Sunday, March 2
10:00-11:00 a.m.
Keynotes, South Building, S102
Lessons from the Front Lines: An Insider’s Guide to Winning in Today’s Hyper-Competitive Retail Marketplace
Jeff Evans has more than three decades of retail merchandising leadership experience across different retail formats, including department stores, warehouse clubs, mass retailers and home specialty retailers. Having most recently served as president and chief merchandising officer for At Home and before that as executive vice president of entertainment, toys and seasonal for Walmart U.S., Evans has deep experience in e-commerce, product development, sourcing, building brands and identifying new business opportunities. In this special opening keynote at The Inspired Home Show 2025, Evans will share stories from his experiences across different retail formats and businesses and the importance of winning partnerships, products and programs in a complex, fast-evolving retail marketplace… all with an unrelenting focus on creating optimum value—sometimes even “shocking value”—for today’s consumers.
Jeff Evans, Retail Leader, Advisor, Board Member
11:10 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Inspiration Theater, South Building S101A
How Leading Brands Are Harnessing Walmart Marketplace to Dominate Their Categories
Discover how top-performing brands are leveraging the unique opportunities of Walmart Marketplace to expand their category share and drive incremental growth. This session will explore actionable strategies, insights and tactics to help your brand stand out and succeed.
Michael Lebhar, Sellcord
12:10 – 1:00 p.m.
Inspiration Theater, South Building S101A
The Best Stores of 2024… and What’s Coming Next in 2025
These are the freshest, most inspiring retail debuts of the past year with hands-on details on what made them special. There will also be a sneak preview of the new retail formats expected in the coming year. The presentation will include photos, videos and first-person visit experiences.
Warren Shoulberg, Top Retailers
1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Keynotes, South Building S102
The Best Stores of 2024… and What’s Coming Next in 2025
Inspiration for growth can come from many sources. In this keynote presentation, Joe Derochowski of Circana will engage with experts from various industries, such as food, technology, beauty, sports, toys and more. He will discuss industry growth drivers and explore how these insights can be applied to the home + housewares industry to foster growth.
The interactive session will explore such factors as how social media and health are driving beauty, how toys and entertainment might impact licensing, how technology will impact smart appliances, how changes in eating habits are driving trends in the foods we eat, and more.
Joe Derochowski, Circana
2:10 – 3:00 p.m.
Inspiration Theater, South Building S101A
Creating Breakthrough Products and Experiences Via Brand Licensing
Brand licensing 101, including case studies for inbound and outbound licensing, as well as the benefits of licensing for brand owners and manufacturers.
Maya Kobray, Beanstalk
3:10 – 4:00 p.m.
Inspiration Theater, South Building S101A
Pets at the Heart of the Home: Unpacking Consumer Trends and the Future of Retail
Join Pete Scott, President of the American Pet Products Association, for insight on pet ownership trends, consumer behavior and the role of pets in your retail outlook. Discover how highly engaged pet owners incorporate pets into their homes and their lives.
Pete Scott, American Pet Products Association
5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
The TAP
HYPE
HYPE is an annual networking event hosted by the Young Professionals Advisory Council. Young home + housewares professionals are invited to join their industry peers at the Show in a casual and lively setting to enjoy cocktails and conversation while networking and building connections with other young professionals.
