CHESS —Chief Housewares Executive SuperSession— is IHA’s annual senior-level conference for industry leaders. This strategic education and networking event allows attendees to access high-profile industry experts directly and share information and ideas with other housewares and home goods decision-makers. Held every fall, CHESS attracts the chief officers of IHA’s most prominent member companies. The program includes keynote speakers, panel discussions, general sessions and networking opportunities—the most valuable part of the 2-day event according to past participants.
CHESS —Chief Housewares Executive SuperSession— is IHA’s annual senior-level conference for industry leaders. This strategic education and networking event allows attendees to access high-profile industry experts directly and share information and ideas with other housewares and home goods decision makers. Held every fall, CHESS attracts the chief officers of IHA’s most prominent member companies. The program includes keynote speakers, panel discussions, general sessions and networking opportunities—the most valuable part of the 2-day event according to past participants.
Access Presentations
Presentations from CHESS are now available for download for event attendees.
2022 Schedule & Speakers
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23
10:00 — 10:30 AM
Speaker: Derek Miller, President, International Housewares Association
10:30 — 11:30 AM
Successful and enduring housewares companies were adaptable long before the pandemic made pivoting so fashionable. Yet after the sudden and unforeseeable life and business disruption of the past two years that set off a series of new challenges, today’s housewares industry, from the smallest to the largest players, seems best served by companies astute enough to anticipate multiple scenarios and nimble enough to alter the course as needed. In this year’s Housewares Hot Seat panel discussion to open CHESS 2022, HomePage News Editor-in- Chief Peter Giannetti will sit with leaders of housewares companies to examine how they are implementing strategy and building organizations to remain more proactive in a reactive marketplace.
Panelists: Luke Peters, President & CEO, NewAir
Jacob Maurer, CEO, The Americas, The Cookware Company
Moderator: Peter Giannetti, Editor-in-Chief, HomePage News
11:30 AM — 12:30 PM
Speaker: John Dick, CEO, CivicScience
12:30 — 2:00 PM
2:00 — 3:00 PM
The vast majority of brands want to grow sales and other online marketplaces in a profitable manner. The challenge, however, is that channel dynamics often prevent their ability to do so. Without a clear channel-control strategy in place, brands will see their value erode, lose sales to unauthorized sellers, fail to capture optimized ROAS and experience disruption across all business channels. Brands can take back control of their destiny, and vastly improve performance, with a holistic channel-control strategy that focuses on driving the majority of sales through their desired Amazon GTM strategy — whether Amazon 1P, their own 3P storefront or another authorized 3P seller — in a manner consistent with their hard-earned brand value, while simultaneously stopping unauthorized sales and improving business in traditional brick and mortar channels. In this session, Whitney Gibson will discuss each of the components brands must implement for a holistic channel-control strategy in the eCommerce age.
Speaker: Whitney Gibson, CEO, Co-Founder, Vorys eControl
3:00 — 4:00 PM
There have been growing concerns, especially in recent months, about companies’ ability to justify their valuations. This has driven a renewed focus on understanding whether businesses that may not be profitable yet have a path to profitability and, if so, how long that path might be. Daniel McCarthy will show how an award-winning customer value-driven framework can help you more accurately assess the underlying forward-looking profitability of your business and will provide actionable drivers you can leverage to accelerate your profitability in the future.
Speaker: Daniel McCarthy, Co-Founder, Theta Equity Partners; Assistant Professor, Marketing, Emory College
8:00 — 9:00 AM
Speaker: RJ Hottovy, Head of Analytical Research, Placer.ai
9:00 — 10:00 AM
As we move to the endemic phase of COVID-19, there are many macro-economic variables, changes in consumer behavior and spending and innovations at retail that are creating unique challenges and opportunities for the home and housewares industry. Marshal Cohen and Joe Derochowski will discuss these topics and more as we look to the future.
Speakers: Marshal Cohen, Chief Retail Advisor, The NPD Group
Joe Derochowski, Home Industry Adviser, The NPD Group
10:00 — 10:30 AM
11:30 AM — 12:30 PM
Web 3.0 is upon us. Many of the companies that were slow to onboard at the outset of the Internet, Web 1.0, embraced social media and digital marketing in Web 2.0. Today, with the changing landscape of digital engagement, data privacy, new immersive technologies and the promise of the Metaverse, organizations are eager to jump on board to Web 3.0 but they are challenged to find how their brand, products and value proposition will change with the shift to the Owner Economy.
Learn how to convert those challenges into opportunities from David Lucatch, serial entrepreneur, marketer, tech evangelist, speaker and contributor to leading publications such as Forbes, Rolling Stone and Cointelegraph. Lucatch has worked in the technology, entertainment, sports and consumer marketing arenas, simplifying the complexity of technology, marketing and the evolving digital and physical environments and helping senior executives and companies drive more value for their brands and engagement with their customers.
Speaker: David Luctatch, President & CEO, Liquid Avatar
12:30 — 1:00 PM
Speaker: Peter Giannetti, Editor-in-Chief, HomePage News
1:00 — 2:00 PM
Marshal Cohen
![](https://www.theinspiredhomeshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/logo-npd.jpg")
Chief Industry Advisor
The NPD Group
Marshal Cohen, chief industry advisor of The NPD Group, Inc., is a nationally known expert on consumer behavior and the retail industry. He has followed retail trends for more than 30 years, at NPD and as the head of leading fashion and apparel manufacturers as well as major retailers. As part of his work at NPD, Marshal leads many top firms in long-range and strategic-planning sessions. He often utilizes motivational presentations to help launch corporate goals and kick-off meetings. Marshal is the author of two books, Why Customers Do What They Do (2006) and Buy Me! How to Get Customers to Choose Your Products and Ignore the Rest (2010).
In addition to his duties at NPD, Marshal is a member of several boards of directors and has most recently been appointed to the Cotton Board and American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA). He is also a guest professor at North Carolina State University, School of Textiles. There, he introduces students and faculty to techniques for analyzing and applying data. Marshal has been a guest lecturer at the Wharton School of Business, the Fashion Institute of Technology, and Savannah College of Art and Design. He has also been twice named to the Footwear News Power 100 list.
Marshal is also a regular contributor to many major media outlets. He is frequently quoted in publications like The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, andWomen’s Wear Daily. Additionally, he appears on various television news programs, including “Today,” “Good Morning America,” and “CBS Sunday Morning,” and has been a regular guest on Bloomberg TV and Radio. He is also a sought-after speaker at key industry events such as MAGIC, The Fairchild CEO Summits, The National Retail Federation’s (NRF) Annual Convention, and The American Apparel and Footwear Association’s (AAFA) Annual Executive Summit. Recently, Marshal was the only industry expert who appeared in the documentary, “God Save my Shoes,” (godsavemyshoes.com), produced by Caid Productions.
Since joining NPD in 1999, Marshal has held a variety of positions analyzing and interpreting NPD’s uniquely combined consumer and point-of-sale tracking services for the apparel, footwear, accessories, and sports industries. His career began in the training program at Bloomingdale’s, where he worked his way up to merchandise manager. From there, he became president of WilliWear and subsequently president of Stanley Blacker. He was also founder, owner, and president of Motive Marketing Group.
Joe Derchowski
Vice President
The NPD Group
Joe Derochowski is The NPD Group’s vice president, industry advisor for the home and home improvement industries. Joe has followed consumer behavioral trends throughout his career, developing a unique perspective on what consumers do and why they do it. Driven by this insight and his passion, Joe has been helping manufacturers and retailers identify opportunities for growth for the past 30 years, from product innovation to new marketing and merchandising opportunities. Joe’s background in all facets of business gives him the ability to connect the dots between the consumer and the marketplace and help companies understand today’s trends while anticipating future demands.
In addition to working closely with manufacturers and retailers throughout the home and home improvement industries, Joe is a frequent speaker at industry conferences where his combined consumer and industry-driven approach drives the insights he provides. He is also regularly quoted in trade and national media publications, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNBC, HomePage News, and HBS Dealer.
Joe received his MBA from Michigan State University and an undergraduate degree from GMI Engineering Management Institute. In addition to his tenure at The NPD Group, his previous work experience includes General Motors Parts, AT&T, Procter & Gamble, and Nielsen. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
John Dick
Founder & CEO
CivicScience
John Dick is the Founder and CEO of CivicScience, a polling and market intelligence company headquartered in Pittsburgh. He’s a serial entrepreneur with extensive experience in new business formation, business development, and marketing.
John is the host of the successful podcast, The Dumbest Guy in the Room and author of What We’re SeeingÔ, the weekly email newsletter read by a who’s-who of business leaders, policymakers, and celebrities.
John is also a frequent speaker at the Carnegie Mellon University Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, a contributing writer for AdAge, Microsoft News, and Forbes and has appeared on Good Morning America, Yahoo! Finance, Cheddar, AXS-TV and as a speaker at numerous business and media conferences.
Peter Giannetti
Editor-In-Chief
HomePage News
Peter Giannetti joined IHA in March 2021 as Director, Editorial, Content and Education. In his new role with IHA, Giannetti directed the development and launch of HomePage News, the authoritative B2B news platform for the home + housewares business. He has reported on the home + housewares business since 1990. Before joining IHA, Giannetti served for 14 years as Editor-in-Chief and 14 years before that as Editor of HomeWorld Business, a leading B2B print and digital publication.
Whitney Gibson
Partner & Chair
Vorys eControl
Whitney Gibson is a partner and leader of the firm’s nationally recognized Vorys eControl.
In leading Vorys’ eControl, Gibson has developed custom programs for companies confronting unauthorized sales, grey market sales, counterfeit sales, Minimum Advertised Price (MAP) violators and other illegal sales on the internet. The team combines legal, technological and investigative tools and services.
Gibson was instrumental in the creation of the firm’s three-step program designed to help brands control online sales, eliminate channel conflict and protect brand value. He has led more than 300 brands – including some of the world’s largest – through the development of end-to-end strategies. He has helped craft new and innovative foundational steps necessary to make to make enforcement efforts effective. And, he has built an in-house enforcement team charged with identifying and removing online sellers through a multitude of legal tactics. This program recently received an international InnovAction Award for its innovation in providing a comprehensive approach to help brands preserve their online brand value.
Gibson also frequently litigates complex internet cases. These types of cases include unauthorized online sales, online reputation attacks, competitor false review schemes, misleading online marketing, public disclosure of private facts and online trademark abuse.
Most recently, Gibson has co-authored the book Controlling Your Brand in the Age of Amazon: The Brand Executive’s Playbook for Winning Online with James Thomson of Buy Box Experts. This book addresses the pressures that brands now face with the maturation of online marketplaces like Amazon. It highlights both business and legal strategies that brands can employ when faced with threats posed by online marketplaces.
R.J. Hottovy
Head of Analytical Research
Pattern
John Dick is the Founder and CEO of CivicScience, a polling and market intelligence company headquartered in Pittsburgh. He’s a serial entrepreneur with extensive experience in new business formation, business development, and marketing.
John is the host of the successful podcast, The Dumbest Guy in the Room and author of What We’re SeeingÔ, the weekly email newsletter read by a who’s-who of business leaders, policymakers, and celebrities.
John is also a frequent speaker at the Carnegie Mellon University Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, a contributing writer for AdAge, Microsoft News, and Forbes and has appeared on Good Morning America, Yahoo! Finance, Cheddar, AXS-TV and as a speaker at numerous business and media conferences.
David Lucatch
CEO
Liquid Avatar
David Lucatch, CEO & Chair Liquid Avatar Technologies Inc. / Managing Director Oasis Digital Studios & Aftermath Islands Metaverse
Serial Entrepreneur, Marketer, Tech Evangelist, Capital Supporter & Mentor
David Lucatch is the CEO, President & Chair of Liquid Avatar Technologies Inc. David is a blockchain and marketing technology visionary, leading Liquid Avatar Technologies’ in its mission to empower individuals to manage, control, and create value from their identity and related personal data.
David has almost 40 years of experience in the international marketing arena and over 25 years of that developing online business concepts and technologies and taking them to private, public, and commercial markets.
David is a graduate and Arbor Award recipient from the University of Toronto and is a contributing writer and featured event, conference, and podcast speaker, being a member of the Forbes Business Council, The Rolling Stone Culture Council, and the Cointelegraph Innovation Circle.
David writes, presents, and speaks extensively about people and technology, the intersection of conventional and digital marketing, digital identity, the Metaverse, Web 3.0, and more.
Jacob Maurer
CEO, The Americas
The Cookware Company
Jacob Maurer in 2018 was named president of the Americas division of The Cookware Company, the Belgian-based cookware manufacturer and creator of of GreenPan brand. Prior to joining The Cookware Company, Maurer worked for specialty kitchenware retailer Sur La Table for 15 years, most recently as senior vice president/GMM. He was elected to the International Housewares Association board of directors in 2019.
Daniel McCarthy
Co-Founder
Theta
Daniel McCarthy is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at Emory University’s Goizueta School of Business. His research specialty is the application of leading-edge statistical methodology to contemporary empirical marketing problems. His research interests include customer lifetime value, limited data problems, and the marketing/finance interface.
He popularized customer-based corporate valuation (CBCV), a methodology that drives any traditional valuation model off of the underlying behaviors of the target company’s customers. His work has been featured in major media outlets such as the Harvard Business Review, MIT Sloan Management Review, Wall Street Journal, FT, Fortune, Barron’s, Inc Magazine, the Economist, and CNBC. His research has been accepted and published in top-tier academic journals and has won numerous research awards.
In addition to his roles and responsibilities at Emory, Dan co-founded and was Chief Statistician for Zodiac, a predictive customer analytics SaaS firm. Nike acquired Zodiac in March 2018. Dan has since co-founded Theta Equity Partners to revolutionize how firms (e.g., private equity, venture capital, and operating companies directly) value companies through CBCV.
Luke Peters
Founder & CEO
Newair Appliances
David Lucatch, CEO & Chair Liquid Avatar Technologies Inc. / Managing Director Oasis Digital Studios & Aftermath Islands Metaverse
Serial Entrepreneur, Marketer, Tech Evangelist, Capital Supporter & Mentor
David Lucatch is the CEO, President & Chair of Liquid Avatar Technologies Inc. David is a blockchain and marketing technology visionary, leading Liquid Avatar Technologies’ in its mission to empower individuals to manage, control, and create value from their identity and related personal data.
David has almost 40 years of experience in the international marketing arena and over 25 years of that developing online business concepts and technologies and taking them to private, public, and commercial markets.
David is a graduate and Arbor Award recipient from the University of Toronto and is a contributing writer and featured event, conference, and podcast speaker, being a member of the Forbes Business Council, The Rolling Stone Culture Council, and the Cointelegraph Innovation Circle.
David writes, presents, and speaks extensively about people and technology, the intersection of conventional and digital marketing, digital identity, the Metaverse, Web 3.0, and more.
Phillip Neuhart
SVP, Director of Market & Economic Research
First Citizens Bank
Jacob Maurer in 2018 was named president of the Americas division of The Cookware Company, the Belgian-based cookware manufacturer and creator of of GreenPan brand. Prior to joining The Cookware Company, Maurer worked for specialty kitchenware retailer Sur La Table for 15 years, most recently as senior vice president/GMM. He was elected to the International Housewares Association board of directors in 2019.
2022 CHESS Sponsors
Become a CHESS Sponsor
Location
CHESS is being held at The Westin O’Hare. IHA is pleased to partner with The Westin to bring you a reduced nightly rate of $185. Book now.
The Westin O’Hare
6100 N River Rd,
Rosemont, IL 60018
847.698.6000
