I have had the privilege of participating in the International Housewares Assocation’s CHESS (Chief Housewares Executive SupperSession) for more than a decade as moderator of an industry panel that kicks off the conference.
That annual Housewares Hot Seat panel was interrupted in 2020, as was all of CHESS, by a pandemic that shut down in-person business events.
IHA was quick to pivot to digital events during the pandemic. There is something about the senior-level, high-quality networking forum presented by CHESS, however, that can’t be replicated in a Zoom meeting even if much of the event’s valuable content could be presented virtually.
CHESS, produced especially for the leadership of IHA member companies, works when such leaders can exchange experiences and ideas face to face. And after more than a year and a half of unprecedented experiences necessitating novel ideas, the return of CHESS October 5-6, live and in person at the Hilton Rosemont/Chicago O’Hare, figures to be a compelling and rewarding reunion of home and housewares industry decision-makers.
To that end, this year’s CHESS programming schedule allows extra networking time for attendees. And, of course, CHESS will be operated in accordance with local and state health and safety requirements and guidelines that many executives report they are glad to observe if it helps restore productive in-person business gatherings.
The two-day CHESS schedule features sessions on critical post-pandemic issues and growth strategies for the home and housewares business. The program will cover supply chain and tariff relief action; the new retail environment and the consumer journey; workplace changes because of the coronavirus; brand marketing; retail trends; and more.
The Housewares Hot Seat panel set to kick off CHESS 2021 the morning of October 5 aptly is titled, “The New Beginning.” The discussion will explore post-pandemic practices and growth strategies with Glenn DeStefano, president, StoreBound; Kris Malkoski, business unit CEO, Home Solutions, Newell Brands; and Mike Otterman, president and CEO, Lodge Manufacturing.
I am excited to moderate the opening CHESS panel for the first time as a member of the IHA team after joining the Association earlier this year to launch the HomePage News B2B editorial platform. I have the added privilege this year of moderating the entire CHESS conference. Thanks to Dan Raftery, who set a high standard as CHESS coordinator and emcee for many years and continues to facilitate several regional CORE (Chief Officers Reaching Excellence) networking groups for IHA.
Zoom meetings might be here to stay, but they can’t replace some things. The return of CHESS sends an important message that the industry’s leaders are eager and ready to re-engage face to face with colleagues and customers.
They missed that opportunity last year, not of their choice. They don’t have to miss it this year. Register to attend CHESS 2021.
I look forward to seeing everyone there, live and in person.
