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Discover Design Category to Debut at 2011 International Home + Housewares Show
Discover Design Exhibitors Will Be Eligible for New Global Innovator Award for Products
ROSEMONT, ILL (August 16, 2010)—Inspired design from around the globe is the focus of a new category at the 2011 International Home + Housewares Show, March 6-8 at McCormick Place in Chicago. Called Discover Design, the category will be located in the Tabletop, Kitchen Essentials + Accents section in the Dine + Design Expo in the South Building and feature companies specifically invited to exhibit in the category.
According to Phil Brandl, president of the International Housewares Association, which owns and operates the Show, exhibitors in the category will be selected based on the following criteria: inspired design, quality, brand positioning, outstanding craftsmanship, exclusive market focus, retailer and consumer favorites and design-focused sustainable product. A group of retailers, industry experts and IHA staff will review and approve companies selected for the category.
“Discover Design was developed based on retailer feedback and will comprise those companies retailers would like to see at the Show,” Brandl said. “It will add an exciting, new element to the Show.”
Along with exhibiting in Discover Design, companies will be eligible to compete for Global Innovator Awards (gia) for product innovation and booth design. Since its inception in 2000, the gia awards have quickly grown into the world’s most prestigious honor in housewares retailing and have honored nearly 200 retailers around the world. For 2011, the gia program expands to include manufacturers exhibiting in Discover Design. Each exhibitor can submit two new products for consideration for the gia award. The products should be new to the U.S. market. The products will be judged by the gia expert jury, who will also judge for booth design, and the winners announced at the invitation-only gia dinner on Sunday, March 6.
All of the products submitted for the gia award will be displayed at the Show in the Discover Design Gallery on the exhibit floor.
The International Home + Housewares Show features 2,000 exhibitors and attracts more than 60,000 attendees. For 2011, the Show will include co-location with The Travel Goods Show. To register for a Show badge or for more information, please visit www.housewares.org.
