The International Housewares Association (IHA) has appointed PR Direct – run by Sarah Selzer and Mark Chapman – as its new UK office.
The UK Office is the contact point for British and Irish companies interested in visiting or exhibiting at Chicago’s International Home + Housewares Show (which will be known as The Inspired Home Show from 2020). It is also a resource for IHA members who want to expand their international sales within the United Kingdom and Ireland.
“We have known Sarah and Mark for several years, through their visits to the Show in Chicago and from working with them to introduce US home and housewares brands to the market in the UK, and we are very excited about their new role with the Show and the IHA,” said Mark Adkison, vice president, international for the International Housewares Association.
Continuing, Mark highlighted: “Sarah and Mark have between them been involved in the housewares industry in the UK for over 35 years – Sarah as an editor and both as PR consultants, so they know the industry and the industry knows them. We trust that their extensive contacts with both product suppliers and retail buyers as well as their own experiences visiting the Show will help us attract new visitors and exhibitors to the Show.”
Keen to use their expertise to help retailers, importers and product suppliers grow and succeed, Sarah and Mark commented: “We are excited about our new role as the IHA UK Office and are very much looking forward to working with both buyers and suppliers to help them with the Show in Chicago and also help them work with American suppliers.”
Sarah and Mark will be among the strong UK representation at Chicago’s IH+HS, which opens its doors this weekend (March 2- 5). Other notable attendees from the UK include Tom Carter and Alison Hobbs from Potters Cookshop, Hockley, the UK gia winner for 2018-2019.
Potters Cookshop will be applauded as one of the 30 national gia winners at a gia gala dinner on March 2. The event will be live streamed (available via the homepage of the IHA’s website, below) from 19.00, with Global Honorees for Retail announced at 20.45 Central time.
Visit www.housewares.org
Top: PR Direct’s Sarah Selzer and Mark Chapman – representing the IHA in the UK.
