The stretch run for 2022 is underway as the all-important holiday season looms very large for the housewares business.
And while all housewares business eyes remain fixed squarely on the fourth quarter of 2022, 2023 is in the sights of an industry already immersed in plans for the coming year without yet knowing exactly if and how the rest of this year could alter such plans.
Such plan-and-pivot strategy and tactics have rewritten the playbook for companies that have navigated through the unexpected twists and turns of a pandemic with no straightaways in sight.
And that has only heightened the demand for constant updates, insight and guidance from the many sectors responsible for getting products from the drawing board to the factory to the retailer to the home.
This week’s “Housewares Homecoming” by the International Housewares Association answers the call for heightened tactical and strategic dexterity. This first-ever in-person co-location of IHA’s annual CHESS (Chief Housewares Executive SuperSession) and Global Forum conferences, augmented by a hybrid in-person/online meeting of the association’s new Housewares Credit Group, unites industry leaders for insights and discussions around critical topics facing home and housewares suppliers.
CHESS and the Global Forum are set for September 22 and 23 at the Westin Hotel in Rosemont, Ill., near O’Hare Airport. The Housewares Credit Group meeting will be held on September 21 at IHA’s offices in Rosemont, Ill.
CHESS is IHA’s strategic and networking event for chief officers and top decision-makers of IHA member companies. The Global Forum is the annual meeting of the International Business Council, a special interest group of IHA members dedicated to global marketing and sales. The Housewares Credit Group is a cooperative effort between IHA and Riemer Plus for IHA member financial executives.
View the schedule for Housewares Homecoming.
CHESS is sponsored by Pattern (Diamond sponsor), Oracle NetSuite (Platinum sponsor), CIT (Platinum sponsor), The Lakewood Group, Red Points, NPD, OnPeak, International Housewares Shippers Association, IHA Government Affairs and HomePage News.
I once again have the privilege of moderating the CHESS program, which will showcase a comprehensive industry education lineup in a two-day format that encourages peer networking. It is a chance for housewares executives to learn from a wide range of experts covering topics including the economic forecast, shifting consumer lifestyle and shopping patterns, retail sales trends, e-commerce breakthroughs and much more. And it is a valuable opportunity for housewares executives to learn from one another
With the 2022 holiday season already here by the looks of some retail displays and 2023 planning already underway, there may be no better time than now for the IHA “Housewares Homecoming” to bring the industry together to help negotiate the next twists and turns.
