ROSEMONT, Ill.–The International Home + Housewares Show is presenting itself as a source of information on industry trends through its “inKNOWvation” message.
The inKNOWvation components include “Design Directions: Going Green”; a look at manufacturers’ efforts to produce sustainable products; the 2010 Student Design competition; the Pantone ColorWatch session; new product showcases; and the Housewares Design Theater, in which designers, trend spotters and marketers will offer presentations on innovation and differentiation in new products. Also encompassed in the concept is a series of seminars on social media, the importance of brands and what drives purchase decisions for the homes by “millennials” (consumers in their 20s).
Phil Brandl, president of the International Housewares Association, sponsor of the show, described the concept as “a way to consolidate what can be an overwhelming amount of information at the show into a clear statement of what drives the housewares industry through good and bad times.”
