The show length will be reduced to three days next year, instead of the usual four, while the layout will also be changed.
Having carefully considered feedback from two industry-wide surveys and four special committees made up of both exhibitors and retailers, the IHA board of directors has decided the show will now open on Sunday 17 March, and close on Tuesday 19 March, 2024. The majority indicated in the surveys that three full days is sufficient with business being more concentrated over that timeframe.
Derek Miller, president and ceo of IHA, commented: “Making the move from four days to three full days will not only make the show more productive and dynamic, but will also reduce costs for both the exhibitor and retail audiences, something frequently cited throughout discussions.”
Steve Greenspon, ceo of Honey-Can-Do and IHA chairman, told HomePage News: “A three-day show will help both retailers and exhibitors better control their expenses while getting a more fulfilling show experience. Condensing the show will make it much more efficient to see all the exhibits and displays.”
Changes to the show layout include:
- The Wired + Well Expo will move to the North Hall, co-locating with the Clean + Contain Expo. Housing all three of the primary expos, including Dine + Decor, together in the North and South Halls is hoped to bring the industry’s core categories together into a central location that is quicker and easier to navigate.
- The North Hall will be divided into two with Wired + Well on the right and Clean + Contain continuing on the left.
- The Discover Design Expo will be disbursed with current exhibitors being placed within their relevant categories.
- Travel Gear + Luggage will move into the South Hall to give the area room to develop and grow.
- The International Sourcing Expo will return to the Lower North Hall, a location previously occupied by the sector in 2019.
While the overall size of the show will not decrease, with the re-location plans, the show will no longer occupy the Lakeside Centre.
Bill Endres of Select Brands told HomePage News: “IHA is listening to what key retailers and exhibitors said about the effectiveness of the show, and it is doing everything to put on a first-class global Show,” said Endres, president, Select Brands.
“Moving (electrics) out of Lakeside is a chance to address changes that will be beneficial to the show
layout and to the retailers. Things change, and you need to adapt.”
Jacob Maurer of The Cookware Company added: “Retailers spend a fair amount of time walking the show. We’re excited about the adjacencies offered to companies like ours that are in multiple categories. Retailers will be able to circle back more efficiently as needed. The show will be more active, which is a real positive.”
Derek concluded: “As the 2023 show built upon the previous year’s success with large increases in the number of exhibitors and retail attendees, there is no doubt that the trajectory for the show is extremely positive. The changes being made will be a further propellent to create a trade show that is more productive, highly efficient and tremendously successful for the entire industry.”
