review: the Inspired Home Show
Chicago welcomes back innovation & inspiration
The last in-person event for housewares in Chicago was March 2019, so this year’s show was an opportunity to make up for lost time. Sarah Selzer reports
T
he Inspired Home Show in Chicago has always prided itself on being a
must-see event for trends and – as it said on the badge – inspiration. This first in- person event for the global housewares industry in the Windy City for three years had plenty to keep you occupied during the three days of the show (it ran for one less day than usual). Before the show even kicked off on the first
day, the Saturday, there was the Trending Today and New Exhibitor Preview events, which this year saw 90 new exhibitors from across the globe, with Health @ Home the trend theme. As you walked through McCormick Place to the
three halls – North, South and Lakeside which is dedicated to Wired & Well – you passed numerous displays on colour, award-winning product, global retailer honourees and student design. There were keynote addresses throughout
the show, including one on future colour and designs trends by Lee Eismann, executive director of the Pantone Institute. The Inventors Revue gave start-ups and entrepreneurs a space to reach out to buyers, the Cooking Theater featured top chefs and celebrity cooks (this year’s star turn was the legendary Martha Stewart) and the Innovation Theatre ran seminars on topics like merchandising best practice and global consumer and retail trends.
Innovation on show The Inventors Revue section at the show revealed some exceptional product including Dann Cass at D3 with Liddle, a ‘world first’ wireless speaker which attaches to the iPhone
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12 and 13 MagSafe charging area, as well as being compatible with all Bluetooth wireless devices. From Benno’s Kitchen in Germany, is the Special Roasting Tray, which features a tap on the front so you can just empty the juices straight into a jug rather than remove the whole tray from the oven and, on the accessories side – The Bumpster! Lynn Owens created a simple machine- washable dust cloth bumper which attaches to the edge of your vacuum with Velcro. Liddle can be used to listen to music, play games and watch a movie with 360deg surround sound.
W10 A new exhibitor this year, based in London, and its products include the Oxford Powercup, a stainless steel cup with detachable power bank for wireless charging. It’s vacuum sealed and suitable for hot or cold drinks and with a lockable leak-proof lid. RRP approximately £35.
Presto US brand, so voltage is currently not suitable for UK/EU but as with many of the US brands, they are happy to chat volumes! The Nomad® Traveling Slow Cooker (in 6qt and 8qt sizes) features a wipeable label on the front so you can reference the contents. Great for camping or long-distance family visits.
The Dumpster One of the star turns in the Inventors Revue, The Dumpster is such a simple idea! Creator Lynne Owens said the show had been an amazing experience and had resulted in interest from buyers.
Benno’s Kitchen Designed by German ‘inventor and cooking enthusiast’ Benno Kuttruff, the Special Roasting Tray is another genius product which debuted in the Inventors Revue. A simple tap on the front of the tray means you can access the cooking juicers for basting rather than removing the whole tray.
Uncanny Brands US brand but available in the UK through DKB Toys so all the voltage is compatible. They first showed in Chicago several seasons ago with just a few licensed brands including some amazing Star Wars SDA. That offer now includes R2D2 popcorn maker and Light Saber blender. The latest offer is around the Pokemon license including the Eevee Round Waffle Maker pictured here. Next year’s The Inspired Home Show runs from March 4-7 at McCormick Place, Chicago.
A message from IHA president Derek Miller
On behalf of the IHA board of directors and staff, thank you to everyone who
participated in The Inspired Home Show 2022. Buyers from 84 countries came to Chicago to meet with 1,016 exhibitors from 40 countries. While the show was smaller than in previous years, the benefits for those attending were tremendous. Best Show Ever – when you hear something once and then twice and then again, it begins to turn into a trendline, and while that may not have been everyone’s experience, it certainly was for many show participants. Many exhibitors expressed they had connected with key retailers like never before – they received meetings, and those meetings lasted longer than anticipated. Retailers expressed that they had found new companies, brands and products not seen in the past. Yes, 2022 was different, but different can be good – quality over quantity as they say. That’s not to imply that those who chose
not to exhibit were not missed because they were. While roughly half of the industry came back, there is a need for the entire industry to pull together in 2023 so that we can once again showcase everything we collectively have to offer.
March/April 2022
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