halls all three days.
- “A Celebration of Independents:” An invitation-only reception for independent retailers on Saturday, March 1.
- Housewares Young Professionals Event (HYPE): An annual networking event hosted by the Young Professionals Advisory Council on Sunday, March 2, from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
- Global Innovation Awards (gia) Gala: Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2025, this invitation-only event on Sunday night recognizes and honors the best in home and housewares retailing, product design, and student innovation with the announcement of the Global Honorees.
- Networking After Dark Reception: All Show participants are invited to network over cocktails and hors d’oeuvres on Monday, March 2, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the S100/Grand Ballroom, South Building.
- Housewares Charity Foundation Housewares Cares Gala: Honoring industry executives for their philanthropic efforts, Monday, March 3, from 6 – 9 p.m. at the Four Seasons Hotel. Tickets to support the charity and to attend the gala will be available online at org.
For more information about Show events, visit TheInspiredHomeShow.com/events. For more information about the 2025 Show and to register for a Show badge, please visit TheInspiredHomeShow.com/register. To search for new products at the Show, visit Connect 365, the Show’s online directory.
