ROSEMONT, Ill.–Three different channels of distribution—online, mass and independent—will be represented at the International Housewares Association’s 2008 Chief Housewares Executive SuperSession (CHESS) from Sept. 9 to 10 in Chicago.
Chris Nielsen, vice president, Home and Garden store, Amazon.com; Rod Ghormley, senior vice president and general merchandise manager, home, ShopKo Stores; and Dominic Cimilluca, chief executive officer, Dominic’s Kitchen Store, are scheduled to take part in a panel discussion to discuss how suppliers can best meet the needs of each channel.
In addition to the retail panel, the two-day program will include a keynote address on China, given by China expert and author Peter Navarro. Other industry issues to be addressed include consumer trends, product design and innovation, sustainability, the state of the retail environment, the Vietnamese market, protecting intellectual property, and factory compliance and product safety.
A senior-level conference for the housewares industry, CHESS is open to all CEOs of IHA member companies.