Author: Debbie Teschke, Manager, Media Relations & Communications, IHA
Though the calendar says May and most people are making plans for summer vacations, barbecues and pool parties, gift guide editors at newspapers, monthly magazines, product-focused websites and other media outlets are thinking about the winter months and holiday gift giving. To help International Housewares Association members garner publicity for their new products coming out for this important selling season, IHA is holding a media event on Thursday, June 10 at the Hilton New York.
Hot Housewares for the Holidays is one of three New York-based press opportunities IHA offers members and Show exhibitors each year. The event will feature 40 IHA members displaying their new housewares products for that all-important fourth quarter. Each company can display up to four new products, and we expect the media to view more than 150 new housewares items that they can write about in their gift guide and holiday stories. The products cover all segments of housewares, appealing to many types of consumers.
IHA invites holiday gift editors from newspapers and magazines around the country. To those editors who cannot attend, IHA will send the event product guide which includes photos and descriptions of the products on display. This information is also contained in the press section of www.housewares.org, where it is password-protected, ensuring that only news media have access to the product information. Editors attending past events have included those from The New York Times, Newsday, The Star Ledger, Good Housekeeping, Bride’s, O-The Oprah Magazine, Parade, InStyle, Real Simple, Ladies Home Journal, Woman’s Day, Woman’s World, Food Network Magazine, Martha Stewart Living, Elle Décor, Food & Wine, Parents, This Old House, House Beautiful and All You. Emerging Internet media, including ApartmentTherapy.com, ConsumerSearch.com, Epicurious.com, The Nibble™, The Knot and BestoftheBite.com, have attended past events.
As of mid-May, about 15 tables were still available. Companies interested in participating can sign-up and find more information at http://www.housewares.org/specialprograms/summer10. The deadline to sign-up is May 25. The event lasts from 12 Noon to 4 p.m. and costs as little as $800 – quite a cost-effective way to reach 50-60 consumer and trade editors who are interested in housewares products. Other media events held by PR agencies cost more than double what IHA events do and include all types of products, not just housewares, so participants may not see media who are interested in their product category. If you’re looking to generate excitement for your new products, we hope you’ll consider participating in our housewares holiday media event. If you have questions, email me at dteschke@housewares.org or call 1.847.692.0110.
