The International Housewares Association reported more than 1,600 companies are slated to exhibit at The Inspired Home Show 2022, March 5-8 at Chicago’s McCormick Place.
IHA management said Tuesday more than 80% of exhibit space from the scheduled 2020 Show is reserved for the 2022 Show encompassing the McCormick Place South, North and Lakeside buildings.
The Inspired Home Show was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Returning exhibitors, according to IHA, include industry-leading companies and brands such as:
- Bradshaw
- Gibson
- Newell Brands
- Lifetime Brands
- The Legacy Companies
- Hamilton Beach
- Thermos
- Nordic Ware
- Sterilite
- Bodum
- Whitmor
- Le Creuset
- Wahl Clipper
- Honey-Can-Do
- StoreBound/Dash
- Zwilling J.A. Henckels
- Simplehuman
- Select Brands
- Trudeau Corporation
- Kalorik
- SodaStream
- OXO
- Jura Inc.
- Keurig
- G&S Metal
- Progressive International
- Scanpan
- Swissmar
- Tristar Products
- Lodge
- The Cookware Company
- Smeg USA
- Anchor Hocking Glass
- Peugeot
- Totally Bamboo
- Microplane
- Emile Henry USA
- LG Electronics
Confirmed exhibitors include more than 300 first-time participants in the Show, according to IHA.
IHA management in recent weeks has engaged with leading retailers to update them on The Inspired Home Show 2022 plans. Retailers representing all key channels told IHA officials they plan to attend the Show. Retailers told IHA they value the show for its comprehensive view of the home and housewares business, saying they prefer the new product and vendor discovery opportunities and face-to-face engagement offered by the in-person marketplace.
“In every conversation I have had with major retail buyers over the last several months, the need to get back to face-to-face events is a consistent theme”, said Sean Daly, vice president, member and buyer relations for IHA. “They were already challenged to find new brands and products over the last two years, and now, with the supply chain crisis, the need to diversify their supplier base is critical. As one retailer told me, ‘You can’t schedule a Zoom meeting with a company you aren’t even aware of’.”
The Inspired Home Show 2022 is offering on-site programs supporting independent retailers, including participation from leading housewares buying organizations GC Buying Group and HTI Buying Group.
The Inspired Home Show 2022 also has partnered with the 2022 Tastemaker Conference, which will bring together food bloggers, influencers and digital content creators at McCormick Place March 3-4. The event receives a combined average of 29.4 million influencer attendee social reach. Visitors to The Inspired Home Show and the Tastemaker Conference will have access to both events.
IHA and McCormick Place management are working closely on health and safety protocols that follow local and national guidance. Updates on the health and safety protocols at the Show are posted regularly to its website site at theinspiredhomeshow.com.
The Inspired Home Show, previously known as the International Home + Housewares Show, is the largest B2B home and housewares exhibition in the Americas. The Show presents exhibitors from across the world in such categories as cookware, bakeware, small kitchen electrics, wellness and personal care appliances, tabletop, home organization and storage, cleaning products, decorative accessories, textiles, pet products and other household accessories.
