What new business skills and insights will housewares industry leaders need to develop in order to prevail in this era of the changing consumer? Answers to this question will be the focus of the upcoming two-day educational conference, the 2013 Chief Housewares Executive SuperSession (CHESS), Oct. 8-9 in Rosemont, Ill. Executives from Google, Inc., Target and The NPD Group, along with experts on digital commerce, viral marketing and 3-D printing will address the critical issues affecting the housewares supply chain.
CHESS, the strategic and networking event for industry leaders will be held at the InterContinental Chicago O’Hare, Rosemont, Ill. It is designed for chief officers of all IHA member companies and their top decision-makers and features sessions on digital commerce, viral marketing, retail trends, re-shoring, the Affordable Care Act and more.
The program will open Oct. 8 with a blue-ribbon panel of industry leaders in the keynote session, “Housewares Hot-Seat: Tough Questions for the Industry’s Top Decision-Makers.” The panel will be moderated by Peter Giannetti, editor-in-chief of HomeWorld Business, and include Greg Cairo, president, Groupe SEB USA; Evan Dash, CEO, StoreBound; and James Glenn, president/CEO, Household Essentials, LLC. Among the topics they will explore is how housewares industry decision-makers are implementing strategies to optimize and control business in the vast digital marketplace without undermining a brick-and-mortar retail foundation.
That afternoon Ryan Beach, vice president/divisional merchandise manager for Housewares, Home Improvement and Automotive at Target, will share his insights on the retailer’s changing guest and plans for the housewares market during the session, “A Multi-Channel Retailer’s Perspective.” Beach has 15 years’ experience in merchandising at Target, including positions in Toys, Domestics, Decorative Home, School and Office and, most recently, Electronics and Entertainment.
The Day 2 keynote will feature Brian Zeug, industry director at Google, Inc., discussing how Google data can help suppliers better understand how consumers research, compare and shop for housewares in “Rethinking the Shopper’s Path to Purchase.” Closing CHESS 2013 will be Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst at The NPD Group, who will share his perspectives on winning in the real-time retailing game of thrones in his presentation, “3D Retailing: Retail Opportunities for Today & Tomorrow.”
The CHESS agenda offers a mix of general and breakout sessions, including Q&A time with speakers after each session. Networking breaks, luncheons and a cocktail reception and dinner also provide time for attendees to network and meet informally with speakers, industry service providers and their colleagues—the most valuable part of the program according to past participants.
Other speakers and topics include:
- “The Future of Making” by David Pescovitz, journalist/blogger/futurist.
- “Digital Overview” by Dale Nitschke, managing partner, Ovative/Group.
- “Crafting Contagious Ideas” by Jonah Berger, viral marketing expert and author of the best-seller “Contagious: Why Things Catch On.”
- “Everyone Should Sell Their Business at Least Once,” a panel moderated by Linda Graebner, executive chairman, Chef’n Corporation, and including Keith Berk, Horwood Marcus & Berk Chartered; Mark Dufilho, Houlihan Lokey; Keith Jaffee, O2 Cool; Bruce Lubin, The Private Bank; and Scot Swenberg, CID Capital.
- Two breakout sessions: “Off-Shoring, Near-Shoring, Re-Shoring: Making the Right Choices” by Michael Hetzel, president, Northern Galaxy Corporation; and “Affordable Care Act: Pay…Play…Delay” by Michael Nader, partner, Faegre Baker Daniels LLP.
To register for CHESS or for more information, visit the CHESS website at www.housewares.org/chess or contact Judy Colitz of IHA at jcolitz@housewares.org.
