Today marks a momentous occasion for The Inspired Home Show as it opens its doors for the 125th time since its inception in 1939.
It’s a staggering achievement that Derek Miller, President and CEO of the show’s organiser, the International Housewares Association (IHA), credits to a passion for delivering newness and innovation, year after year. Little surprise then that more than 10,000 new products were introduced at the 2024 show, a figure he expects will increase again this year.
“New products are the lifeblood of the industry, and the show is a destination for retailers to find new products and innovations that set them apart from the competition,” he said.
Celebration plans are in place to mark the occasion, including displays to highlight the show’s 125th edition, providing a graphical representation of the show’s history and what it has achieved since its first edition way back in 1939. HomePage News will also highlighting key milestones, people and stories that epitomise the show’s history.
Returning to Chicago’s McCormick Place Complex, the Inspired Home Show 2025 will run for three days between 2-4 March, benefitting again from last year’s efforts to refocus the show over a shorter time period, and across a consolidated two-hall footprint. Those changes led to a more efficient experience that “was very well received by both exhibitors and buyers”, said Miller.
For many brands, the Inspired Home Show remains the only venue to reach a growing contingent of buyers who opt not to visit the industry’s other leading trade events.
“The Inspired Home Show is the most important trade event of the year for the home and housewares industry in the Western Hemisphere,” says Miller. “From a buyer perspective, the show features exhibitors that simply don’t exhibit at other trade fairs, and if they do, they often only display a small portion of their full product lines. From an exhibitor perspective, the show attracts buyers that simply don’t attend other trade fairs.”
Of course, no visit to the Inspired Home Show would be complete without stopping by the Inspiration Theatre. Located in the South Building, it plays host to dozens of executive-level educational sessions, seminars and presentations, giving visitors insight into everything from retail, e-commerce and technology, to marketing, branding, product development, supply chain, social media, consumer behaviour and how to spot trends in emerging categories like connected smart homes.
https://www.theinspiredhomeshow.com
