Housewares Show attendees to see changes in 2000

Discount Store News, Jan 4, 1999 by Mike Duff

CHICAGO -- Making the most of change is the theme of this year's International Housewares Show, to be held from Jan. 10 to 13 at Chicago's McCormick Place And as the show prepares for a major reorganization m the year 2000, more change is in the offing.

Among the featured speakers at this year's show is Coin Powell, retired general and former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who will address the topic "Challenges of a Changing World" as part of the Industry Breakfast/NHMA Annual Meeting on Monday, Jan. 11.0

This year marks the 102nd edition of the Housewares Show, which is sponsored by the National Housewares Manufacturers Association. It is expected to draw more than 60,000 people to Chicago, including 12,000 buyers and 5,200 international visitors from 100 countries Attendees will have the opportunity to meet with more than 2,000 exhibitors.

The show floor will be divided into four separate subshows, or Expos. The Kitchen, Dining and Electrics Expo will be staged in McCormick Place South. The Home Decor Expo will be staged in McCormick Place Lakeside Center Both the Home Organization and Cleaning Expo and the Seasonal, Pets and International Expo will be held in McCormick Place North.

In addition to General Powell, the show speakers will include Martha Rogers, Ph.D., who will speak on the topic of One-to-One Marketing at 8 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 10, Melanie Wood, president of the Color Marketing group, who will explain how "Color Sells" at noon on Monday, Jan 11, and Ira Kalish, Ph.D., director of Management Horizons' Global Retail Intelligence System, who will talk about "The Global Consumer" at noon on Tuesday, Jan 12 All speakers programs will be held in Room E350 of McCormick's Lakeside Center.

Other events include a Networking Reception/Sports Party, to be held at 5 p.m., Sunday, in the Grand Ballroom of McCormick's South Building, an International Reception, to be held at 5 p.m., Monday, in the South Building's Vista Ballroom And at 6 30 p.m. on that same day, a benefit sponsored by the Housewares Charity Foundation for St Jude's Children's Research Hospital and the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America will be held in the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers.

Looking ahead, the Year 2000 edition of the Housewares Show will be amended considerably. The reorganization is based on retailers' requests for a more logical association of product categories Exhibitors piped in, saying that they need less gridlock and a chance to present themselves better.

Among the changes coming for the Year 2000 show Floor and carpet care have been reunited with the rest of electrics, which will be presented as a unified Expo in the Lakeside Center, and general merchandise will be brought together on Level 2 of the Lakeside Center, an area that also will house the international pavilion. With space freed in McCormick's North and South buildings by the above mentioned changes, new and returning exhibitors in cookware and bakeware, decorative accessories, home organization, kitchen tools and accessories, and tabletop are expected to mount larger and more innovative presentations. In the North Building, specifically, reconfiguration will unite cleaning and hardware with space organizers, clothing care and bath accessories.

Among those retailers endorsing the changes, Bob Segal, vp and dmm at ShopKo noted, "These changes are an attempt to get more new specialty companies into the show and improve the categorization of the vendors at the same time." Said Ron Johnson, vp and gmm for Target, "Changes in the categorization will improve the flow throughout the Housewares Show and make it easier for retailers to shop." 1999 International Housewares Show McCormick Center, Chicago

SHOW HOURS:

Sunday, Jan. 10: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Monday, Jan. 11: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 12: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Wednesday, Jan. 13: 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

EXPO ORGANIZATION:

McCormick Place South: Kitchen, Dining and Electronics Expo

McCormick Place Lakeside Center: Home Decor Expo

McCormick Place North: Home Organization and Cleaning Expo Seasonal, Pets and International Expo