Moving business forward was a major theme at The Inspired Home Show® 2026, as home and housewares buyers and sellers from around the world gathered to discover new products, explore new trends and make invaluable connections with top decision-makers.
The International Housewares Association’s (IHA) premier annual marketplace showcased over 1,000 exhibitors, thousands of unique brands, and hundreds of thousands of products to attendees from over 100 countries at Chicago’s McCormick Place from March 10-12, 2026.
“It’s no secret that geopolitical and economic uncertainties have created challenges for retailers and suppliers,” said Derek Miller, IHA president & CEO. “But these uncertainties also come at a time when consumers are increasingly looking to their homes for cooking, entertaining, comfort, wellness and so much more.”
“Senior leaders from both the supplier and buyer sides are telling us how invaluable it was for them to connect in-person at this year’s Show and identify new partners, products, trends and ideas that will help them gain a competitive edge in the year ahead,” he added.
Strong Retailer Participation
Nearly all the key retailers brought senior-level executives, DMMs, GMMs and buyers to the 2026 Show. U.S.-based buyers alone attending the Show represented more than 100,000 retail locations and nearly $75 billion in buying power. View key retailers in attendance and international buyers from market-leading retailers in attendance.
In addition to key global retailers and country-specific market leaders, the Show also attracted over 1,000 smaller independent retailers. Participating exhibitors included everyone from industry leaders and legacy brands to emerging companies and start-up entrepreneurs.
“Buyers consistently tell us how much they appreciate the opportunity to meet with decision-makers from the biggest players in the industry, while also discovering new brands from around the world,” Miller said.
Extensive Media Coverage
The Show also received a considerable amount of media attention, with live coverage produced onsite and many more post-Show stories in the works from close to 200 print, broadcast, digital and social media professionals.
Journalists in attendance representing major media outlets included: The New York Times/Wirecutter, Nexstar Media/News Nation, Yahoo, Lifehacker/CNET, Buzzfeed, Real Simple, CNN Underscored, Forbes, House Beautiful, Good Housekeeping, Better Homes & Gardens, Food Network Magazine, HGTV Magazine, Apartment Therapy, The Kitchn, Taste of Home, Oprah Daily, America’s Test Kitchen, Wired, the Indianapolis Star, Chicago Tribune, WGN-TV, CBS2 Chicago, FOX32 Chicago and NBC5 Chicago.
Show Highlights and Special Attractions
The 2026 Show featured multiple new and returning attractions, including:
- Four expos in two halls located conveniently across the Grand Concourse from each other: Clean + Contain, Dine + Décor, Wired + Well, and International Sourcing.
- The Candle Pavilion—created in partnership with the National Candle Association.
- The Pet Products Pavilion—created in partnership with the American Pet Products Association.
- An expanded Debut incubator, highlighting emerging home and housewares companies and smaller new-to-the-Show exhibitors.
- An expanded Inventors Corner, featuring start-up entrepreneurs with fresh ideas and passion projects in the form of a single product.
- Global Design Points, which offered a look into emerging trends from Brazil, Hong Kong, Indonesia and Turkey.
- The Pantone ColorWatch Display, showcasing housewares to match the seven palettes in the Pantone® View Home + Interiors 2027 forecast.
- The new SPLiCE Licensing Hub—produced in partnership with the Society of Product Licensors Committed to Excellence to connect attendees with brands interested in licensing deals.
- The New Exhibitor Gallery, featuring brands and products new to the Show.
- The IHA Global Innovation Awards (gia), honoring excellence in home and housewares retailing, product design and student achievement.
- Four Keynotes focusing on the future of home and housewares with the latest consumer trends, growth opportunities and AI strategies.
- A robust Inspiration Theater session lineup featuring analysis and how-to on a number of retail strategies, consumer trends and business topics such as tariffs and licensing.
- Inspired Women in Housewares, which provided networking and a panel discussion for leaders in the industry.
- Networking events for the entire industry, as well as focused events for independent retailers and young professionals.
Positive Feedback for New Show Dates
This year also marked the first year of The Inspired Home Show’s new mid-week date pattern. Feedback for the new Tuesday – Thursday pattern, which was a result of industry polling, was overwhelmingly positive.
Looking Ahead to 2027
The Inspired Home Show 2027 will take place in Chicago March 9-11, 2027 and will continue on the new Tuesday – Thursday pattern. Registration for attendees is now open. The Space Application for exhibitors will open in May.