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IHA - International Housewares Association: The Home Authority
Web: www.housewares.org | Ph: 847-292-4200 | Fax: 847-292-4211
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Deborah A.Teschke
Manager, Media Relations & Communications
847-692-0110
IHA Announces Record Buyer Participation at 2007 International Home & Housewares Show
ROSEMONT, ILL (March 23, 2007)--The International Housewares Association announced today that the recently concluded 2007 International Home & Housewares Show set record retailer attendance with an overall growth of 2.8 percent. Total registration was over 60,114, including nearly 22,000 buyers. As previously announced, the Show also featured more than 2,100 exhibitors from over 40 countries. More than 500 of those exhibitors were new to the Show.
“We are pleased to report these outstanding results,” said Phil Brandl, president of IHA, the Show’s not-for-profit owner and operator. “Exhibitors and buyers reported strong business for 2006 and the first two months of 2007. Most buyers were openly optimistic about the remainder of 2007 and found many new products to grow their business.”
U.S. buyer attendance was up 3.3 percent across all retail channels with 15, 452 registrants. The Show once again saw a sharp increase in U.S. independent specialty retailers with nearly 75 percent of the U.S. retail buyers coming from specialty channels.
Internationally, buyer attendance grew 1.7 percent to 6,517 registrants. Those buyers said that the strength of the U.S. market drew them to Chicago. Buyers visited from over 100 countries, solidifying the Show as a key event in the global homegoods business.
Expectations are that the Show will once again grow its media impact, creating over 135 million consumer impressions. News media attendance increased nearly 15 percent over the previous Show. National television coverage included ABC’s Good Morning America, NBC’s The Today Show, CBS’ The Early Show, Fox Network News, HGTV and significant local coverage. International media attendees came from 27 countries outside the U.S.
The 2008 International Home & Housewares Show will be held Sunday, March 16 through Tuesday, March 18 at McCormick Place in Chicago. For more information, please visit www.housewares.org.
IHA is the 69-year-old voice of the housewares industry, which accounted for (US$) 301 billion at retail worldwide in 2005. The non-profit, full-service association sponsors the world's premier housewares products exposition, the International Home & Housewares Show, and offers its 1,700 member companies a wide range of services, including industry and government advocacy, export assistance, State-of-the-Industry reports, point-of-sale and consumer purchase data through Housewares MarketWatch, executive management peer groups, a unique Web-based community at www.housewares.org and group buying discounts on business solutions services.
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