The International Housewares Association (IHA) announced that Target’s top home merchant, Mara Sirhal, will present the retail keynote at the 2026 Chief Housewares Executive SuperSession (CHESS) conference this fall.
CHESS 2026 is set for September 29-30, 2026, at the Hilton Rosemont near Chicago’s O’Hare Airport.
New Target leadership under CEO Michael Fiddelke has put in motion a strategy to drive growth by refortifying the retailer’s reputation as a design-, style- and trend-forward mass merchant with unique items at affordable prices. In her CHESS keynote, Sirhal – who joined Target in November of 2025 as senior vice president of merchandising for home — will provide insights on the significant role home products play in these plans.
Sirhal (pictured above) joined Target with more than 20 years of experience in merchandising, brand development and sourcing across department and specialty retail. She previously held several senior leadership positions, including chief merchandising officer at QVC & HSN U.S., chief merchant and brand officer at Saks Off 5th, brand president at Bed Bath & Beyond, and various roles at Macy’s.
“CHESS 2026 offers a unique opportunity for home and housewares leaders to briefly step away from the everyday and immerse themselves in learning and connecting on the industry’s most critical topics of the day,” said Derek Miller, IHA president & CEO. “Attendees will walk away from this event better prepared to succeed in a quickly changing marketplace through exclusive insights, direct connections to subject matter experts, and peer-to-peer networking.”
In addition to Sirhal’s keynote, the CHESS education program will feature a variety of experts from the housewares industry, the retail ecosystem and related fields, according to IHA. Other sessions and panel discussions will provide updates and insights on tariffs, shipping, consumer/market trends, the retail landscape, and other legislative and regulatory issues, IHA noted.
A key focus of CHESS 2026 will be on balancing the opportunities and limitations of artificial intelligence (AI), according to IHA. Sessions will be dedicated to the latest in agentic commerce and generative AI, and how companies can evolve their teams to play a successful role in the application of this transformative technology.
CHESS will also provide attendees with networking opportunities and the chance to share information and ideas with industry peers in a collaborative, face-to-face environment, which IHA said would be a critical benefit of the conference.
Registration for CHESS 2026 is now open. More information, including a link to discounted room rates at the Hilton Rosemont, is available on IHA’s website.
