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IHA’s blog features informative posts written to keep the housewares industry educated and informed about key strategic issues and IHA member services.

Falling in Love With Life

I photograph design specialist Asko Ahokas standing in front of a giant projected pipe. The picture references Hitchcock, with Ahokas’ tall hound’s-tooth suited form silhouetted onscreen. The wooden pipe in the background is unsmokable, its bowl non-existent. These are all fitting elements for a presentation entitled “Romantic and Practical” although its working title of…

Introducing…Asko Ahokas

Asko Ahokas is a trend analyst from Finland who has led a New York-based agency and consulting firm for 17 years. He is one of our ongoing columnists, helping to ensure that you’re on the right wave, at the right time. It’s been a steady climb for Asko Ahokas to reach a point where he is analyzing and advising the retail world and beyond about trends from his New York-based…

Inside Discover Design: Joseph Joseph

Twin brothers Richard and Antony Joseph founded Joseph Joseph in 2003, combining their experience in product design and business. Specializing in contemporary kitchenware, Joseph Joseph is now internationally recognized for producing some of the most stylish and innovative products available. Their unique ability to match form and function has earned them global recognition for…

2012-2013 gia GLOBAL HONOREES ANNOUNCED!

CHICAGO (March 3, 2013) – The International Home + Housewares Show and the International Housewares Association (IHA), the global sponsors and organizers of the Global Innovation Award (gia) program, today announced the five 2013 gia Global Honorees. The gia Global Honorees are: Linen Chest Canada Quality Living …

Welcome to the 2013 International Home + Housewares Show!

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…

IH+HS 2013 Innovation Award Winners Announced!

Chicago, IL - Congratulations to the 2013 International Home + Housewares Show Innovation Award Winners! These 13 winners were chosen from 65 finalists, all picked from nearly 500 submissions of products throughout the Show. Click on each winner to see a photo of the award-winner products! And the award goes to... Bath + Personal Care simplehuman - Sensor Mirror Cleaning…

Elevated Design: Winners of the 2013 gia Design Awards

Since 2011, exhibitors in Discover Design have had the opportunity to be considered for a select number of gia design awards. Here are the 2013 gia design awards for Best Product Design, Best Collection Design, and the Martin M. Pegler Award for Excellence in Visual Merchandising for the best booth design. These are best-in-class examples, providing physical proof of what the…

On Top of the World – top3

It was a simple idea yet highly innovative. The inspiration came about when Terri Winter and her husband Bernd (who owns a Sydney-based advertising agency) went to a club in Frankfurt, where only the best-in-class acts were to perform – from cabaret performers to comedians. Over a bottle of wine, the performances sparked an idea – why not apply the same methodology to design?…

Knowing Innovation: Rob Wallace, Wallace Church Inc.

By Vicki Matranga, Design Programs Coordinator At the 2013 International Home + Housewares Show, the Innovation Theater in the Lakeside Center will present 21 educational programs, every hour beginning Saturday morning and ending Tuesday afternoon. At the Theater, located in Room E350 (near the entry to the Level 3 Lobby), experts in new product development and launch will…