The International Home + Housewares Show is the largest show of its kind. Every March, 2000+ manufactures from all over the globe descend on Chicago to exhibit their new products, as buyers and retailers attend looking for the next hot item to fill the shelves. Here are some facts about the 2013 Show:
- The 2013 International Home + Housewares Show is expecting more than 60,000 total attendees from 125 countries
- The Show is sold-out with 2,137 exhibitors from 43 countries
- More than 775,000 net sq ft of exhibit space
- 500 new companies
- Tens of thousands of new products are introduced
- Show is in the top 5 largest trade shows in Chicago
- Attendee expenditures in Chicago total $98.8 million
- 75% of all U.S. retail buyers are specialty retailers
- The Show will generate over 350 million consumer impressions
- 13 miles of aisles
Take a look at the evolution of the International Home + Housewares Show from the bare exhibit hall to the opening of the show this morning:
Some of the most well-known brands share the show floor with inventors and start up hopefuls and all others that fall in between to find a way to get their newest products to the consumer.
The opening day of the Show featured award-winning themes all around.
Celebrity Chefs Ming Tsai and Rick Bayless headlined the first batch of cooking theater demos as attendees were treated to live cooking sessions from each of them as well as many others for a spectacular opening day. The theater wrapped Saturday with our special twitter party host Caitlin Stieninger of Cookingwithcaitlin.com, who’ll also host the first of those twitter parties on Sunday afternoon. Follow along on Twitter with the #fnichat hashtag!
The 2013 IHA Innovation Awards winners were announced at a reception Saturday afternoon as well, with 13 companies taking home special honors. The winners were selected from a group of nearly 500 products submitted pre-show and can be seen in the Hall of Global Innovation in the Lakeside Center Lobby throughout the Show. Congrats again to all the winners! You can view all the winners on our Facebook page now!
The Discover Design exhibit hosted a media event of their own, as buyers and media met with exhibitors who are exhibiting in Discover Design. A select few will win gia awards, announced at the gia Gala tonight honoring housewares retail and design excellence.
